IPPIN CAFE BAR, A Home Concept Japanese Cafe Bar

You have probably been to many Japanese restaurants, so what's different with IPPIN? Isn't it just another place offering Japanese food? Well, for one, it's a cafe bar, meaning that ambience wise, it is more chillax. If you are looking for some simple Japanese dishes and looking for a drink, this is the place to pop by.

As mentioned, IPPIN is a cafe bar, so you can get drinks be it green tea, sake or craft beer. 

They serve three types of green tea, Houjicha, Genmaicha and Sencha. Each of them taste different with the Genmaicha being more mellow and the Sencha being more bitter. Ask for recommendations if you are uncertain of which to try.

Moving on to the main dishes, they have Oyakodon, chicken and egg on rice. 

Would you be surprised to learn that there is barley in the rice? It's a health thing, since barley does have its vitamins and I guess it also provides some form of texture to the food. The dish is kind of wet in a good way, as it makes it very easy to swallow and less gelat. Previous experience with similar dishes are that they are usually dry and it ends up unfinished. The chicken is soft and derives its flavour from the stock.

Up next is the Yakisoba. 

Served with pork and greens, you get your day's portion of both meat and veggies. Some may comment that it is a tad salty, after all it was prepared to be savoury. I however, feel that as a noodles dish, salty is good and it was to my liking. It is a simple looking dish that has a home cooked style to it. I can imagine a dad in an apron whipping up the dish. What gives the noodles its flavour is the seafood stock used in case you are wondering.

The highlight of our meal is...the fried oysters!

From Hiroshima Prefecture, these oysters are lightly battered so that they come crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. There's a clean taste to it and it leaves you longing for more. I can't say it is fresh because it has already been frozen but it is definitely a dish you should try if you enjoy oysters. You will love it! The set comes with rice, Hatcho miso soup, Nikujaga pork and potato stew, salad and hojicha pudding ($24).

Have a craving for beef? No worries because there are beef steak sets ($25) available!

You can customise your own beef steak with Japanese condiment shakes, namely wasabi salt, ponzu, benly miso or soy sauce. They come with rice, salad, fries and miso soup. The steak is pretty decent so no worries with it being overly raw or overly cooked for the matter.

Lastly, just a note that the prices of the food are NETT price and there's free WiFi too!

IPPIN CAFE BAR
18 Mohamed Sultan Road
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am-11pm
Tel: 67334794

Writer: Samuel Low