This March 2025, Mare Hachikyo Singapore launches at Palais Renaissance Orchard, within Singapore’s iconic shopping and lifestyle district. This marks the first overseas outpost of the popular brand from Sapporo, Hokkaido; embodying the heart, pride and passion of the original.
Mare Hachikyo Singapore showcases the ‘heart’ of Hokkaido — where the deep symbiotic relationship of food producer and territory has yielded a cornucopia of high-quality ingredients that graces tables across Japan and the world.
Washed by cold seas, enriched by volcanoes and melting snow, and blessed with a distinct four-season climate, Hokkaido is Japan’s top food producer. Nutrient-laden waters bring forth a haul of sumptuous seafood. Fertile soils nurture exquisite agriculture. Verdant pastures breed prime meats. It is a sacred pact of man and Nature. The people of Hokkaido do not simply live off the land and sea; they are its stewards and guardians. Safeguarding natural resources and securing them for future generations is seen as a spiritual bond; a cultural identity.
It is also the ethos of Hachikyo Group and Noguchi Kei, its CEO, and Tourism Ambassador of Sapporo. Raised in a farming family, Noguchi early on developed an appreciation for, and devotion to, the produce of Hokkaido and the people behind it. At Hachikyo, he celebrates this milieu, which he knows so well, with gratitude. He leavens this ardent advocacy with omotenashi.
In traditional Japan, omotenashi (hospitality) is the practice of serving from the heart. In the context of food, it means to honour every ingredient; and ensure that every meal is an expression of thanks.
Hachikyo Group builds personal connections with the fishermen, farmers, and artisans who uphold Hokkaido’s food traditions. The company’s in-house procurers visit fishing ports, take part in harvests, and personally make purchases at the market to gain invaluable insights into people and processes — and live the path of omotenashi.
With the opening of its first outpost in Singapore, Noguchi hopes to reshape the way Hokkaido is perceived, by shifting focus away from wintry landscapes to a dynamic scene of ingredients and foodways evolving to meet the present.
As a start, he has made his restaurant unlike any other. The name Mare means ‘rare’ in Japanese. In a first in Singapore, 90% of the ingredients are sourced directly from Hokkaido. They represent the cream of the crop for that season — flavours in their purest form from their most dedicated producers.
Such honest ingredients require honest cooking; and so, subtle, creative techniques are used to focus the guest’s attention on the ingredient and its intrinsic qualities.
The Japanese kappo-style cuisine is prepared with no distractions and frills; but carries subtle Chinese and Western inflections. With a menu that is substantially refreshed every six weeks, guests enjoy the freshest and finest at their peak.
Hokkaido’s Bounty and Hospitality From The Heart
The Hachikyo Group pioneered Tsukko Meshi, in which premium quality ikura (salmon roe) is served overflowing on rice. The dish was inspired by the group’s founder, who, on holiday 20 years ago, encountered a fisherman who served him a bowl of rice. The fisherman had put plentiful ikura on the rice in an unforgettable gesture of generosity and hospitality. Tsukko Meshi became Hachikyo Group’s iconic signature; and a fixture of the Hokkaido experience.
At the new Mare Hachikyo Singapore, diners can look forward to kappo-style omakase that is profoundly seasonal, with a constantly refreshed menu. Tsukko Meshi remains a highlight as part of the Signature Donabe.
The Signature Donabe can be enjoyed in three ways — on its own with seasonal seafood; as Tsukko Meshi; and as an ochazuke with a pour of warm dashi. The Tsukko Meshi is presented to high-spirited cheers of “Oisa!” as premium-quality ikura (salmon roe) is scooped onto a bowl of rice, again and again until it brims.
Another ‘star’ is the Signature Hokkaido Temaki, which is also served at the original Mare Hachikyo in Hokkaido. In this dish, freshly hand-picked kegani (hairy crab), ikura (salmon roe), and creamy uni are wrapped in crisp, lightly toasted Japanese seaweed. The rice — Hokkaido’s prized Yumepirika — is cooked with Hokkaido water and seasoned with a delicate balance of seven ingredients, including red and white vinegar, mirin, and Hokkaido salt.
Dishes from the 9-course dinner omakase ($228++) are also available in set lunches with a choice of 3 courses ($68++), 4 courses ($88++) and 5 courses ($108++), offering both value and flexibility as guests make their preferred selection.
Every dish in the omakase is also featured in an à la carte dinner menu with a minimum order of 5 dishes, presenting the freedom to curate one’s own experience. Complementing the dishes is a thoughtful selection of fine Japanese alcohol, from sake to premium whisky beer and shochu sourced from across Japan.
The interior of the restaurant is a serene composition of classic Japanese elements. A theatre of wood unfolds — from pale matte pine to dark polished rosewood — across counter tops and furniture, ceilings and floors, cabinetry and doors, and a host of decorative features. At the heart of the space is an intimate 12-seat counter where guests can enjoy lively interactions with the chefs. There are also two private rooms offering more cosy settings for 4 to 8 people, or 12 when combined.
From the first greeting at the door, guests are cupped in omotenashi. Through personalised service; the respect and honesty behind the food; the gratitude for it all; meals become journeys to be remembered… journeys into the rare and exceptional world of Hokkaido gastronomy.
