Meet our head chef

At the age of 21, Chef Tan knew he wanted to be a sushi chef. He trained under the revered Chef Yoshida at the renowned Nogawa restaurant in the 80s. At Nogawa, he learnt that great sushi chefs do not just deliver quality food but also inexplicable hospitality. This has influenced the way he runs his sushi bar. At Shinzo, the seating layout was designed to facilitate interaction between the chefs and guests, as well as encourage conversation between strangers.

“People often come to Shinzo as strangers but leave as friends. They share sake and have a good time together.”

Chef Tan takes great pride in making sure he maintains an intimate setting in his sushi bar. He wants every seat in the house to be the best so that guests have full view of their personal chefs in working on their creations. Chef Tan believes that this is one of the highlights of the Shinzo experience. He is a perfectionist who is known for shaping the culture at many renowned fine dining Japanese restaurants in Singapore, including the Sushi Jin by Les Amis Group, Nogawa and Sushi Chiharu.

“I put my heart and soul into every sushi I make. I do it because it is my life’s passion.”

At Shinzo, one can expect nothing less than the freshest ingredients flown in directly from Japan. Just as the ingredients varies with the seasons in Japan, so does Shinzo’s menu. Chef Tan constantly pushes the envelope of culinary creativity, such as fusing non-Japanese ingredients like foie gras and century egg with traditional Japanese cuisine.

Guests at Shinzo can always rely on Chef Tan to deliver gourmet sushi and warm hospitality. Here's what some of them had to say.