Chocolates, Yusheng, and more!
Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day – is this an auspicious combination for the Year of the Tiger?
Lo Hei and Love. What better way to celebrate than Yusheng and chocolates?
We are offering Yusheng with Standing Sushi Bar’s fresh sashimi! Regular-size (12 slices) salmon or tuna yusheng is 18.80 SGD and a large-size (16 slices) is 23.80 SGD. If you want novelty in your Yusheng, you can switch your fish to swordfish or yellowtail for 5 SGD more! To order, e-mail eat@standingsushibar.com or call 6533 7078. A list of the ingredients that comprise our super yusheng can be found here.
From now until February 12, we have a booth set up at the ground floor of OUB Centre as part of their Chinese New Year festivities. You can find nama (raw) chocolate, mochi, eclairs, and more pastries – all from Japan! The nama chocolate and mochi are my favorite; you’ll be hard-pressed to find nama chocolate anywhere else at the price we are offering it for.
Get your sweet tooth ready!
Normally I wouldn’t emphasize price but because this is our first time participating in Chinese New Year celebrations I wanted to ensure that everyone could see the quality of our fish as well as the creativity of our chefs. At 18.80 SGD we are cheaper than other sushi joints offering yusheng. Same thing applies with the nama chocolates – if you look at other stores selling nama chocolate, we are more affordable. I’m curious about how people will take to buying Japanese chocolate from a sushi bar, so am testing it out at this low offer.
Perhaps my thoughts behind pricing will be a blog entry for a later time!
Add comment February 3, 2010
A saying
Owning a sushi bar isn’t all fun and games.
For those difficult spots, words of encouragement are useful.
One of my best friends sent me this hilarious (yet still uplifting) message:
When obstacles arise remember the ancient sushi proverb, When the salmon swims upstream, only because he uses the rocks he passes, as markers, can he tell how far long the river he has gone.
Add comment January 23, 2010
Too much sitting is bad
Frequently customers come by the restaurant during lunch and even though the restaurant is full of people standing (no chairs until after 2:30 pm), they’ll ask whether they can get a seat. Our standard response is that we place the chairs out after 2:30 pm as during the Raffles Place lunch rush, in order to accommodate as many people as we can, we don’t have chairs. (Let’s ignore the fact that the name of the restaurant is Standing Sushi Bar). Some of these customers will try standing and eating, other folks will look aghast that we have no chairs and then storm out in a huff… to go stand and wait in line at another restaurant so they can get a seat.
Personally I find standing and eating to be comfortable. I think that’s one of the reasons why I was enamored with the standing sushi bars that I ate at in Japan. Couple that with handmade sushi, a variety of fresh fish, and the casual ambience of a neighborhood sushi bar and I think one gets a reflection of what SSB is here in Singapore as well. I also feel that in Raffles Place, the office crowd are spending their morning and afternoon… basically their whole day… sitting at a desk. Don’t folks get restless? Don’t they want to stretch?
Yesterday I read an article about how too much sitting is bad.
The health benefits of pulse-quickening physical activity are beyond dispute – it helps ward off cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, among other problems.
But recent scientific findings also suggest that prolonged bouts of immobility while resting on one’s rear end may be independently linked to these same conditions.
Just for kicks I decided to enlarge the article and place it at the front of the restaurant. Perhaps it will help the folks who are averse to standing and eating to think twice about their health!
Add comment January 20, 2010
The one and only California donburi
The California Roll… one of the most popular and delicious types of maki sushi. It’s not a traditional sushi roll as it was invented in the US, but its appeal is worldwide. My friend (and regular SSB diner) Brandon contacted me today and gave some menu recommendations based on his recent trip to Japan.
One of the dishes he enjoyed was the California donburi. It seems like such a simple idea that I’m surprised every restaurant isn’t offering this! It’s the California roll but expanded into donburi… crabstick, cucumber, avocado, tamago (egg), and ebiko (shrimp egg) draped on a bed of sushi rice with light yuzu sauce drizzled on top.
So I went to Roy with this California donburi suggestion. He thought for awhile and was skeptical, “Why would someone want a California donburi?” I didn’t have much in response other than, “Who wouldn’t want one? People like the california roll after all!” After some back and forth we decided he might as well just make one so we could test it.
Verdict: Awesome.
I believe we’re the first restaurant in Singapore to offer California Donburi. We’ll test it out to see how people like it, so it’s only available for a limited time. California donburi and miso soup combo for 12.80. Get your avocado fix today!
1 comment January 11, 2010
Healthy sushi start
It’s a new year and that means millions of people around the world have vowed that they will begin eating healthier. Goodbye greasy Kentucky Fried Chicken, hello raw, natural fish!
Excerpt from the “Nutrition” section of the Wikipedia article on sushi:
“The main ingredients of traditional Japanese sushi, raw fish and rice, are naturally low in fat, high in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals…
Most seafood is naturally low in fat; and what fat is found in it is generally rich in unsaturated Omega-3 fat. Since sushi is often served raw, no cooking fat is introduced during its preparation…
Fish, tofu, seafood, egg, and many other sushi fillings contain high levels of protein…
Vitamins and minerals are found in much of the seafood and vegetables used for sushi… The gari and nori used to make sushi are both rich in nutrients. Other vegetables wrapped within the sushi also offer various vitamins and minerals.”
Interested in how many calories are in each piece of sushi? SushiFAQ has information on that. Make sure you click on the “Sushi items” and “Sashimi items” tabs rather than only the roll information.
Some stats:
- Tako (octopus) has the most protein per ounce (8.5g per oz)
- Monkfish liver has the highest fat per ounce (5g). Unsurprising since monkfish liver has similar taste and texture to foie gras (which has 14g of fat per oz). Note that the fat in these fish are typically the healthy Omega-3 kind.
- Yellowtail & Tuna both have 6.6g of protein per ounce and only 1.5g of fat.
- Lowest calorie pieces are ikura (salmon roe) and mirugai (geoduck)
Of course we have all the above at Standing Sushi Bar. Get the new year off to a healthy start and eat some sushi!
6 comments January 3, 2010
Happy New Year!
It’s a busy time for us on New Year’s Eve. Turns out people like the big sushi platters, so we have a full schedule preparing the food and (in the Raffles Place area) running around to the various office towers to deliver. Too bad we didn’t announce these platters earlier!
2009 has been a rough but positive year. I think being naive has helped in the creation of Standing Sushi Bar. In other words, if I knew then what I know now, would I still have plunged into the restaurant business? It’s a few months past opening and with many lessons learned, I’m ready to go! go! go! in the new year. Big plans, big dreams. And lots and lots of sushi to eat.
Happy new year, everyone! May 2010 have us standing!
Add comment December 31, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you’re all celebrating Christmas with the ones you want to be with.
And of course tucking into a ton of delicious food!
If you’re out and about on Boxing Day (December 26), we’ll be open… humming along as one of the only shops in Raffles Place open for you to eat at.
As a holiday food celebration, everything on the a la carte menu is 15% off on December 26! You can move from food coma to food coma.
Add comment December 25, 2009
Sushi platters
Just a quick entry to let folks know that Standing Sushi Bar now offers party platters.
Perfect for the holiday season. Don’t stress out over what to prepare for guests! Instead transfer the worry over to Standing Sushi Bar and we’ll create a beautiful sushi platter for you. Leaving you with peace of mind so you can knock back egg nog to your heart’s content.
Add comment December 23, 2009
What’s the deal with bank credit card promotions?
Credit card promotions at restaurants are rife in Singapore. I never noticed such promotions in the US, but here every restaurant has a tie-up with a bank where users of that bank’s credit card will get some type of benefit – be it a percentage off the bill, free food based on a certain amount you spend, 1 for 1 deals, etc.
Before Standing Sushi Bar even opened, banks were approaching to talk about tie-ups. I wish I had known more about how to deal with them.
Their value proposition is that they will increase awareness of your restaurant by including the restaurant in their collateral – primarily booklets and web sites that list all the venues that have deals with them and what the promotion is.
Since I was a soon-to-open restaurant, I figured that any awareness would be good. UOB is the bank best known for their restaurant tie-ups so when they approached me I signed on – offering discounts and a 1 for 1 omakase promotion to stimulate the dinner crowd.
The 1 for 1 omakase promotion was popular. It helped bring new people to the restaurant that would normally not eat dinner in the Raffles Place area. However a 1 for 1 promotion is hard to stomach, financially.
One of the awareness vehicles that the banks tout is that they will create banners and table tents with the credit card promotion that you’re supposed to place all over the restaurant. They pitch this to you as if it’s a good thing.
To me, a bank / credit card promotion should bring in customers from outside the immediate area. One of the advantages of a restaurant in Raffles Place is that the foot traffic is incredible – people will discover you and try you out regardless of promotions.
So a promotion should convince people that aren’t in the Raffles Place area to venture into the CBD and try out the restaurant. If a customer is already in the restaurant and has come of their own accord, the bank tie-up hasn’t contributed anything but the customer still gets the discount and then the restaurant makes less money without getting the benefit of the increased awareness by the bank promotion.
Tips on dealing with the banks:
- ASK FOR COMPENSATION
As a restaurant owner you’re losing money with every discount that you give. The bank is trying to increase the amount of times a customer will use their credit card (thus putting money into the bank’s pocket) by your restaurant’s promotion.
When negotiating with the bank, they should give you something tangible in return. While there is value in being included with their collateral and advertisements, you need to ask for money, subsidy, or an actual item. For example you could say to the bank, “I will do this 1 for 1 promotion with you if you subsidize the promotion by giving us 2,000 SGD.”
- TIE UP WITH THE BANK THAT PROCESSES YOUR CREDIT CARDS
You may be paying 2.5% of the total bill for every Visa transaction. If you partner with the bank that handles your credit card transactions they may be able to adjust the percentage rate to something lower.
- SET DEADLINES ON THE PROMOTIONS
Open-ended promotions are confusing for everyone. Make it clear when promotions will expire.
- EXAMINE THE BANK’S CUSTOMER DEMOGRAPHICS
Ask for the demographics of the bank’s credit card holders. Are they the right market for your restaurant? If a bank’s credit card is popular with students and you’re targeting professionals, you’re not going to want to promote to that bank’s credit card base.
- MEET WITH A FEW BANKS BEFORE COMMITTING
In the opening weeks, a flood of banks will meet with you and try to sign you to exclusive (i.e. can only sign with them or must give them the best deal) contracts. Make sure you’re getting a good deal from the bank (i.e. what they will subsidize) before committing.
- TARGET YOUR PROMOTION
Wait a couple weeks and see where you think you need help. For example, at the sushi bar we get a healthy lunch crowd – there’s no need for me to run a promotion to increase customers during lunch time. However we get few customers during the late afternoon and happy hour times. So with Standard Chartered I created a promotion that targets the happy hour crowd.
2 comments December 20, 2009
Christmas Eve Dinner Omakase
Did you know Santa Claus is a huge fan of Japanese food? Particularly sushi! After a night of whizzing around in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, there’s nothing he likes more than knocking back a glass of sake and slipping sashimi into his mouth. All the protein is what keeps him going!*
While the sleigh bells are ringing, the kids are a-sleeping, and Raffles Place will be as quiet as a mouse, Standing Sushi Bar is going to be open for a special Christmas Eve Dinner Omakase.
We’re going all out to attract Santa to the sushi bar. Forget milk and cookies, it’s time for a multi-course omakase to celebrate Christmas.
Our little bonsai tree is all decked out for Christmas
$100 – 6 Course Meal
1) Starter – Otoro, Hotate Tataki with house dressing
2) Appetizer – Turkey Breast Salad
3) Mix Sashimi – Assortment of 6 types
4) Steam Soup – Yumei Mushi
5) Grilled Fish – Yaki Sakana (Air-flown Japanese Sea Bream)
6) Steak with Garlic rice and Miso soup
Dessert
$150 – 8 Course Meal
1) Starter – Otoro, Hotate Tataki with house dressing
2) Appetizer – Turkey Breast Salad
3) Mix Sashimi – Assortment of 6 types
4) Steam Soup – Yumei Mushi
5) Grilled Fish – Yaki Sakana (Air-flown Japanese Sea Bream)
6) Foie Gras with Uni
7) King Prawn Ebi Mentai Yaki
Steak with Garlic rice and Miso soup
Dessert
Call Standing Sushi Bar at 6533 7078 or e-mail eat@standingsushibar.com for reservations. Seats are limited.
*I actually have no idea whether Santa Claus likes Japanese food.
1 comment December 18, 2009
