This new Japanese restaurant in Jalan Besar offers whisky pairings with sushi and sashimi. Located in a shophouse within walking distance from the Lavendar MRT station, they offer a wide selection of whiskies, often from boutique producers. Therefore you have the opportunity to try them and pair them with sushi.
Southpaw’s owner, Roy Ng, is a whisky connoisseur. He will be there on-site to share more about whisky pairing, and advise on the type of whisky that will best pair with a particular dish. If you’re more of a sake person, there’s also a range of sake available. Kenny Khoo, helms the kitchen. Having worked in Nogawa and Tatsuya previously, Chef Kenny has more than 17 years of experience in Japanese cooking.
The menu features three omakase sets. The Omakase ume ($68++), Omakase take ($98++) and Omakase matsu ($138++)
We tried the Omakase Take this time ;
APPERTIZER
SASHIMI CARPPACIO
SASHIMI
ASSORTMENT OF SUSHI X 7
CHIEF SPECIAL MISO SOUP
CHIEF CHOICE OF DESSERT
APPERTIZER (CHIEF SELECTION OF 2 )
Fresh oyster pair with a little whisky to enhance the sweet taste. After I slurped my oyster, I was asked to pour some of the whisky into the empty shell. The whisky tasted even better with the juice left behind in the shell.
SASHIMI CARPPACIO, salmon with caviar and truffle- flavored bonito flakes seasoned with rock salt. The toasted bonito is packed with a lot of umami and the truffle flavour was pleasant, and not overpowering.
Whisky pairing with GREEN SPOT Irish whisky
SASHIMI
Freshly prepared in front of us, by Chef Kenny Khoo prepares everything from scratch, including the soya sauces, truffle-flavoured bonito flakes etc.
ASSORTMENT OF SUSHI
Its almost an art when chef prepared the sushi in front of you, one by one, as you bite into them.
Pair with AMRUT Indian Single Malt whisky.
The climax of the meal is the seven different types of sushi, which often includes seasonal treats. Chef briefly grilled some of the thin slices of raw fish over a stove to achieve that smokiness, before putting it together with sushi rice.
Foie Gras on top of fresh scallop , slightly torched to create a bit of burnt taste to enhance the taste of the sushi.
Pair with Redbreast whisky
CHIEF MISO SOUP
Probably the best iterations of a Californian styled sushi bar with an amazing chorus of craft whiskies to pair.
An intimate setting that sits 12