JAPAN RAIL CAFE has fresh oysters and craft sakes in Tanjong Pagar
Recently, we’ve seen more Japanese restaurants sprout in Singapore, and discovering these new gems has been fun. Some of the latest examples include Toku Nori, a handroll bar in Telok Ayer, Sa Tae Bak, a retro yakitori bar in Changi, and Ume Maru, a manga-themed speakeasy bar in Orchard. But there’s none quite like JAPAN RAIL CAFE, an OG in the Tanjong Pagar scene. Here, you can pair a wide array of sides with an endless variety of craft sakes at affordable prices!
Toku Nori: New Japanese Specialty Restaurant With Wagyu, Uni, And Foie Gras Handrolls In Telok Ayer
During our visit, we were greeted by three sake sommeliers, who so kindly introduced and explained the different types of sakes they had in store. If you’re a fan of the Japanese alcoholic beverage, ask away any questions you have, and they will tend to you with great patience.Â
JAPAN RAIL CAFE is collaborating with Isego Honten, a famous Japanese sake company from Tokyo. Here, you’ll find more than 300 Japanese alcohols including specially curated mainstay and seasonal sake, shochu, whiskies, and gins.Â
We started our sake pairing with the Appetiser Set ($8++), featuring a plate of edamame, iburigakko AKA pickled radish, wasabi cream cheese, and a basket of five baguette slices. This set tastes best with a glass of the Gakki Masamune Junmai Ginjo ($9++), which leans sweet than dry and has a rich mouthfeel that settles down with a clean aftertaste. You can also get a bottle of this at $53.89++.
Next, we tried their delicious Shrimp Ajillo ($13.80++). This side comes with five pieces of pan-fried shrimp cooked in olive oil and garlic sauce, and five baguette slices on the side for dipping.
A glass of the Hello! KOUEIGIKU Aiyama ($9++) is all it takes to complete the experience. Out of all the sakes we tried, this was our favourite as it was sweet with a clean aftertaste. If you, like us, enjoy this beverage, you can purchase a whole bottle for $98.18++.
We also enjoyed their Maguro Tartar ($12++), starring a plate of minced tuna made with gochujang sauce, tobiko, spring onions, and finished with tempura bits. Pair this with the baguette slices for a lovely combination of textures and seafood-forward flavours!Â
Unlike the first two sakes, the Morishima Yamadanishiki Junmai Ginjo ($9++) was slightly dry but had the cleanest aftertaste. This alcoholic beverage complemented well with the tartar and quelled any brininess of the raw tuna. FYI, a bottle of this sake is priced at $58.18++.Â
The penultimate pairing was their Smoked Sauce Salmon ($8++), served with a glass of Sharaku Junmai Ginjo ($9++). These salmon belly slices are made with smoked soy sauce, seaweed, and spring onions, along with a side of wasabi. This dish was the most intense in flavours, so the clean yet dry sake was exactly what we needed to cleanse our palate. A bottle of this costs $72.47++.
We ended our meal with the Hyogo Oyster Platter ($18++), featuring four pieces of fresh oysters. These huge oysters are sourced from Kobe, and they taste best when eaten with either the yuzu ponzu sauce or yuzu tabasco sauce served on the side.
The sake sommeliers recommended pairing the oysters with a glass of Shishinosato Junmai Ginjo Koji Oryzae ($9++), which boasted a mildly sweet and clean aftertaste. If this sake tickles your fancy, you can consider getting a bottle at $54.55++.
JAPAN RAIL CAFE stands beside Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, and can easily house about 30 diners at once.
If you’re in the area, check out our Kaunta review for the viral Tsujihan seafood kaisendon. Alternatively, read our Tanjong Pagar food guide.Â
Address: 5 Wallich Street, #01-20, Guoco Tower, Singapore 078883
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11am to 9pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 9:30pm, Sun 11am to 8pm
Website
JAPAN RAIL CAFE is not a halal-certified eatery.
You Can Find Tsujihan’s Long-Queue Seafood Kaisendon At This Tanjong Pagar Restaurant
Photos taken by Maisie Chong.
This was a media tasting at JAPAN RAIL CAFE.
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