You are right, that’s actually IZY Dining & Bar at Telok Ayer. But hey, this is not exactly what I was here for.
Say hello to CACHÉ, a place that stayed true to its name and cleverly concealed itself away, behind the camouflaged walls at the end of IZY.
Apart from the very dim lighting which was a stark difference from IZY, this industrial-chic bar was well decorated with copper pipes all over the ceiling and had plenty of comfortable leather armchairs.
Be amazed by the works of the bar manager Shinya Koba, the man who crafted the cocktails that pair really well with the Japanese dishes that was served to us.
I tried the Gin tonic ($20, left) and White Lady ($22, right).
Both were gin-based cocktails made with the Nagano-imported Kokoro Gin that contains eight different Japanese botanicals, as well as fresh sansho berries that gave an earthy black pepper kick with a citrusy finish.
This is the Flower Blue Moon ($20) that I enjoyed the most. Apart from the signature notes of the Kokoro Gin, it’s made with four different kinds of flower liqueurs and the taste of the elderflower is especially prominent.
When shined with a light, this beautiful cocktail somehow reminded me of a drinkable version of the Enchanted Rose from Beauty & The Beast.
Drinks aside, the food from Caché (or IZY, both of them share the same menu, by the way) were pretty impressive too.
The Nokke Roll ($45) was a clear winner and is probably the best sushi I’ve had in town, and overflowing with ingredients for that matter.
A fail proof combination of creamy uni (sea urchin), savoury ikura (salmon roe), flaky kani (crab) and glistening negitoro (chopped tuna belly) was placed on top of kappa maki (cucumber sushi rolls).
Did I mention that grated wasabi was used? That definitely gave a better kick than its cheaper paste alternative.
The crispy Karage Chicken ($12 for 3pcs) was drizzled with a unique sauce that was made with balsamic vinegar, sake, mayonnaise and the concentrate of chicken bones that was boiled for six hours.
The chicken was very tender and juicy, a great representation of what a good bar grub should be. The sauce gave a slightly sour aftertaste, which makes the deep-fried dish less jelak.
I also tried the signature IZY Roll ($20), a spicy crab mayonnaise and tobiko (flying fish roe) topped tempura prawn roll that was blow torched to perfection.
Although the menu stated that there was asparagus, I couldn’t quite taste it in the roll. Unlike its popular counterpart that’s mentaiko (pollock roe) mayonnaise, the tobiko version gave a better crunch that paired well with a tempura sushi roll.
I ended my meal with the simple looking oishii~! satsumaimo ($15). Initially, I wasn’t quite impressed with the mere looks of this dish, but was taken by surprise.
The baked Japanese sweet potato and homemade soft serve ice cream were so fragrant and delicious, it actually made me feel very cosy while taking my time to enjoy it.
This place has an appealing and chic ambience, and what more can I ask for when there are imported Kokoro gin-based cocktails, mouth-watering Japanese food, all this while being located in the bustling Telok Ayer.
I would say that it’s quite a good place for a date and an even better place for gin-lovers to chill after work.
Expected damage: $35 – $50/ pax
