Review: iKO Offers New Modern-Japanese Bistronomy Dining Experience With Outstanding Menu
iKO's new Chef-Owner, Dylan Ong, who is also behind the Franco-Asian restaurant, The Masses, has brought us a Modern-Japanese Bistronomy dining experience. He has curated a new outstanding menu using his exceptional skills in complementing Japanese produce with European cooking techniques. I had the pleasure to unveil Chef Dylan's new menu and was super excited to check out the restaurant as it was my first visit to iKO.
Interior
Stepping into this 55-seater space furnished with black marble table tops and leather chairs, I was welcomed with upbeat music and colourful graffiti arts on the wall. It exudes a lively and inviting atmosphere that makes me want to bring my friends along for a gathering next time.
Bar Snacks
iKO-Bee
These homemade hand-sliced golden brown potato chips, iKO-Bee, are so crispy and delicious. It is perfectly seasoned with sour cream and bottarga powders.
Oysters
The oysters served are so fresh and plump, with an undeniably smooth texture that allows me to slurp them down. Topped with icy cold granita made with lychee purée, grated wasabi, a dash of lime juice, and a few drops of sake- so refreshing.
Lil Basket
Inspired by how Singapore's local kueh pie tee is served, this dish comes in bite-sized pinky beetroot baskets filled with a generous amount of Hokkaido snow crab, spicy avocado mousse, and lime gel. The Hokkaido snow crab meat boasts a sweet and subtle briny flavour, complementing well with the delicious beetroot basket.
Negitoro Ice Cream & Salmon Ice Cream
These cute-looking mini seafood ice creams are so savoury. The Negitoro Ice Cream comes with fresh minced raw tuna, cured egg yolk, and menegi (green onion bud) on a seaweed cone. Salmon Ice Cream is served with perfectly minced raw and smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and ikura (salmon roe), leaving a sweet-salty aftertaste towards the end.
Starters
Hay Smoked Hamachi
This exquisite dish includes fresh hamachi (Japanese amberjack), seasoned perfectly with sea salt and ponzu brown butter, served alongside fragrant scallion garlic oil, sweet compressed grapes, crunchy trio sesame, and beautiful purple viola flowers. The hamachi has an irresistible smoky flavour with a buttery texture.
Dope You Up Bowl
This luxurious dish is divine! It is served with tasty and fragrant ume shiso rice that pairs well with the A4 wagyu buri, Bafun uni, ikura, lightly cured egg yolk, and wagyu fat emulsion.
A4 Waygu "Sukiyaki"
The A4 Waygu is so tender and well marinated with sweet and delicious white sukiyaki sauce, finishing with glistening egg yolk, shiitake mushrooms, leeks, scallions, and perilla.
That High Sess Somen
This dish is perfect for seafood lovers! The bowl is bursting with chutoro, Hokkaido snow crab, Bafun uni, and Kaviari caviar, topped with rich clam sauce and chives. It has a rich Umami of seafood and goes well together with the thin somen.
8 Hrs Braised Abalone
The abalone is extremely tender, complementing well with the chewy pearl barley cooked in abalone liver sauce, served with braised shiitake mushrooms, elephant stem, and asparagus. Superb!
Mains
Hay Smoked Guinea Fowl
This meat is supremely good, lean, and tender! Completed with a luscious homemade sake ume (fermented rice alcohol and plum) sauce and 15 seasonal Japanese vegetables prepared with different methods.
Miso Black Cod
Sweet black cod is marinated perfectly with miso for three days. The meat boasts a sweet flavor with a silky and tender texture. Accompanied by creamy pumpkin purée, Manila clams cooked in savoury dashi stock, grilled firefly squid, thinly sliced carrots, pickled daikon, and juicy roasted nectarines.
Dessert
Yuzu Semi Freddo
The flavour of the yuzu curd is so fragrant and citrusy that goes perfectly well with the sweet miso-caramel honeycomb bits, homemade creamy Hokkaido milk ice cream, mint sponge, and miso-caramel drizzle. Such a wonderful dessert to end off the meal- so refreshing!
Promotions
Complete the dining experience with iKO's best-selling sake, Mizubasho Junmai Ginjo ($88 per 720ml bottle; $170 per 1800ml bottle), with a sweet and gentle finish. From this month, they are also having a free-flow House Pour Whisky Highball (at $10) every Monday, and Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) every Tuesday. Lastly, Ladies Nights every Wednesday where all the ladies can receive a free glass of prosecco.
Final Thoughts
The food and the vibes were great, and this is definitely a place I would invite my friends and loved ones down for a hangout on a Friday night or weekends! My personal favourite dishes are Negitoro Ice Cream, Salmon Ice Cream, and Hay Smoked Hamachi. I would definitely recommend you to visit if you are a seafood lover!
iKO
Location: 65 Neil Road, Singapore 088897
Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 3pm | 5:30pm to 12am Contact: +65 8866 5218
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*This is an invited media tasting event.
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