What was 87 Club Street – and Club Street Wine Room before that – is now Mizue, a Japanese-style cafe by day, and a wine-focused gastrobar by night.
Hybrid concept venues are becoming increasingly common, as much by necessity in order to maximise operating hours – and therefore revenue – as it is to offer diners more reasons to visit. In Mizue’s case, it is styled as a modern take on the kissaten cafe during the day, which then transitions into a wine bar come evening.
In other words, it’s 87 Club Street but also serves coffee and cafe eats during the day.
Which isn’t a bad thing at all. In fact, both Mizue head chef Vikern Chua and general manager Myra Buccat are holdovers, stalwarts who held 87 Club Street together through some challenging times until its transformation into this current form.
The two run the show now.
Decor here remains largely unchanged, which means Mizue still looks more like the wine room it was and nary a whiff of the retro Japanese cafes it’s supposedly inspired by. Still it’s a lovely spot to escape into during the day for some coffee and a bite of lunch.
The day menu is built around familiar contemporary cafe favourites, but with a Japanese twist. Think Avocado Toast, but spiked with togarashi for a spicy hit. Or a Cubano, an Oriental take on the beloved traditional Cuban sandwich that sees Japanese-style braised pork belly and house-made pickles pressed into a panini.
Otherwise there’s the Mizue Salmon Grain Bowl, a hearty yet healthy bowl bursting with nutrients for those concerned about their macros.
The menu is completely different in the evenings, if still offering the Japanese-accented contemporary culinary approach that will not be out of place at high street corners in big metropolises like Melbourne, London, or Los Angeles.
Start, for example, with the likes of the unctuous and moreish fritters that are Corn & Miso Korroke or, even better, the sublime Whipped Burrata. What should have been pretty standard fior de latte was elevated with a dusting of frozen momotaro tomato that, along with a citrus vinegar and oil dressing, somehow gave it cheesecake vibes. Delicious.
Be sure to order some pasta too; Chef Vikern spent a stint at Pasta Bar and the experience shows; his Pappardelle Kombu Beef Ragu is consummately executed, the rich meat sauce and perfectly al dente pasta sheets intertwined and draped over each other like long-lost lovers finally reunited.
We heard good things about the Scallop Maitake Risotto and Carbonara Udon too, but those are for another time. We needed space for dessert, an amazing confection construct – whose name escapes me now – that is part brownie, part opera cake, and altogether yummy.
The evening drinks menu at Mizue has moved away from its wine-focused past and is now wonderfully eclectic. There’s still a large selection of wine, of course, encompassing mostly New World wines particularly of the minimal intervention, boutique winery sort. But now there’s sake too, with currently around two score bottles to choose from, as well as some fun sake-based liqueurs as well.
Mizue turned out to be a surprise for cocktails too. They aren’t high-brow, but they are extremely serviceable. The Shisou Collins provided a refreshing, citrusy way to wash down any meal, but it was the Houjicha Old Fashioned that really impressed with its roasted tea notes that added depth to the classic, as did a Japanese twist on the Negroni using shochu in lieu of gin. Pro-tip: Pop by early evenings for its fantastic happy hour deals.
To be honest I can’t remember the last time I wanted to drop in on 87 Club Street; the more comprehensive offerings of Mizue makes it a far more attractive draw.
[Photo credits: Mizue]
Mizue
Address 87 Club St, Singapore 069455 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 6pm to 12am on Tuesdays; 10am to 3pm and 6pm to 12am Wednesdays to Saturdays; 10am to 4pm on Sundays; closed on Mondays
Tel (65) 9639 5914
Web mizue.restaurant
Instagram @mizuesg
Reservations book here
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