Old School Gems
The moment I stepped out of the lift on the fourth floor of Cuppage Plaza, the unmistakable scent of charcoal smoke hit me, a smoky invitation that teased my senses before I even saw the sign. This old building near Somerset, usually filled with faint aromas of soy and sizzling food, suddenly felt alive with…
I almost walked past it. Cuppage Plaza does that. You take the lift up, the corridor’s a bit dim, and you start wondering if you’ve got the wrong floor. Then a door slides open, charcoal smoke drifts out, and you know you’re in the right place. I visited on a Tuesday, around 7pm. Quiet night.…
The first thing I did was take off my shoes. I hadn’t expected that. You climb the steps into Shinjuku Restaurant, and a staff member gestures, politely but clearly, toward the rack by the entrance. Shoes off. And something about that small act made me slow down before I’d even looked at the menu. Cuppage…
The first time someone brought me to Cuppage Plaza, I almost walked past it. It sat there off Orchard Road, a little worn at the edges, nothing like the polished malls nearby. My friend just said, “Trust me,” and led me up a quiet stairwell that smelled faintly of grilled fish and soy sauce. Then…
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.…
The first time I really understood chirashi don in Singapore, I was sitting alone at a counter in Cuppage Plaza, rain on the old windows outside. I’d ordered it on a whim. What came back was a comforting bowl of cool vinegared rice topped with cubed sashimi, a spoonful of salmon roe catching the light.…
The first time I went to Cuppage Plaza, I got lost. Not physically. The building is small, tucked just behind Orchard Road near Somerset MRT Station, worn at the edges in a way that most malls have long since scrubbed away. I wandered up and down its floors expecting one grand restaurant, one clear reason…
It was a Thursday, the kind where the office empties out slowly and you’re not quite ready to head home. I found myself walking into 100AM Mall in Tanjong Pagar, drawn by the promise of grilled skewers and a cold beer. The Public Izakaya by Hachi seemed like the right call. I’d heard it brought…
I almost walked past it. Cuppage Plaza isn’t the kind of place you wander into expecting a calm meal. The ground floor hums with after-work chatter, and the lifts feel older than I am. But up on the second floor at 5 Koek Road, behind a quiet doorway, Hanashizuku Japanese Cuisine sits like it’s keeping…
The hum of Orchard Plaza quiets for a moment as the lunch rush slows. From the corner of the corridor, a faint scent of grilled chicken and smoky yakitori drifts through the air. At Kai Yakitori, the skewers sizzle and crackle, a rhythm that signals attention, craft, and the subtle artistry of Japanese cuisine adapted…