Modern take on seasonal traditions

TO REACH the latest offering by the Proper Concepts group, one enters their handroll bar Rappu and heads through the curtains on the right. Beside the staircase that leads upwards, a neon sign on the wall proclaims: "GOHO or go home."

GOHO’s aesthetic – dark wood, concrete, neon accents – complements the restaurant bar’s modern take on the traditional concept of kaiseki, a Japanese multi-course meal rooted in seasonality.

The menu for spring, for instance, features seasonal seafood such as Spanish mackerel, aged and served as sashimi; and firefly squid, lightly grilled for the "donabe" or claypot rice dish, with the rice also cooked in a squid broth.

The bar’s name itself refers to 5 cooking methods integral to kaiseki: cutting, simmering, grilling, steaming, and deep-frying.

“The versatility in showcasing a wider spectrum of Japanese flavours and cooking techniques really appealed to us,” says managing director and co-founder Leong Sheen Jet.

GOHO’s beverage programme has two pillars: optional alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage pairings for its three kaiseki menus; and a range of cocktails, sake and umeshu, as well as a wide variety of Japanese spirits.

For the former, the alcoholic beverage pairing starts with sparkling sake as an aperitif, and includes natural wines and varieties of sake.

“You’ll also find a crisp craft beer from Niigata prefecture to cut through the richness of our scallop and corn tempura, and a red plum and green tea cold brew to pair with the duck tsukune,” adds Leong, who believes no other Japanese joint in town has a beverage pairing menu “as sophisticated and varied”.

Running almost the full length of the second-floor shophouse space is the bar counter, behind which are shelves bearing flowers, bottles of spirits, pottery, and even a katana on a stand. This is where the kaiseki service takes place – though it is also perfectly possible to just turn up for a drink.

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Whether at small tables along a cushioned bench or in the cosy mezzanine above, tipplers can choose from cocktails with familiar Japanese flavours, such as the Reverse Yuzu Plum Martini and the Honey & Umeshu.

There are dessert-esque rum-based concoctions such as the “sweet, savoury, creamy” Matcha, which features the aforementioned tea alongside coconut cream, topped with white chocolate shavings and a red bean mochi; and the Red Bean, where the namesake ingredient meets milk tea, salted 'macchiato' foam, and pearls.

Then there are culturally-inflected classics, such as the Japanese 75 – a gold-dusted version of the French 75 with Roku Gin, shiso umeshu, and sparkling sake – and the Miso Butter Old Fashioned, with miso-buttered Suntory Kakubin whisky, smoked gula melaka, Japanese cypress bitters, and caramelised orange sugar.

When the summer season starts in July, the bar will introduce seasonal cocktails with ingredients such as Japanese cherries, plums, and peaches, said Leong.

Drinkers not partaking of the kaiseki can instead order bar snacks such as takoyaki karaage, duck katsu, and the decadent Mt Goho: a parfait of uni, wagyu, fatty tuna, ikura, snow crab, and caviar on sushi rice.

Matcha

• 30ml Sailor Jerry spiced rum
• 20ml coconut cream
• 2 bar spoons of matcha
• Garnish with red bean mochi and white chocolate shavings