While the popular post-work CBD dinning hotspot Customs House has seen a number of changes over the past few years, Kinki Restaurant + Bar has been a popular mainstay.
Realizing it hadn’t yet benefited from a Sakemaru review, my wife and I paid them a repeat visit recently.
Given the view and very significant price tag, it’s no surprise that most of our fellow guests were also on couple dates. While the restaurant is rather informal, with modern Japanese graffiti and minimalist décor, it’s definitely more of a special occasion or expense account venue than a sake-focused izakaya.
Walking upstairs to the restaurant and then the bar, it’s quickly apparent that Kinki doesn’t take itself too seriously despite the smart dress code and focus on high-end Japanese food.
As Kinki states on its website they wanted “noise and funk” in a restaurant, not Japanese Zen. The floor mural by tattoo artist Chris Garver of Miami Ink fame and a graffiti-plastered DJ console truly add an “urban attitude” to the place.
Deciding to just make sake selections ourselves off the drinks list, we started out with the hot Tengumai Yamahai Jikomi Junmai sake as I was feeling a bit under the weather.
The sake hit the spot. We then moved on to the Yukinoboujya Junmai Ginjo (Akita) which had a floral spell and fruit flavour.
The waiter kindly offered to let us try the Dassai Migaki Niwari Sanbu Junmai Daiginjo and Kokuryu Ryu Daiginjo. We then went for the yakujyuru Jumai (Gifu) with more of an unmami taste as our final sake of the evening.
Thankfully, the food fared better with us than the sakes with a number of standout dishes from the menu.
The sake salmon sashimi was think and fresh and the aburi salmon was one of the best we’ve had, even compared with Japan. The aburi tuna was also nearly as good and like the salmon used minimal rice, which is our preference.
The pommegrammete pork belly was very moist and well-marbled, although the pommegrammete taste was hard to detect. Similarly, the miso cod was fresh, perfectly cooked and buttery, but didn’t have enough miso paste for taste.
The edamame miso and chocolate melt cake were, however, just as advertised and, while nothing particularly special, ensured a nice beginning and end to the meal.
The dishes that didn’t Impress were the beautifully presented mango maki because the shiso leaf was too overpowering and the avocado prawn tempura maki because the avocado didn’t seem to be that fresh and tempura crispy texture was lost.
The garlic fried rice didn’t have enough garlic taste or egg.
Overall, after the very pricey meal, we’d recommend a visit only for a special date or on an expense account. If you order right, based on the recommendations above, you should be happy.
Alternatively, just stick to drinks and bar snacks at the roof bar to enjoy the view at a lower price point!
Kinki Restaurant + Bar
70 Collyer Quay #02-02 Customs House, Singapore 049323
TEL: +65-6533-3471
Email: Enquiry@kinki.com.sg
Operating Hours
Kinki Restaurant (2/F)
Mond – Sat
Lunch from 12pm (Last order at 2.30pm)
Dinner from 6pm (Last order at 10.30pm)
Public Holidays
Dinner from 6pm (Last order at 10.30pm)
Sundays Closed
Kinki Rooftop Bar (R/F)
Mond – Thur
5pm – 12am (Last order at 11:30pm)
Frid, Sat & Public Holidays 5pm – 2am
Happy Hour (1 for 1 Selected Beers, Wines and Spirits)
Mond – Sat 5pm – 8pm
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