Located in Duxton lies Kumi Den, a fun and casual drinking den that is all about bringing forth low-intervention wines from artisanal small-batch producers around the world. And the brainchild behind this new venture is Joel Lim, one of Singapore’s best sommeliers who has clocked in time at wine institutions including Praelum Wine Bistro, Les Amis, and Park90.
Here, the effervescent lad cherry-picks from a plethora of wine options including orange wines and pét-nats. And each month, the list expands and features exciting new additions of new labels. It is helpful to note that while the space offers mostly wines by the bottle, expect prices ranging from $80 to more than $200 a bottle.
In the food department, tasty sharing plates of modern Asian fare interpreted by French cooking techniques are thoughtfully designed to pair with the delicate bubbly. Think fluffy otah stuffed crispy chicken wings ($19), luscious smoked speck (Italian cured smoked meat) curry ($26), and grilled Padron peppers perfumed with Shaoxing wine ($16).
And look out for the daily specials inspired by the close proximity of the Chinatown wet market where the team sources the freshest seafood to treat – in our case, it was a formidable fermented chilli beurre blanc fresh pomfret ($38).