No izakaya night is complete without sake and of course, an array of grilled skewers. An awesome lineup, each was skillfully grilled over charcoal so expect some lightly charred edges and lovely grill marks. Juicy, moist and wonderfully glistening, my bias would definitely be JINzakaya’s tender Gyu Karubi - Beef Short Rib ($10) off the newly expanded Kushi (charcoal-grilled skewers) menu. The Hotate - Scallop ($6) wrapped in bacon was really good too, the perfect marriage of textures and flavours. Sweet and savoury. And having the fragrance imparted from the grill, the meats have all their moisture locked in with just simple seasoning (cause it will be such a waste to use crazy spices or sauces) to enhance the experience. So tantalize your tastebuds and have a fun after-work drink with their more premium offerings of Angus Beef, melt-in-your-mouth Foie Gras and Amberjack. You will also find the usuals like chicken thigh, chicken skin, pork belly, quail egg, chicken cartilage as well as chicken and leeks which they execute remarkably.

Many thanks to JINzakaya, Yizhen and Merissa of Les Amis Group for hosting, and Burpple for the invitation!