And that is the inspiration for this 3-year old Japanese fusion pub located at Jiak Chuan Road along Keong Saik, where you’ll still see remnants of the old (but still existing) red light district.
The place was quiet with few customers during our tasting on a weekday night, conducive for nightcaps and conversation, though a search on Facebook will reveal the party revelries on weekends. The session started off on good footing with three starters - fried manchego cheese balls (a little inconsistent with cheese filling), tiger prawns (fresh with added bite from smoked sesame crunch, drizzled with yummy aioli), and the takoyaki croquette which I liked more than expected (nicely fried on the outside with smooth but firm potato mash filling, and tangy savoury sauce plus bonito flakes adding to flavour).
The mains, however, weren’t as well-received by us. The Wafu Tagliatelle, Pork Belly and Chicken Poppers were all overly-salty. The dessert that followed ended the night on a disappointing note: the Matcha Creme Brûlée had a nice hard burnt caramel layer, but the matcha custard underneath was so bitter and unpleasant that I might want the recipe for my next friend’s wedding gatecrash games.
One small saving grace might be the beautifully presented Mariko’s Orchid, a tropical cocktail with Absolute Elyx, pineapple juice, caramel liqueur, cinnamon syrup and passionfruit purée that was torched before serving. It did take a while for the ice to dilute the drink a little before we could appreciate the combination of citrus and spice with the light smooth vodka. The cocktail menu might be subjected to some changes in the near future though, so you’ll have to wait and see if this makes the cut.
Thanks @marikos_sg for hosting us, and @burpple for the invite! #Burpple