I almost walked past it.
Fortune Centre isn’t the kind of building that makes things easy. The corridors are narrow, the lift is slow, and half the units look like they haven’t changed since the nineties. I took it up to the third floor, turned left, and found Izakaya Hikari tucked behind an unassuming door. Warm light, low voices, the smell of something charcoal-kissed drifting out before I even stepped in.
It was a Wednesday. Just past 7pm. Rain outside. I stayed.
Izakaya Hikari Singapore: First Impressions
This is a compact, casual Japanese izakaya. No frills, no fanfare. The dining space at Fortune Centre 03-01 is cozy in the way that makes you lower your voice without thinking. Wooden furniture, dim lighting, sake bottles lined against the wall. If you’ve been to a proper izakaya in Japan, this room will feel familiar in the best way.
It fills up fast, and for good reason.
Japanese Food That Doesn’t Overexplain Itself
- I ordered the grilled pork belly yakitori first. The fat had caramelized at the edges, sticky and rich, with a smokiness that comes from a real grill, not shortcuts. I ate the first skewer too quickly. Ordered another before I was done.
- Then the mentaiko tamagoyaki. Soft egg, warm in the middle, with creamy mentaiko spooned over the top. Savory, a little sweet, strong umami. Not a dish you rush.
- The salmon mentaiko donburi was next, a comforting bowl of rice topped with fresh salmon and mentaiko sauce. The kind of thing you didn’t know you were hungry for until it arrived. The rice was warm and well-seasoned, the salmon generous without being showy.
- I also tried the kawa ebi, small crispy shrimp done well, crunchy all the way through with just enough salt. A good pair with a glass of house sake, which I’d recommend over the bottled options if you’re keeping costs down.
- On the yakitori front, I spread across a few. Tori momo, tsukune, bonjiri. The tsukune was the one that stuck. Tender, seasoned cleanly, nothing overworked. Honest Japanese food.
- I’ll be upfront about the grilled squid. Tasty, but the portion was smaller than I expected for the price. If ika is your main reason for coming, you might leave wanting more. Skip it as a standalone order and fold it into a wider spread instead.
The oden also landed on the table. Fine, comforting, exactly what oden should be. Not a showstopper, but it earns its place on a rainy night.
One note for vegetarian visitors: the menu leans heavily toward meat and seafood. There are options with mushrooms, asparagus, and tofu, but this isn’t a place designed to cater to plant-based diners. Worth knowing before you go.
Middle Road Fortune Centre: Getting There and Service
Izakaya Hikari sits at 190 Middle Road, Fortune Centre, #03-01, Singapore 188979. Bencoolen MRT is about five minutes on foot. Bugis works too, though the walk is a bit longer. The building is the harder part to navigate, not the commute.
Service was warm without being performative. The staff were attentive early in the evening, and while things slowed once the space filled up around 8pm, nothing felt neglected. Someone offered me a refill on the house sake before I thought to ask. Small detail. I noticed it.
190 Middle Road Fortune: The Practical Bits
Expect to spend around $30 to $50 per person for a casual dinner. Once drinks and a few extra dishes come in, that creeps toward $60 to $80. The sake and the atmosphere make it easy to linger. If you’re exploring other japanese izakaya singapore spots worth knowing about, that list is a good place to start.
- Make reservations for dinner, especially on weekends. Fortune Centre 03-01 seats a limited number of diners, and the room gets crowded quickly. Walk-ins on a Friday night are a gamble.
- Come with friends if you can. This is a sharing menu, and the food is better when it’s spread across the table. Solo dining is doable, but you’ll miss half the variety.
Fortune Centre’s Reliable Japanese Izakaya
Izakaya Hikari isn’t trying to reinvent anything. It’s a dependable, lived-in Japanese izakaya that delivers honest food in a relaxed setting.
If you want premium omakase or a quiet date night, look elsewhere. But if you want good yakitori, a comforting salmon mentaiko donburi, and the kind of atmosphere that makes the evening stretch, this is one of the most reliable spots in Fortune Centre.
I was thinking about the tsukune before I reached the MRT.