Sushi Zushi: New sushi bar at Funan with sushi, sashimi, and handrolls, from S$3

It’s clear how much Singaporeans love their sushi — in fact, our mall directories are a clear testament of this, with some malls having as many as four or five sushi restaurants or chains within one location. 

At first glance, it’s easy to write off the new Sushi Zushi at Funan, by the folks behind Omo Nomu Craft Sake & Raw Bar, as being similar to the others.

But step in and you’ll realise that the quaint space resembles that of a more intimate Japanese dining setup, akin to those you’d find at an omakase spot.

However, despite open-concept seating where you can see the chef slice up your fish and shape up your sushi, its menu is not omakase-style. 

For one, you order off a QR code, choosing your own fare, and two, the prices are way lower than what you might get at a fancier spot, from just S$3 for gunkan and nigiri sushi, and S$4 for a handroll. 

Sushi Zushi’s menu doesn’t stray too far from what you’d get at a typical sushi spot in Singapore, but differentiates itself with its shari (rice), which uses Tokyo red vinegar and Hokkaido Sansanmaru rice, and is beaten by hand twice daily.

The process is said to give the rice more flavour and texture in each bite, complementing the fresh catch brought in by Sushi Suzhi — flown in four times a week from Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market. 

We also spotted a larger handroll section — 19 handrolls, to be exact — and Sushi Zushi also serves its handrolls open-faced so you can decide however you’d like to have them, whether it’s rolled up or as-is.

Excited as we were to try the handrolls, we weren’t quite sure why there was a drastically longer wait of nearly 20 minutes for them (as compared to other non-handroll dishes ordered by those around us), when we visited.

We later surmised that there seemed to only be one person making the handrolls (and you can only receive one at a time), so we ordered other sushi types, such as nigiri and gunkan, and sashimi, while we waited. 

In spite of the wait, some clear handroll standouts for us were the wagyu beef (S$9), which came with a raw quail egg for you to dip your roll into, and the decadent, oily engawa (S$4.50). 

The other sushi types are par for the course for a sushi restaurant here, but we will say all of its raw dishes are very fresh (they’re sliced right in front of you after all!). And at its starting price points, Sushi Zushi makes for an extremely value-for-money spot that’ll easily fill you up for not very much.

The fact that every seat gets an unobstructed view of the chefs in action, complete with some interaction with them, also adds to the experience at a very reasonable price point. 

The only catch?

The seemingly never-ending queue — where there is value and low prices, Singaporeans will inevitably follow, especially with its opening promotions, too. 

Did we also mention its unbeatable good location — it’s located on the second floor right next to the external escalator at Funan Mall, along North Bridge Road.

From what we understand, Sushi Zushi isn’t taking reservations for now, so going early and queuing is your best bet to try this new trending spot, or just hoping till the next Japanese “It” spot springs up. 

This was an invited tasting. 

Check out these other Japanese spots near Sushi Zushi if the queue gets too long: Soba spot Lilyan or interesting ramen joint Mensho Tokyo at Raffles City Shopping Centre. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out. 

You can also book a ride to Sushi Zushi at Funan.