Cult Fave French-Japanese Restaurant Sage Helmed By Notoriously Cranky Chef Shuts Abruptly
The omakase-style restaurant at Orchard Plaza, known as much for its temperamental Japanese chef as its food, announced its closure just a day before shutting.
Sage by Yasunori Doi, a cult favourite French-Japanese fine-casual restaurant located on the ground floor of Orchard Plaza, has closed its doors, marking the end of one of the city’s most idiosyncratic dining experiences.
Its closure on March 15 was announced just a day earlier on Instagram, catching many fans by surprise.
Japanese chef and co-owner Yasunori Doi opened Sage in December 2021, just doors away from the now-defunct Bistrot Étroit, where he also used to be its chef. The restaurant had built a following for its similarly intimate dining concept offering French plates with Japanese flourishes.
In the IG post, chef Doi thanked customers and suppliers for their support.
“Over the years, this kitchen has been my world — a place where every plate carried a little piece of who I am. To every guest who sat at our table, who trusted me with your evening, your celebrations, your quiet moments: thank you. Truly. You are the reason this place meant something,” he wrote.
He added that he would be returning to Japan, where “a new chapter is waiting — quieter, more intimate, and deeply personal”.
Had been mulling closure for a while
Singaporean co-owner Hoe Lon, 50, who works in finance, told 8days.sg Sage’s closure had been under consideration for some time due to “thinning” support.
“What Sage gave people was something genuinely rare: eight guests, one chef, complete dedication to every plate. That intimacy is exactly what made it special. But dining preferences have shifted, and the support has been gradually thinning,” he said.
He added that chef Doi “felt it was time to return to Japan and start something new”, and that the team chose to close “with gratitude rather than drag it out”.
Reflecting on the closure, Hoe Lon said he felt “more gratitude than anything”.
“I’ve had that space longer than four years. Mezame was there before Sage, and I worked with chef Doi at Bistrot Étroit just before Covid,” he said. “What I carry with me is the memory of the experiences we gave people — the ones who came back again and again because nothing else in Singapore felt quite like it.”
“If there’s a lesson, it’s that you honour something by knowing when to let it end well.
Tiny, hard-to-book omakase spot
The petite eight-seater restaurant offered an omakase-style menu.
The intimate space was largely run as a one-man show, with chef Doi often cooking, plating and directing service himself. Occasionally, chef Doi had a part-time assistant.
Sage was often difficult to book, with limited seatings and long waits even for those with reservations.
Known for Japanese wagyu curry rice
Among regulars, the restaurant was perhaps best known for its quirky addition of Japanese curry rice. It was an elevated rendition of the quintessential salaryman’s comfort dish, even if the wagyu curry was paired with packaged microwaved rice.
Chef’s prickly temperament drew mixed reactions
Chef Doi, who worked in full view of diners in an open kitchen, had a reputation for being exacting and, at times, volatile.
He often didn’t allow diners who showed up early into the dining room — even if it was empty. He once made our colleague and her group wait 45 minutes past their reservation slot — he hadn’t finished serving guests from the previous seating. Yet, other diners who arrived late were met with hostility from the chef, according to Google reviews.
More online reviews cited the chef’s “stern and dismissive manner”, with some diners recounting being reprimanded for asking questions about the menu, or failing to follow unspoken dining rules such as placing used cutlery a certain way.
Our colleague also observed him berating his assistant and expressing frustration throughout the meal service by banging plates, sighing and muttering complaints. It wasn’t, she recalled, the most pleasant dining atmosphere.
Co-owner says chef Doi is "misunderstood"
Despite this feedback and the chef’s reputation, Sage continued to draw a fairly loyal following among a certain group of foodies for its mod French plates.
In his defense, Hoe Lon said the chef is “largely misunderstood”.
“Working entirely alone, night after night, at that level of intensity, it takes everything out of you,” he said.
“What some people read as difficult is really just someone who refuses to cut corners. His principles around food are absolute, and he will not compromise them.”
He added that chef Doi is aware of his reputation and has, over the years, “learned to accommodate.”
“Some people understood him, others did not. That is just how the food industry works. You cannot please everyone, and trying to would probably mean compromising the very thing that makes you worth seeking out,” he said.
Fans express shock, support for next chapter
Following the announcement, a number of his fans took to the comments section to express surprise at Sage’s sudden closure and to wish the chef well.
Others expressed support for his next move, with comments such as “Looking forward to your next chapter in Japan” and “Keep us posted — we will come support whatever you start next.”
New concpet planned for shop space
Hoe Lon said there are plans for a new concept to take over the Orchard Plaza space, though details have yet to be finalised.
“We are still working through what makes the most sense,” he said. “Trends shift, and the job of a restaurant is really to balance what you genuinely want to offer with what people are actually looking for. Ultimately it comes down to creating a great experience at a fair price. When we are ready to share more, we will.”
He added: “I hope people will get behind it the way they did with Sage.”
Photos: Instagram/sage_by_yasunori2021
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