This time I would like to introduce a creative izakaya “Hearth” in Tanjong Pagar. The name of the restaurant may not sound like a Japanese restaurant, but it is a very sophisticated and nice izakaya😀
Please read the review to the end!
Score
⭐️⭐️⭐️
| ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Must repeat! A highly recommended restaurant. |
| ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Should repeat! A highly satisfying restaurant. |
| ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Would repeat! A good restaurant. |
| ⭐️⭐️ | A great place to go and recommended. |
| ⭐️ | An ordinary restaurant. |
General Review
This is a very nice and creative izakaya. The counter-centered interior is perfect for enjoying drinks with a friend or partner while relaxing and chatting. Of course, we also recommend this restaurant for a quiet solo drink.
As for the food, they serve very high quality Japanese food. The restaurant’s most popular dish seems to be sunken hearth roast, which I personally found to be very tasty and memorable.
It has a relaxed atmosphere and is highly recommended!
Atmosphere
You can find the store by going north on Craig Rd. in Tanjong Pagar.
Here is the exterior of the restaurant.
You can feel the stylish atmosphere from the storefront. You can see what is going on inside, so it is not difficult to enter.
The interior of the restaurant is mainly counter seating. When you enter the restaurant at the long counter, you will find that it is surprisingly spacious. There is also table seating on the entrance side, so it is possible to enter with a group.
The interior of the restaurant is somewhat dimly lit and has a mature and sophisticated atmosphere. It is a very good place to relax and have a drink.
Food
Menu
The food menu offers a choice of COLD TAPAS, WARM TAPAS, IRORI CHARCOAL GRILL, and RICE&NOODLE.
The restaurant’s most popular menu item is the Irori (sunken hearth) menu. I think that the restaurant where you can eat Irori grill is quite rare in Singapore.
Sake is available in BEER, SOUR, FRUIT LIQUOR, WHISKY, and SAKE. There is a wide selection of Sake.
Eating
First of all, order a beer for now, cheers! 🍻
While drinking beer, I think about what to order. First, I ordered “Vinegared Kiriboshi Daikon and Saki-ika” as a light snack to go with my beer.
I had not seen the combination of kiriboshi-daikon and saki-ika before, but Good! Perfect with beer.
Here is the second item. When I go to an izakaya, I always want to eat assorted sashimi. The price was “Ask”, so I asked. They told me that they could provide it for $20 if I could have one piece each. Since I was drinking solo and didn’t need that much, I decided to have it.
I can’t deny that one slice at a time is a little sad to look at lol.
Sake is the most popular accompaniment to sashimi, so I ordered this sake. It is a special junmai “Ki” from Yamaguchi Prefecture.
It is very refreshing and delicious. I found it to be a good restaurant that serves quality sake.
Here’s what I ordered for another snack.” Kumamoto Pork Ginger Potato Salad.”
The potato salad came out with potato chips on top! This is the first time I have seen this style of potato salad 😳Potato salad is a very basic dish, but the taste varies greatly from restaurant to restaurant, so I think it is a dish that shows the individuality of each restaurant. I have a rule that a restaurant with good potato salad is a good restaurant.
Hearth’s potato salad was very tasty. As the menu name suggests, it is quite filling as it contains pork. It is a creative and inventive potato salad.
I ran out of drinks here, so I ordered another one.” A slightly tasty highball.”
There are two types of highballs on the menu: “regular highballs” and “slightly tasty highballs”. The whiskey used is different, with the regular one being Kaku highball and the slightly tasty one being Bekishu based. The price difference was $3. I like highballs after sake!
And here is what I ordered next. The next order was the “Iwashi Genshiyaki (Grilled Iwashi with Ume plum paste)” from the restaurant’s most popular Irori-yaki (sunken hearth).
It is a very authentic grilled fish. It is grilled on skewers because it is grilled on the hearth.
This was very excellent. It was the most delicious dish I had that day. The meaty sardines are very satisfying. It was a great dish to eat with grated ume plum. I was impressed by how different it was when it was grilled on the hearth.
As a final dish, we ordered “chilled eggplant somen noodles”.
This is another very beautifully presented creative type of somen. The quantity is not too large, so it is perfect for a finale.
Price
- Beer $15
- Vinegared Kiriboshi Daikon and Saki-ika $8
- Seasonal Fresh Fish Sashimi $20
- Ki Special Junmai (180cc Carafe) $28
- Kumamoto Pork Ginger Potato Salad $15
- A slightly better highball $15
- Grilled Sardine with Grated Ume Plum $22
- Chilled Eggplant Somen Noodle $16
Compared to a regular izakaya, the price is a bit higher. The restaurant is creative and the atmosphere is sophisticated, so I would say it’s about the same price.
Summary
It is a very sophisticated and creative izakaya.
The restaurant seemed to be very popular and was fully booked on Saturday. (That is why we visited on Sunday. Thank goodness for restaurants that are open on Sundays!)
Although the price is a bit higher than that of a regular izakaya, you can enjoy a relaxing meal and drinks in a great atmosphere.
It is the perfect place to sit back and talk with friends or partners. Of course, it is also recommended for solo drinking.
If you are interested, why don’t you pay a visit 😀.
Also, the store’s Instagram account is very stylish, please take a peek at the link below with the store’s name 🎵.
I aim to introduce recommended restaurants twice a week! Follow us on SNS so you don’t miss any updates! ⬇️
