✍️17 Jan 2024. Came back to Shukuu Isakaya... Wow.. it's been eight years since they first opened at Stanley Street. Eight years is an eternity in the cut throat competitive watering hole scene in Singapore's Central Business District.
Shukuu not only survived (including the Covid pandemic years) but thrived. From just one shoplot when they first started out, Shukuu now spans two shop spaces in super prime Singapore CBD.
I like the casual, gritty decor and the cheery atmospherics in Shukuu. People come in in office clothes to chill - abundant chatter, banter and laughter filled the crowded, intimate space.
"You don't need a lot of space" someone once said 😇
My teacher used to say "noisy like a fish market" 😅🫢
The food was delicious. Came in small servings which coaxed us to fill up our tummy space with more sake and beer, so we laughed and chatted more.
It's a nice evening.
Gyu Ponzu is one of Shukuu's signatures. Thin slices of lightly seared marbled beef, tender savoury beefy with a bit of zest from tangy ponzu sauce. The savoury poppy crunchy ebiko contrasts and complements the soft beef well.
Reba Shoyuzuke or marinated chicken liver in soy sauce. Savoury salty flavours over the natural taste of creamy liver.
Reba (left), more chicken liver. Skewered and grilled.
Sunagimo (right), grilled chicken gizzard tasted savoury and felt tenderly crunchy.
Tsukune, grilled savoury sweet chicken meatballs spiked with bits of tenderly crunchy tendon.
Wagyu, soft tender, flowing with umami sweet beefy juices with every bite. The grilling also imparted a slight smokiness.
Aburi Shimesaba or Torched Vinegared Mackerel. Soft tender white flesh, savoury smokey sweetish flavour with the characteristic taste of mackerel.
Gyuniku Jaga or potatoes and beef simmered in savoury dashi broth. Savoury sweet homely comfort dish.
Kani gratin. Creamy umami savoury sweet mentaiko sauce smothering soft boiled macaroni.
Kani Miso or crab butter. Ultra umami spread on cream crackers. Ultimate sake or beer food.
Rosti Mentai, one of my all time favourites at Shukuu. Slivers of soft crunchy potato noodles smothered in a creamy umami rich mentaiko sauce. Torching the dish gave it a subtle smokey taste.
Pork jowl slices, grilled and painted with dribbling of savoury sweet brown sauce.
Gyu Tan or thin slices of grilled beef tongue. Thin tenderly chewy savoury sweetish with subtle beefiness.
Clear the deck for more sake!
Our share of the bill came to SGD70 per pax 🍶 most of the money went to the sake 😅
今天不回家 (tonight not going home)? Cannot lah, someone still needs to start work at 4am 🤭
Just come back again loh... .
Restaurant name: Shukuu Japanese Izakaya and Bar
Address: 8 Stanley Street, Singapore 068727
Nearest MRT: 10 minutes walk from Shenton Way station
Hours: 11:30 am - 2 pm | 5:30pm - 10:30 pm (opens 5:30pm i.e. no lunch on Sat, Sun, Mon)
Written by Tony Boey on 18 Jan 2024
🎗 To be neutral, I paid for my own food. This blog is powered by voluntary contributions from appreciative readers to Tony Boey Johor Kaki PAYNOW 96888768 in Singapore $.
✍ 8 Nov 2016. When Ben suggested we meet up at Shukuu Izakaya at Stanley Street right at the heart of Singapore's Central Business District, I wasn't thrilled but just went along out of politeness. I assumed it will be some trend trailing slick joint with so-so food. So, I was surprised that Shukuu Izakaya is located at a somewhat dingy looking back street behind a row of drab functional office towers. Interesting..... 😃 The bold facade further piqued my interest and drew me into the orange lit restaurant.
I was surprised, delighted actually, when I stepped into Shukuu Izakaya - it's just like those small eateries found around the subway stations in old Tokyo (I've not been back to Tokyo city for 20 years already).
Ben introduced me to Luis, one of the owner chefs at Shukuu Izakaya. (All 4 partners at Shukuu Izakaya are junior and high school mates sharing the same passion for Japanese cuisine. So cool, brothers! Reminds me of the 1986 movie "Stand by Me".)
Luis, a Singaporean, is a self taught Japanese chef. He was temping at Japanese restaurants since his high school days in Singapore. Louis learnt his craft from Japanese chefs - by observing them and by persuading them to teach him how to cook. "Can you teach me how to cook this dish for my mother?" is always persuasive.
You know... bad sake is like bad vodka, just not sure which is worst. But, just as good vodka is out of this world, it is the same way with good sake. This Sake-Hanaabi Muroka Nama Genshu 武藏 is so full of savoury sweet aromas and fruity flavours that comes in many gentle layers, it's just wonderful. I shan't pretend that I know anything about sake, but just say that I enjoyed this tremendously.
Louis is a certified sake sommelier and Shukuu Izakaya stocks a wide range of the Japanese spirit. Shukuu Izakaya even have a sake specially bottled for them by a heritage brewery established in 1842 in the city of Nikko in Tochigi prefecture.
Luis started us off with this Sashimi platter appetiser. Thick slices of fresh Salmon, Hamachi and Bluefin fish. This moriwase costs SGD28++.
Then followed, Chicken Liver in Shoyu Sauce (Reba Shoyuzuke SGD6++) - it's heaven's gift for sake lovers. Savoury sweet flavour, soft creamy grainy texture - perfect complement to the Japanese spirit.
Deep fried chicken skin with a sweet marination SGD7++ (served with grated radish). I lost count of the number of pieces of these savoury sweet crackers that I picked up unconsciously. Latest medical research say chicken skin is good for health... so OK 😄
Shirasu Ponzu Capsicum (whitebait with capsicum in ponzu sauce SGD6++). Diced juicy tangy sweet capsicum splashed and tossed with citrusy ponzu sauce then topped with lightly toasted dried whitebait fish. Another, simple ingenious flavoursome dish. Savoury sweet tangy, chewy, juicy crunch - all there.
The Omi Wagyu SGD9.50++ a stick. Cut into like cubes like those rubber gummy, marinated in shoyu blend, charcoal grilled on order and served smoking hot. Nice gummy tender bite, warm juicy with layers of savouriness and beefiness.
Hokaido scallops smothered with mentaiko then torched SGD17++. Crowned with salmon roe after the mentaiko is slightly browned and charred. Again a sweet savoury balanced dish. Nice.
I like this dish very much, the Shukuu Rosti (SGD8++). Potato cut into skinny strands like pasta, then sautéed in sizzling oil. Dressed with thick dribbles of mentaiko, torched and served on a hot heavy cast iron plate. Layers of sweet and robust savouriness with crunchy potato sweetness. Shiok.
Tsukune (Chicken meatballs SGD4.50++ a stick). This dish is really interesting and delicious. The minced chicken balls are made with chicken meat and skin, as well as tiny bits of cartilage to give the tender, juicy balls a bit of soft gritty crunchy bite. Grilled to a slight char outside. My kind of beer / sake food. Must order this 😋 A steal at this price.
Kurobuta Tontoro (Bershire "black" pig | Iberico Pork Collar SGD5.50++ a stick). Tender chewy texture. Mainly savoury flavour from the shoyu sauce marination. Biting into the Iberico pork cubes squeezes out the warm juices which have slight porky sweetness.
Nice.
Kaki No Sakamushi (Sake-cooked Oysters SGD12++). Soft spongy savoury oysters in a robust salty sauce served on a large shell.
Gyuniku Jaga (SGD7++), a savoury sweet beef stew with hand-sliced beef steeped for hours with potatoes and carrots to achieve the right balance in umani and sweetness. Homely comfort dish - the flavoursome soft beef stews pairs perfectly with sweet pearly Japanese steamed rice. Good value, tasty light meal.
It was time to go. I was more than full. Then, Ben couldn't resist ordering this Inaniwa Udon (SGD14++) - one more for the road before leaving.
I wasn't really too keen, but still took a spoonful of the broth out of curiosity. Oh man...., I liked this broth instantly. The watery tea coloured broth has nice gentle layers of savouriness from shoyu sauce, bonito shavings, tempura cracklings and spongy Japanese style fish cake. So basic yet so tasty. The noodles done slurpy tender had a nice wheat taste too. Must try this.
4-Star (out of 5). Shukuu Izakaya is a good place for an affordable Japanese style lunch in Singapore's CBD. A good hangout for yummy bites and a beer / sake after a hard day in the office. The food is delicious and priced at a level which encourages revisits. The service is earnest and warm, while the ambiance is unpretentious, a little gritty even which makes it easy to feel at home and relax. Your friends will be impressed with how you found this little gem in a back street in Singapore's financial heart 😛
Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting.
Kaki No Sakamushi (Sake-cooked Oysters SGD12++). Soft spongy savoury oysters in a robust salty sauce served on a large shell.
Gyuniku Jaga (SGD7++), a savoury sweet beef stew with hand-sliced beef steeped for hours with potatoes and carrots to achieve the right balance in umani and sweetness. Homely comfort dish - the flavoursome soft beef stews pairs perfectly with sweet pearly Japanese steamed rice. Good value, tasty light meal.
It was time to go. I was more than full. Then, Ben couldn't resist ordering this Inaniwa Udon (SGD14++) - one more for the road before leaving.
I wasn't really too keen, but still took a spoonful of the broth out of curiosity. Oh man...., I liked this broth instantly. The watery tea coloured broth has nice gentle layers of savouriness from shoyu sauce, bonito shavings, tempura cracklings and spongy Japanese style fish cake. So basic yet so tasty. The noodles done slurpy tender had a nice wheat taste too. Must try this.
4-Star (out of 5). Shukuu Izakaya is a good place for an affordable Japanese style lunch in Singapore's CBD. A good hangout for yummy bites and a beer / sake after a hard day in the office. The food is delicious and priced at a level which encourages revisits. The service is earnest and warm, while the ambiance is unpretentious, a little gritty even which makes it easy to feel at home and relax. Your friends will be impressed with how you found this little gem in a back street in Singapore's financial heart 😛
Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting.
Restaurant name: Shukuu Izakaya
Address: 8 Stanley Street, Singapore 068727
GPS: 1°16'48.3"N 103°50'52.5"E | 1.280071, 103.847913
Tel: 6327 9240
Hours: 4:00pm - 10:30pm
Non Halal
Date visited: 8 Nov 2016
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