IZY Dining & Bar @ Club Street : Relaunch of Japanese-American Fusion Menu

 Over-the-top sushi piled with all sort of luxurious ingredients can be found in several  izakayas in Tokyo and Izy Japanese Dining is probably the first place in Singapore which serves this. Opened since 2013,  this pop culture urban izakaya has recently revamped its menu featuring new items with a focus on sushi rolls.

Piled with heaps of fresh uni, Ikura, crab meat and negitoro, the Nokke Roll ($32) is a feast for the eyes as much as it is for the belly. The ingredients are surely fresh but I'm not so sure it is worth the value as I've had an almost exact same replica at half the price back in Tokyo.

One issue was the rice. It was rather dry and the grains did not bind well. The same issue arose in the Izy Roll ($16), a tempura shrimp and asparagus roll with spicy crab mayo and avocado spread on top. While Izy has a leaning towards Japanese-American fare such as these kind of mayo sushi, one can still find classic sushi on the menu.

Nonetheless, the game is not lost. The Wagyu Don with Fresh Truffle Slices ($40) was an excellent rice bowl. The Josper grilled beef was well-marinated and juicy, bonding cohesively with the rice thanks to the Onsen egg buried within. The presence of truffles is definitely welcomed here as its aroma enhanced the sweetness of the beef.

I had always thought Gyu Katsu $30 would be thick and chewy, but not the case here. The beef was sliced so finely, cooked to a beautiful pink with only a thin layer of fried batter around it to qualify this as a katsu. It comes with three different types of sauce but I think the best way to enjoy it is just simply with a dabble of salt.

For some sharing dishes, get the Grilled Swordfish or the Nanban Chicken (ala carte $9/$20 as lunch set). The fish was fresh and the the unique combination of parmesan and seaweed in the sauce gave it a delicious twist to the usual grilled fish we have in Japanese restaurants. The Naban Chicken were simply juicy and tender, doused generously in the tasty tartar sauce. Both dishes are my favourites that night too.

Interestingly, they also served Bayan Cauda ($15), a very common dish in Japan, especially Italian trattorias, but rarely found here. It's a classic Piedmont vegetable fondue made with onion, garlic and anchovy but here white miso is incorporated, giving it an extra intense umami boost. Located in Club Street, I can understand why this place is popular with after-work crowd and business expats looking for a nice place to chill out after work.

IZY Dining & Bar
27 Club Street, Singapore 069413
Reservations: 9678 0027
www.izy.com.sg
Mon to Fri 12pm to 2pm;
Mon to Sat 6pm to 10.30pm


This is an invited tasting

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

立食い寿司 根室花まる :Hokkaido's Nemuro Hanamaru Opens 1st Standing Bar Sushi in Tokyo

 I always prefer standing bar sushi to fine-dining restaurants because of the wallet friendly prices and faster turnover rates. Also, I can order as little or as much as I want without worrying about overeating. 

With the recent opening of Tokyu Plaza Ginza, I decided to check out the standing sushi bar by Hokkaido sushi-ya Nemuro Hanamaru because I've had good experience at its Kitte Tokyo outlet and wanted to satisfy quick sushi cravings. 


In fact, this is the group's first standing sushi bar, which means you can't find this even in Hokkaido. Prices start from 100 yen for an Aburi Saba to 330 yen for Uni or Unagi sushi; slightly higher than those hole-in-the-wall standing sushi bars near train stations but the seafood is fresh and the quality is consistently excellent across the board. The brightly lit spaces may also provide a greater sense of assurance especially for first-timers or foreigners. 

Written on the wall are some of the seasonal or daily specials such as Crab Miso Soup. On my visit, I had the daily special of 厚切りうなぎ寿司, a thick and fatty piece of unagi glazed in sweet kabayaki sauce.

I'm not a professional gourmand when it comes to sushi so I'm pretty satisfied with my meal here. At least I don't have to brave the long queues at its seating restaurant on 10F of Tokyu Plaza Ginza or the Kitte outlet. I highly recommend you to order as you go but do note that the menu is all in Japanese. 

Click here to read my visit at Nemuro Hanamaru Sushi Restaurant @KITTE Tokyo

Nemuro Hanamaru Standing Sushi Bar 立食い寿司 根室花まる
Tokyu Plaza Ginza B2F 
Chuo-Ku Ginza 5-2-1, Tokyo 104-0061 
11am-11pm daily (L.O. 10pm)
http://ginza.tokyu-plaza.com/shop/detail_514.html

reade more... Résuméabuiyad