Chikin

Singapore’s First Sichuan Yakitori Bar

Singapore’s First Sichuan Yakitori Bar

Kooky-kitsch wallcoverings extend to the ceiling, featuring characters from Japanese anime Astroboy, and Sailor Moon’s cat, Luna.

From its name, Chikin – “chicken” in colloquial Japanese – to its Doraemon filled window on its facade, everything about this yakitori bar will appear to the unsuspecting passer-by as yet another izakaya. However, you will find that its grilled chicken skewers come not with the traditional Japanese sauce, but a tongue-tingling Sichuan peppercorn, or , version instead.

By the same folks who brought you Cantonese tapas bar Sum Yi Tai at Boon Tat Street, Chikin shares a similar fusion food concept with its sister bar – this time, marrying Japanese grilled skewers with the mouthwatering flavours of Sichuan cuisine. Even the type of building in which the bar is housed – a three-storey conservation shophouse – is the same.

Explaining this particular affinity, co-founder and chief operating officer of Coterie Dining Concepts Sandra Sim says that the structure allows for a unique dining experience on each floor. The ground floor is for casual drinks along the bar counter, comfortable sit-down dining is reserved on the second, and a reservations-only private karaoke room can be found on the top floor.

The charm of a conservation shophouse lies also in the ability to contrast tradition and heritage with a bold, almost irreverent, interior design. Plastered across the walls are paintings and installations that feature a myriad of characters from Japanese popular culture, and illuminated by neon lights – these are done by Cheah Wei Chun, who runs creative consultancy Clanhouse.

Chikin wants to show that Asian dining can be different and fun – after paying it a visit, we are convinced that it really is.