Not your typical Japanese izakaya, iKO’s funky neon lights help illuminate walls of hand-painted murals mixed up with street graffiti, while the concrete-washed floor and steel fixtures exude a grungy edge. Helming the kitchen at this funky joint is Chef Dylan Ong – the mastermind behind the Franco-Asian restaurant, The Masses – where he interprets binchotan smoke, curing techniques and a whole lotta fun into his cooking. Boasting a reinvigorated menu that features sharing plates, gastronomes can look forward to modern yet bold interpretations of Japanese cuisine in a space where izakaya culture comes second to nature. Here are our thoughts and what you should definitely try.
For starters, the smoky scent of the Charred Edamame ($12) filled the room even before the dish was presented to us. The customary bar snack comes adorned with wasabi powder and roe to give us a smoky yet umami–ladened flavour with a touch of the ocean from the oyster leaves to start. Tempura Jalapenos ($9) come firm and juicy while it overflows with rich kombu cream cheese filling as we slice it apart. Fried to a crisp and dusted with a savoury house-made sour cream powder that’s so addictive, we might just do a line of it on its own.
If going raw is your thing, start with the colourful Heirloom Tomato Ohitashi ($15). Surprise your taste buds with mixed textures of crunch from the perfectly rotund sweet melon and citrusy heirloom tomatoes juxtaposed with the ultra-silky mascarpone whipped tofu. The A4 Wagyu “Sukiyaki” ($26) flexes both aburi-seared and raw textures of the thinly sliced meat, earthy mushrooms, mildly sweet leeks and a creamy cured egg yolk swimming in a rich savoury broth. Deeply satisfying and moreish.
In the mood for some crunch? Consider the Tempura Soft Shell Crab a treat that’s stuffed with mozzarella and fried to a crisp. The whole crustacean is then laid on a bed of avocado puree and a soy cured egg yolk while each bite oozes out steamy stretchy mozzarella cheese. Albeit widely popular, we thought that the combined flavours felt a tad cloying after the third bite, a scenario where a little acidity would go a long way. A great palate cleanser to have in between, indulge in strips of luscious Smoked Salmon ($15) artfully presented with a tart kiwi ravigate, chives and a generous splash of dill oil. To finish, crème fraîche is introduced to give the dish a touch of viscosity with each bite. Overall, a finessed dish that is a must-order.
iKO signature Not Your Ordinary Rice Bowl ($21). In season sashimi – maguro (bluefin tuna), otoro (tuna belly), ikura (salmon roe), tobiko (flying fish roe), snow crab, salmon and creamy uni – is stacked over a nori pearl rice seasoned with mirin and sake for a nice kaisendon. But what really stood out for us, was the ochazuke segment where the chef appears with a hot savoury tangy broth – painstakingly fusing tonkotsu, clam stock, and yuzu – and pours it into your bowl just before you finish the tasty dish. A real nice touch to balance out the rich fatty cuts of seafood to mark the end of an elegant dish. Uni purists hear this, a switch from nori rice to uni rice will only cost you an additional $5 so don’t sleep on this.
With a refreshed spirit after waves of woes and restrictions, it’s safe to say that the reinvigorated menu does well enough to warrant a visit from all open-minded foodies alike.
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