Coming on to its fourth year anniversary, this quiet nook atop Duxton Hill is truly a diamond in the rough. Make no mistake, it’s a place for craft beer enthusiasts where fresh suds flow consistently out of 20 rotating taps. But what’s really special is their clear focus on pledging at least half their taps to local craft beer brewers on the daily which we thought was worthy of a shoutout.
Whether you’re people-watching while day drinking by the alfresco seats or escaping the heat indoors where you’ll find casual wooden furniture and walls plastered with beer posters, you’ll soon settle into the unpretentious space without much trouble. Owner Norihito Hirose is one of the biggest craft beer lovers around and he isn’t one to shy away from sharing about the very best that are in season.
It’s a no brainer that good craft beers pair best with delicious food. Serving up a range of humble and comforting Japanese cuisine with a local twist, food here is seriously good. If your idea of good beer food pairings is typical fryer bar grub, you’re about to be blown away by the sheer attention to detail the team here puts behind the food – even for their bar snacks.
The Pork Katsu Sticks and Chicken Karaage come highly recommended. The former has salt and pepper seasoned pork tenderloin strips with a light biscuity crust paired with a sweet-tangy tonkatsu sauce while the latter boasted true-to-style juicy chunks of ginger-soy marinated crispy chicken. Perfect with swigs of crisp hoppy India Pale Ale.
On the hunt for a proper meal to fill up your tummy? Try the signature Amami-style Chicken Rice – a worthy riff of the local favourite Hainanese chicken rice. Think tender Sakura chicken, fluffy rice, and roasted seaweed in a subtly sweet yet savoury broth served the ochazuke way. A soul-comforting bowl of good nosh is what it is.
Another highlight for us was the Uni Pasta that saw al -dente spaghetti tossed in a creamy buttery sea urchin sauce that’s topped with more briny uni to bring you a breath of sea in each bite. Consider pairing it with a funky Saison or tart Wild Ale if you manage to spot these brews on their rotating tap list.
Time Out Singapore reviews anonymously and pays for all meals. Read our restaurant review policy here.
What the stars mean:
★ Poor ★ ★ Promising ★★★ Good ★★★★ Very good ★★★★★ Exceptional
