Sushi Sato
Highlights
About Sushi Sato
Sushi Sato is Dempsey Hill's first and only traditional sushi omakase restaurant — a Zen sanctuary hidden among the lush greenery of Singapore's former military barracks enclave. Master Chef Yuji Sato, born in Obihiro, Hokkaido, trained as a teenager in Tokyo before returning to Hokkaido to helm his own restaurant. In 2013, he moved to Singapore to join Chef Kenjiro 'Hatch' Hashida at Sushi Hashida, where he spent years honing his craft for a Singaporean audience. In November 2021, he opened Sushi Sato — his own restaurant, designed to feel like dining in a Japanese garden.
The interior is entirely cloaked in natural materials — textured wooden doors, shoji sliding screens, and leaf-motif carvings on the feature walls in cream and pink tones inspired by cherry blossom season. The centrepiece is a 200-year-old hinoki wood counter, the highest grade available, with a soothing scent that fills the room. Two clear glass panels offer views of the surrounding greenery. The main counter seats 9 guests; a private dining room seats 6 and is where Head Chef Yusuke Kawana offers his exclusive Sushi Edomae menu (S$260++, 15 nigiri).
Everything at Sushi Sato starts with Hokkaido. Wild-caught seafood is flown in fresh from Chef Sato's hometown region — snow crab, scallops, sea urchin, and seasonal fish that carry the clean, cold-water flavours of Japan's northernmost island. The shari is seasoned with care, the neta handled with Edomae precision, and the omakase progression follows the rhythms of the season. In winter, expect snow crabs and fatty fish; in summer, lighter preparations and vibrant textures.
Recommended For
Menu & Pricing
Lunch (Main Counter — Chef Sato)
| Omakase Lunch | From S$168++ |
| Chef's Special Lunch (extended courses) | From S$220++ |
Dinner (Main Counter — Chef Sato)
| Omakase Dinner (full seasonal progression) | From S$400++ |
Private Room (Chef Kawana)
| Sushi Edomae — 15 nigiri + appetisers, soup, dessert | S$260++ |
All prices exclusive of GST and service charge. Omakase only — no à la carte. Menu changes with seasonal produce availability.
Practical Info
- Tue–Sun: 12pm–3pm (lunch), 6pm–10:30pm (dinner)
- Mon: Closed
Dietary Info
Photos
Location
6B Dempsey Road, Singapore 247662
📍 Open in Google MapsYour Dining Journey at Sushi Sato
Arriving at the Zen Garden
Dempsey Hill feels like a world apart from Orchard Road — lush tropical greenery, quiet colonial-era buildings, and no shopping mall in sight. Find the entrance beside Min Jiang, in what feels like a back alley. Step inside and the hinoki scent hits you immediately — warm, woody, calming. The 200-year-old counter gleams softly. Through glass panels, you see nothing but green. Chef Sato stands behind the counter, ready. This is going to be different from every other sushi restaurant in Singapore.
Appetisers from Hokkaido
The omakase begins with seasonal appetisers — chawanmushi with snow crab sauce is a perennial favourite, with Hokkaido scallop, sweet chestnut, and a textural crunch from lily bulb. The produce emphasis is unmistakable: this is a chef cooking from his homeland. Wild-caught seafood from the cold waters off Hokkaido has a clarity and freshness that's distinct from fish sourced from warmer regions.
The Nigiri Sequence
Chef Sato's nigiri follows a careful Edomae progression — lighter fish building to richer ones, each piece placed directly in front of you on the hinoki counter. The shari is warm, lightly seasoned, and pillowy. In winter, expect fatty seasonal fish and snow crab preparations. In summer, cleaner, brighter flavours dominate. The Hokkaido uni — creamy, sweet, with zero bitterness — is often a highlight, and it carries the terroir of Chef Sato's homeland in every bite.
Cooked Courses & Soup
Between the nigiri, seasonal cooked dishes appear — grilled fish, steamed preparations, and a carefully crafted miso soup. These aren't afterthoughts; they demonstrate the full range of Chef Sato's skills beyond the sushi counter. The abalone, steamed for hours in sake, is a recurring favourite.
Dessert & the Dempsey Walk
A light seasonal dessert concludes the meal. After, take a stroll through Dempsey Hill — the tropical gardens, the vintage shops, the art galleries. There's nowhere else in Singapore where you can follow a world-class sushi omakase with a walk through a jungle. That contrast is Sushi Sato's secret advantage. You came for the fish; you leave carrying the memory of the garden.
Editor's Note
Sushi Sato is one of the most special omakase experiences in Singapore — not because of a Michelin star (it has a Guide listing, not a star), but because of the setting. Dining on a 200-year-old hinoki counter, surrounded by tropical greenery in a Zen garden at Dempsey Hill, while a Hokkaido-born chef places wild-caught seafood in front of you — it's an experience that the city-centre sushi counters simply cannot replicate. The S$168++ lunch is excellent value for the quality (this was intentionally lowered from S$220 to make the restaurant more accessible — kudos to Chef Sato for that decision). The S$260++ Sushi Edomae in the private room with Chef Kawana is a hidden-within-hidden experience. Honest caveats: Dempsey Hill is inconvenient. There is no nearby MRT. You need a taxi. Parking is limited. The entrance is hidden (beside Min Jiang, in a back alley) and first-time visitors often struggle to find it. Dinner at S$400++ is in the high end for Singapore, and some diners who have eaten comparable omakase in Japan note that the price-to-experience ratio is better in Tokyo or Sapporo. With only 15 total seats, getting a reservation can be challenging, especially for dinner on weekends. But if you appreciate sushi as a meditation — the quiet of Dempsey, the scent of hinoki, the flavours of Hokkaido — Sushi Sato is where you should be.