Bay Sushi @ The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

I entered Bay Sushi at Marina Bay Sands with the mindset that I was on the road to breaking my bank just to pay for dinner. Apparent my worries were unfound.

Fresh oyster with barley miso and red radish

Bay Sushi is one of the many new tenants The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands welcomed in early 2012 to vie for the taste buds of the upscale crowd with competitive prices and a cosmopolitan spread. Their kaiten belt stood out with a stacking and labeling concept unseen in other similar establishments, where the real food and plastic displays are rotated on the same conveyor belts to tempt the unsuspecting customer into reaching for the fake food displays which look no different from the piping hot nosh. To create greater relevance to their waterfront location, the restaurant took to naming their various colour plates after famous bays all over the world. No guesses for the name of the most expensive colour plate.

The Fiance kickstarted his meal by snatching a plate of deep-fried baby calamari off the kaiten. Yes you read it right, agemono right off the belt and still piping hot.

He couldn't miss out on picking Aburi Salmon Belly (below) off the menu.

Aburi Salmon Belly (1 pc)

Everytime I walk into a sushi place, I just have to order mekajiki (swordfish). Bay Sushi prices their sashimi on a per-piece basis, just for info. The fish slices were plump and fresh, though there was a slightly aftertaste that can be removed by chewing a slice of preserved shallot after every piece. I'm salivating while typing all this.

Mekajiki sashimi (2 pc)

 On the other hand, Spicy Salmon temaki was forgettable; the sauce overpowered whatever taste the salmon had, and the seaweed was unimpressively soft and taut.

Spicy salmon temaki

 And if you never thought powdered Parmesan cheese could taste that good with sushi, it's time to start believing. We ordered Sunset roll, which came topped with slightly grilled salmon and stuffed with shredded cucumber and crabstick. The finishing touch was a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for that tangy salty taste which triggers all the sensory glands in your mouth.

Sunset Roll

The service was good, but would definitely be better if they had been sufficiently staffed on a Saturday night. Request for a counter seat if you enjoy watching various types of sushi creations travelling round the chefs' counter as they whip up different orders. I would definitely return for a second, third and fourth visit.

Overall:
Ambience: 3.5/5
Food: 4.2/5
Price: $$$
Service: Poor/Fair/Good/Excellent

Eat where:
Bay Sushi Restaurant
2 Bayfront Avenue #B2-01B
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands
Tel: +65 6688 7707
http://www.baysushi.com.sg