WHERE: Esora Restaurant, Singapore Nestled inside a heritage shophouse, Esora Restaurant is a Japanese kappo-style fine dining restaurant. Translated to mean “cut and cook”, the Kappo affair comprises the chef concocting a multi-course meal in front of diners for them to witness and admire an intimate culinary process. Furnished with pale minimalist decor and blonde wood finishings reminiscent of Japanese paper screen doors, patrons can immerse themselves in the modern Zen of this quaint setting. Chef-owner Shigeru Koizumi’s forte resides in his intimate attention to detail – with a distinctively light palate, his cooking techniques often deliver a deep sense of tranquillity and relaxation to his diners. Bask in the ultimate Esora experience with the most comforting food on their menu: the ochazuke – a simple dish featuring a bowl of steamed rice partially steeped in hot tea or savoury dashi. Usually served as a heartening end to a meal, this Japanese classic is well-loved and thoughtfully prepared at Esora.
teaculture
TEA-RAPY READ: A Guide On How To Socialise again
For the introvert who requires a lot of time alone to regain energy, the previous months of limited social interaction during the early circuit breaker has been like a respite of sorts, ridding us of the awkwardness of desynchronized face-to-face conversations and the attendant withering regret that will haunt us before we go to bed. Alas, as we begin to enter the third week of phase two, more of us will eventually be going back to familiar social spheres — family dinners, business meetings, date nights, etc. This feeling of seeing people in the flesh is undeniably a welcome relief from zoom fatigue and extended on-screen time, especially so for most of our extroverted friends who have been counting down since phase one. However, for those who enjoy the sweetness of solitude or lost touch with in-person communication, as the end of the social restrictions looms near, they are – unfortunately – besieged by the pressure of relearning how to
TEA IS FOR TRAVEL: platform.
WHERE: platform., Singapore Sometimes a new experience can be just a stone’s throw away. Sequestered in the bustle of Singapore’s CBD, platform. – a drink studio – is a comforting pocket of quietude for the souls who enjoy the sweetness of being alone with a fine brew. In the day, the cream white of platform.‘s interior is illuminated by natural light flooding in, providing the perfect backdrop for your #aesthetic snap. By night, the space transforms and gives off a different kind of energy that makes you want to hit pause on life and linger there with its soft ambient lighting and the buzz from their delicious concoctions. Nothing about the place is an afterthought: from the distinctly minimalist furnishing to the carefully curated menu of cocktails and light bites. Recognized as one of the top new bars in 2019, platform. serves up enticing cocktails that combine the layered flavor of tea and the intoxicating allure of alcohol in innovative
TEA-RAPY READ: How to find your Ikigai and navigate through life
5 MINUTES READ Aren’t we all glad to finally see the light at the end of the circuit breaker? Some of us came out as newly-minted masterchefs, or at least with a fresh new outlook on life. But for some of us who could not adjust to the disrupted life rhythm on top of being socially marooned from friends, we struggle to feel motivated. Well, we can relate. During the course of the circuit breaker, the teapasar team learned to take stock about life through “ikigai” (pronounced Ick-ee-guy). In Japan, millions of people practice this time-honoured concept – it is the philosophical battery powering them through their daily grind to find fulfilment between the cross-section of their values, things they like to do, what they can get paid for, and things they are good at. Those are the questions worth ruminating while sipping a good cup of sencha. Shop: Organic Sencha Green Tea (80g loose leaf), Chill Tea Tokyo, $57.80
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TEA IS FOR TRAVEL: Mixology Salon
WHERE: Mixology Salon, Tokyo In a city where the traditional converges with the avant-garde, Mixology Salon sits at the center and offers creative tea-inspired spirits using a curated collection of premium teas leaves – from hojicha-infused bourbon and soba cha vodka to oolong tea-flavoured rum and sencha gin – in a relaxed and understated nook atop Ginza Six shopping mall. Their star mixologist Shuzo Nagumo introduced “teatail”, which became the ne plus ultra of their menu. Using Gyokuro – regarded as the highest quality of green tea natively – a cocktail course is charged with three different levels of infusion so you can savor the nuances between each tea strength. There is a certain ceremony to the experience that is quintessentially Japanese: to complete the course, you will be served with a smoked oyster soy sauce finished with the residual Gyokuro tea leaves. If you hit the bar during the right time of the year, you might get to try
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