The folks behind Ume San 100 — yes, the quirky speakeasy hidden behind a row of vending machines in Fortune Centre — have unveiled their latest venture, Ume Maru.

They pride themselves as being Singapore’s first secret craft whisky and bespoke cocktail bar inspired by Jimbōchō Book Town, a well-known area in Tokyo, Japan filled with hundreds of bookstores.

It’s tucked away in Far East Plaza behind a row of floor-to-ceiling shelves lined with manga comics, Japanese literature, and graphic magazines.

Once you enter, you’ll be greeted by an casual 40-seater space decked out in hanging book-shaped lights, wooden furnishings, and even a comics corner for your reading pleasure.

True to its concept, the menu boasts an exciting line-up of cocktails inspired by renowned anime and manga titles like Naruto, Death Note, and One Piece, just to name a few. Let’s just say that anime enthusiasts are in for a treat!

For instance, fans of the Studio Ghibli classic Princess Mononoke can go for the Light Of Nara (S$22), a sweet and fruity blend of muscat and nashi (pear) umeshu, rose vermouth, and persimmon vinegar. Fun fact: it’s inspired by the Forest Spirit, or Shishigami (Deer God).

There’s also the Songbird (S$22), which pairs homemade strawberry umeshu with vodka, sakura, lavender, and citrus — it gets its vibrant red hue from the iconic gown worn by Suzu in animated sci-fi film Belle.

As a matcha fanatic, I can’t wait to return for the Matxha (S$22), a refreshing concoction of matcha umeshu, matcha tea, elderflower, and yuzu marmalade. It takes a leaf from the animes K-On! and Hyouka, both of which feature matcha-loving characters.

But if classic cocktails are more up your alley, you’ll probably get a good laugh out of the Hentai Martini (S$23), a riff on the P*rnstar Martini, as well as the Tokyopolitan (S$23), which replaces the vodka and orange liqueur with shiso umeshu and homemade shiso syrup.

Otherwise, keep it simple with their ever-so-reliable selection of umeshu, whisky, and highballs.

Naturally, you’d want to pair your tipples with hearty izakaya-style bar bites like Truffle Fries with Spicy Mentai (S$14), Mala Karaage (S$16), and Wagyu Kushi (S$24), tender and buttery grilled wagyu skewers.

Feeling a little more peckish? Order the Truffle Hotplate Maki (S$20), a maki roll comprising baked unagi, salmon, kyuri (Japanese cucumber) and tempura bits served on a hotplate. You’re supposed to top it off with the accompanying truffle cream — pretty tasty, only if you don’t mind having your sushi warm.

I preferred the Kitsune Udon (S$22), which sees a fried tofu pouch topped with minced beef and spring onions, that breaks apart to reveal inaniwa udon in a light yet comforting dashi broth.

For something more refreshing, the Yuzu Soba (S$24), chewy matcha soba tossed in a tangy yuzu sauce with pan-seared scallops, may be right up your alley.

The food is on the pricey side, and so I’d recommend grabbing dinner elsewhere and heading down for drinks afterwards. After all, where else would you be able to geek out over your favourite manga series while enjoying crafted cocktails at the same time?

Reservations can be made here.

Ume Maru
Instagram
Far East Plaza, #05-26/26A, Singapore 228213
12pm–2pm, 5pm–11pm (Daily)

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Photos by Christabel Tan

The post Sip on Hentai Martinis & Naruto-inspired cocktails alongside Japanese street eats at this hidden manga-themed bar in town appeared first on Confirm Good.

You’d get asked “are we scheduled for a fitting today?” when you step into the unassuming shopfront, before getting ushered into the fitting room which slides open to reveal a secret room like in that tailor scene in Kingsman.

Inside, you’d find the true guise of Taylor Adam — a swanky speakeasy bar dressed up with a old-time suaveness and a quaint British flair that will help you charm the socks off of your date.

So just kick back and lounge in a comfy spot of the bar then order a drink, or ten — the drinks are specially concocted by mixology expert Andrew Pang who is also the Beam Suntory Regional Brand Ambassador.

For the most immersive experience, Andrew has curated an interesting medley of 12 drinks (all priced at S$22.80) for Taylor Adam which were tailored on tales of Singapore’s dealings with countries all over the UK and Commonwealth.

Suntory fans would feel right at home here because there will be quite a few Suntory spirits in the mix. An easy-to-drink tipple that uses their popular Roku gin is the Pulau Sentosa (S$22.80) which puts a fun twist on the iconic Singapore Sling using Roku gin, Aperol, coconut syrup, and sparkling wine.

Those looking for something wacky and unapologetically British can order the adventurously named LSD (S$22.80) which takes some vibrant inspirations from The Beatles hit song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.

If you’re a fan of classics, you can find many spruced up reimagining of classics at Taylor Adam such as the New York, New York (S$22.80) which is a play on the Manhattan, and a Vesper Martini (S$22.80) that utilises the elegance of 2 of Suntory’s signature spiritws in Roku Gin and Haku Vodka.

For those wondering if the tailor shop is just for show — no, you can actually make an appointment to be measured for a bespoke outfit there. So, the next time you need to slip away for a bit, just tell your colleagues you have to go get a suit fitted — your “fitting” will be quite an invigorating morale booster.

You can make a reservation here.

Taylor Adam
Facebook | Instagram
???? 1 Raffles Pl, #01-03, Singapore 048616
???? 5pm–10:30pm (Mon to Sat)

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Even now when we’re grown up, the sight of an iconic mama shop can still make us light up with nostalgia. If you’re one of the nostalgic old souls, you’d be charmed by the new Mama Diam hidden bar down at Prinsep.

Walking past it, you’d mistake it as a bunch of old-school blue-tiled HDB tables and wooden kopitiam tables laid out in front of a mama shop. However, once you waltz past the alfresco area to the unmanned shopfront, you might realise that the magazine shelf of the lifelike mama shop facade looks a bit wrong.

Not because of all the risque magazines stuffed into it, but because it’s actually a sliding door that you can pry open to enter Mama Diam’s actual space. Nothing more exciting than a stylish hidden bar that you need to go on a hunt for.

Now, here’s where the fun starts because the retro Singaporean theme extends to the food as well. You can find many local-inspired dishes created by the same people behind the cosy Asian-fusion skewer bar A Sticky Situation.

Some quirky ideas that Mama Diam came up with include a Herbal Bak Kut Teh Udon (S$15) which features udon soaked in a comforting pool of the classic local soup and Crab Kueh Pai Tee (S$13) which is a spin on the Peranakan tartlets using crab meat and a punchy gochujang sauce.

Other interesting items include the Pork Belly Char Siu Tacos (S$13/3pcs), Drunken Chicken Roulade (S$13/6pcs), and Zha Jiang Mian Linguine (S$13).

If you’re an indecisive person like me though, get their 9 Bites of Wonder (S$38), which lets you sample some of Mama Diam’s best offerings before committing to an order. Hey, some of us have commitment issues too.

And if you’re having trouble over those commitment issues, then you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone and drown your sorrows with their alcoholic creations, which playfully invoke memories of childhood.

Here, you can enjoy your favourite snacks in the form of sweet garnishes to boozy drinks like Rosie (S$16), now that you have a bit more pocket money. Or if you need to spill some tea on your scumbag ex, Mama Diam’s Is It Tea You’re Looking For? (S$19/glass, S$28/a pot) lets you choose between Oolong or Lychee.

Or you can just blitz your lights out with their charming local-inspired Shooters (S$10/shot, S$48/6 shots) including Paddle Pop, Milo, and Kaya Toast. Either way, we can foresee everyone having great fun, reminiscing like overaged kids in the nostalgic fittings of this charming speakeasy.

Mama Diam Bar
Website | Facebook | Instagram
???? 38 Prinsep Street, #01-01, Singapore 188665
????️ 4pm–10:30pm (Mon–Sat)

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