This was our second visit to Chef Sam’s omakase at Yugen, for his Winter menu. We brought friends so it was a lot of saké, giggles and good chats. I took notes but it may not be completely accurate as the vibes were the highlight for this dining experience.
The set menu was $285 per person.
The set menu was $285 per person.
Winter 2026
We started off this feast with red snapper, grapefruit and pickle. It was citric, acidic, refreshing and a balance of sweet tang all in one bite.
This was a grilled abalone in liver sauce with lightly fried panko breadcrumbs. The mouthfeel was very textural, with a thick creamy sauce that smacked with umami.
This was the iconic duck egg chawanmushi and it is a dish we dream about often. Like our first visit (LINK), it was decadent and delicious. Filled with fried onion, brown butter, duck egg, caviar, and flakes of gold *chef kiss*.
Our first nigiri was a scallop with salt and lemon.
This was King George whiting with yuzu kosho (fermented chilli paste).
This was soy marinated Yellowfin tuna.
Next was a seared swordfish with fresh yuzu.
Xtiner’s favourite: Japanese sea urchin gunkan.
This was a scampi nigiri with tsudachi (citric fruit native to Japan).
This was a toothfish cooked as a katsu. It was incredibly fresh and soft inside, and flakey on the outside.
Unagi is Mick’s favourite dish so having this fried unagi permanently on the menu has kept him hooked to Yugen’s omakase.
Next was an Imperador aburi. It was so creamy and fatty for a white fish.
This fatty piece was the Australian otoro.
This was a fatty salmon belly with shiitake chimichurri.
This was a shoyu kombu butter spread on top of a kingfish nigiri.
Unfortunately the alcohol hit and I missed the notes of this nigiri LOL. Ooops, soz.
This was three pieces of Australian wagyu: tender, rich, perfect.
This was another staple of Sam’s menu: Japanese A5 with egg yolk and black garlic kare. Recommended one bite.
This was an extra piece that was not on the menu. It was probably one of the best pieces we’ve ever consumed. It had tuna, snow crab and Japanese sea urchin.
Instead of the traditional miso soup, we had a white soy sauce, bonito, and shellfish broth.
This was another extra piece: Australian sea urchin nigiri.
For desserts, we had a vanilla mousse with caviar. This was the first time we’ve had a dessert with caviar and dayummm! The nuttiness and umami of the caviar went so well with this mildly sweet creaminess. It was amazinggggg.
The matcha ice cream sandwich was delicious! It was so light and a perfect way to end the night.
Review
We loved the experience particularly during this Winter’s menu because the friends we brought happened to be friends with Sam – a happy coincidence. It was a great night and we will return.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating!
Thanks for reading. Happy eating!
