Naga House Review: Japanese-Inspired Cafe With Tsukune Don And Hot Honey Burger Near Clarke Quay MRT

Naga House has Japanese-inspired food at Boat Quay

We’ve been hearing great things about Naga House for a while now, with many praising the cafe-cum-bar for its stylish interior, Japanese-inspired fare, and sheer variety of drinks. For some reason, though, we’ve never properly reviewed the place—until now, that is.

Recently, we were invited to try the fare at Naga House, and after trying three dishes and more drinks than we could handle, we came away thoroughly impressed with what the cafe has to offer.

Food at Naga House

Cafe by day, bar by night, Naga House has an extensive menu for drinks, including coffee, cocktails and more. In terms of food, however, the options are nowhere as plentiful, though you’re likely to find something that appeals to you regardless.

We started with the Pork Tsukune Bowl ($16++), which is essentially a donburi-style dish featuring pork meatball skewers, AKA tsukune.

Each skewer had a large chunk of smoky, well-grilled pork that burst with flavour. It was slathered in a savoury yakiniku glaze, which made it all the more tasty. I did find the meat itself to be on the drier side, but I nevertheless enjoyed eating these skewers.

The rest of the dish consisted of fluffy short-grain rice, an onsen egg for some creaminess, pickles, and clams. The clams in particular were fresh and slathered in an umami sauce. In short, this was one flavourful donburi.

Our next dish was the Seafood Pasta ($18++), which was cooked in a homemade prawn broth, along with prawns, squid, clams, and onsen egg.

The al dente pasta was incredibly savoury, and that was down to the combination of the umami prawn broth and furikake that was scattered throughout the dish. And when the onsen egg is mixed into the dish, you get a creaminess that makes the pasta alone such a delight to eat.

The seafood seemed to have been grilled before serving, imbuing them with a smokiness that complemented their natural flavours. The sizable prawn in particular was crunchy, sweet, and quite fresh.

Our meal’s last main dish was the Hot Honey Chicken Burger ($14++), which features a substantial deep-fried chicken patty coated in a spicy honey sauce, accompanied by Asian slaw and American cheese, all held together within brioche buns.

The combination of the crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside chicken patty and the tangy sauce was just excellent. Each bite offered succulence and a burst of flavour, while the interplay between the crispy chicken, refreshing slaw, and soft brioche buns gave the burger a pleasing mouthfeel.

We enjoyed those dishes with a great number of drinks. From the alcoholic section, we managed to try the Kyoho Blossom Fizz ($18++), which had tantalising floral and fruity notes, and Uncle Earl ($16++), essentially gin infused with earl grey tea. There was also our favourite Young Wild N’ Smoky ($20++), a heady blend of roselle-infused mezcal, pink grapefruit, strawberry lemon, and soda.

From the non-alcoholic section, we tried the refreshing Cold Brew Tea ($7++) and the tart and earthy Iced Matcha Strawberry ($7.50++). Oh, and how could we forget the cup of White Coffee ($6++) to rouse us from our food coma.

Ambience at Naga House

With its cold, almost futuristic blue-and-grey interiors, Naga House is surely the kind of cafe that attracts the social media crowd as much as it attracts those looking for good food and drinks. When we were there, the speakers were mostly playing pop-punk tracks from the 2000s, so if you’re into somewhat alternative music, this is a cool place to hang out at.

Naga House is a six-minute walk from Clarke Quay MRT Station.

The verdict

Naga House serves up some delectable food, as well as an impressive range of drinks. Whether you’re here for a well-rounded cafe experience or some alcohol with friends, you’re likely to have a good time at Naga House.

For more Boat Quay eateries, read our 12 best Boat Quay restaurants and bars listicle. For another great cafe to check out, read our Anna’s Sourdough review.

Address: 14 Lorong Telok, Singapore 049027
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10:30am to 12am
Tel: 8950 2423
Website
Naga House is not a halal-certified eatery.

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Photos taken by Melvin Mak.
This was a media tasting at Naga House.