Shukuu Japanese Izakaya and Bar

Shukuu Japanese Izakaya and Sake Bar is a casual Japanese pub at 8 Stanley Street, a short lane in the Telok Ayer part of the city centre. It serves meat grilled on skewers over charcoal, small plates for sharing and a long list of sake.

Four lifelong friends who share a love of sake and Japanese food started the izakaya. None of them trained formally as chefs. Instead, they learned the trade through stints working in Japanese izakayas.

What to order

Kushiyaki, or skewered meat grilled over charcoal, is the main reason to come. Wagyu skewers, such as Tochigi A4 wagyu, and pork belly are good choices. Chicken yakitori and tsukune (chicken meatballs) are on the grill menu too.

Away from the grill, the menu is full of Japanese bar snacks and home-style plates. Dishes worth trying include:

• Gyu nikujaga: a home-style stew of beef and potatoes.
• Miso eggplant: aubergine glazed with miso.
• Grilled sardine: a whole fish stuffed with mentaiko (spicy cod roe).
• Wasabi octopus: a classic cold bar snack with a sharp kick.
• Mentaiko onigiri: a rice ball filled with cod roe.

On weekday lunchtimes there is a short menu of donburi, or rice bowls, such as gyudon with an onsen egg, a raw fish kaisen don and katsu curry. Each comes with miso soup.

The menu changes from time to time, so some dishes may not be available on your visit.

Sake and drinks

Sake is the focus of the bar, and the list is long. The team includes certified sake sommeliers. Rather than chase famous, costly labels, they like to find rare bottles from smaller brewers. If you are new to sake, tell the staff what you are eating and what you like, and let them guide you.

The setting

The small room is meant to feel like an izakaya in a Tokyo back alley. Red lanterns hang over the tables, and a Japanese mural and woodblock prints cover the walls. Empty sake bottles line the railings. The mood is casual, so it suits after-work drinks or a relaxed dinner with friends.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: tables can be reserved online through Chope.
• How to order: plates are small, so most groups order a few rounds of skewers and snacks to share.
• Dress: this is a casual dining spot, so everyday clothes are fine.
• Getting there: Telok Ayer and Tanjong Pagar MRT stations are both less than five minutes away on foot.

Nearby

Stanley Street sits among the office towers and shophouses of the CBD. For Korean food in the same district, try Hyang Yeon (Telok Ayer). For a more formal Japanese meal, look at Sushi Sakuta, or browse all our Japanese restaurants in Singapore. After dinner, the riverside bars of Boat Quay are in the same part of town. See more restaurants in Marina Bay and the CBD, or find a room among the hotels in Marina Bay and the CBD.