Food and beverage operator Coterie Dining Concepts are going the Connected Universe route with their bars and eateries (we’ll explain) — and its latest addition to the crossover is named: Chi Kinjo.
What is Chi Kinjo? Essentially, it’s a modern sushi bar and highball den along Stanley Street.
But what Coterie Dining wants you to ask instead is — who is Chi Kinjo? (Stay with us.)
Here’s what we learned on a recent visit to the restaurant: Chi Kinjo is an heiress to a powerful Japanese family who had a falling out with her whole clan and flew to Hong Kong to reunite with her long-lost lover Dai Lo. Dai Lo, however, now has another woman by his side — a lady named Mona (you may know “her” as backroom bar Mona Lounge) as his third wife (in Cantonese, “Sum Yi Tai”, yet another gastro-lounge concept). Mona is also the stepmother of Eliza (cocktail club Eliza).
Whew. We’re getting there, folks.
Now that you’re all caught up with the epic saga, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Chi Kinjo would be Coterie Concepts’ entry into the world of sushi and highballs. And the spot is literally split into those two regions, with the upper level holding a cozy (read: small) sushi and izakaya, while the shadowy basement is a chic bar with Japanese-influenced cocktails alongside a curated selection of sake, whiskey, gin, and other potent libations.
As compact as the modern-sushi restaurant is, however, the menu is offering a pretty wide range of items — but, be prepared to wait a wee bit longer due to a small kitchen team. Respect where respect is due, though. Chef Lamley Chua doesn’t appear to compromise the quality of his culinary craft just to rush food out the kitchen, and it shows especially in his maki rolls and aburi-style nigiri sushi. The 80s Spicy Tuna Roll ($16) is melt-in-your-mouth good, and provides creamy, smoky bursts of flavor with every bite. On the Aburi Nigiri side ($12 for 2 pieces), the Salmon and Foie Gras is a decadent delight, with the latter marinated in miso and milk to enhance its already fatty flavor to umami-rich levels.
Americanized Japanese sushi they may be, but Chef Lamley ensures that the tradition is respected by way of balancing the complexity of the high-quality ingredients he orders. He also tells us that there’ll be more folks assisting him in the kitchen soon, for faster service, when we inquired about that.
Beyond sushi, the hot menu offers small and big sharing plates, combining bar snacks with heartier options. A firm favorite of the table is the Kaffir Lime Karaage ($15) — deep-fried chunks of chicken, the cuts of which are marinated in kaffir lime beforehand for a zestier, juicier take on the classic snack.
The Smoked Wagyu Steak ($28) takes center stage in the big plates selection (if its position on the menu is any indication). It tastes fine enough, and is aided in flavor with black garlic onion cream, but we can’t say that the dish as a whole stood out to us in any way.
Chi Kinjo’s upcoming plans for a lunch menu, however, sounds intriguing. There’re bento boxes; there’re sushi sandwiches made with Chinese braised pork belly; there’re Hawaiian-style sushi sandwiches with braised spam. That’s the official word, though no dates have been announced yet for when those will get introduced.
The experience at the “Modern Sushi Bar and Highball Den” isn’t complete without the aforementioned highballs, and Chi Kinjo keeps them all very satisfying. The Shisho Watermelon ($14) proved to be the most appetizing of the lot thanks to the refreshing taste of Shisho sake combined with freshly pressed watermelon juice, calamansi, simple syrup, and lemon juice. The Sweet Pear & Rosemary ($16) goes heavy on the floral, fruity notes mixed with Tanqueray Gin; the Gin & Ginger ($16) goes heavy on the alcohol with Tanqueray 10 while balancing out the potency with fresh ginger and mint leaves.
Chi Kinjo’s a whole lot of concept to chew on, but fortunately, the food and drink are worth it.
FIND IT
Chi Kinjo is at 29 Stanley Street
6910-2742. Open Mon to Fri 5pm-1am; Sat 6pm-1am; closed Sundays
MRT: Telok Ayer
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