Image credit of WAKUDA courtesy of Marina Bay Sands
Since its inception in 2012 at the Marina Bay Sands, Chef Wakuda’s Waku Ghin (Waku for arise and Ghin for silver) has been the dining area for a pantheon of people. Its 10-course dégustation menu is pretty much, unparalleled (some might even say landing an impromptu seat is a miracle) and if one is well-heeled and clad, he finds himself seated in any of the three private cocoon rooms.
Wakuda — Chef Wakuda’s latest project with 50 Eggs Hospitality Group — switches up what Wakuda himself is famous for. It’s a little less serious (even more so when one gets to the bottom of a WAKUDA-exclusive sake bottle), a lot more approachable (think crossing arms as one shares appetisers with his tablemates) and most importantly, it is now a social arena for people to mingle in. This is the power of what restaurants can show in todays’ times. Come in, get one’s bellies filled, socialise and make merry, and then, leave happy after a night.
Here, Chef Wakuda himself and John Kunkel, Founder, and CEO of 50 Eggs Hospitality Group take us through the makings of the restaurant.
Hello Chef Wakuda, how’s it going?
It’s been an exciting opening week for WAKUDA, and we’re all thankful for the strong support from our guests.
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To be honest, the thing with chefs who’ve won lots of awards is that there’s always some kind of pressure with their next project. Do you feel the same?
Awards are official recognition for the unsung heroes in the restaurant who work tirelessly behind the scenes. For this reason, my team and I are deeply humbled and encouraged whenever we receive these forms of acknowledgement from industry experts. However, I feel what’s more important is keeping our core audience – our guests – happy. Awards come and go but guests stay with us.
There’s been a few Japanese restaurants that have launched recently so I’m wondering, what do you think makes WAKUDA different?
I think competition is all around us, especially for Japanese cuisine which is so well-loved by Singaporeans. I always tell my team at WAKUDA to focus on themselves and achieve consistency in the quality of food and service.
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WAKUDA is an authentic, yet forward thinking Japanese restaurant with a menu that is inspired by the seasons. We want to bring diners innovative dishes that are familiar, but done in our own unique style. I have been brewing our own WAKUDA-exclusive sakes in Shizuoka and Toyama since autumn of 2021 and we are looking forward to sharing this with our guests. We also source for fresh produce such as vegetables and seafood from exclusive suppliers in Okinawa, in addition to a wider variety of fresh, premium ingredients from Australia, Europe, and New Zealand.
Our partnership with 50 Eggs Hospitality Group also means that diners can expect a certain level of edginess and modernity in the overall dining experience. Coupled with the beautiful, vibrant design of our restaurant and personable service, we envision the dining experience to be more fun and approachable.
The Omakase Room at WAKUDA. Image courtesy of Marina Bay Sands.
What I thought was interesting too is that WAKUDA claims it’s “approachable” so if you could kindly explain how so.
We envisioned WAKUDA to be an ‘everyday restaurant’ – our location at the bustling Marina Bay Sands hotel lobby means we will see a more diverse and vibrant dining crowd, who can either pop by for a casual meal over a variety of small plates, or hotel guests who wish to stop by for a cocktail with a few bar bites. We are serving familiar Japanese classics, enlivened with our own ‘WAKUDA-style’ twist and good ingredients. It can be a place for celebrations or a date night – truly a place for everyone to enjoy.
How do you determine what is the best seasonal harvest? What guidelines do you have?
From experience, taste, sight and touch. Back in the day, I love to travel, and every time I see something interesting or new, I will wonder – how I can incorporate this into my dish? What type of dish can I make using this ingredient? I also visit many restaurants, from Michelin starred to small homegrown eateries, and pay attention to the type of ingredients they use and how they vary across seasons.
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Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to befriend many talented farmers, fishermen, and brewers, all of whom have selflessly shared knowledge and learnings about various ingredients and the best seasons to get them. Ultimately when an ingredient arrives at my restaurant, it’s up to the chefs to personally assess it: observing its colour and shape, form and texture, and most importantly, tasting it ourselves.
What are some new things you are experimenting with when it comes to WAKUDA? Were there some things that couldn’t be accomplished at Waku Ghin that now appear at WAKUDA?
In my years as a chef, I am always seeking to refine my craft to bring something new to the table. I’ve often thought to myself – how can I share my food with even more people, yet at the same time, continue to live out my passion and uphold quality that can stand the test of time? With WAKUDA, I feel like it’s come full circle. The restaurant is a blank canvas for me to dream up new possibilities and showcase the evolution of my work to date.
The Roll Sushi with Akami tuna, shiso, cucumber, and mustard. Photo courtesy of Marina Bay Sands.
We offer a more extensive a la carte menu that ranges from classic zensai (appetisers), Australian and Japanese oysters, sashimi, and Wakuda-style sushi, to tempura, rice bowls, cold sobas, yakimono (grill) plates and housemade ice-creams. In time to come, we will also offer our omakase and private sushi room experience. I am looking forward to presenting these exciting new offerings to our guests.
What do you think is next for you?
We will be opening WAKUDA at The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas in June, and I will be heading there to train the team and prepare for its opening soon. This is my first restaurant in America, and I am excited to share my culinary offerings with this new market.
Hello John, what I like to do with new interviewees is that I like to get them to pitch their brand or product in 10 words or less. An icebreaker of sorts so if you could kindly humour me.
Exciting, fun, excellent, delicious, vibrant… But if I can summarise it in one sentence, it will be: come see one of the world’s best chefs in action, and experience for yourself this fun, vibrant concept with delicious food, amazing cocktails, and the freshest seasonal ingredients.
What is your favourite dish at WAKUDA?
This is a tough one – WAKUDA has an extensive and excellent menu. I’ve had the privilege to dine at some of the best Japanese sushi and omakase experiences around the world, and I’d say that the sushi at WAKUDA – its quality and execution – are amongst the best in the world. The temperature of fish and rice, the cut, the precision and level of technique – I have loved every bite, and I believe everyone will too.
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The tempura dishes are also incredibly light and crispy, and not to forget the excellent selection of appetizers we have. We have an appetizer called the yuba, which is made using delicate fresh beancurd skin from Kyoto alongside creamy uni and caviar. One amazing thing about Chef Tetsuya’s cuisine is that you can taste the quality, and how he puts heart behind every single dish he serves.
I thought what was so interesting about WAKUDA is that there’s a Japanese maple tree above the water. You know, sort of like the Pool Room in the Four Seasons New York. What was your brief to the interior designer/Jun Inoue then?
Rockwell Group’s design for WAKUDA celebrates traditional Japanese aesthetics, highlighting the beauty of craftsmanship and nature and infusing it with the spontaneity and energy of Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood. When we envisioned the design, we looked back to the origins of the restaurant – our fondest memories in Japan. I ran through some of the photos I’ve taken when I first visited Tokyo – from modern and vibrant streets like Golden Gai to places of rich culture, tradition, and heritage – it’s all about the ‘Old meets New’. This idea of capturing the tension between traditional Japan and modern-day urban Tokyo is coherent throughout our cuisine, design, and art.
The Classic Saikyo Yaki, a miso-cod dish. Photo courtesy of Marina Bay Sands.
When we saw the location and how natural light floods into the restaurant through the floor-to-ceiling glass window, we saw an opportunity to create a perfect scenery and focal point for our restaurant: a large maple tree in the most beautiful pink hue. When diners sit in our main dining room, they are anchored between the maple tree, an icon of traditional Japan, and the modern Japanese cocktail bar – experiencing ‘Old meets New’ in one setting.
One of my favourite spots in the restaurant is also the dining area in front of the open kitchen, and right overhead is the modern calligraphy art piece by Jun Inoue. Jun’s art is a perfect representation of the WAKUDA brand, combining his love for traditional Japanese calligraphy and modern street art, youth culture, hip-hop, music, and fashion. Jun’s art lives where these worlds intersect and capture this tension in a beautiful way.
I usually like to ask my interviewees this: do you know your most played song on Spotify last year?
I listen to a range of music, and my favourite genre changes from day to day. One day I might feel like listening to jazz, and hours later, my playlist switches to rock ‘n’ roll, or sometimes pop music. This is very similar to how I approach our 50 Eggs restaurants – one day I’m in a meeting for a Latin steakhouse, and the next day, conceptualizing for a Japanese restaurant with one of the world’s best chefs. I crave something new all the time, and I like to keep things dynamic and different.
Once you’re done with this story about WAKUDA, click here to catch up with our April 2022 issue!
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