Ever heard of Modern-Japanese Bistronomy? Well I hadn’t but a visit to iKO on Neil Road opened my eyes to this funky and sassy eatery. Chef-owner Dylan Ong, also known for his Franco-Asian restaurant, The Masses, was on hand to showcase his fare.
As the word suggests it is a bistro with pretty high end dishes. iKO meaning “let’s go” was very much the vibe I liked. Taken aback at music from the 60’s blaring through the speakers, I totally loved the experience. Re-enacting days listening to Supertramp, Blondie, Dusty Springfield and Cliff Richard, the mood was set.
With a fabulous variety of creative dishes meshed with Japanese produce and European technique, this was a spot I’d be back to. With four snacks on the menu, oysters with wasabi lychee granita and sake arrived. Cold and plumped up from granita piled on, this had to be the best way to start a meal.
A real wow for me to be followed by two cones filled with savoury delights. I tried the Negitoro ice-cream, a seaweed cone filled with Negitoro, cured egg yolk and Menegi. Negitoro - minced raw tuna (fatty fish parts that can’t be used for other dishes) usually served with spring onion (menegi).
Good idea to chuck the cone in one mouthful to ensure the egg yolk doesn’t do a runner! My preferred cone was salmon, crème fraiche and Ikura. Another ingenious snack similar to a Peranakan pie-tee in casing, was a beetroot basket filled with fine Hokkaido snow crab and spicy avocado mousse. Lime gel to lift flavours and that was simply a wow!
A stunning touch of snacks, so innovative while keeping to the Japanese theme. Seemed like fine dining to me. Full of flavor with great presentation. A great way to start the full-blown menu that awaited.
We progressed to starters. Hay smoked Hamachi with ponzu brown butter, garlic oil, grapes and a trio sesame sauce. Hamachi cut in thick slices gave me an opportunity to really taste the fresh fish.
Tickled by the name of the next starter – Dope You Up Bowl, I could see why it was named so. On a bed of delicious rice (I wish I could have eaten it all) lay Bafun uni, Wagyu buri, Ikura, egg yolk and fat emulsion. This was definitely a cholesterol hike dish. Simply wholesome I would come back to have this $42 bowl.
For those more meat inclined, the A4 Wagyu “Sukiyaki” with Shiitake mushroom, leek, scallion, egg yolk and perilla (a leaf in the mint family) was cheaper at $28 and also amazingly delicious.
More creative dishes came our way. “That High Sess Somen” served in a large, beautiful dessert / cocktail glass. Somen, white Japanese wheat noodles always served cold made for a great refresher with delicious clam sauce, a sprinkle of Chutoro, Hokkaido snow crab, uni, caviar and chives.
A real mouthful and a large dish which would augur well for my meal the next time I returned to iKO. Chef Dylan also had something special for abalone lovers.
Eight hour braised abalone dressed with a liver sauce, taro stem, asparagus and braised Shiitake mushroom. All of this sitting on a bed of pearl barley exquisitely cooked with smoky flavours. A truly creative one here that would undoubtedly please abalone fans and all for a mere $28. Spectacular!
After nine courses I was somewhat ready for dessert but no. There were two mains to come. Worried whenever I see guinea fowl on a menu, this was hay smoked served with a sake ume sauce and seasonal Japanese vegetables. Awesome combination eliminating the usual gamey taste.
I love black cod and this really hit the spot. Grilled to perfection with miso, a clam emulsion poured over the fish to fill textures even more. A steal at $36, accompanied by squid, carrot, nectarine and pumpkin puree.
My feel at iKO was an artist confident of his creations, dared to push the envelope while keeping it real. Dessert was colourful and a delight to look at let alone eat. Combined with honeycomb caramel, yuzu curd, miso caramel, Hokkaido milk ice cream and mint sponge this was an out-of-this-world dessert.
Make sure you keep place for this tart end for it totally cleansed our palettes.
With such a trailblazing menu, I could feel Chef Dylan’s adventurous spirit. Not surprising as he started at the age of 17 and did a round robin to award winning restaurants.
Able to seat 55 pax this welcoming space feels energetic but cosy. Launched in April 2021 iKO’s kept to its philosophy of “every bite will evoke the greatest pleasure in one’s palate and senses.” I certainly experienced that!
a. 65 Neil Rd, Singapore 088897
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