The proliferation of skewer restaurants—whether they be serving sticks of yakitori, satay or lok lok—have not gone unnoticed. Here, we round up four that have caught our attention
Birders
Photo credit: Taken from Birders’ Facebook page
In a bid to move away from the traditional way of serving yakitori—you know, charcoal-grilled and only lightly seasoned with sea salt—Birders, on Tras Street, opened by the same people behind The Great Escape, dishes out sticks of well-seasoned meats (mostly chicken) and vegetables. Try the melt-in-your-mouth tail portion of the chicken (aka the backside) served with simple garlic shoyu and the chicken hearts ($4), served with negi and ginger, that will even appeal to those who don’t usually stomach offal. Wash it all down with cup sake. 55 Tras St., 8748-4585
Chikin
A skewer concept featuring szechuan mala flavours is Chikin, an effortlessly cool place plastered with neon lights and wall- to-ceiling murals of ‘80s Japanese pop art. The Bukit Pasoh establishment stands out not just thanks to the szechuan peppercorns, but also with its cocktail focus. In fact, it’s primarily a bar offering drinks like sake sangrias and smoky whisky-based concoctions. Did we also mention there’s a room for karaoke? 6 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6910-2742
Panko
Found along hip Haji Lane, Panko (which means breadcrumbs) serves up breaded and deep-fried Kushikatsu skewers of anything from pork to cheese to eggplant. Bincho’s Chef Asai, along with head Chef Ishikawa helms the kitchen here, so you know that the sticks here are of quality. There’s also an extensive selection of cocktails, shochu, sake, Japanese whisky and craft beers to choose from. 33 Arab St., 6291-3323
Rokukakutei
Another Kushikatsu concept, Rokukakutei, located on the first floor of Odeon Towers, is exceptional thanks to its affiliation with Osaka’s one-Michelin-starred restaurant of the same name. The Singapore outpost is their first one outside of Japan (there’s another one in Ginza, Tokyo) and offers deep fried skewers served omakase style. The chef proudly pairs them with a selection of premium wines and Champagne. 331 North Bridge Rd., 6266-1077
You can find the original story (and many others) in our 22nd Birthday print issue here.
