JiBiru Japanese Craft Beer Bar

Beer is big in Japan but the more commonly available ones in Singapore are Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo. For unique and hard-to-find brands from across Japan, look no further than JiBiru Japanese Craft Beer Bar by the same people behind Oosters. Meaning "local beer" in Japanese, JiBiru serves an exhaustive list of fine Japanese handcrafted brews, many of which have won accolades around the world. In fact, Japan's increasingly famous artisanal beers are brewed using a wide range of styles including ingredients and processes traditionally seen in the making of sake or shochu as well as produce found local to the brewery. Right smack in the middle of Orchard Road yet away from the bustle, it sits along Discovery Walk at 313@somerset with other drinking holes like Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant and Malones Irish Restaurant and Bar. And opposite Oriole Café and Bar at Pan Pacific Serviced Suites.

After passing by the alfresco place many times, finally found a good excuse to visit recently. It was a weekday evening and we sat at a wooden table with backless benches. Saw a signboard highlighting its craft beer and yakitori, from the Saitama region north of Tokyo where pork is used in addition to the traditional chicken. According to the website, its award-winning sauces are directly imported from the Hibiki yakitori restaurants of Higashi-Matsuyama. Ordered a bottle of Hitachino Nest (Kiuchi Brewery, Ibaraki) Red Rice Ale made with, what else but Japanese red rice. Supposed to display complex sake-like flavours and malt sweet notes, it was smooth and bitter-sweet though I could not detect hints of strawberries. Also tried Kinschachi Beer (Land Brewery, Nagoya) Imperial Chocolate Weizen – the German-style dark wheat beer made with chocolate malt had a faint aroma of chocolate and coffee but not banana.

Instead of going for the value-for-money mixed yakitori set, we decided to start with a few yakitori and tempura in case the food was unpalatable. Had Shisomaki, premium Japanese pork belly wrapped around shiso and Bara, premium Japanese pork belly and onion. The former was too salty for my liking and the latter so sinfully fat that I found it hard to swallow. Other pork dishes, namely Yakiton (pork shoulder and spring onion) and Bacon Tomato, were better. Could neither rave about nor fault the tempura – shishamo, prawn, mushroom, brinjal and bell pepper. Just like previous food items, the Japanese fishcake and deep-fried chicken wings did not impress. But loved how the grilled stuff was interspersed with deep-fried ones, either due to staff's thoughtfulness or coincidence. Indeed a flavourful, modern and maybe authentic Japanese beer drinking experience in a casual and relaxed ambience.