Ginza Sushi-Ichi

The counter is cut from a 300-year-old cypress and the sauces are shipped from Ginza. Nothing here is trying to surprise you.

Book lunch at the counter. Ginza Sushi-Ichi is the Singapore branch of a Tokyo original, inside the Marriott Tang Plaza at the top of Orchard Road, and lunch is the way to find out whether starred sushi is for you without committing to a dinner bill. It holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide, its ninth consecutive year with one. The compromise is that this is classic Edomae, done the way Ginza does it, with no fusion and no theatre: purists will be happy, and anyone hoping to be surprised should book somewhere louder.

The details are traditional, starting with the wood. The counter is cut from a 300-year-old cypress, with wooden ornaments handmade by a well-known carpenter in Nara, which is reason enough to sit at it rather than at a table. The rice is seasoned with vinegar and the sauces are shipped from the flagship in Japan, which tells you how closely the branch is tethered to Ginza.

The fish follows suit. The bluefin tuna comes from Hicho, one of the big names among Toyosu's tuna distributors. Nothing is reinvented and nothing is plated for the camera. The rice, the fish and the timing are the whole show, so the meal rewards attention more than conversation; bring the colleague you want to impress, not the friend you need to catch up with.

On ordering, the menu runs from the entry-level Tsubaki, ten pieces of nigiri and maki with no sashimi course, through the Botan, which adds sashimi, a tuna roll and a cooked dish to eight pieces of sushi, to the omakase options. The omakase is the order: it is what a counter like this is built for. The facts box has the starting price for lunch sets and the top of the menu; confirm current pricing when you book.

It suits a purist, a business lunch that needs to go smoothly, or anyone curious about starred sushi who would rather start at lunch than at dinner. It sits above Orchard MRT, which makes it an easy escape for anyone who works along Orchard Road, and it is closed on Mondays. Book ahead, ask for the counter and pace yourself. There is no theatre to distract you, which is rather the point.

Good to know Ginza Sushi-Ichi is at #01-04, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Road, above Orchard MRT. It is closed on Mondays, with lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Book ahead, especially for the counter.

Ginza Sushi-Ichi | #01-04, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865 | Nearest MRT: Orchard