Singapore’s omakase scene rewards the diner who reads past the name on the door. Three counters that come up often in the same breath as ours — Wakuda at Marina Bay Sands, Ki-sho on Scotts Road, and Sushi Masa by Ki-setsu at Cuppage Plaza — each offer a genuine, well-made experience. This is an honest look at how they compare with MIYU at Dempsey Hill, so you can choose the room that fits the evening you have in mind.
Wakuda — Marina Bay Sands
Wakuda sits in the lobby of Marina Bay Sands, carrying the name of Chef Tetsuya Wakuda and his considerable pedigree. The sushi counter runs from a 13-course Sushi Experience at around S$128++ up to a 17-course Premium Omakase with pairing near S$328++, with seasonal fish air-flown from prefectures such as Hokkaido, Fukuoka, Shizuoka and Okinawa. It is a polished, hotel-scale setting — bright, busy and built for occasion dining in the heart of the bay. If you want the buzz of Marina Bay and a marquee name, it delivers. What it does not offer is quiet; the room is large and the energy is high.
Ki-sho — Scotts Road
Ki-sho occupies a restored black-and-white bungalow off Scotts Road, pairing kaiseki and sushi in a serene, heritage setting from around S$160++. It is one of the more atmospheric rooms in the city, and the house style leans traditional and composed. For diners who value architecture and calm as much as the fish, Ki-sho is a lovely choice. It sits at a higher entry price than a lunch at Dempsey, and its focus is the full kaiseki arc rather than a purely Edomae sushi progression.
Sushi Masa by Ki-setsu — Cuppage Plaza
Sushi Masa by Ki-setsu is an intimate eight-seat counter at Cuppage Plaza, off Orchard, serving dinner omakase from around S$238 for a ten-piece sushi course up to S$328 for the longer Masa Omakase of sixteen-plus seasonal courses. It is a serious, chef-forward room with a loyal following, and it competes hard on the same value-omakase language we do. The trade-off is location and setting: a walk-up in a older Orchard building rather than a garden enclave, and a dinner-led menu without the accessible lunch entry point that lets first-timers try omakase without committing to a full evening.
Where MIYU fits
MIYU is a dedicated omakase counter at 13A Dempsey Road, led by Executive Chef Owner Ng Kam Kwan, whose 22 years of Japanese training include tenures at Hide Yamamoto and Kacyo. The menu is Edomae in method — shari seasoned with care, fish aged to draw out umami — and shaped each week by what arrives fresh from Toyosu Market. Lunch begins at $128 and dinner at $228, which places a full, chef-led Edomae experience below where most premium counters start their dinner service. MIYU is rated 5.8/6 on Quandoo and 4.6/5 on Google by verified diners.
The difference guests tend to notice is the setting. Dempsey Hill is one of Singapore’s most iconic dining enclaves — lush, quiet, and a short ten-minute drive from Orchard Road and the CBD, yet a world away from a hotel lobby or a plaza walk-up. It is a room built for presence: a business lunch, an anniversary, or an unhurried evening where the pace of the counter is the point.
Price and setting at a glance
| Restaurant | Setting | Indicative price | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIYU | Dempsey Hill garden enclave | Lunch from $128 · Dinner from $228 | Edomae sushi omakase, intimate |
| Wakuda | Marina Bay Sands lobby | ~$128++ to ~$328++ | Sushi omakase, hotel-scale |
| Ki-sho | Scotts Road bungalow | From ~$160++ | Kaiseki & sushi, heritage |
| Sushi Masa by Ki-setsu | Cuppage Plaza, Orchard | ~$238 to ~$328 | Sushi omakase, dinner-led |
Prices are indicative and change with season and menu; please confirm current pricing with each restaurant.
Choosing the right counter for the occasion
Each of these restaurants is worth a seat. Choose Wakuda for the Marina Bay occasion and a marquee name; Ki-sho for a heritage bungalow and a kaiseki arc; Sushi Masa by Ki-setsu for a dinner-led Orchard counter. Choose MIYU when you want full Edomae craft at the sincerest price, in the quiet of Dempsey Hill, with the option of an accessible lunch to begin. If value is your compass, our value omakase and affordable omakase pages set out the case in full, and you can read where a Michelin star does and doesn’t change the meal in our guide to Michelin omakase in Singapore.
When you are ready, browse the lunch omakase and dinner omakase menus, or reserve a seat at Dempsey Hill. We look forward to receiving you.