Rolls Handroll Izakaya Bar Menu & Review • Rolls that Rock @ Mercure ICON Singapore 卷卷吧 ☎ 8056 9595

Rolls Handroll Izakaya.

Cool cosy new place to enjoy sake and other spirits with delicious freshly handcrafted handrolls at Club Street in Singapore's Central Business District.

Finding Rolls Handroll Izakaya is super easy.

From Telok Ayer MRT station, just use the ICON Link @ Club Street (tunnel). Come up the escalator to the ground level and Rolls is right there for you 😄

I like the layout at Rolls Handroll Izakaya - open kitchen, intimate V-shaped bar, sturdy comfortable furnishings, classy understated elegance yet not an overly expensive place.

All 16 counter seats enjoy front row view of the chefs in action.

Watching the chefs' artistry, preparing my serving makes the food taste better to me 😋

I like the connection of handcrafted hand to mouth food 😉

We had Chef's Curated Tasting Menu S$82++.

Chefs Roy (left) and Max.

Rolls also have an interesting, competitively priced a la carte menu but as this was our first time here, so let's roll with the Chef's signature selection 🕺

First dish, Sesame Ponzu Tai Carpaccio 芝麻柚子鲷 appetiser.

Fresh sea bream 鯛たい slices dressed in finely julienned aromatics with sesame seeds and drenched in savoury tangy zesty sauce.

Now, my salivary glands were on overdrive.

Second appetiser, sweet and umami Century Egg Tofu with Crab 蟹肉皮蛋豆腐.

After appetisers, Yakimono 烤物 or grilled dishes.

Torikawa 鸡皮 or grilled chicken skin. I love chicken skin, anyway it is done but seasoned, dusted with salt and spice, freshly grilled is the best for me 🫢

Nankotsu 鸡软骨 or grilled chicken cartilage. Normally taken from the keel bone, but at Rolls, they took it from the ball joint of the chicken leg. A lot more crunchy than keel, this was almost crackly hard like a nut yet would yield to the bite. I prefer this interesting texture over keel.

Okonomiyaki 日式大阪烧 an umami loaded savoury pancake.

An iconic staple from Osaka, to me it is Japan's answer to the Italian pizza.

Tai Yuzukosho 鲷鱼柚子胡椒.

Delicately sweet and zesty.

Truffle Toro 松露金枪鱼.

Toro always wins, black truffle makes it better and crispy tenkatsu takes this roll to perfection.

Mentaiko Aka Ebi 明太子赤虾

Hotate Foie Gras 带子鹅肝.

Scallop with torched goose liver, so smooth and indulgently rich.

Freshly fried golden crisp tenkatsu carefully stashed away. A secret weapon in some of Rolls handrolls.

Engawa Aburi 炙烧比目鱼边.

Flounder tailfin torched and dressed with sauce.

Engawa Aburi wrapped in crisp toasted seaweed (nori) with tenkatsu and rice. One of the highlights of the 6-piece handroll selection.

Unagi Sansho 山椒鳗鱼.

Winning combo of crisp and tender textures, savoury sweet flavours with subtle citrusy peppery heat. All wrapped in a crisp umami tissue thin sheet of dried seaweed.

Happy ending on a sweet note with Chef's Complimentary Dessert 主厨甜品.

Friendly skilful chefs committed to Japanese culinary art, fresh premium quality ingredients, chill casual vibes, understated elegance, good alcohol selection, competitive pricing, I shall be back.