A journey down South-East Asia
Replicating a shophouse — an 18th century Asian two-storey establishment with a restaurant below and the proprietor’s home upstairs — in the midst of a mall can be quite a task. However, Shizusan does a pretty good and cosy job. The dimly lit space, primarily done in wood, boasts of an 18ft-long sushi bar as well as a dim sum studio. Dreamy golden dragonflies and lanterns suspended from the ceiling enchant the space.
Take the abacus-inspired staircase to the second floor, and you will be transported to an Asian house converted to a bar. Here, watercolour paintings of chrysanthemums and cherry blossoms accompany faded maps on the walls, while another long beverage bar sits at the far end of the restaurant, under a pitched roof. The menu is extravagant and comprises South-East Asian fare such as dim sums, sushi, baos, tapas, mains, and a variety of Asian-inspired drinks.
Getting down to the food, the Lobster Moneybags (`325), which turned up in about 10 minutes, resembled mini money sacks tied with strands of scallion. The wrappers were flawless and translucent, while the filling — made of lobster, carrots and coriander — was fresh and appetising. The dim sums were dotted with tobiko (flying fish roe), which popped in our mouths. Interestingly, nearly every plate at the restaurant tells a story — the origin and influences of several dishes are traced on the menu. For instance, the Sriracha Blush (`545) was termed as the Thai approximation of sushi. We learned that Japanese food is huge in Thailand, and apparently, the Thai are known to blend ingredients and influences. Hence, Sriracha, a Thai sauce, is now an accepted ingredient among sushi chefs, who use it to spice up their rolls. This explains how and why the generous drizzle of Sriracha mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce overpowered the sushi, which was made of avocado, cucumber, jalapeno and cream cheese.
We washed down our appetisers with a refreshing tropical-flavoured Mogo Mogo Iced Tea (`165).
Served on a hot plate, the Hibachi-Style Japanese Sticky Rice (`475), made with some shoyu (soya sauce), scallions and broccoli, was a delight. We polished off our plate in minutes. The Pok Choy and Spinach (`445), on the other hand, didn’t blend too well with the rice. Tossed in a hot Chinese mustard sauce, the dish tasted a lot like the Bengali delicacy, Poshto.
Given the extensive menu, we will have to make multiple trips to Shizusan to try everything it has to offer. And we would love to return. Our hosts were polite and attentive, the interiors perky and inviting, and the food well-prepared and delectable. The name Shizusan, too, has been picked out thoughtfully; it translates into a collector of maps in Japanese. Indeed, our experience here was nothing short of a pleasant culinary journey down South-East Asia.