A craftsman’s approach at The Bar Kakure

SOME secret bars are more secret than others. Getting to this one begins with a reservation. Show up at a colonial black-and-white bungalow on Scotts Road to be welcomed by a host and head upstairs. Along the second-floor corridor is a wall panel with a discreet marking: KAKURE.

Behind that lies The Bar Kakure. Filling the window-lined space is the 10-seater bar itself; against the wall are a pair of two-seater tables. Bartender Kazuhiro Chii prefers serving customers at the bar, so he “can understand the person who orders it”.

Chii eschews terms such as “mixologist” – implying someone who just mixes cocktails – in favour of just being known as a bartender. “The ‘bartender’ is the ‘tender of the bar’,” he explains, managing everything from cocktails to the music.

For him, going to a bar is not simply about paying to have a drink made for you, but enjoying the atmosphere and experience as a whole. Kakure aims to provide what each customers wants, instead of embodying a fixed idea. “I don’t set out any certain concept.”

Similarly, cocktails are just one of the options, alongside beer, champagne, sake and spirits. The cocktail list itself is simple: a page each of classics and originals, the latter also based on classics.

Beauty and the Beast, for instance, is a rose-scented variation of the Balalaika: vodka, Cointreau and lemon juice. It is composed of the building blocks of any cocktail, explains Chii: a spirit, something sweet, and something sour.

For an after-dinner option, there is the Yamaoroshi. This is a version of the Alexander, a classic popularised as the Brandy Alexander but originally comprising gin, cocoa liqueur and cream. The idea of a dessert-like cocktail made Chii think of wasabi chocolate – a common combination in Japan – and led to the addition of freshly grated wasabi.

Just as Kakure adheres to no specific concept, Chii does not aim to create Japanese cocktails per se. He focuses on “just creating a good cocktail” – some of which happen to use Japanese flavours. The Samurai Mule is a sake-based Moscow Mule with yuzu syrup, while the Wa Majito is a shiso-infused mojito with plum wine.

Chii aims not to be too experimental. A guest who says “Surprise me” might not get a flashy Instagram-worthy concoction, even if they “expect something ‘wow’, like fire or smoke”. Here they may receive a martini instead. “Even a classic martini can be surprising,” he says.

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This is due to the degree of craft involved. A gin & tonic may seem basic, but even this can be refined. “There are so many secrets.”

For instance: pour the tonic along the side of the glass, so that it reaches the gin without splattering against the ice – agitating the tonic causes it to lose its carbonation too early. Similarly, stir just once, to preserve the carbonation. Float a dash of soda on top, so that the first sip is refreshing, and the tonic flavour emerges in the next few sips.

If anything characterises Kakure, it is this Japanese craftsman culture of taking pride in such details.

Chii himself is trained in martial arts and the traditional tea ceremony. In the tea ceremony, he notes, the host does not proactively introduce the tea room’s seasonal painting or flower arrangement, nor the pottery used – but if a guest asks, they will be happy to elaborate.

It is the same at Kakure. A martini or gin & tonic will be served without comment – but if a guest notices the difference from the versions they have had elsewhere, Chii will gladly explain. “In those moments, I’m very happy.”

Yamaoroshi 20ml Roku gin infused with dehydrated wasabi 20ml Vedrenne Creme de Cacao White 20ml fresh cream 3g freshly grated wasabi