wonderful atmosphere, friendly staff & delicious food.. simplicity is at the core of komeyui japanese restaurant.
from the unassuming exterior flanked by tall floor to ceiling windows offering a tantalising glimpse into the warm, rich timber interior and smiling staff, the golden maple overtone of the tables, chairs and walls, the sleek uniforms of the friendly wait staff to the succinctly tempting menu.
everything about this place is inviting - welcoming you to delve deeper into its secrets.
when i stepped, the smiling hostess - whom i later learnt was the manager of the restaurant, ushered me in and sat me next to what i reckon was one of the best seats in the place, a little nook overlooking a zen-themed courtyard.
the sushi chef, stood behind the wide timber sushi counter, flashing a wide smile in greeting.
the manager was great, very professional - recommending us a host of popular dishes as well as a few specials she thought we might enjoy.
my dining companion was vegan and she suggested a few vegetarian options for us - the vegetarian sushi and the assorted tempura. we were offered pickled veg with tuna and they provided for him a special spinach pickle in sesame oil to have with his sushi.
for the meat-eater (me), she recommended the assorted sashimi and sushi, assorted tempura, chawanmushi and the soft shell crab sushi.
she also explained to us the process of how the food was made and how the chef-owner had imported a specially made large brass pot over from japan to steam/cook some of their specialty dishes.
it was these little details they remembered which really impressed us. most importantly, we weren't treated as just a 'number' - service was very prompt and personal.
we were offered a complimentary raw salmon platter as a welcome dish. it was delicious - paper thin slices of salmon, sprinkled with salmon roe and dotted with a thick seasoning.
there was a steady trickle of customers as we were served our food; many of them looked like regulars as they seemed familiar with what they wanted and seemed to know their way around the restaurant unlike us.
as we ate she would occasionally drop by to see how things were going, but made sure she didn't hover around while we enjoyed our food, which is great because sometimes staff tend to hover around too enthusiastically and this can be a little awkward.
food was delicious. the chef had done many little touches to the dishes - the sushi and sashimi were extremely fresh (a vibrant dark pink for the tuna, shimmery pink for the salmon, scallops were glossy and had a very slight bite) and the sushi were made from premium fish belly.
when we had finished i noticed the chef had dropped by to have a look at our plate, then whispered to the manager who came by and asked us to turn over the oyster shell i thought was a garnish.
there were two very plump looking uni (sea urchin) under the oyster. it was a very pleasant surprise and delicate touch from the chef.
the roasted duck was a textural experience, soft meat with the slightly salty crunch of the potato chip under it.
the soft shell crab was delicious and beautifully presented, very creamy yet crunchy wrapped in a rice roll.
by this point we were not only full, but extremely satisfied by the entire experience.the manager came by and suggested we try their desserts.
we thought of declining as we were full but she suggested a entree sized matcha ice cream to soothe our bellies.
it was not a bad idea at all.
a well portioned brick of matcha ice cream with wine soaked plum, strawberry slices and matcha sauce - very delicious!
if you had to choose only a few i'd recommend the roasted duck, assorted sushi and sashimi and the soft shell crab roll as they are really good.
overall it was a great experience, matched with great food, wonderful staff and a wonderfully skilled chef with attention-to-detail and professionalism.
a definite recommend to bring friends and family for any occasion.