Image Credit: Firebird by Suetomi
Prominent Tokyo restaurant Makitori Shinkobe is opening its first overseas branch in Singapore called Firebird by Suetomi to serve its famed yakitori omakase here from May 7, 2025.
Located at Mondrian Singapore, the new restaurant will offer a set menu featuring various charcoal-grilled chicken cuts. The set includes daily specials and local twists on chef-owner Makoto Suetomi’s signature dishes, like claypot Hainanese chicken rice.
Prices for the dinner-only yakitori omakase start from S$188++ (HKD 1125.72++) per person. Firebird by Suetomi only seats 12 in its main dining room. Reservations are now open.
From left: Firebird by Suetomi’s sous chef Alvin Leong, chef-owner Makoto Suetomi, and head chef Yoshiki Furukawa. (Image credit: Firebird by Suetomi)
Story behind the coming of Firebird By Suetomi
After tasting fresh chicken grilled at a robatayaki restaurant in Japan, founder Suetomi fell for yakitori and channelled his passion into Makitori Shinkobe. The Akasaka restaurant became known for sourcing high-grade chicken and seasonal ingredients, and preparing them using wood-fired techniques like grilling, roasting, sauteing, and smoking. It is also infamous for its year-long waitlist.
Suetomi partnered with Singapore’s Ebb & Flow Group to launch Firebird here. The restaurant will be led by head chef Yoshiki Furukawa, who trained at Makitori Shinkobe in Japan, and sous chef Alvin Leong, formerly of Odette, Waku Ghin, and La Dame de Pic in Singapore. Using a grill modelled after its sister concept, the meat is cooked over three kinds of woods – dry Japanese cedar as a fire starter, oakwood for moisture, and cherrywood for added flavour – with the flame temperature and height meticulously controlled.
Seseri, or chicken neck. (Image credit: Firebird by Suetomi)
Firebird’s yakitori omakase is spread over 13 courses alternating between dishes and skewers of various chicken parts. Cuts change depending on availability, ranging from thigh (momo) and shoulder (furisode) to neck (seseri) and abdominal wall muscle (harami).
Suetomi’s signature soboro don (ground chicken rice) also makes an appearance. Minced chicken is cooked in a basket over the flames and added to Japanese rice. A charred firewood is then placed inside the claypot to impart a smoky flavour. The rice is served two ways: one with pickles and the other topped with marinated egg yolk and a house-made ginger sauce inspired by chicken rice.
Other dishes include shiitake mushroom beurre blanc, toast with rillette, and chicken breast with harrisa.
Soboro don. (Image credit: Firebird by Suetomi)
To drink, Firebird has sake by the glass (from S$18++/HKD 107.78++) and by the bottle (from S$40++/HKD 239.52++), with some labels making their debut in Singapore. There is also shochu, old and new world wines, Suntory Master’s Dream beer (S$10++/ HKD 59.88++ per glass), and highballs made with spirits from the House of Suntory.
Firebird’s main dining room is a 12-seater counter in front of the grill. The restaurant also has five bar seatings for drinks and a private room that sits eight.
Firebird by Suetomi
Opens May 7, 2025
Tuesday – Sunday, 6pm – 10.30pm
Closed on Monday
Book here
83 Neil Rd, #01-04/05 Mondrian Singapore, Singapore 089813
This story first appeared here.
(Featured image credit: Firebird by Makitori Shinkobe)
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Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
Written By
AloJapan.com