IKO Restaurant & Bar 2021

IKO Restaurant & Bar 2021
65 Neil Road

https://iko.com.sg/

Hokkaido Scallops (SGD $25)

Quirky Mod-Jap Bar Bites

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 8
Value for Money: 6
Spent about SGD $100 per person.


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Opening in April 2021, IKO Restaurant & Bar is a chill gastrobar offering contemporary modern Japanese tapas and bar bites, spanning 6 categories - raw, cold, small, robata (grill), rice / noodles, and desserts. Decked in dark shades interspersed by bright neon highlights, the 55-seat IKO Restaurant & Bar is casual and relaxing, offering a respite from the busy bustle around.

Ambience at IKO Restaurant & Bar is casual, cozy, and intimate. The soft glow from neon light decorations cast vibrant hues against the concrete walls, framed by black and grey steel. The raw industrial look is contrasted by simple modern furnishings flanked by backlit mirrors, and a long open kitchen. The IKO Restaurant & Bar logo glows in neon colours from the ceiling, drawing the eye.

Service at IKO Restaurant & Bar is practised at service recovery, and attempts to ensure diners are comfortable. A little thoughtfulness for those waiting to get in (reservations are recommended), and a welcoming attitude makes for a pleasant start. Staff display decent efficiency at taking and fulfilling orders, and at cleaning up, but there's little opportunity for demonstration of menu knowledge.

Food at IKO Restaurant & Bar is Modern Japanese cuisine, themed around small bites and individual plates. Helmed by Chef Jeremmy Chiam, the kitchen delivers consistent quality of dishes, combining flavours in exciting and delicious ways. Expect luxurious ingredients skillfully prepared and plated, a treat for the palate. Prices command a premium, budget about SGD $100 per person.


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IKO Restaurant & Bar Exterior

IKO Restaurant & Bar Interior

IKO Restaurant & Bar Signage

Open Kitchen

Seating

Binchotan Charcoal Grill

IKO Restaurant & Bar Takeaway Container Logo

Takeaway Meal Flat Lay

Takeaway Meal Flat Lay

Birthday Greetings

The Rokkasen Hitotoki Rose Sparkling Junmai Sake (SGD $19) is a 70% polished rice wine / sake made with old Shikokumai black rice, brewed by the Rokkasen brewery in Higashine, Yamagata prefecture, Tohoku region, Japan. With a light, bubbly body, and a fruity sweet grainy flavour that tastes of rose and spring water, this beverage is so refreshing. Good!

Rokkasen Hitotoki Rose Sparkling Junmai Sake (SGD $19)

The Cocktail Rice (SGD $18) is a lovely tipple, a blend of aromatised wine, sake / rice wine, and honey, topped with a crisp rice cracker. Served over ice, the floral grainy sweet flavours of the beverage are further complemented by the aroma and taste of the rice cracker with its bold grainy sweet savoury flavour. Beautiful. Highly recommended!

Cocktail Rice (SGD $18)

Cocktail Rice

The Whisky Hibiki Harmony (SGD $20) is aptly named, for this Japanese whisky is a blend of malts from Yamazaki distillery (Osaka Prefecture, Kansai region, Japan) and Hakushu distillery (Yamanashi Prefecture, Chubu region, Japan), along with grain whisky from the Chita distillery (Aichi Prefecture, Chubu region, Japan). Master Blender Shingo Torii and team have created a pale, yellow amber whisky with aromas of honey, lychee, oak, and sandalwood. The body is light, smoky, and smooth, very approachable. Taste is sharp, woody, and floral, with notes of orange marmalade, apricot, cinnamon, and rosemary herb. Finish is medium clean, some bitterness and sharpness, slight lingering spice notes. Good beginner's dram, though experienced drinkers may find this weak.

Whisky Hibiki Harmony (SGD $20)

Whisky Hibiki Harmony

The Edamame With Sesame Shoyu (SGD $8) was appealing, thanks to the salty savoury nutty flavour of the sesame shoyu / soy sauce dressing, which complemented the natural grassy sweet flavour of the crunchy edamame / immature soy beans. Sprinkings of toasted chilli sesame furikake lend a sharp spicy salty nutty flavour, yum. I seldom eat edamame / immature soy beans, but this version is delicious. Worth ordering!

Edamame With Sesame Shoyu (SGD $8)

The Uni Pudding (SGD $28) features a base of wobbly purple cauliflower pudding, layered with gelatinous home-made dashi jelly made from kombu / kelp seaweed and katsuobushi / bonito flakes. It's topped with creamy bafun uni / horse **** sea urchin, and crowned with juicy caviar. This luxurious chilled appetizer has bright briny salty earthy flavour, though I felt the combination of ingredients didn't manage to highlight the premium ones here, feeling a little flat on the palate. Could be improved.

Uni Pudding (SGD $28)

The Hokkaido Scallops (SGD $25) features 3 beautifully pan-seared fresh Hokkaido scallops, bouncy and tender and moist, with smoky sweet savoury flavour. Topped with crispy thin Iberico ham, lending robust salty savoury meaty flavour. Served over a bed of soft braised red cabbage and creamy clam velouté, with vegetal sweet earthy flavour. A satisfying and luxurious dish. Highly recommended!

Hokkaido Scallops (SGD $25)

Hokkaido Scallops

Hokkaido Scallops

Loved the Lobster & Ika Salad (SGD $14). A medley of bouncy juicy tender chunks of fresh lobster and squid, both with natural sweet savoury flavour, are coated in a generous creamy mentaiko / pollock roe gravy with vibrant salty savoury sweet flavour, dressed with juicy tobiko / flying fish roe which holds the same taste profile. Refreshing and satisfying. It's paired with crispy rice crackers sprinkled with dried nori / seaweed flakes, resulting in a lovely earthy grainy sweet flavour. So good, kept reaching for more. Highly recommended!

Lobster & Ika Salad (SGD $14)

The Angus Short Ribs With Garlic Confit (SGD $38) is beautifully meaty, with a tender chew to the angus beef short rib, coming easily off the bone. Has robust meaty salty savoury smoky flavour, interspersed by the layers of beef fat with succulent moist fatty notes. A few soft cloves of confit garlic lend a herbal sweet spice flavour to complete. Good!

Angus Short Ribs With Garlic Confit (SGD $38)

The Robata Japanese Black Cod (SGD $38) features a large fillet of fresh Japanese black cod fish, marinated in miso butter. I watched Chef Roy skewer and perfectly grill this over binchotan charcoal. Served with a lime wedge and crisp leeks, the cod is moist flaky buttery oily smooth in texture. The seasonings and garnish lend zesty tangy sour vegetal spice flavour to the natural sweet savoury smoky oily flavour of the black cod fish. Enjoyed this immensely. Highly recommended!

Robata Japanese Black Cod (SGD $38)

Robata Japanese Black Cod

Robata Japanese Black Cod

Robata Japanese Black Cod

The 74% Dark Choc (SGD $18) features a dark chocolate tart dessert, with a buttery crumbly pastry tart shell, and a generous sized dark chocolate cremeux with deep chocolatey sweet flavour. The takeaway version omits the beetroot jelly, raspberry white chocolate meringue wafers, and crushed caramelised hazelnut, but still has the freeze-dried yogurt, which lends milky sour sweet flavour. Good!

74% Dark Choc (SGD $18)

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