Abura (油): oil, a fundamental element of culinary craft. Whether it crackles and pops as a medium of heat, is worked into dishes as a flavoursome addition, or renders sizzling from ingredients as they cook; one finds it essential and ubiquitous. On 5 December 2023, Hashida Singapore unveils the Abura Kappo restaurant-in-restaurant concept, where helming chef Kenjiro “Hatch” Hashida guides his team to realise the depths and directions of his wildest imagination with a varying roster of specialities — all bound by the element of oil. The Abura Kappo concept showcases the convergence of inspirations from across the globe, interpreted through a creative Japanese lens. It opens with Abura Kappo Vol. 1, the first menu of its kind.

At Hashida Singapore, every experience is one of a kind — the confluence of Chef Hatch’s personal philosophies, innate creativity, and artistic flair. Hatch’s dogmas, which guide him and perfuse all of Hashida in turn, are shu ha ri (守破離): learning from tradition before innovating and transcending to forge one’s own trailblazing path; shōmi hakkei (賞味八景): drawing lessons from synthesised memory and experience to be expressed in one’s work; and ryuu ryuu shin ku (粒々辛苦): working assiduously, with resilience and commitment.

Hashida Singapore’s boundary-bending style of progressive Japanese gastronomy served at once captures the essences of Japanese cuisine and uniquely expresses Hatch’s principles, all executed with unmistakable artistry and a skillful hand. This carries on to the Abura Kappo room. Housed within Hashida, it is a space that Hatch calls otoshidokoro (落としどころ) — a point of compromise, where ideas from across the globe meet and are reimagined with Japanese flair.

ABURA KAPPO VOL. 1

The menu ($200++ per diner) executed by Hatch’s crew is a succession of 13 bites, each a revelation of textures and flavours.

Diners begin with the Monaka, crisp wafers sandwiching creamy egg custard, a combination of blue cheese and Comté cheese, mushroom sauce, and pearls of roasted beetroot and Japanese radish simmered in kombucha.

Next comes the Lamb x Squid, raw lamb and squid accented by the stunning botanicals of Hashida’s very own gin salt; a complex, robust blend that incorporates the unique florals of salted sakura and savoury kombu kelp. Cheese oozes from the textural marvel of Camembert, brightened with the citrusy mint of kinome leaves.

Swirl to combine fragrances of spring onion oil with a sapid Japanese bluefin Tuna Consommé, served chilled in a wineglass. The golden crunch of the Managatsuo gives way to sweet, soft silver pomfret. It is accompanied by two sauces: a tangy house-made onion sauce and tempura sauce.

This menu’s interpretation of Ebi Toast is angel shrimp paste bedecking a spongy and intensely savoury house-made tamagoyaki, the latter a crowd favourite at Hashida Singapore. A topping of panko echoes the satisfying shatter of toast.

Next in the line-up is a twist on Tebagyoza — crisp deboned chicken wing stuffed generously with glutinous rice and egg. Otherwise cheekily named “family plan”, the chicken-and-egg pairing is a play on the same parent-child combination found in oyakodon. The illusion is complete with an umami-packed oyako sauce.

Wagyu Beef Tempura, adorned with drizzle of tart balsamic and pomegranate sauce, is set alongside a delicate sakura salt and a red shiso salt. Then, a refreshing interlude: tender duck breast meets the vibrance of pickled turnip and persimmon in the Duck Salad. The Soft Soba Taco features a house-made soft buckwheat tortilla crafted from the same flour as Japanese soba noodles. Paralleling perennial components of sukiyaki are a juicy deep-fried cutlet of minced Wagyu, a pillowy tofu emulsion and herbaceous shungiku sauce. Velvety egg yolk is carefully spooned atop to finish.

Oden Tempura follows; recollecting a Japanese classic, radish and tomato are stewed in dashi, then deep-fried to aureate perfection.

Do-it-yourself maki make for an entertaining finale. The orchestration commences with a donabe of Nanatsuboshi short grain — plump, glossy, sweet — furnished with choice seafood of the day, portioned amply into one’s bowl. This is arranged beside a trio of toppings and sheets of roasted seaweed. There is a Spicy Tuna, crowned with golden tempura crumbs; Prawn Tempura, served with tempura sauce like a mini tendon; and an assemblage of julienned radish, shiitake mushroom, spinach, and burdock root composed in the image of the Korean Kimbap.

A well-rounded chef, Hatch ensures dessert at Hashida is a wonder. The conclusion of the first Abura Kappo menu is no exception to this phenomenon. Dessert is a two-part curiosity: shavings of shiitake mushroom-infused chocolate paired with house-made vanilla ice cream; and a slice of dried persimmon accompanied by rich, earthy house-made matcha ice cream.

Available à la carte are the delicacies of melt-in-your-mouth Uni & Caviar Tempura ($35), Ika & Caviar Tempura ($24), and Kani Tempura ($12), which spotlights the seasonal treasure of snow crab. The Golden Mochi ($12), gratifyingly crisp and chewy, is a welcome indulgence.

Every expedition through the Hashida Universe is sui generis; and so will be each visit to the Abura Kappo room — an ever-evolving landscape where adventurers savour delectations of exploration beyond convention, shaped by unique visions and dedicated craftsmanship.

About Abura Kappo

In Room “O” of Hashida Singapore resides Abura Kappo, a restaurant-in-restaurant concept where chef Kenjiro “Hatch” Hashida’s boundary-bending brand of creativity takes full flight. This is a playground that chef Hatch calls “otoshidokoro”: a meeting point where global inspirations converge and are interpreted through a Japanese lens. Chef Hatch guides his team to execute novel takes on ideas drawn from his own imagination and adapted from around the world, all united by the element of oil — a fixture of culinary craft. The Abura Kappo room, while grandma-friendly, is not your grandma’s kitchen; it’s a wild ride of creativity, where invention and craft reign supreme.