PUBLISHED August 28th, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED September 2nd, 2021 01:47 pm
Among the many illustrious – and sorely missed – restaurants to fall in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis was chef Jeremmy Chiam’s Le Binchotan. But we haven’t had long to wait before his return at the helm of a new kitchen, this time a mod-Jap one: IKO. Launched earlier this year, this gastrobar along Neil Road serves up some funk with neon lights and inventive spins on Japanese fare. Needless to say, the menu burns strong with binchōtan-kissed meats too.
The 55-seater space sets the stage for an edgy experience, with the ceiling emblazoned with ‘IKO’ in neon pink, purple, and blue – colours that we later find echoed in the cuisine. Gritty concrete walls showcase a handpainted, nine-metre-long mural of surging waves that peak and transform into soaring cranes. It’s surprisingly dark and laidback – more Tokyo nightclub than Japanese restaurant.
IKO bills itself as modern Japanese, but the plates veer into distinctly European techniques and tastes – you’ll find the likes of Iberico pork and garlic confit dotting the menu. Whereas the lunch menu goes heavy on ramen and zosui (Japanese rice soup), the dinner menu stars a wider array of sharing plates and meats hot off the robata grill.
We start off our dinner with the Uni (S$28), a pudding that arrives presented like a chawanmushi – until you notice its hidden layers of red and purple. Spoon your way through a buttery heaping of bafun uni, then delve beneath a layer of dashi jelly laced with kombu and katsuobushi, to reach the unexpected star of the show: purple cauliflower pudding. Simmered in dashi and whisked into a dense creaminess, its nutty flavours balance out the uni’s intense sweetness perfectly.
Another appetizer that wins over our eyes and tastebuds is the pink-hued Somen (S$29). Fabulously soft and silky, this ume-infused somen sits in a bisque foam simmered from oven-roasted prawns, dried scallops, and dried shrimp. Joining the umami explosion is a pair of torched botan ebi, with ikura and chive oil providing the finishing touches. Folks who like sucking prawn heads can go to town on the meaty pair perched alongside too.
The robata offerings are what we’re most looking forward to, and they don’t disappoint. Taking his Le Binchotan-honed chops to new highs, Chef Jeremmy chargrills seafood and meats over binchō-tan to smoke-kissed succulence. Each plate proves a stunner in its own right – the Iberico Pluma (S$36), for one, is tender and well-marbled, jazzed up with rich mustard jus.
The juicy Angus Short Ribs (S$38) is a labour of love, first tenderized in kurozu – a traditional black vinegar known for its earthy sweetness – then sous vide for 14 hours. A light char is all the finish it needs, though the rich drizzle of peppery port wine jus and the luscious garlic confit help too. But if we had to pick a personal favourite, it’d be the Japanese Black Cod (S$38). This generous slab of cod comes cured in sweet saikyo miso for 72 hours, then grilled to crisp-skinned, moist perfection. Each forkful explodes in our mouth with smoky sweetness.
On carbs, we had the chance to try an exclusive to the lunch menu: the Asari Zosui (S$28). Zosui, for the uninitiated, is a thin Japanese rice soup that resembles our local pao fan; this rendition features a heady dashi broth laced with sake. It comes swimming with very generous helpings of plump asari clams – we could barely take a scoop of rice without a clam hitching a ride. If you’re here for dinner, you can opt for the Asari (S$18) instead – a buttery, sake-laced broth similarly overflowing with clams.
Dessert, unfortunately, was the weak point of the night. Our 74% Dark Choc (S$18) features intense dark chocolate cremeux, raspberry white chocolate meringue, and a scoop of hazelnut ice-cream stacked precariously one atop another. We’re enjoying the richly toasty hazelnut ice-cream, until we crack our teeth on a hidden chunk of dry ice – and its baffling ‘hat’ of beetroot jelly does little to add flavour.
For something to wash down your meal, we recommend heading straight for the tipples. IKO offers a good-sized list of sakes from prefectures across Japan, including bottles from maverick brewer Yamamoto. As cat lovers, the kitty-themed doodles on our bottle of Hagi no Tsuru Junmai Ginjo Neko Distance (S$128/720ml bottle) were like catnip to us – and it proves deliciously ripe with melon and mango notes too.
IKO Restaurant and Bar is located at 65 Neil Rd, Singapore 088897, p. +65 8866 5218. Open Mon-Sat 11.30am–2.30pm & 6pm–10.30pm. Closed Sun.
Food images courtesy of Alexis Yang