Dining Out 1 minute 26 October 2017

First Look: Kabuke

Sake gastro bar Kabuke is the newest kid on Telok Ayer Street.

Delicious food and exceptional sakes are the two things you'll find on their menus. Up the stairs from Telok Ayer Street is a nondescript-looking entrance to an intimate gastrobar that's cool yet unpretentious. Sake sommelier Keiji Heng will be happy to guide you through the process of ordering a sake that suits your fancy but you'll do equally well on your own, thanks to the detailed explanations of tasting notes and flavour profiles of the sakes on the menu. And if you're looking for some nosh, Chef Rio Neo's got you covered with food that will complement the sakes in your glass.

Here's a first look into what to expect from Kabuke's lunch and dinner menus.
A selection of the sakes sourced from Japan
A selection of the sakes sourced from Japan
Wagyu Bowl (1).jpg
Served from 11.30am to 2pm, the focus of Kabuke's lunch menu is their selection of beef bowls that come in three variants: Gyudon ($15), Wagyu Suki Bowl ($18) and Wagyu Bowl ($28). Pictured right is the wagyu don which showcases beautifully pink sliced striploin that's accompanied with cured kelp and a wobbly onsen egg. A miso pork bowl is also available.

But here's some good news for the beef-lovers. Kabuke's wagyu bowls are available on their dinner menu too.
On the dinner menu is a delicious play on textures and umami: shiso tempura with scallops, ikura and caviar
On the dinner menu is a delicious play on textures and umami: shiso tempura with scallops, ikura and caviar
Watch Heng and Neo take us through the cosy space and show us some of the dishes and drinks we'll be getting.
Kabuke (5).jpg
Guests can start dinner off with some small plates of crispy, crowd-pleasing fried chicken wings and a mound of fries doused in mayo, ikura and sweet sauce reminiscent of takoyaki sauce.

The mound of fries is we're told, indeed inspired by the flavours of a takoyaki.
The humble baby corn gets elevated with a generous drizzle of homemade siracha mayo and topped with furikake and pork floss
The humble baby corn gets elevated with a generous drizzle of homemade siracha mayo and topped with furikake and pork floss
Kabuke Cheese Platter.jpg
Sake and cheese? Why not? Kabuke's cheese platter is specially curated by The Cheese Artisans to complement the sakes Heng has chosen. Guests can expect a variety of cheeses, from the soft ewe's milk cheese from Italy to an ash-layered variant from Germany.

The tasting flight of three 50ml glasses of sakes is available at an additional $15.
Guests can also request for an omakase food and sake menu designed by the chef and sommelier at the gastrobar's private lounge, which has the capacity to house up to 12 guests.

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Rates in SGD for 1 night, 1 guest