Hidemasa by Hide Yamamoto, Singapore

Nestled in the tranquil respite in Sentosa, Hidemasa by Hide Yamamoto offers menu similar to its original Hide Yamamoto at Marina Bay Sands. Unless you are a fan of Hide Yamamoto, you will not take effort to find its new whereabouts.

In my last post in 2018, I thought that this favourite restaurant of mine has exited Singapore. I was wrong. It has quietly relocated to Sentosa due to various reasons.

If you like its original menu, you will get to have it once again.

The visit is our first since it moved out of Marina Bay Sands in 2018. We are exhilarated to taste our favourite food once again. 

For a change, we sat at the Teppanyaki table to enjoy the front row seat. We ordered the Scallop Bundle Set for 2. It came with a small bottle of sake, seasonal salad, truffle chawanmushi, grilled scallops, garlic rice and its self-made truffle ice cream. At its price of S$138, the menu has its hits and misses. 

For starters, the seasonal salad was refreshing and delightful. The sweet citrus salad sauce complements the bitterness from the rockets, sweet corns, baby tomatoes, and radish. (Food rating: 3/5)

The Teppanyaki Scallops were cooked to perfection. The scallops were sweet and the sweet pumpkin sauce complements the seafood to perfection. The seasonal vegetables of mushrooms, corn and zucchini were amazing too. There was a nice buttery taste and every mouthful was a delight. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

The staple dish from the bundle set - Garlic Rice. The Garlic Rice was one of Hide Yamamoto's popular dishes. I always have cravings for it even though I am not a garlic person. I wonder if my standards has risen. I was underwhelmed. The rice lacked the garlicky fragrance. The rice texture was so-so. This time, the garlic rice was just rice, minced garlic, and spring onions, excluding the condiments. Something different about this dish was that there was a layer of crispy garlic rice that added to my dining experience. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

On top of the bundle set, we've ordered three additional ala carte dishes. Two of which are our all time favourites. I was extremely disappointed when the Young Chicken Stuffed with Soy Truffle Butter Rice was not available. 

The Foie Gras Marinated with Saikyo Miso Hint of Yuzu was still delicious, just the way I remembered it since 2013. The goose liver was seared on the metal plate till it was crispy. In the mouth, the foie gras disintegrated into my mouth. Though I am not a fan, I find this dish surprisingly enjoyable. (Food rating: 4/5)

Another of my personal favourite was the Seasonal Vegetables with Italian Truffle Aroma. In the past, it used petrified wood grill to cook the vegetables. Now, it cooked the vegetables using the teppanyaki style. The dish now lacked the nice woody aroma. Though the ingredients (truffle slices, a tint of salt), the taste was somehow lost. I was extremely disappointed with this dish. I wish that they could bring back the Robata station. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

The Robata Station at its Marina Bay Sands outlet. 

For a change, we've ordered a Miyazaki A5 Tenderloin. Cooked to medium, the juicy tenderloin consumed me. Presented with six different condiments to complement the meat dish, I chose only the sea salt and yuzu. I preferred to eat it with its original taste. The tenderloin with sea salt blew me away! As I chewed the beef cube, its sweet juice and salt heightened the taste many folds. When I tried with Yuzu, it was equally divine. (Food rating: 4/5)

You must be eager to know the total damages. The overall experience cost us slightly above S$300. 

Reflections: Someone asked me if I were want to come back again. I will say Yes and No because there are many hits and misses from this visit. The dining experiences I had at Marina Bay Sands are deeply rooted in my mind. Because of the wonderful food experiences I had previously, my expectations for Hidemasa was equally high. However, I was either underwhelmed or disappointed. I felt underwhelmed when the garlic rice lacked the aroma and the seasonal vegetables lacked taste and woody aroma. Disappointed, the young chicken stuffed with truffle butter rice was not available. This poultry dish is their iconic dish and yet it was not available. I left the restaurant, feeling empty and underwhelmed. It is going to be some time before I will return again to sate my cravings. 

Address: Mess Hall, #01-04/08. 12 Artillery Ave, Singapore 099953

Price: $$$$ (Total damages: slightly above S$300)

Overall Food rating: 2.5/5 (For the price paid and dining experience) ★★