Hybrid bar food at Sake Labo

NEW RESTAURANT

Sake Labo Singapore 29 Stanley Street Singapore 068738 Tel: 8764 6758 Open for dinner only Mon to Sat: 5pm to 10.30pm

WE learned a new word the other day: japas. It's not as catchy as 'tapas', nor as straightforward as 'Japan'. It's a convenient portmanteau created by an eatery that excels at neither Spanish nor Japanese cuisine, and settles for an awkward hybrid that is not likely to start a trend beyond its front door.

You can't blame Sake Labo for trying though. It's one of many sake bars to have sprung up in Singapore and the only way to beat the Japanese at their own game is to not be like them. So this new bar-eatery on Stanley Street blends Spanish tapas, Japanese ingredients and a Singapore accent, and hopes for the best.

The space itself has a cosy-casual vibe that tries to capture the dark-with-a-golden-glow feel of Japanese bars. Back-lit recessed shelves show off bottles of Japanese whisky with the same unattainable air of Haneda airport duty-free displays of out of stock Hibiki. Furnishing is sparse and none too comfortable with bar counter seating or at high tables. The unspoken priority is clear: drink lots of sake first, and eat second. If you do it the other way round, you won't get drunk enough to not scrutinise the food. And we are very sober.

But if you don't want to be, there's a comprehensive sake menu to show you which Japanese prefecture grows what kind of rice, and how fruity, dry or sweet its sake is. Nifty symbols and brief descriptions mean you can easily make your choice without the help of a sake sommelier, because there is none around. Sake pricing starts from S$70 for 720ml bottles only (with just one or two smaller options), which makes group dining almost a must here. Service is functional, and your food is delivered by a pleasant young man with the speed and distraction of one who's left a very volatile pot simmering on the kitchen stove.

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The first thing to arrive is an agreeable hot plate of six fairly large prawns bathed in a milky sake kasu (S$25) - a sweet-savoury rich broth with the fragrance of sake and the oomph of garlic. The prawns are decent quality but inconsistent in texture - typical of what's sold in local markets.

We have to say that Gardenia sandwich loaf is put to good use with the Spanish tapas favourite, bikini (S$15). Crisp yet tender toasted slices are sandwiched with a jamon spread of roughly chopped cured ham, which needs a dab of the accompanying garlic aioli for a rich finish.

A sizzling platter of fried potatoes, chorizo and runny egg (S$15) ticks off the comfort boxes apart from the over-salted cubes of chorizo that are guaranteed thirst-inducers (sake bar, remember). The nice young man stops long enough to tell us to mix everything into a homey mess of tender potatoes enveloped in a yolk-enriched coating with the occasional salt attack from the wicked sausage bits.

Potatoes seem to be the kitchen's forte, because the best dish is likely the Capas de Patata (S$10) - compressed layers of sliced potatoes deep fried for a contrast of crispy edges and melting-soft interior. Dabs of spicy aioli, tobiko and chives complete the deal.

You'll want to stick to the house specials as indicated on the menu because straying off that path is a step into the unknown. Like the misguided puffs de bacalao (S$10) - airy dry potato-codfish balls that cannot be saved by their deep-fried tempura crust.

Then again, even the signature dishes don't always live up to their self-acclaimed prowess, like the truffle somen (S$25) which is a claggy tangle of cold somen in a cloying truffle-infused cream with lots of dried sakura ebi for added interest, a large dollop of Avruga caviar and tobiko which is sprinkled more out of habit than anything else.

The kaisen paella (S$48) arrives looking slightly under the weather - pale mushy rice cooked in a supposed lobster broth that seems more like a mix of dashi, clams and little nubs of dried scallops we find scattered throughout. We get in a few pleasant bites before we tire of it, as well as the tasteless clams on top which have sacrificed what precious juices they had for the ungrateful rice.

The signature fried chicken (S$15) is an eye-catching snack that has potential if it doesn't swing from japas to jachapas - an odd mix of plump chicken thigh pieces marinated Chinese style in sesame oil and wine, deep-fried in charcoal batter that is uncooked and pasty in parts, topped with bright pink Japanese fish floss and Spanish garlic aioli.

Sake Labo has good intentions but a weak concept that needs work, plus some personality to go with its promising interior design. Given the lay of the land at the drinks-centric Stanley Street, it can survive just fine as a well-located sake-centric watering hole with filler food. But if it has any loftier ambitions, it's got to widen its vocabulary a little more.

Rating: 5.5

DINING OUT WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN

10: The ultimate dining experience9-9.5: Sublime8-8.5: Excellent7-7.5: Good to very good6-6.5: Promising5-5.5: Average

Our review policy: The Business Times pays for all meals at restaurants reviewed on this page. Unless specified, the writer does not accept hosted meals prior to the review's publication.