Bincho Maguro Yuzu Shio Tataki by Nakajima Suisan

Nakajima Suisan was offering tataki of another interesting species of fish that is not so often seen in Singapore. This time, it was Bincho Maguro, or albacore tuna, also known as white tuna. They served it seared with yuzu shio or yuzu salt.
Bincho Maguro Yuzu Shio Tataki by Nakajima Suisan
Unlike the normal bluefin tuna (hon-maguro), bincho maguro is pale pink in colour, softer and known to be relatively mildly flavoured. Apparently, even after cooking, the meat does not harden, unlike other types of fish. 

I'm pleased to say that I got to experience all of this, and I actually prefer this compared to a lot of other sashimi or tataki fishes such as bluefin tuna, salmon or saba, because it was not fishy at all, and despite being very smooth and buttery, it did not come across as oily or greasy. Even premium cuts prized for their creaminess such as otoro bluefin tuna or mekajiki swordfish tend to be too heavy and make me feel sick after eating more than a few slices. But this bincho maguro was pleasant to eat and did not make me feel sick in any way even after finishing the entire tray quickly.

Furthermore, non-greasy types of fish such as tai (snapper) or hamachi (yellowtail) lack that smooth and buttery taste, and sometimes also have a bit of an earthy or mineral taste that some may not like. This bincho maguro doesn't have that earthiness at all.
Bincho Maguro Yuzu Shio Tataki by Nakajima Suisan - texture closeup
As for the actual taste itself, the tuna itself was very smooth and had notes of butter. I would also describe the meat as sweet and with umami, and although it tasted like there were light fats, I didn't really see actual streaks of fats.

But despite the buttery flavour, it was very light and refreshing, not heavy or greasy.

One thing I also appreciated was the lack of bitter metallic notes from the blood, unlike bluefin tuna. Although you can see some prominent red vessels in the picture, I didn't taste that coppery taste.

And true to form, the layer of seared meat outside was not that hard. It was slightly firmer than the raw meat inside of course, but it was not jarring unlike seared bluefin meat which tends to feel flaky with strands. This fish was still soft when seared.

The yuzu shio was also perfectly executed. The coating was intense in the yuzu fragrance, as fragrant as a marmalade, except it was yuzu instead of orange. So there was that complex and sharper scent with woody and herby notes. The yuzu coating was also moderately sweet andd vinegary. It seemed to only be coated on the outside as it was quite concentrated in the seared layer, so they applied it before slicing. Nonetheless, it was intense enough to permeate the rest of the raw flesh with the fragrance. Below is a photo of the yuzu shio label.
Bincho Maguro Yuzu Shio Tataki by Nakajima Suisan - yuzu shio tataki label
I would really recommend bincho maguro if you prefer fish that are lighter on the greasiness but are still smooth and buttery without earthiness or mineral notes, then this is one unique fish you should try. (Do note though that it still has more fats than lean fishes, but probably less than the otoro or chuutoro bluefin cuts or more marbled salmon cuts.)

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