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Home » Wine & Dine » Japanese-style dishes with a hefty dash of local flavour

Japanese-style dishes with a hefty dash of local flavour

23rd August 2018 by Katie Roberts 3 Min Read

We scour the Singapore dining scene to bring you the new and noteworthy. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it! Here we check out new Japanese restaurant IZA to see what they have to offer.

Beef stew at Japanese bar IZA Singapore
Beef Stew

First impressions:

IZA is a welcome addition to the bustling restaurant strip at East Coast neighbourhood, Siglap. Opened in November, it’s a family-friendly place that will appeal as much to couples as to large group gatherings. Concrete flooring, blonde pine tables and brick walls are part of the pared-back décor. A large window offers views into the kitchen – and the busy cooks – and is part of the whole dining experience. The creative team (behind popular The Skewer Bar in Geylang) has designed a menu of Japanese-style dishes with a hefty dash of local flavour, while the drinks list offers many authentic Japanese options.

Dishes at Japanese bar IZA Singapore

The Chosen One:

Bartender Amos greeted us with a warm smile and offered lime juice ($5) for the children. We ordered a bottle of Japanese craft beer Coedo Shiro ($12) and Suntory Roku Gin ($15), so named for the six botanicals combined to produce a subtle gin that pairs well with soda and ginger. Also worth a try is the Coedo Beniaka ($12), another premium brew with a reddish hue. The Cheapskate: On tap are two refreshing (and wonderfully chilled) draft beers, Asahi Dry and Asahi Black ($12 a pint, or $10 during Happy Hour). There’s a wine list, but you might want to try some sake from IZA’s unique collection. While it’s not for cheapskates, this is the place to come for Dassai sake; they have a great range including Dassai 50 ($98 for 72 millilitres).

Unagi Don at Japanese bar IZA Singapore
Unagi Don

Bite on this:

There’s much to try on the reasonably priced menu, so dig in and have a go! A warning to purists – this is Japanese-style food with a strong local influence, so expect to taste as much hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp sambal) as you do the more classic unami flavour. For example, the one-of-a-kind Four-Ton Chawanmushi ($4.50) blends century egg, salted egg, quail egg and chicken egg into one creamy, custardy treat. Four-Ton Chawanmushi at Japanese bar IZA Singapore Whole seabass with home-made chilli ($28) is perfect for two, and the grilled avocado ($5) with onsen egg and salty bacon pieces is delicious. Marinated grilled skewers are undoubtedly a highlight, too; we liked the handmade chicken and pork meatball ($3.50), grilled prawn ($3.50), okra ($1.90) and lychee wrapped in bacon ($2.80). Don’t miss the TSB Salad ($5.50), a healthy medley of zucchini, carrot, cucumber strings and seaweed tofu tomato in a sesame dressing.

Last but not least:

Check out the Happy Hour specials from 6 to 8pm daily.

IZA
695 East Coast Road
6385 2883 | facebook.com/iza.bar.siglap

Like this? Read more at our wine and dine section

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This article first appeared in the March 2018 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!

Categories: Asian Cuisine Exclude Wine & Dine Tags: IZA Japanese restaurants Restaurant Reviews Restaurants Siglap

About Katie Roberts

Katie has had itchy feet ever since her first trip out of Australia, when she spent 12 months as an 18 year old exchange student in remote northern Japan. This spawned a love of travel and an insatiable curiosity about the world. Luckily, as a travel writer, she has had the opportunity to travel far and wide, often with her family in-tow. She has enjoyed living in Singapore since 2010 and counts chicken rice, beef rendang and Penang laksa as her favourite hawker fare.

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