Shime Saba Sashimi by Nakajima Suisan

I saw a type of sashimi that was not commonly found in Singapore called Shime Saba at Nakajima Suisan from the sashimi section inside the Cold Storage at Takashimaya, Singapore. The last time I had something similar was the mackeral saba sasazushi from Ishikawa, but that was shelf-stable deep frozen and flown into Singapore rather than freshly prepared. And the other occasion I had something similar was in a Kyoto sushi specialist serving traditional Kyoto sushi in Gion (which I write about in the sasazushi post). So I immediately wanted to try this.
Shime Saba Sashimi by Nakajima Suisan
Overall, I would recommend trying it if you would like to experience a different type of sashimi that is similar to authentic cuisines in the central part of Japan (such as Kyoto and Ishikawa). It was a steal at only S$10 for the entire block, and due to the richness of the fish, it was very filling as a meal. The shiso leaf was also fresh and packed with herby flavour, so that was a bonus over the usual plastic leaves that are purely decorative. Fresh shiso leaves are also eaten with such cured sashimi in similar authentic Japanese cuisines.

In terms of the taste, the fish itself had a taste that was very recognisably saba, similar to the grilled saba fish. 

The main difference was the seasoning and the texture. The seasoning was moderately tangy and quite sweet, not unlike the tanginess and sweetness of preserved ginger served with sushi or Japanese curry rice (but of course I didn't notice the ginger taste here, just the vinegar and sugar). I also swabbed the lime over each slice, so that might have enhanced the tanginess. 
Shime Saba Sashimi by Nakajima Suisan - flesh colour
The texture was expectedly much softer and moister than the grilled version, and naturally not as flaky or dry. So I prefered the texture of this cured sashimi version.

Overall, I also thought that the fishiness was also less apparent than in the grilled version, possibly due to the curing or marination process. 

Nonetheless, it was overall a tad too sweet and sour for my liking. I think 70-80% of the level of sweetness and sourness would have been perfect.

Like other sashimi, it was served with soy sauce and wasabi, which helped to balance the overall taste with salt and also the umami from the fermented soy. But I still would have preferred it much less sweet and sour.

It was a great experience nonetheless, especially for the price. And if you eat at the counter they serve it with warm green tea which really helps to temper the sweetness and sourness.

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