GoTo Japanese - My Birthday treat from Q

My experience with GoTo was good. Somehow Q and I can't seem to top the experience we shared at Tomo. Maybe it was the over-indulgence of sushi till the point of convulsion, maybe it was her virgin omakase, but some how, Aoki and Tetsuya left us both wanting and yearning for such an experience again.

So for my big 3-0 this year, "I must find something to top TOMO!" Q exclaims with determination. :) With Ryugin in my culinary history, it must have been pretty challenging to find.. well my dear sweetie did me proud with this. :)

GoTo is neatly tucked away in the secluded Ann Siang hill, just a stone throw away from the hustle and bustle of the business life. It seems that all Japanese Omakase restaurants like to be fronted by a simple entrance, hiding their ability to blow that hole in your wallet behind it's deceptive like simple and humble entrance.

Once passed the single doors, it's like you've entered into another dimension and you just know, you are in for an extraordinary journey.


I won't even attempt to recreate in words what we were served for the main course. But the monk fish liver was excellent.

The crab meat dumpling in a clear broth had clearly non-subtle recollections of Ryugin for me.

The sashimi course was excellent. Each slice of fish was expectantly fresh and the Ika was delightfully crunchy.

The grilled river fish was well executed too. But Q didn't really like this course. Too many bones probably.. right Q? :p

The chawamushi was different. Quite yummy.

The tempura was a unique highlight. By this course, it was clear that the Chef of GoTo was going to ensure that his customers experienced every aspect of Japanese cuisine - steamed, soup, raw, grilled, and now fried - to it's possibly imaginable perfection. Savoring tempura with salt, is a first for me, and I must say, is rather ingenious. The simplicity of flavors marries the complexity of each petite tempura so harmoniously. And to make crisp tempura out of a lettuce leaf?! Amazing.

By the last course, we were both absolutely stuffed. But I still had room to be impressed. The eel on glutinous rice was delicious. My only gripe - too many bones! But nothing a good warm bowl of home-made miso soup can't fix.

Finally, dessert. The pudding was yummy.

The fruits were sweet but I so didn't enjoy the grapefruit jelly.

But we shared an immediate consensus on the black sugar mo-chi. Ooo, I could have this any day. Superb!
Thank you again Q for my lovely birthday treat. I think we will remember this one together with Tomo up there in our books. :)

Till next year's chart-toppers!