Maison Yoshoku: A new Surrey Hills Group concept with floating dessert omakase bar and lunch sets at Raffles City

There’s a new Japanese–Western restaurant in the CBD, and it’s doing something we haven’t seen before: floating desserts. 

The well-known Surrey Hills Group has opened Maison Yoshoku, a new concept at Raffles City.

The restaurant took over the former space of Spanish restaurant Movida, beside Surrey Hills Grocer, and opened its doors on September 23.

How it works

The floating dessert omakase bar is the obvious draw. Each dessert is placed on a disc, where it floats and spins slowly, held in place by a strong magnet beneath. It makes for a fun introduction to each course.

But the restaurant offers much more than these spinning, floating plates. It dishes out contemporary yoshoku, which refers to Western-inspired Japanese cuisine, at lunch.

Its hitsumabushi-style sets are available from 11.30am to 3pm and come with eight different mains. Hitsumabushi is a rice dish from Nagoya that is traditionally made with grilled eel and eaten in three stages. Here, Maison Yoshoku pairs various proteins with rice, and has four stages instead.

They make an appealing case for the weekday office crowd.

There’s also an a la carte menu available for lunch and dinner, so you can totally go for a full meal first before heading over to the bar for the dessert omakase. 

Just be sure to allocate some time for the indulgence, and note that the dessert omakase experience and seats at the bar are subject to availability, as this is expected to be popular.

Floating dessert omakase bar

The dessert omakase bar sits in the centre of the restaurant, and is available from 3pm to 10pm daily. With only 12 seats, it’s best to make a reservation — especially if this is what you’re here for.

It is also worth nothing that the a la carte dining and dessert omakase require separate bookings, though both are made through the same reservation platform. 

So if you’re planning to do both, you’ll need to make two bookings and select the correct reservation type for each.

The experience takes you through various Japanese seasons.

Here’s what to expect:

• Three-course (S$25): Haru no Kaori, Natsukashii, and Suika no Natsu
• Five course (S$35): The three-course, with added Yuzu no Kasumi and Fukami
• Seven-course (S$45): The five-course, with added Hikari no Niwa and Akamiso to Shiso

HungryGoWhere understands the omakase menu isn’t fixed and will rotate.

We tried the seven-course omakase experience, a dessert journey through Japan’s seasons, memories, and traditions — all expressed with Japanese ingredients with Western pastry techniques.

The menu moves from the crisp freshness of spring (Haru no Kaori) to a nostalgic take on traditional Japanese sweets (Natsukashii), before delving deeper into the umami-rich flavours of truffle, garlic, and cocoa (Fukami). It returns to the juicy sweetness of summer (Suika no Natsu), and finishes with a savoury-sweet red miso and shiso (Akamiso to Shiso).

My dining companion and I found ourselves agreeing on our favourites. The Fukami, served playfully in a cone with truffle, charcoal, black garlic and cocoa bits, was a clear standout.

It’s a deeply umami dessert in every bite, with the earthiness of black truffle playing against the bitter edge of charcoal for a real flavour punch.

Another highlight had to be the Suika no Natsu, a simple creation built around watermelon, coconut, and sago.

It’s a joy of contrasting textures, from the airy coconut foam to the springy sago pearls beneath. We found it sweet, fresh, and hydrating — perfect for a humid Singapore afternoon.

Hitsumabushi-style lunch sets

If you’re here for lunch, Yoshoku serves up sets that are meant to be enjoyed in four stages: With salt, demi-glaze, pickles, and warm dashi. Divide your rice into four portions and savour your rice bowl in different ways.

The pricing depends on your choice of main.

This ranges from orange & rosemary chicken (S$30) to garlic & shiso prawns (S$35) and black garlic wagyu (S$40), with meat-free options such as the vegetarian tornado omu (S$28) and vegan miso pesto yasai (S$28), too.

We had the farm seabass meuniere (S$35), served with lemon, beurre noisette (French brown butter sauce), and shiso. The fish was fresh and well cooked, with a pleasant brininess that made the rice bowl feel comforting. It was enjoyable as-is, without any of the accompanying accoutrements.

The dashi broth, poured over the last portion of rice, too, had plenty of savoury depth that went perfectly with the rice.

Each lunch set also comes with a chawanmushi of your choice: crab and sweet corn, yuzu chicken, or truffle mushroom.

A la carte selections

The a la carte menu spans small plates, pasta, omurice, mains, izakaya bites, and desserts. So really, there’s no shortage of options at Maison Yoshoku.

Do note that the a la carte menu desserts are separate from the ones on the omakase!

If there’s one dish to shout about, it’s the lobster bisque chawanmushi (S$16). 

It’s savoury with a custardy texture that keeps it light. The lobster bisque comes through as a gentle, sweet-briny richness, so you have the comfort of a bisque without any heaviness.

A main to try is the grilled half spring chicken (S$36). The chicken is tender, served with baby romaine and sweet potato, and brushed with a truffle tare that adds a savoury depth.

If you appreciate your desserts, or you’re simply looking for a new spot to try around Raffles City, Maison Yoshoku is one to check out.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat at Raffles City, read on our guide and Blue Bottle Coffee’s Singapore-exclusive pastries.