The Public Izakaya
Ce test coréen, j'ai décidé que je m'en fiche de la distanciation sociale (en fait, nous vivons dans le même ménage alors quel est le but de la distanciation sociale entre nous quand nous sortons?); et alors pour aider Mon Bou, je me suis assis juste à côté de lui, pour faciliter la copie de mes réponses aux tests 😜
Même s'il jure qu'il n'a pas regardé mes réponses, il a fait mieux pour ce test que le dernier...et la chose parle d'elle-même, non?? 😂
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While researching yong tau foo hawkers in my quest to satiate a rather peculiar dinner-time craving, I was suggested the Japanese variant, i.e. oden at The Public Izakaya.
I've only ever had oden at Sanpoutei, which was a most mediocre experience (notwithstanding their excellent ramen), so it was with no small amount of misgiving that I (grudgingly) agreed to giving oden a second shot. On this note, it's always a boon to have friends who shepherd you to fresh culinary adventures; and it's admittedly thanks to the persistent insistence of a friend that "the Japanese yong tau fu" at The Public Izakaya would change my mind, I now love oden.
And while the fantastic oden at The Public Izakaya alone warrants repeat patronage, the superb kushiyaki and considerable list of drinks are what keeps this buzzy eatery a full house almost every night. Whereas we could easily order their takeout through the delivery apps during the Circuit Breaker, it is rarely ever available for delivery on any app these days. And so be sure to make reservations before hitting up The Public Izakaya, or be prepared to be disappointed.
A must order, the Omakase Oden Set ($32 for 10pcs), is laden with daikon, hard-boiled egg, konnayaku, beancurd, fish cakes, minced seafood balls, and sweet potato noodles, in a pool of delicate broth. The broth here is, I believe, what made all the difference. It was rich but exquisite, umami but balanced.
Another recommendation here is the Tori Chazuke ($18), or the Japanese take on Teochew porridge. Here, a bowl of rice is topped with seaweed, sesame seeds and spring onions, and sided by a teapot of chicken broth, a couple of juicy yakitori, a handful of pickles, and a smudge of yuzu kosho. I've a soft spot for porridge, and this classic comfort food is right up my part-Teochew alley.
According to our zippy but slightly frazzled waiter, the Kawa Ebi-age ($11) of deep fried crispy mini river prawns makes for great drinking food. And he's bang-on. We found ourselves mindlessly pecking away at the unexpectedly addictive snack.
Ditto for the Edamame ($7), I adore the smoky char imbued by the grilling to the beans.
The Mentai Tamogoyaki ($7) of a pillowy omelette roll layered with spicy pollock roe, was decent, but I'd have preferred this plain without the seafood.
Ahh, my favorite kushiyaki, and every single skewer was scrumptious; we had the Tsukune ($5) - meat balls, Momoniku ($4) - chicken thigh, Wagyu ($11) which tasted fairly regular, as you can well expect from its pricetag, Bacon Hotate ($9) - scallops swaddled in streaky bacon.
Because #baconislyfe, we had ourselves just about every bacon wrap skewer offered on the menu, namely the Bacon Eringi Mushroom ($5), and Bacon Asparagus ($5). And well, a couple of greens to assuage the inevitable ensuing guilt of clogging our arteries, of Shishito ($4) - Japanese green peppers, and Shitake Mushrooms ($3).
The Public Izakaya
100 Tras Street
#01-09 100AM
Tel: 6604 9622
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