Chikuwa-Tei

C says:

Ever since one of our readers informed us that Chef Peter had left Chikuwa-Tei since February this year, and that the standard had dropped as a result, we were keen to find out for ourselves. They were still pretty crowded on a Sunday night, which boded well.

In order to do a fair comparison, we decided to order our usual, i.e. the chirashi sushi and the chawanmushi, but I couldn’t resist an order of the angler fish liver with ponzu sauce as well. This was very good, with the liver having a delightfully creamy texture and none of the fishiness that you may expect from fish liver.

When the chirashi sushi arrived, it definitely didn’t look like the chirashi that we used to have. There was a smaller variety of fish (no uni! Sacrilege!), and the fish didn’t look as appetising as before. The tuna was definitely a letdown, with practically no flavour at all. My slices of salmon, being closer to the belly portion, were better compared to A’s, which were thick but didn’t really taste like anything at all.

Thankfully, the swordfish and white tuna were still very creamy and fresh, and I dare say that the rice was better than before.

The chawanmushi was still good, but somehow it too lacked the oomph that I’ve come to expect from Chikuwa-Tei’s legendary chawanmushi. Either the dashi stock wasn’t umami enough, or the fact that it didn’t have as much chicken and prawn as I remembered, but I was  a tad disappointed.

I guess it’s true then. The standard really has fallen, though not dramatically so. Until we discover where Chef Peter has gone to next, this is still a decent option for a reasonably priced chirashi sushi.

A says:

Still good.

Chikuwa-Tei
9 Mohamed Sultan Road
Tel: 6738-9395
Open daily: 11.30 am to 3 pm; 6 pm to 10 pm