Showing posts with label sake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sake. Show all posts

Thursday, December 1, 2022

[Tasting] Shinya Izakaya 深夜の居酒屋 @ 79 Boat Quay

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Is it just me, or does Boat Quay look more vibrant nowadays? It feels that the area has rejuvenated by the steady stream of merry makers or just hungry people looking for good food, and reasonably priced drinks.

entrance to Shinya Izakaya


Was invited to the Shinya Izakaya and this new izakaya is helmed by Chef Kakiruma, Jack Wee and Vincent Lau. Shinya Izakaya specialises in fresh sashimi 刺身, kushiyaki 串焼き (skewers), Agemono 揚げ物 (deep-fried dishes), Yakimono 焼き物 (grilled dishes), Itamemono 炒め物 (stir-fried dishes) and Donburi 丼 (rice dishes). Location wise, it is just a few steps away from Georgetown Tze Char & Craft Beer. 

Izakaya in general, refers to a "stay-drink-place". I do like to visit izakaya (not the standing type though), as I could get a variety of snacks/appetisers (otsumami おつまみ) to go with the drinks.

Let's check out Shinya Izakaya! Being the new kid on the block, has its perks. Perks for customers! Spotted their 'Opening Special' promotion of the $1 sashimi or the $1 oysters, with terms and conditions applied. So, do check with the restaurant directly for any further query. 

good deal


cheers


If you're a teetotaler, then it might be a good idea to bring along a friend who does drink (alcoholic drinks to be specific) as the opening promotion requires the purchase of normal priced alcohol. Again, for friends who drink, please drink responsibly.


what are we drinking today?


The interior of the restaurant felt spacious. We were seated at one of the booths that could fit 5 to 6 pax. There are private rooms available as well, hence please check with the restaurant when you make the reservation.

booth seats

inner section of the restaurant

private room


For drinks menu, there are options for Premium Sake, Sake (in the form of 300 ml, 720 ml or 1800 ml bottle), Wine, Beer and non-alcoholic drinks such as soft drinks, green tea or juices. Iced water is complimentary. Selected per glass options for sake and wine are available.

We got ourselves a 720ml bottle of sake to try and to match with the food that we will be having today. Was recommended the Hokkaido Kanjyuku, an aged sake. Aged sake is also referred to as 'koshu'. This informal term refers to sake that's been aged at the brewery for some time before release. For Hokkaido Kanjyuku, it was aged for 3 years. The colour is light yellow, tasted sweet and mellow.




Hokkaido Kanjyuku (Junmai Daiginjo)

Alc                    : 16%
Polishing rate    : 65%
Brewery      : Kobayashi Shuzo (Hokkaido)


Not good to drink on an empty tummy, so we started with a platter of sashimi. It was beautifully plated. The default number of sashimi slices is 3 pieces for both the 5 and 7 Kinds of Assorted Sashimi.


5 Kinds Assorted Sashimi (akami, kanpachi, salmon, tai, hotate) @$48


 Ala-carte sashimi comes in 5 pieces per order. There's about 10 different types available on the menu, including premium items like otoro and chutoro sashimi. 

Ala-carte sashimi (clockwise): shima aji 縞鯵 (@$38), otoro 大トロ (@$48) and salmon belly 鮭の腹 (@$14)

close up view

looking otoro-ly delicious

What are the snacks/appetisers that you usually start with? Eihire or Grilled Dried Stingray Fin, is a typical Japanese drinking snack. However, the version here is more chewy as it seemed less charred than the versions that I had from other places.

Eihire (Grilled dried stingray fin) @$12

Gobo Stick Karaage @$6

I think this was my first time having deep fried burdock sticks and boy, I loved it! The flavour reminds me of pisang goreng (fried banana) but it's not. Hehe!

Moving on to the meatier parts, and I do mean it quite literally! We tried the Buta Kakuni, Chicken Teriyaki and Saikoro Steak.

Buta Kakuni (Stewed Pork Belly) @$12


The stewed pork belly was a whole lot thinner than I expected. Usually, we'd see thicker cuts of the meat for this dish. Tasted of savoury soy, sweet mirin and dashi. The fats was melty and dissolved almost immediately once it got into the mouth. Nice.

I was surprised by the Teriyaki Chicken dish, as it looked more like a deep fried item rather than a grilled one? No idea but it tasted good. 


Chicken Teriyaki (Grilled Teriyaki Chicken) @$12

Saikoro Steak (Pan-fried Diced Premium Beef) @$25

Am actually glad that the Pan-Fried Diced Premium Beef (Saikoro Steak) is more of cubes rather than too finely diced! Tender bites for all the two glorious pieces that I managed to steal. Light flavours for the meat.

Let's have a bowl of Tendon for something more substantial, although after having drunk the sake, a bowl of ramen would be ideal as well.

Tendon (Crisp Prawns with Vegetables on Rice) @$15

While the Tendon here does not have fluffy looking batter, nor was it superbly crispy since it was lightly drizzled with sauce, the taste kind of grew on me as I had more of the rice at the bottom. Only managed to try the root vegetables in the bowl and I liked both the pumpkin and sweet potato. Well cooked and tasted sweet. There's eggplant in there as well.

Usually, I'd look for chicken gizzard or heart but it's not available here. Instead, we tried the shishito, shitake, chicken meatballs, enoki bacon and tebasaki (chicken wing). The shio tebasaki was a tad dry but still flavourful. Loved the shishito (Japanese green peppers).

Kushiyaki (Skewers) - left to right: shishito @$2.50, shitake @$2, tsukune @$2.50, enoki bacon @$3, tebasaki @$3

 

My favourite dish for  the night, was the Grilled Yellowtail Collar. Looked a tad on the small side but tasted so good! Plump meat that felt buttery, and seasoned just right. Perfectly cooked.


Kama Shioyaki (Grilled Yellowtail Collar) @$20


Thank you Jennifer Yeo Consultancy for the invite and Shinya Izakaya for hosting the dinner.

Attended with Kris, Tracy, Hence and Ivan.


Shinya Izakaya

Address: 79 Boat Quay, Singapore 049867

Contact: 6327 9240

Reservation: 8112 8028

Business Hours:

Closed on Mon

Tus-Sun: 3pm to 4am


Saturday, April 24, 2021

[Tasting] Kakurega (The Lair ) 隠れ家 Japanese Sake Bar @ 12 Smith Street

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"Ms, do you want to drop at Temple side or, which side? Smith Street, there's two sides." The Grab driver asked. My mind whirled for a few seconds before I answered, "I'm not sure. But I'd be going there to eat." He nodded knowingly.

Well, the street sign stated "Smith Street", so I was at the right drop-off. If walk towards my left, the unit numbers seemed to be getting bigger. Ok, let's turn on the Google map for directions. I was just one minute away from Kakurega. The restaurant is within the Food Street.


shopfront

yes, I'd be at Level 2

neighbouring shops

And so, Safe Entry and temperature checked, before guests were ushered to their table. There are tables at Level 1 to Level 3. The washrooms are at Level 1 and Level 2.

into the Lair

interior

online menu

As with any drinking places, let's start with some Zensai 前菜. There's Eihire (stingray fin), Kawahagi (dried leather jacket) and Kawaebi Karaage (deep fried shrimps).

(top to bottom) Kawahagi かわはぎ, Kawaebi かわえび and Eihire エイヒレ

かわえび @$7.80

かわはぎ @$6.80

エイヒレ @$7.80

My favourite snack was the Eihire as it had both savoury and sweet flavours. The Kawahagi came close at second place especially the tasty 'burnt' parts.

what would you like to drink today?


For our table, we tried the Issyou Koufuku Junmai Ginjo 一生幸福純米 sake @ $98/$168 for 720ml/1800ml. The sake is from Yamagata Prefecture and with polishing of 50%.

staff explaining more about the sake

let's choose a pretty cup

sake

The sake was nicely smooth and easy to drink. Sweet too. But be aware of its 15% ABV, so a few cups of it would already set one up for a good buzz. The Shime Saba Aburi (lightly torched cured mackerel), paired well with the sake.

Shime Saba Aburi (Flame-Seared Cured Mackerel) @ $10.80  

meaty


If you are in the mood for skewers (yakitori), here are some photos of what we had. Was surprised by the light tasting Tori Momo and was informed that this was intentional, due to past feedback from patrons. Healthier taste.

It was somewhat unfortunate that the Mozzarella Chizu Maki that I had, was overcooked (burnt) that night.

Aspara Bacon (Asparagus wrapped in Bacon) @ $3.80 - per skewer

Tori Momo (Chicken Thigh) and Buta Enoki (Enoki Mushroom wrapped in Pork) @ $3.80 per skewer

Mozzarella Chizu Maki (Creamy Mozzarella wrapped in Beef Short Plate) @$6.80 per skewer


Chashu Ringo Sauce (Pork Belly with Apple Sauce) - $6.80

I prefer the pork belly skewer with apple sauce as the flavours were stronger. However, the fats could be grilled a tad more.

Another popular item to order at Japanese Sake Bar, would be the tori karaage. True enough, the other tables on my day of visit, seemed to have ordered this as well.

Niwatori Karaage (Deep-Fried Chicken with Sesame Dressing) @ $6.80


My favourite charcoal grilled item that night, was the Hotate Mentai. Served aplenty with umami mentaiko sauce.

Hotate Mentai (Scallop with Mentai Sauce) @ $6.80

yummy

If you prefer beef, there's the Gyu Tataki plate. If not wrong, there's an on-going promo with UOB credit card holders with offer of 1-for-1. Do enquire from the restaurant on the terms and conditions.


Gyu Tataki (230g Meltique Beef with Garlic Chips) @ $18.80


Staff are friendly and accommodating. Be careful when you are exiting from the Level 1 washroom, as the door swings outwards.

The ambiance at Kakurega is cosy and I have enjoyed the sake, the zensai and items from the charcoal grill such as the hotate mentai.

Thank you Jennifer for the invitation and Kakurega for hosting the tasting.


***PROMO ALERT***

All-You-Can-Drink Liquid Buffet @ $59

  • 2 Hours Free Flow of Selected Japanese Sake & Asahi Beer
  • Yamagata Issyou Koufuku Junmai
  • Yamagata Issyou Koufuku Junmai Ginjo
  • Hakkaisan Honjozo
  • Asahi Draft Beer


Available Monday to Saturday, 5pm -10.30pm

Reserve now on http://bit.ly/3faL52v


**************************

Kakurega (The Lair ) 隠れ家

Address: 12 Smith St, Singapore 058926

Websitehttps://www.kakurega.com.sg/

Contact:  6223 0102

Business Hours:

Sun: Closed

Mon - Sat: 5pm–10:30pm

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Big Sake Bar @ 302 Beach Rd (The Concourse Skyline)

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Big Sake Bar is a contemporary Japanese izakaya'esque place that serves contemporary fusion Japanese, and plenty of sake. The place is located at The Concourse Skyline and is within walking distance from Sultan Gate. Its taxi drop-off point is somewhat disorientating and somehow I ended up at the Concourse instead. Just keep to the same side and walk further towards Sultan Gate and one will see a row of dining places, inclusive of Big Sake Bar.


internal decor of old school Japanese posters

Overall, the place feels a bit smallish but cosy. Be greeted upon entrance and it could accommodate groups of 8 pax as per our party size. On the other end from our table, there is space for another 4 pax.

table for 4
We ordered a bottle of Nabeshima "Pink Label" which is of the Tokubetsu Hanjozo variant. From Saga, Kyushu with ABV 15%. The sake is clear and has a clean dry mouthfeel, with aromas of grain. Tasty and easy to drink.

Nabeshima "Pink Label" 720ml @$88+

Plus, the sake cups were so cute! I liked my deep blue cup with a 3D koi in it.

there's a koi in my sake (cup)

For starters, we got the izakaya favourite of tako wasabi, which was essentially chopped raw octopus with wasabi. For the uninitiated, this dish is rather slimey and strongly flavoured but goes well with the drinks.

tako wasabi, served with seaweed sheets @$8+
たこわさ

Agedashi Tofu @$8+
Nitako @$12+

The agedashi tofu was different from what I'm used to have. The tofu here is thinly sliced before being battered and deep fried. So cool, and looked lovely when plated. Tasted soft too. 

The nitako is said to be boiled octopus in special sauce. However, there were more chopped cucumber and tomatoes in there, than the octopus so I'll skip this one and have the tako wasabi instead.

Tamago Mentaiyaki @$10+
For a dish with a bit more luxury, we opted for the Hotate Foie Gras from the Chef's Special section. Whoa, foie gras and scallop for just $18? Yaassss! Give me more! But alas, we exercised restrained and managed to share this amongst the many of us.

Hotate Foie Gras ホタテのフォアグラ @$18+

What's a Japanese meal without sashimi? Why, it is an incomplete one! And hence, we had the Hirame Uni Sashimi. Seems like this is not in its online menu though.

Hirame Uni Sashimi @$40+

Hirame is a type of flounder and sliced thinly for sashimi with an almost translucent flesh. Clean, firm and slightly bouncy chew and has a mild flavour. Paired with creamy uni for an immediate elevated contrast in texture as well as flavour!

For the non-drinkers, we had green tea in jugs as well. Its price is based on per head. But one could have unlimited refills.

green tea @$2+ per head

But what about our main dish? The highlights at Big Sake Bar would be its kushiyaki, I'd think. Large chunks of meat on skewers? A resounding yes! For the kushiyaki platter, one could opt for either 6 or the 9 sticks with different pricing. However, it would be an omakase style where the chef decides on the items to be served.

Kushiyaki platter - 9 kinds of grilled skewers 串焼き @$30+ per plate


For our 9 sticks platter, there were about 7 meat skewers and two vegetables. My favourites (surprisingly comprised of vegetable skewers!) were the shitake mushrooms, brinjal and the butabara (pork belly) skewers. So good. Expect a heavy hand in seasoning but it all tasted so good with the sake.

Each stick of the butabara 豚バラ is priced at $4.50+ so we had a repeat of those to satisfy the meat cravings.

Speaking of meat cravings, we also had a plate of grilled pork jowl (pork cheek). The texture was kind of firm yet crunchy crisp. Not like a cracker but in the meat-kind of context.

Pork Cheek @$16+

If you prefer something warm and soothing but does not want to load up on the carbs, why not have the Yasai Takiawase. A bowl of comforting stewed vegetable. There were pumpkin, carrot, daikon, brinjal and shitake mushrooms. So good and the awesome taste!

Yasai Takiawase @$9+


By this time, our belly are full and the alcohol kicking in, so to end our night, let's share some delicious warm soup.

soup of the day @$10+


All in all, we spent about $52 per pax for an evening of relaxed vibes, in good company and good food. The food is reasonably priced and at the moment, there is no GST, only 10% service charge.

Thank you Ivan for making the reservation. An enjoyable evening with the boys; Hoong An, Alvin, Hence and the girls; Tracy and Elle.


Big Sake Bar

Address: 302 Beach Rd, #01-02, Singapore 199600
Contact: 62912700, 96567105
Business Hours:
Mondays to Saturdays - 5:00pm - 12midnight
Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays

 
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