Review of Sen of Japan at Marina Bay Sands

Sen of Japan

Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

2 Bayfront Ave, #01 - 86,

Singapore 018972

Located in Marina Bay Sands, Sen of Japan feels right at home. It is right by the river has a beautiful view of the Singapore skyline. Founded by Chef Nakano Hiromi, previously at Nobu Las Vegas. It is easy to see the Japanese/Californian influence in the menu here at Sen of Japan.

Our vibrant dinner at Sen of Japan

The menu at Sen of Japan is reasonably large and has a good mix between sashimi, rolls, bowls and hot food. We visited as part of AMEX Love Dining, which means 50 % off items when dining in a party of 2. There are many exclusions, many of which are the signature items, but the staff are notably well versed in the terms and helpful in ensuring that your selections qualify.

Tako Tako at Sen of Japan

Our menu for the night:

• Tako Tako - Sliced Octopus, Ikura, Shoyu Sauce infused with Truffle Oil and Pineapple

• Ikura Chawanmushi - Steamed Japanese Egg Custard with Prawn, Chicken, Shimeji Mushroom Topped with Ikura, Truffle Oil, Negi and Ankake

• Grilled Tontoro - Grilled Pork Slices and Assorted Vegetables Served with Shiso Dressing, Red Yuzu Kosho and Yakiniku Sauce

• Mekajiki Steak - Seared Swordfish Steak with Spicy Shoyu Glaze

Ikura Chawanmushi at Sen of Japan

We started the our Tako Tako and Ikura Chawanmushi starters. The Tako Tako was beautiful, the colours from the flowers and microgreens was glistening beautifully in the sunset. The flavours were refined and delightful. Still, at 26 SGD for the small portion, it felt firmly priced within the MBS premium bracket. The Ikura felt the same. Ikura Chawanmushi is always hearty and satisfying. But at 19 SGD per serve, it reminded us that we were paying mostly for the premium venue.

Mekajiki Steak

The mains however, justified their prices. The Grilled tontoro featured tender pork slices served with a trio of accompaniments which was fun to layer as you pleased. The Mekajiki Steak is something I always order at Sen of Japan. Nicely executed, the swordfish steak is brushed with a slightly spicy shoyu glaze that showcases the sweetness of the swordfish.

Grilled Tontoro

Booking

At the time of writing, there is still availability of tables a week out. We have been successful getting a table without a reservation on a weekend at an early dinner hour. However, we typically end up at the bar and bound with shorter dining durations, so reservations are definitely highly recommended.

Accessibility

Located at Marina Bay Sands, Sen of Japan can be easily reached via Bayfront MRT.

The Damage

With our AMEX Love Dining discount, our bill came to 85 SGD for 2, a very reasonable figure for the quality and setting. Without the discount, it would feel just a bit too expensive for what is served.

Would we recommend?

Depends. Though the pricing echoes its location and not every dish feels entirely worth the premium, the inclusion of Sen of Japan in the AMEX Love Dining program changes this equation. For us, the 50 % off makes sense and with the restaurant literally steps away from the Sands Theatre, it makes perfect sense for this restaurant to be our pre-theatre dining option.