Hokkaido Izakaya

If this restaurant was ‘a one night stand’ you’re guaranteed a fun night with no regrets. We chanced upon this place for a quick dinner and weren’t disappointed. The vibe is very casual and unpretentious and we were greeted with a warm welcome. The atmosphere makes you want to have a cold beer and enjoy some tasty snacks so we got stuck in. We tried the deep fried wagyu beef steak, which wasn’t the most amazing we have experienced but it was pretty good, soft tender meat with a crispy coating of breadcrumbs. We also had a medium sashimi platter which was surprisingly fresh and pretty good quality comprising of tuna, white bait, salmon, fish roe and another assorted fish. The croquettes we tried were a little different from others I’ve tried as they were ball shaped rather than flat, but the filling was creamier and filled with tasty potato pieces. We also had a plate of karage fried chicken, which for 6 dollars was a generous and tasty portion. We helped our meal along with a bottle of sake which we had hot. The service throughout was attentive and efficient, despite us changing our sake order around 5 times. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed (a lot of Japanese patrons having highballs, always a good sign of authenticity), and the food good. The price was a little above average, but in our opinion, well worth it for the experience and a good night out.

Second visit to this Izakaya. First one was in April 2016. This place has a good feel of what an Izakaya should be. Staffed by both native Japanese & other Asians, you'll be warmly welcomed you enter and that attention does not abade until you leave. This bar hole has a seasonal menu that changes according the the seafood availability of the month. Customers are mainly Japanese as expected with a mingling of Singaporeans & other nationalities. Menus are both handwritten & printed in Japanese & English. Besides munchies, the selection of beer, mixes, sake & other liquor is impressive. As for how the food tasted, I've only one advise - go see for yourself!

Food is not bad. Service is good. Soba was good but portion may be a little big. The sliced wagyu for the soba was very bland but the tempura was great. Also ordered the hokkaido fish and chips. It was interesting and tasted great, however the portion is really small so i wouldn't consider it a main.