Sublime cocktails at Maison Ikkoku

PUBLISHED February 7th, 2012 09:58 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:35 pm

What do you get when you put who is in my view one of Singapore’s best mixologists, a cosy intimate loft and rooftop surrounding and a magnificent view of the Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam together? A rare and winning combination indeed and the outcome is the Maison Ikkoku cocktail bar which is an adventure in cocktails and mixology that you will not want to miss.

Yes you may well have heard about Maison Ikkoku. Perhaps it was it’s ground floor cafe, or it’s mid-level men’s boutique but keep on going to the top floor and as far as I’m concerned, well quite simply this is where it’s at – the bar.

The beauty of Maison Ikkoku is that it combines cosy and mellow surroundings with world class cocktails and zero pretension. It’s all about artisan cocktails here – fresh ingredients, innovative combinations, perfect presentation and a desire to take you on a taste-bud journey.

Now there is a cocktail menu here but quite frankly, you might as well just leave yourselves in the super capable hands of Director and mixologist Ethan Leslie Leong who – armed with a bar stocked full of treasures and some serious mixology skills – will surprise you with whatever he thinks you might enjoy that particular evening. Trust me, whatever this ends up being, you can bet your bottom dollar it will be anything but standard.

After all, he is continuously working on new creations, and new variations on creations that have essentially let his – and your – cocktail imagination run wild.

And a new creation was just what we kicked off with – cue the Golden Goose cocktail. Combining fresh gooseberries, vodka and creme pamplemousse, this was a zingy combination of fruity and floral, with a sweet and subtle grapefruit spin.

You may think that grapefruit got left behind in the 80s, but I loved how this concoction brought it bang up to date. It was bursting with flavours and freshness and was the ultimate kick start to our cocktail adventure.

Those who are partial to an Italian Sour, take the opportunity to try some try interesting variations on the traditional. The Raspberry Frangelico sour was an inspired combination of raspberry and hazelnut flavours and the Blueberry Mentos sour was a creative combination that I hadn’t tasted anything like elsewhere.

For those of you who have had the pleasure of sampling Leong’s divine  Chocolate Flambe-tinis in the past, these have now gone to a new level of sin with a toasted marshmallow and cookie roll sitting atop. And if you skipped on dessert after dinner, this is the perfect solution…

as is a delicious and juicy pear immersed in a concoction of William pear liquor, gin, lemon, grape and basil leaves.

Now I am a big sucker for anything with rose in it, and so when I spied a customer having the Rose Temptation, I have to admit to suffering from some cocktail envy – sorry for being very girly on this one but there is something about the combination of french rose liquor, gin, vodka and rose petals that  is just so fanciful.

And if you get the chance, do try some of Leong’s homemade infusions – whether it be cherry brandy, vanilla or perhaps lavender gin –  though stocks run out fast!

With the recent trend of mixology bar openings, there are some that will always be a cut above the rest in their creations, and there is absolutely no doubt that the cocktail bar at Maison Ikkoku is one of them.

Aside from Maison Ikkoku, there’s other great places to check out around Arab Street. Check our area guide right here.