Chef Ryujiro Nakamura returns to Singapore: inside the new Sushi Ryujiro at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore

That curiosity suits the way he wants to cook. At the counter, guests increasingly ask where an ingredient comes from or why it is being served in a particular way. For Nakamura, these questions open up a conversation about the thinking behind Edomae sushi, rather than simply its mechanics.

His approach extends beyond the food itself. Because the restaurant carries his name, Nakamura says he feels responsible for every part of the experience, from sourcing and menu development to the people serving it. “For me, sushi cannot be separated from the hospitality, setting, pacing and relationships behind it; they must work together in harmony.”

That thinking is immediately apparent in the restaurant’s design. The Capitol Kempinski’s quiet sense of history appealed to Nakamura because it gives the sushi-ya a distinct setting without competing with what happens at the counter. “Omakase is an intimate experience, so I wanted a setting that allows guests to slow down and focus on the craft, conversation and progression of the meal,” he says.

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The 10-seat dining room is deliberately minimalist. A Japanese hinoki counter forms its centre, while tsuchikabe walls—made using a traditional mixture of clay and rice straw—bring warmth and texture to the room. In front of the restaurant, a sculptural hand-cut paper installation by Barcelona-based design studio Wanda Barcelona draws on the forms of Japanese pine trees and dragon scales.

The details are designed to influence how guests feel as much as how the room looks. “The 10-seat hinoki counter keeps the experience intimate and allows the chef to read each guest… their pace, reactions and level of interaction throughout the meal,” says Nakamura. “These choices are not decoration for their own sake.”

That same attention is evident in his sourcing. Nakamura has spent years building relationships with independent fishermen and specialist producers across Japan—relationships that he believes are ultimately more valuable than simply having access to the largest markets.

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“Consistency in maintaining the relationship with them is what creates access to exceptional seasonal ingredients,” he says. Yet he is careful not to equate rarity with quality. “I do not select something simply because it is rare. What matters is its quality, condition and how it fits into the progression of the meal.”

Seafood is flown to Singapore four times a week, allowing the menu to follow the season and the quality of the catch. Current highlights include a tuna progression, seasonal uni and steamed Chiba abalone served with its liver sauce and rice. The restaurant’s distinction, Nakamura says, lies not in offering ingredients that cannot be found elsewhere, but in what happens to them once they arrive.

“What is distinctive here is not one supposedly exclusive ingredient, but how these ingredients are sourced, prepared and expressed through our approach to Edomae sushi.”

There are three ways to experience that approach. The nigiri lunch presents 13 pieces of seasonal nigiri alongside a signature maki and dessert. The lunch omakase adds seasonal appetisers and hot dishes, while the dinner omakase offers the most extensive progression.

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The shari receives its own consideration, prepared using carefully selected Japanese rice, mineral-rich water and a proprietary vinegar blend developed specifically for the restaurant. The intention is not simply to provide a base for the fish, but to find the right balance between the two.

At the counter, day-to-day responsibility rests with head chef Naruki Ikeda, whom Nakamura selected and trained at Sushi Ryujiro Tokyo. The two continue to speak and exchange updates daily, with Nakamura remaining involved in sourcing, menu development, training and standards. He plans to return to Singapore three to four times a year to work with the team and develop seasonal menus.

There is an important distinction here. “Singapore is not a copy of Tokyo,” Nakamura says. “Some ingredients or preparations that work there may not travel or perform in the same way here, so we select what is best for Singapore while remaining faithful to the same philosophy.”

A six-seat private dining room will eventually add another dimension to the restaurant, but the heart of the experience remains the ten-seat counter. For Nakamura, what happens there should ultimately be about more than technical precision.

“I hope guests leave feeling cared for and with a sense of harmony—that the sushi, hospitality, setting and pace of the meal came together naturally,” he says. “A memorable meal should stay with the guest not because one element was showy, but because the entire experience felt considered.”

And perhaps that is the point of his return: not to recreate what was there before, but to take what he has learned and give it room to evolve. As the seasons change, so too will the ingredients and their expression. The invitation, Nakamura says, is to come back and experience it again.

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