Japanese joints here turn to other food sources

Japanese joints here turn to other food sources

A CLOUD of uncertainty hangs over the supply of fresh produce from disaster-hit Japan for Japanese restaurants and bars in Singapore.

Popular high-end fine-dining restaurants and bars like Kuriya, Hinoki Japanese Dining and Akashi Japanese Restaurant are likely to face a supply squeeze.　These restaurants usually import a majority of their seafood from Tokyo's Tsukiji Market and Osaka's Central Fish Market.

Hinoki's owner, Mr Lawrence Chia, said he was told by his supplier in Tsukiji Market that stocks there have fallen by half.

RE&S Enterprises procurement manager Toshiya Tanaka, who handles supplies for restaurants like Kuriya and the Ichiban chain, was told by his supplier in Osaka that stocks were affected as many fishermen have stopped work.

Workers in various markets have also reportedly not returned to work since last Friday.

Akashi's chef and owner, Mr Mervin Goh, was told that the supplies he has ordered for today are unaffected, but their shipment to Singapore could be delayed because of freight and petrol problems in Japan.

A number of Japan's oil refineries have shut down since the 9-magnitude earthquake hit the country.

Restaurants that serve authentic Japanese food are reluctant to obtain alternatives from other countries. Mr Goh said: "We will not compromise... To us, the origin of the product is as important as the quality."　Fresh produce will instead be sourced from unaffected parts of Japan, like Kyushu and Hokkaido.

-News courtesy of Omy-