RAPPU

RAPPU is a Japanese hand roll and sake bar at 52 Duxton Road in Tanjong Pagar. It focuses on temaki: sushi rice and seafood wrapped in crisp seaweed and eaten by hand. The team builds every roll on three things: good seaweed, good rice and fresh seafood.

RAPPU opened in 2020, from the team behind The Feather Blade steak restaurant. The name is a play on "wrap" and "rap", which tells you a lot about the mood.

What to order

Most people come for a hand roll set. There are three to choose from. Tengo is the original, with clean and light flavours. Jigo is the spicy version. There is also a vegan set. Each set brings six different rolls, made in front of you and served one after another.

The rolls in the main sets have included scallop, salmon, tuna, fatty tuna, crab and flounder fin. Limited-time special rolls also come and go, such as an ark shell roll. For something richer, look for the High Roller, a wagyu roll topped with sea urchin, salmon roe, caviar and gold flakes.

Round out the meal with izakaya-style sides. Past menus have offered torched edamame with shio kombu and truffle oil, crispy lotus root chips and a spicy grilled yellowtail collar. Lunch has its own sets. The Mt. Rappu series piles toppings such as tuna, salmon with scallop, or eel under a runny Japanese egg yolk, with nori, miso soup and tamago on the side. There is also a lighter set of four hand rolls on weekdays.

Drinks

Sake is the natural match for hand rolls. You can add a sake pairing to your set, with bottles that change through the seasons. There are cocktails too. If you prefer not to drink alcohol, ask for the kombucha pairing or order kombucha by the glass. Matcha fans can also order a matcha latte or a straight matcha.

The setting

RAPPU spreads across two shophouses on Duxton Road. The room is built around a large horseshoe-shaped counter with about 36 seats. From your stool you watch the chefs make each roll in front of you. Concrete surfaces, neon lights and rap and hip hop on the speakers make it feel like a night out, not a quiet sushi bar.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: reserve online through the link on the official website. Some booking channels ask for a card hold, and tables come with a set dining time.
• Noise: the music is loud. It suits groups of friends and lively dates more than a business talk.
• Plant-based diners: the vegan hand roll set means non-meat eaters get the full experience.
• Events: the team takes bookings for large parties and company events.
• Takeaway: pickup and delivery are available through the website.

Nearby

Duxton Road is a short street of restored shophouses with many bars and restaurants. If you want to stay close by, Duxton Reserve Singapore is on the same road, and Mondrian Singapore Duxton is on Duxton Hill. Find more sushi and izakaya meals in our list of Japanese restaurants in Singapore, or browse all restaurants in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar. Our Tanjong Pagar and Keong Saik guide covers the wider area.