Ingredients Come First
With premium ingredients come exceptional flavour. Ever the idealist, Chef Yuki Onishi rejects the idea of additives or artificial flavouring, preferring to derive the strong umami taste everyone loves from natural sources. He is always on a hunt for ingredients from all over the world, to bring his dishes to life.
Tsuta's Signature Dashi: Three Broths Into One
Tsuta’s signature dashi is the heart of every bowl of Tsuta soba. Three separate broths of chicken, clam and Japanese fish are simmered under strict temperature control, with no artificial flavouring or MSG. This brings out the maximal potential of each ingredient, creating full-bodied, flavourful soups of pure umami. All three stocks come together delightfully in a carefully calculated ratio, to create a fragrant, well-balanced broth of robust harmonious notes.
Noodles: Freshly Made
Freshly made from his stone-milled whole-wheat recipe on-site, Chef Yuki Onishi blends four types of specially selected wheat and whole grain flours to achieve a firm bite and the perfect texture. To ensure consistent quality, Tsuta’s noodle recipe took years for Chef Yuki Onishi to refine. Depending on the broth, our noodles perform differently to complement each flavour. Our Shoyu noodles are thinner to give an elegant composition to the dish, whereas our Miso noodles are made thicker to pair with a heavier soup base. The smallest details do matter.
Shoyu Sauce: Soy Special
Tsuta’s signature Shoyu base is one of a kind. It’s a special blend of a bespoke shoyu from Wakayama Prefecture, a custom-brewed shoyu; made to Chef Yuki Onishi’s specifications with whole, two-year old matured soybeans and other specially curated Shoyu flavours. This unique concoction works spectacularly with Tsuta’s dashi (broth) to create an all-time favourite – Our Signature Shoyu Soba.
Shio Sauce: Salts of Life
Okinawa sea salt is harvested traditionally from the blue waters of Okinawa. Besides having the highest mineral content, it lacks the hard taste of other sea salts. Instead, it has a mild taste that complements food without being overpowering. Together with Mongolian rock salt, these two premium salts create Chef Yuki Onishi’s refreshing, umami rich Shio sauce.
Ajitama: Golden Goodness
Nothing completes a bowl of ramen quite like an Ajitama ("egg"). Our eggs are locally sourced to ensure ultimate freshness. It is cooked under a strict procedure to ensure a beautiful runny yolk. Then, the eggs are marinated in a propreitory Japanese Shoyu to retain the saltiness and develop a slight touch of sweetness.
Menma: It's Different
We accompany our ramen with Hosaki menma. Unlike regular bamboo shoots, the Hosaki menma is harvested from a specific part of the bamboo head which boasts of a softer texture. Chef Onishi Yuki cooks the bamboo shoots in a blend of chicken stock, Japanese shoyu, rice wine and a splash of red wine. The result is an aromatic, preserved accompaniment with a light, refreshing taste.
Char Siu: Incredibly Marbled
At Tsuta, we use imported Canadian pork shoulder. This part of the pig is incredibly marbled, offering the most tender of bites. It is marinated with Mongolian rock salt, pepper overnight and oven roasted before soaked in our special Japanese Shoyu for great flavour.
