Salmon Don Kaisen 8ar is one place that we have had caught wind of a couple of months ago and looking forward to its opening — located at the third floor of Fortune Centre, Kaisen 8ar takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Gyosen; itself being another Japanese restaurant serving up Donburi and Omakase set menus for lunch and dinner within the building. Kaisen 8ar is yet another concept by Chef Kevin Wee; a name that probably one would find familiar if they had been following the happenings in the local F&B scene in the past couple of years — for those whom are unaware, Chef Kevin Wee had previously been worked in establishments such as Syun and Kaunta, while other establishments that he had been involved with in the past includes House of Chirashi which is located at East Village, the now-defunct Chirashi Sora at The Venue Shoppes, as well as Age-Ya at Far East Plaza. He also does run a hawker centre stall named Hinoyama at Golden Mile Food Centre which serves up his stellar salmon miso soup which we visited some time back when they had just opened their doors. The space of Kaisen 8ar hadn’t seen much change ever since its days of being Gyosen; the entire space being decked in a rather dark theme that sees a large use of black in its fittings. That being said, we did notice that there is quite an impressive mural on the wall of the main unit featuring Japanese Koi fish, while the wooden furnishings do help to provide some contrast against the dark interiors of the space. Occupying two shop units that we are located across the aisle from each other, patrons can either pick to sit at the main unit which comprises of mainly bar counter seating or the adjacent unit that comes with proper dining tables and chairs. The food menu at Kaisen B8r sees items being split across categories such as Appetizers, Bara, Sashimi, Sushi, Kaisen Chirashi, Tempura (deep-fried), Yakimoko (grilled), Donburi and dessert.
We have previously written about the various Chirashi Dons which Chef Kevin Wee had served up at the various establishments which he had been involved with in the past ever since his days at House of Chirashi — all of them being having left a strong impression considering the price and the quality of which it comes with; his Kaisen and Bara items are not to be missed. The menu at Kaisen 8ar describes the Salmon Don to come with elements such as Trout Sashimi, Trout Belly, Tamago, Ikura, Tobiko, Furikake, Tempura bits, Sakura shrimp and Cucumber — the Salmon Don also comes accompanied with a bowl of their Salmon Miso Soup on the side as well. As always, the Salmon Don comes in a really dramatic aesthetic where the item is served in a two-tiered platter; the main components of the Salmon Don occupying the top-most tier of the plating, while the salad comes at the base. Having tried so many variants of Chirashi Dons from Chef Kevin Wee, the Salmon Don at Kaisen 8ar isn’t too unfamiliar to those whom had tried his creations before — going straight for the slices of trout sashimi, these were thickly cut to ensure one can get a good bite of the fish to enjoy its textures; the fish being absolutely fresh at the same time. In retrospect, the Trout Belly comes with a light torching from the blowtorch to achieve that slight smokiness akin to Aburi salmon belly; this one being thickly-sliced like the Trout Sashimi to give it a good bite as well. Since this is pretty much a Kaisen item (as opposed to Bara), this meant that the other elements such as the Tamago, Cucumber, etc. are not chopped up and mixed into the rice just like how the Hana Bara is. That being said, the other elements all play well to provide a harmonious blend and contrast of flavours that enhances the flavours of the dish; a little sweetness here, a bit of crunch there, and a popping sensation that provides for a umami note — everything is just as well-balanced. The mushroom-infused sushi rice served at room temperature is a hallmark of Chef Kevin Wee that should not be forgotten as well; provides an additional touch of earthiness to the Salmon Don for a flavour unique to his very own.
From all of the previous concepts that Chef Kevin Wee had been part of all the way to Hinoyama and Kaisen B8r, one thing is definitely constant here — the concepts which he had been involved with have shared one thing in common. There has always been a disparity between well-priced Bara Chirashi Dons that often feature marinated fish slices / cubes as opposed to the ones that seemingly coin on the natural flavours of the fish which usually comes charged at a premium price tag — Kaisen 8ar attempts to bridge this gap rather reasonably; despite the higher price of the Bara and Kaisen items at Kaisen 8ar as compared to that of what House of Chirashi, Chirashi Sora and Age-Ya used to charge, we do still think that Kaisen 8ar had achieved what seems to have been a constant theme across all the concepts that came before it. Food quality has also remained rather consistent all these whole with Chef Kevin Wee behind the counter as well; there had always been a consistent emphasis on the freshness of the fish, while the execution of the dishes exudes attention to detail — right from the way the sashimi slices / cubes of assorted raw fish are being sliced, all the way to the other elements that are included in the dish to further elevate the entire experience further. There is also a lot of care placed in the presentation of each dish; every dish featuring a multitude of colours with an eye-catching presentation — usually in a format featuring multiple tiers, which is a feast to the eyes to the patrons. Case-in-point, the Hana Bara was exactly what we recalled it to be as per our visit to Age-Ya just months before where we last had it; still as colourful and flavoursome with a myriad of textures that just keeps one going. The same could also be said about the Salmon Miso Soup as well; not overly salty, while the salmon chunks (which they were also generous with) was melt-in-the-mouth tender — very delicious. Prices of the Bara and Kaisen items at Kaisen 8ar range between $20.80++ to $78.80++ — pretty much dependant on how “premium” one wishes to go; still a place that those whom have yet to check out Chef Kevin Wee’s rendition of the Chirashi should add to the list of places to go. We were still able to make walk-in visits when we dropped by on a weekend afternoon for lunch service; best to check it out before the crowd finds out about their existence in time to come!
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