For Valentine’s day this year, my date and I picked Nadaman. We had visited this place thrice before and loved it enough to want to come back again. In addition, we didn’t like how most places charges extra on this day (evil business strategy), but was pleased to know that Nadaman was serving the standard menu.

We both decided on the 昼懐石 (Hiru Kaiseki) ($60.00++) and added on some extras. It’s my first time ordering Kaiseki at Nadaman. On my previous 3 visits I had the Teppanyaki Mini Course, Tempura Soba Sushi Set and Power Bento Box. Nadaman has a wide variety of set menus for lunch and I don’t think I can ever try them all, even though I wish to.

This is the menu for February and it changes every month, typical of traditional kaiseki. What’s characteristic about kaiseki is that “only fresh seasonal ingredients are used and are prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavor. Finished dishes are carefully presented on plates that are chosen to enhance both the appearance and the seasonal theme of the meal. Dishes are beautifully arranged and garnished, often with real leaves and flowers, as well as edible garnishes designed to resemble natural plants and animals.” Typically kaiseki can have as many as 15 dishes. The above menu comprises of 7 courses. In one of our previous visits where my dining partner had the kaiseki, they offerered a deep fried dish instead of the grilled dish so it’s really seasonal.

Appetizer

Soya bean milk tofu with scallop

Deep fried baby yam, eggplant and okra, tempura sauce

I loved everything especially the okra!

Simmered oyster with ginger soy sauce, “Fuki” giant butterbur

This item was also offered under the seasonal Hiroshima oyster menu.

Soup

Clear soup with black fungus and fish cake

Foie gras chawanmushi ($15.00++)

This was added on, available under the Chef’s creation section and indeed it was exceptional! The foie gras was within the egg smooth custard and the sauce. This is easily one of the best chawanmushi ever.

Raw Fish

Two kinds of chef’s selection sashimi – Yellowtail and Tuna

Hamachi

It’s quite fatty and it tastes kind of like swordfish instead of yellowtail. It tastes better than the sashimi I had at Nadaman in my previous visits 2 years ago.

Maguro

Grilled dish

Grilled blue fish with teriyaki, cucumber and crab with vinegar sauce, deep fried lily bulb with egg yolk

 

The fish tastes very much like cod and it was fresh and the skin crispy, really well cooked in my opinion. But what’s even better was the lily bulb! Those who’ve not tried lily bulb are really missing out. Fried lily bulb in egg yolk was quite a novel sight to me and I do hope I can have more of this in future.

Simmered Dish

Deep fried simmered minced tofu and vegetable with thick sauce

It has a blend of soft and crunchy textures inside; somewhat like the crunchiness of prawns.

Rice

Boiled white rice with baby sardine and plum pickles, and miso soup

The miso soup is not your regular miso soup. The soup stock is quite unique.

Dessert

Honeydew melon, strawberry and tapioca with coconut milk

The dessert is not that unique but it is refreshing. By then I was really stuffed!

 

Out of my 4 times at Nadaman, this was the best. I really liked everything served in the Kaiseki. Perhaps I was in luck and all the ingredients this season agrees with me, or perhaps the standard has really improved. Whatever it is, I hope they keep up the standards and this wonderful meal has made our Valentine’s Day a great one this year!

Online booking is still available and if you’re able to come on weekdays you get 30% off if you book online! But if you’re unable to, there’s 15% off for DBS/POSB cards. If you drive, you can request for complimentary parking.