About FUKU Fine Fugu Kaiseki Restaurant
Pufferfish, also known as Fugu in Japanese, is a rare Japanese delicacy that people steer away from due to the risks involved – if not prepared properly, pufferfish flesh can be lethal. This is taken care of at Fuku Restaurant, with the toxic parts of the pufferfish safely removed in Japan before being shipped to Singapore.
There are only 20 edible species of pufferfish, but with 20 years of experience behind them, you can be rest assured that the chefs at Fuku are well-equipped to safely prepare this delicacy for you.
Fuku has a few set courses and an ala carte menu. We tried a random sampling of Fuku’s set meals, from the Fukurokujyu ($400 per person) to Shichi-Fuku (9-course set; $580 per person), which requires a 5-day advance booking, and Ebisu (6-course set; $150 per person).
The Food
The Yubiki was one of my favourite appetizers – Fugu skin parboiled and served in ponzu sauce. The texture was similar to chicken and squid, and it wasn’t bland due to the ponzu sauce and spicy radish. Next up was Kobashi, which is pufferfish marinated in soy sauce. It had a distinct Asian flavour and tasted slightly medicinal – not one of my favourite tastes, but the older generation might like this better. Next, we tried the Tessa, which is beautifully presented pufferfish sashimi. It came with baby leek and Fugu skin, which we had to wrap with the sashimi. We could add spicy radish or wasabi for flavour.
I wasn’t expecting it to be as bland as it was, so I was surprised. The taste grew on me though. The texture is akin to squid sashimi, but is more crunchy than chewy.I recommend the Kaarage for the less adventurous – the meat was fleshy and the outside was crispy and well-seasoned. The original texture of the Fugu is hidden because it’s deep-fried, so if you’re apprehensive, this is a good place to start!Then came Fugu Milt (pufferfish sperm; $80 per piece). I was tempted to skip this dish because… pufferfish sperm?! In the end I decided to give it a try – after all, not many people can claim to have tried pufferfish sperm. To my surprise, this became my favourite dish of the night. The skin is soft, and it reminds me a little of squid rolls, except a little saltier. The Tecchiri is a Fugu hotpot prepared in front of you. It consists of Fugu flesh, fresh vegetables, tofu, and kelp in dashi water (spring water). It was too bland for me as I prefer my soup with a fuller flavour, but at least it’s healthy!The Zousui was a nice end to the mains. Rice, egg, and seaweed were added to the soup stock from the hotpot, and were allowed to absorb the broth. It was homely and comforting. I loved this porridge dish! The dessert was a refreshing sorbet with bits of lemon, specially imported from Japan. It was a light and delicious end to the meal we’d had. We also had Hiresake ($25 per cup) which was hot sake with a sun-dried Fugu fin inside that the waiter sets on fire before your eyes. I enjoyed the presentation, but the taste of the sake was too strong for me.
Verdict
The taste of pufferfish isn’t as appetizing as other fish that I’ve had, but its taste was secondary – I was more attracted by the novelty of eating something that could be poisonous. Pufferfish has an interesting texture that I enjoy though!
It’s worth a try, if only to check it off your bucket list, but I wouldn’t strongly recommend it otherwise.
How To Get There
Address: 14 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-01, S238963
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 6pm-11pm (Dinner only)
Telephone: 6235 8216
This post was brought to you by FUKU Fine Fugu Kaiseki Restaurant.
