Hokkaido Izakaya | Flavours of Hokkaido

Hokkaido Izakaya

- the flavours from four regions of Hokkaido -

Furano, Yakumo, Akkeshi and Kamishihoro

packed into a cosy little izakaya (bar cum makan place) in Tanjong Pagar

Cream Cheese Marinated with Miso | 7.00++ SGD | Disappointing.

I was expecting so much more, but this tasted like normal cream cheese.

Scallop Liver with Sesame Oil| 9.00++ SGD | Great.

This is really good. The name is bound to raise some eyebrows but this is the essence of unami. Rich, creamy and very savoury. The addition of sesame oil is just brilliant. It resembles foie gras.

Hokkaido Roast Beef | 25.00++ SGD | Good.

Imported from the Kamishihoro region of Hokkaido, this is well-executed. The roast beef has great texture : tender and easy to bite and juicy with a hint of the caramelized charred edges from the roasting process. Really good and recommended to try when in season.

Potato Salad | 9.00++ SGD | Excellent.

This is no ordinary potato salad, the potato came from Furano and is sweet on its own. Mix it with the smoked egg, rich creamy mayonnaise, Japanese cucumber slices, julienned onions and charrots, you get a really tasty potato salad. A must try.

Chicken Wing | 6.00++ SGD | Okay but....

Chicken wings...grilled with salt and enjoyed with a squeeze of lemon. But I would personally skip this as there are other options to go for at Hokkaido Izakaya for comfort food and a good stall in a hawker centre is much more worth it.

Hokkaido Milk Omelette | 10.00++ SGD | Excellent.

Like this really good omelette made with Hokkaido milk and served with a knob of Hokkaido butter. They even imprinted a mini map of Hokkaido on the omelette. The island of Hokkaido is very well known for their dairy products especially milk and butter. While some bakers have claimed Hokkaido milk products imparts an additional creamy texture, I think there might be some truth to it and to add on to that, the butter might just have a stronger "milk flavour". While the debate could go on and on, whatever Hokkaido butter and milk they added into this dish just works. It was really delicious and a perfect comfort food.

Hokkaido Potato Croquette | 8.00++ SGD | -

I didn't have a deep impression of this dish. Between the two-three potato dishes I had, I would opt for the Potato Salad.

Sake no Miruku Miso Hotpot | 18.00++ SGD | Great.

This however, it very memorable. It is also known as Ishikari Nabe but done with a twist : the addition of Hokkaido milk. The result is a rather creamy hot pot quite like a fondue but lighter. Flavour wise, the soup has a mix of miso and cheese flavour which worked rather well especially when savoured together with the fatty salmon chunks. Yummy. This is actually a kind of winter stew, great for a meal after spending a long day in a cold office or lecture room.

Grilled Scallop | 10.00++ SGD | Good.

Scallop from the town of Yakumo. Hokkaido scallops are huge and well-known throughout the world. This is not bad but the price point is a little steep.

Kakiage Tempura Soba | 12.00++ SGD | Okay.

Kakiage is a tempura of mixed seafood and vegetables and this is served alongside with soba noodles in dashi stock, thus a variation of the tempura soba. This is a substantial dish for people who need some carbs or noodles for their meal. I thought it was just okay. You are supposed to eat this by dipping the kakiage tempura into the broth while eating it.

Hokkaido Steamed Potato with Vanilla Ice Cream| 7.00++ SGD | Decent.

Just like Okinawa has its purple sweet potato, Hokkaido has its potato from Furano which can be consumed as desserts too. The potato here is steamed then topped with red beans paste and vanilla ice cream and butter. It is a really rich dessert, the potato itself is rather sweet too. 

Hokkaido Izakaya

95 Tanjong Pagar Road

Singapore 088516

Tel +65 6221 7118

Fax +65 6221 5958

Thank you Food News for the invitation and hospitality!