[CLOSED] Ishinomaki Izakaya: This restaurant is the best kept secret in Singapore’s Japanese food dining scene

• Ishinomaki Izakaya, a casual restaurant along Tras Street, serves gourmet quality Japanese food at wallet-friendly prices, with dishes from $4.

• Stocks some 200 bottles of sake, possibly the largest collection in Singapore, with many served by the glass.

• The restaurant is the perfect place to try seafood that is uncommon in other Japanese restaurants here, such as Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper).

Japanese restaurants in Singapore can typically be sorted into two extreme groups: places that serve very high-quality food with astronomical prices to match, or affordable places with mass market dishes. Finding a Japanese restaurant here that serves gourmet quality food at casual dining prices sounds almost impossible, unless you know where to look.

Since it opened in February 2019, Ishinomaki Izakaya has been the Japanese dining scene’s best kept secret. Run by the same husband and wife team behind the classy Ishinomaki at Palias Orchard, this izakaya, or Japanese-style casual restaurant, is designed for people to share a meal and drinks in relaxed environment, with dishes from $4.

Located along Tras Street and just a 2-minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT, this restaurant is easy to get to, yet situated safely away from the noisy crowds.

Like any good izakaya, this restaurant serves a wide range of dishes that are designed for sharing as you chat the night away. Expect staples such as yakitori (chicken skewers with a savoury sauce), grilled fish, and a colourful assortment of house special maki rolls.

In Japan, izakayas are eateries designed for people to enjoy a good drink over a shared meal, and Ishinomaki Izakaya is no different. This restaurant stocks some 200 labels of Japanese sake, from well-known brands to unique bottles from breweries that are hundreds of years old. With that many labels under one roof, this is probably the largest sake collection in Singapore.

Diners may be spoilt for choice when it comes to sake, but the team at this izakaya are eager to help. The restaurant’s resident expert is Mrs Janice Chi, a certified sake sommelier, who can recommend the best sake to go with any of the dishes in the menu.

Many labels in Ishinomaki Izakaya’s sake list can be ordered by the glass. Those who want to discover a new favourite drink or two can order a customised flight of 3 different cups of sake for tasting.

While most diners are familiar with Japanese restaurant staples such as salmon and tuna (maguro), the types of fish served in an authentic Japanese eatery extends far beyond that. Ishinomaki is a perfect place for diners to try these less common fish, and discover how truly diverse and delicious the selection of Japanese seafood can be.

Fish like kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper), which lives at depths of up to 1,250 m, are among some of the more special seafood options available at Ishinomaki Izakaya. The restaurant brings in their seafood by the season, so be sure to ask what is available in-store when you visit.

Ishinomaki also prides itself in using the same ingredients for both its main restaurant, as well as this casual izakaya.

With a strong focus on Japan’s culinary traditions, Ishinomaki Izakaya is as authentic a Japanese restaurant as you can get. For people who love Japanese food, this izakaya is a perfect place to discover what the real deal tastes like.

Here are some of our favourite dishes at Ishinomaki Izakaya are Yakitori, Iberico Pork Collar with Yuzu Miso, Gindara Saikyo Yaki & Asari and Chicken Garlic Sakamushi.