Let’s go mod-Japanese dining at iKO

You can’t miss it once you step into iKO. The large crane is a distinctive feature on the establishment’s mural, perfectly encapsulating the restaurant’s legacy of overcoming adversity during the ongoing pandemic halts. It symbolises longevity and good fortune in the Japanese culture. 

“It’s with a renewed ‘let’s go!’ spirit that iKO charges forward after the transformation,” says owner Lambert Chen. “Channelling the poise of the geisha, we have overcome exceptionally difficult times. Now, iKO’s menu yields to Japan’s four beautiful seasons and their glorious produce.” Interestingly, iKO’s semordnilap “oki” means ocean in Japanese, highlighting that seafood makes up a major part of the menu here. 

With the kitchen helmed by Dylan Ong, chef-owner of Franco-Asian restaurant The Masses, expect a menu meant for sharing and dining at a leisurely pace, complemented by funky natural wines and artisanal sake, flanking some 18 sake including seasonal highlights, each a different degree of sweet, dry and umami to suit every palate. “iKO’s menu aims to allow the freshness of Japanese ingredients to be savoured, with only clever compliments that serve to elevate flavours,” says Ong. 

Fun, contemporary bar snacks include items such as Tempura Jalapeño and the extremely moreish binchotan-grilled Charred Edamame. These two dishes alone give you a good sense of the kitchen’s flair and mission. If you’re a fan of regular jalapeño poppers, you’re going to love these slightly fiery Tempura Jalapeño, stuffed with kombu cream cheese and sprinkled over with sour cream powder. Likewise, the quintessential edamame is given a brilliant facelift with a slightly heaty coating of wasabi dust, wasabi roe and oyster leaf before being chargrilled to bring out the best of all the flavours. Absolutely brilliant!

Under the Raw section on the menu, regular sashimi and oysters are also smartly transformed into more opulent versions. For instance,  the prized aphrodisiac Oyster is treated with ume, pickled ginger and champagne vinegar, before being layered with a (optional) sake shot. In the same fashion, the beautifully hued Scallop features fresh Hokkaido scallop carpaccio seasoned with fragrant chilli oil, red vinegar, and chilli threads. Gin-infused watermelon ties the flavours together, bringing a touch of sweet against the chilli notes. And if you’re a fan of Salmon, you don’t want to miss iKo’s rendition of it, where smoked salmon is dressed with an innovative homemade kiwi ravigote and finished with dill oil and chive crème fraîche.

The Starters section is made up of fun creations such as the moreish Tempura Soft Shell Crab is another must-try, as it comes stuffed with mozzarella, avocado purée and a soy-cured egg yolk. If you’re going for decadence, the iKO Roll is definitely atas sushi. Foie gras, maitake and chopped up figs are rolled a la sushi, and then topped with very generous shavings of black winter truffle.

It can’t be Japanese without a sukiyaki, and iKO’s elegant A4 Wagyu “Sukiyaki” creation stands out with it’s shoyuzuke ranou or cured egg yolk pairing. The creamy, umami egg yolk serves as seasoning and thickener in the otherwise clear and sencha-infused sukiyaki soup. 

Elevating the quintessential rice bowls is the aptly named Not Your Ordinary Rice Bowl signature menu category, with whimsical names such as Classic, Fun, Sexy, Simple and Luxury to describe each offering option. Indulge in a variety of fresh seasonal sashimi that sit atop pearl rice seasoned with nori, mirin and sake. Swap out regular seaweed rice to uni rice for just $5 more. But don’t slurp up the rice too fast. We quite liked the innovative tonkotsu, clam stock, and yuzu hot broth that Ong recommends adding to rice at the end to savour the don the authentic ochazuke way.

And it’s not just finger food or bar snacks that iKO does so well. For heartier mains, the Sumibiyaki or charcoal grilled options are inspired by native culinary classics, but with iKO’s mod signature stamp on it. For instance, Smoked Tuna features bucatini bathed in a sake-and lemon-infused brown butter and cream sauce with oyster jus. Tossed in with the pasta is the umami combination of firefly squid, ikura, tobiko, bottarga and smoked tuna. It’s a beautiful combination of east-meets-west flavours!

We also highly recommend the hearty Kurobuta Bone In Pork Loin, piled high with kale, mizuna, spring onion, chive, garlic shoot, and then drizzled over with a black garlic and 5 spice demi-glace. Can’t go wrong with something like that. 

If you still have space for dessert, let it be for the aptly titled Matchamisu. While there are several renditions of match tiramisu in town, we feel this one stands apart because of its coconut and Bailey’s layers within the matcha mousse. 

Come to iKO for the sake and the innovative menu, but you’ll definitely stay for the warmth and passion that oozes out of each creation, as well as the funky cool vibes that make the new iKO a space to be reckoned with. 

iKO is at 65 Neil Road Singapore 088897. Tel: 8866 5218