Chotto Matte

Offering a fusion of Japanese and European cuisines, Chotto Matte reflects the founders’ mission to utilise the traditional cooking methods of the Far East and the flavours of the western world. Tucked down Blair Road in Tanjong Pagar, this is a restaurant that adventurous foodies will love, with the most intrepid of Singapore’s culinarily curious opting for the chef’s special custom menu that guides diners through this unique eatery’s unusual offering. With indoor and outdoor seating, plus a private dining area that boasts its own sushi bar and open kitchen, Chotto Matte is an assured dining destination.

Part of Chotto Matte’s appeal is that its fusion cuisine concept extends to its drinks menu, too. The international selection of fine wine is just a teaser for the incredible range of global whiskies on offer, a list that highlights some of the more esoteric corners of Japanese distillation alongside European vodkas and tequila, mezcal and rum from the Americas and Caribbean. Naturally, no Japanese fusion restaurant in Singapore with the pedigree of Chotto Matte would be complete without a wide range of sake and shochu, and the list here doesn’t disappoint, with rare rice wines presented on a long and carefully annotated list. In fact, Chotto Matte’s Tanjong Pagar premises are an ideal spot to simply enjoy a sophisticated drop with friends.

When it comes to the food, Chotto Matte’s tasting menu is the top choice. Be sure to inform the restaurant when you book if you’d like to indulge in this custom degustation experience, and expect Japanese-European fusion dishes like pomegranate miso black cod to start, teppan Wagyu beef with wild rocket and a ponzu sauce, and the house panna cotta to finish. Indulgence of this sort is best enjoyed in Chotto Matte’s private dining area, just one of the stunningly stylish spaces housed at this Singapore restaurant’s Blair Road address. From the a la carte menu, take your pick from refined donburi and pasta dishes (the mantaiko pasta is a particularly bold gesture), sushi rolls like the pan-seared foie gras roll, skewers of Hokkaido scallops alongside duck meat and leek, and don’t forget to wash it all down with a contemporary cocktail – our guilty pleasure is the Nutella marshmallow concoction!