One such restaurant to serve this specialty is Sushi Ichi Singapore. Located in Singapore Marriott Hotel, it’s a branch of the Michelin-starred Ginza Sushi Ichi in Tokyo. The restaurant features just two intimate spaces, a main and a private dining room, and seats up to 21 guests. While both are decked in muted tones of cream and wood, and are free from over-the-top decorations, its sushi counter steals the spotlight. Made from 200-year-old cypress wood sourced from the Kiso forest, the counter releases a light, woody scent that wafts through the room and offers diners a unique sensory experience for both the nose and tastebuds.

To age the fish, executive head chef Masakazu Ishibashi cleans and treats the fish daily before storing it in a chiller that solely relies on ice to keep the fish chilled. While Edomae-style sushi was known to be a type of ‘fast food’ for the working crowd in Tokyo, Sushi Ichi takes no shortcuts, especially when it comes to preserving the fish. Instead, Ishibashi relies on his instinct to determine each method of preservation to its optimum standard and taste, a trait he attributes to years of vigorous training.