I don’t know about you but I will always have weird food cravings, at the most random time of the day. What’s weirder is that I’ll have cravings for the foods that I have never tasted before in my whole entire life. Late one night, I was scrolling through random videos on YouTube and I came across a super cool travel vlog of a trip to Japan.
Japan is one of the places that I would wanna visit once the border is lifted. But what intrigued me about the documentary was the food that they had during their trip. No, it’s not sushi. Nor was it a donburi.
It was Pufferfish.
I consider myself an adventurous eater. I literally will eat anything exotic but I draw the line when it comes to rats. My phobia for rodents is as real as can be, I would have nightmares just by looking at photos of it. But! I would save another day to tell you about it. Back to what we were talking about!
Pufferfish. Or fugu, as the Japanese call it. We all grow up knowing that the pufferfish is one of the most poisonous fish in the world. It is known to be 1,200 times more lethal than cyanide and with the amount of toxins in just one pufferfish, it could kill 30 full-grown adults. Guns sound pathetic now don’t they? We should have just fed our enemies pufferfish during the war. Now, most people would definitely not take the risk to taste or even touch it but me, being curious as always, I’ve wondered what it tastes like. I mean of course, I have done ample research as to how the toxins might affect me and also, preparing the fish alone takes a lot of skills as the skin itself is poisonous enough to kill someone. However, it’s good to know that only the best and certified chefs are licensed to serve them in their restaurants. That gives me hope and confidence! And that’s all we need today to survive. Hmm, now I know what to serve to the people I dislike. Anyone want salted egg pufferfish skin?
*Does the Agatha Harkness’s evil laugh*
GUENPIN, one of the top pufferfish or Fugu restaurant in Japan opened their first ever overseas outlet and it’s here in Singapore! Now, don’t be alarmed. GUENPIN is strictly regulated by the Agri-Food and Veterinary authority in Singapore so everything is safe! Located in the Maxwell Chambers at Tanjong Pagar, access to the restaurant is easy as can be. The nearest MRT station being Tanjong Pagar MRT, walking distance to the restaurant will only take you less than 10 minutes.
When I first entered the restaurant, the exclusivity of the restaurant was prominent. Only a few seatings are accepted in a day so making a reservation is definitely encouraged. Timings of the seatings are also staggered too, so just keep that in mind!
The menu is extensive as well, while also focusing on their special premium ingredients; pufferfish and snow crabs. I came for one thing, and one thing only; pufferfish. So that’s what I ordered! For $130, I had the full pufferfish course. With only one of those poisonous fish, it will be prepared and cooked into different methods and style. From the flesh, to the gills and bones! They really made use of all the parts from the fish and I think that’s super cool. Say no to wastage! That doesn’t mean I’m open to eating a cow’s brain though.
Appetiser was served first. What I had was raw pufferfish marinated with ponzu juice, diced salmon sashimi and tofu. While the salmon sashimi and tofu tastes ordinary like what other Japanese restaurants have to offer, what surprised me was the raw pufferfish. To be honest, eating anything raw is never my thing. I hate how I can’t appreciate the taste of sashimi cause everything tastes like fishy jelly to me. However, not for the pufferfish. Even when it’s raw and uncooked, it doesn’t smell or taste fishy at all. It was absolutely delicious. It was a pleasant surprise!
What came next was the pufferfish sashimi. Due to the natural chewy and gelatinous texture of the flesh, it is traditionally prepared by slicing it very thinly. Also served with ponzu sauce, dipping the sashimi into the citrusy sauce released the fresh flavour from the fish itself. Sweet and refreshing!
Many people claimed that eating pufferfish will cause their tongue to have a tingling sensation, however not for me. That shows how safe and skilled the chefs are in GUENPIN. But even if you experience that, fret not. The tingling sensation is caused by the toxin from the pufferfish itself. Not lethal though, just on the perfectly safe level. Believe me, if it’s really lethal, you’ll feel the tingling sensation elsewhere.
*Does the Agatha Harkness wink*
What came next was the fugu karaage, or deep-fried pufferfish. Again, I was definitely blown away. Were you expecting the deep-fried fish to taste like fish and chips? I actually did but I was wrong! Guess what the cooked pufferfish tastes like.. Wait for it..
Chicken! It tastes exactly like chicken. Was I amazed? More like dumbfounded. Never in my life I thought a fish would taste like chicken.
The pufferfish karaage was perfectly cooked and it was crispy on the outside but definitely soft and tender on the inside. Oh, and extremely juicy too! This is why I love eating new cuisines all the time, it can surprise you in ways no one ever can.
Like I mentioned before, the set comes with the pufferfish cooked in different ways. You saw the raw ones, deep-fried karaages.. and now.. boiled! It’s like a hotpot, almost. The friendly staff came to our table with different parts of the raw pufferfish. At this point, I didn’t mind eating it raw at all! But the staff explained that she will help us cook the pufferfish into a hotpot.
No extra ingredients or seasonings were added, so you can still taste the flavour from the fish itself. All she added was vegetables, and more vegetables. As you can imagine, I was in awe the whole time the staff was working her magic.
Even when the pufferfish flesh is boiled, it was incredibly tender. Slightly chewy but it really was amazing. It doesn’t taste fishy at all. The level of saltiness and freshness is just perfect. It’s like tasting the ocean in your mouth. I love how fresh and earthy the broth became after the pufferfish was boiled. Still amazes me how no salt or seasonings were added. It really was a feast! Perfect in every way. When I did my research on pufferfishes, I didn’t know I would fall in love with its taste this much. But looks like I do!
Other than pufferfishes, we ordered sushis too. I mean, why not when you’re already in a Japanese restaurant right? We ordered the set as well, so there was different assortment of sushis on it.
The sushis are definitely freshly made upon your order. Honestly, looking at the sushi chef doing his magic is literally.. like a magic show. I was mesmerised with just how he rolled the sushi rice. I mean you can say it looks just like how any Makcik would make lontong, lah. But still? Big respect to all the chefs in the world, no matter what cuisines you are making. Unless you’re cooking rats. WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?
GUENPIN is open daily except for Sundays. I will put the important details below for your easy reference.
Address: GUENPIN, 32 Maxwell Rd, #01-06 Maxwell Chambers, Singapore 069115
Opening hours:
Friday: 11:30am–2:30pm, 5:30–10:30pm
Saturday: 5–10:30pm
Monday: 11:30am–2:30pm, 5:30–10:30pm
Tuesday: 11:30am–2:30pm, 5:30–10:30pm
Wednesday: 11:30am–2:30pm, 5:30–10:30pm
Thursday: 11:30am–2:30pm, 5:30–10:30pm
Contact: 6634 2916
Estimated price per pax: $100++
For reservations, do click here.
If you’re looking for somewhere calm and quiet for a date or a casual catch-up with friends, this restaurant is perfect for it! I am genuinely excited for you to try the pufferfish. It’s not just for the food, but the experience too. Since you can’t go to Japan, get Japan to come to you! And this is probably the best way how.
Where do you think I should go next? Any interesting food I should try?
You know where to find me!
Aliff Daniel.
Aliff Daniel 