From The Straits Times    |
Food review: Maison Ikkoku

Food review: Maison Ikkoku interiorsStreets still lined with shophouses are a sight more welcome to many than the glass-and-metal sleekness of modern, high-rise buildings … Call it nostalgia if you wish, even if it’s an age that some of us have never lived through.

These days, such streets are thronged with fewer old trades, more restaurants and, most recently, a string of artisanal coffee cafes. Eco-chic newcomer Maison Ikkoku is one such recent addition to the Kampong Glam area; but it comes with a difference.

Maison Ikkoku doesn’t just serve up good cups of java. It is a cafe, a multi-label menswear boutique and a bar, all within one three-storey shophouse.

Loosely translated as the “House of the Moment”, Maison Ikkoku is just streets away from the busier Arab Street and Haji Lane.

Its three-in-one concept aims to create a comfortable shopping and dining experience for its customers. Visitors can browse the boutique without feeling pressurised to buy; they can “think about it over a coffee” and maybe a muffin or two.

The cafe’s decor will grab your attention from the get-go. Spot the antique cupboards on the ceiling, looking as if they’re suspended in time, having mysteriously sunk through the floorboards of the second floor.

In actuality, of course, the cupboards have been sawed in half to achieve this optical illusion. The bottom half of this furniture makes for quirky decor while the top half is part of the actual display shelves on the second storey, in Maison Ikkoku’s menswear boutique.

Food review: Maison Ikkoku interiors, close up  Food review: Maison Ikkoku menswear boutique, Singapore
Maison Ikkoku’s cafe and menswear boutique

So what are the aesthetics of Maison Ikkoku? Look to shophouse interiors, we say. Raw industrial decorative fixtures are paired with a sleek, minimalist look at Maison Ikkoku, much like the brands that they stock at their boutique.

Clothes, shoes and accessories by cult labels and upcoming designers from France, Japan and the United States have been specially selected and brought in.

Expect to see designs from denim specialist Kuro, the glam-rock style of Lad Musician and eco-conscious brands like Twins For Peace and Industry of All Nations.

Bring your stylish guy friends or your boyfriend along; this time, they can’t complain that they’re left out of loop when you’re out shopping with them at this precinct.

Only menswear will be stocked at this boutique but if you like what you see, keep your eyes peeled. This boutique’s success may lead to another similar womens wear store in the future.

 Food review: Maison Ikkoku peanut butter cupcakes, Singapore Food review: Maison Ikkoku coffee in Singapore 
 Have a peanut butter cupcake ($4.80) with a cup of the classic cappuccino ($5.50);
or try the MI Latte ($6), Maison Ikkoku’s specialty latte

Being the coffee nuts that we are, we’re certainly not complaining about the arrival of another artisanal coffee stop.

To ensure quality brews at Maison Ikkoku, the cafe staff have been trained by Japanese celebrity barista, Hiroshi Sawada. The celebrity barista had been in Singapore briefly to share his expertise in coffee-making and latte art with the Maison Ikkoku team: Look forward to large, well-brewed cups of coffee topped with attractive foam art.

The best bit about this temporal art? You can keep most of the latte art intact as you’re sipping your coffee. Most customers enjoy their well-brewed coffees from start to finish, without stirring and disrupting the lovely latte art.

Even with no sugar added to the coffees, these pleasantly sweet drinks make artificial sweeteners quite unnecessary. Unless you’re completely averse to the natural bitterness of coffee — however slight — in which case we’ll suggest a different drink altogether.

   Food review: Maison Ikkoku pork bun kong bak bao, Singapore Food review: Maison Ikkoku musubi, Singapore Food review: Maison Ikkoku spicy chicken and gruyere sandwich, Singapore
The MI pork bun kong bak bao ($3.90), MI musubi ($3)
and the spicy chicken and gruyere sandwich ($12.90)

It’s a cosy setup at the cafe: Most of the house specialties and baked produce are homemade from scratch.

You wouldn’t think so — and we’re telling you now — but this cafe does serve a juicy and not too oily kong ba bao. The braised pork belly bun is a must-try, even if the more health-conscious diners will squirm at that oh-so-sinful layer of fat.

Another interesting menu item is the MI musubi; a savoury snack inspired by the commonplace Spam musubi in Hawaii. A close cousin of the Japanese onigiri, this snack is made from Japanese short grain rice with seasoning and SPAM’s luncheon meat. Do try their spicy chicken and gruyere sandwich, if you’re hungry for a proper lunch.

We also recommend the cafe’s carrot cake ($6), decorated with a circle of cute carrot-shaped icing. Homemade by one of the four owners of Maison Ikkoku, the cake is enjoyably spongy and soft; plus the cream cheese icing is light and not too rich, so it’s no chore to finish up this teatime treat.

Look forward to enjoying a picture-perfect view of the Singapore Flyer on the third floor. Although Maison Ikkoku’s bar section is due to open only in November, its boutique and its cafe will give you all the more reason to make a trip to 20 Kandahar Street.

Maison Ikkoku is located at 20 Kandahar Street and is open from 9am to 10pm on Mondays to Thursdays and public holidays, 9am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 9am to 6pm on Sundays. For more information, email café@maison-ikkoku.net or boutique@maison-ikkoku.net, or call 6294-0078.