Ginkyō | Modern Japanese Bistro at the newest mall in Holland Village
One Holland Village has been abuzz with activities and residents must be thrilled at the new additions to the enclave, particularly with the F&B options (some pet-friendly too!). We paid a visit to One Holland Village to check out Ginkyō, the sister restaurant of Kinki Restaurant + Bar located at Customs House. Similar to Kinki, Ginkyō brings contemporary Japanese fare, this time in a more lively and causal setting.
Ginkyō exudes elegance with the soothing neutral palette and warm lighting whilst maintaining its laid-back vibes. Ginkyo’s menu is rather versatile, with small bites to pair with their creative cocktails, hearty mains and sharing dishes – a plethora of options! You can expect a range of interesting cocktails from Ginkyō, being the sister restaurant of Kinki. This time, we tried their Japonica ($20), their take on Pisco Sour with a mix of Roku gin and fresh passionfruit. Clean in taste but definitely not light in booze. We have some small bites to recommend that we thought paired well with the cocktails. The first is this Truffle Fat Wings ($19). The chicken wings are stuffed with truffle rice and edamame. The best part is that these wings are boneless – so no need for unglamorous moments of picking out the chicken bones. Take a generous bite to savour the truffle fragrance. A dish exclusive to Ginkyō (and not served at Kinki) is the Ginkyō Crispies. We had the ones topped with Uni, Caviar and Ikura ($22) topped with some edible gold flakes to up the luxury quotient. The crispy bottom layer is made of rice that has been battered with tempura flour and deep-fried. Although we had to share this plate, I’d probably order a variety of crispies because one is not enough.Another interesting twist on Italian arancini is the Kimchi Onigiri Arancini ($14). Deep-friend kimchi rice is filled with gorgonzola then wrapped in seaweed and served with kimchi aioli for a little kick of spice. The flavours for this are heavier because of the gorgonzola but the kimchi slaw tempers with that.From the raw section, we tried the Swordfish Ceviche ($19), a Peruvian inspired dish. Swordfish is tossed in piquant salsa and served alongside very thin crispy rice crackers. This combination works because the barely-there rice crackers adds some needed crunch and the tangy salsa tantalised and prepared our stomachs for the mains. The first main we had is quite theatrical – the Hamburg Wagyu ($36). A4 Wagyu patty sits atop a bed of crispy rice and burdock chips. Egg is whisked and poured over the dish before serving so you’ll see the tamago cooking before you. The crispy rice reminds us of guo ba (rice that has been slightly overcooked so it has that charred flavour and crispy texture). I saved the best for the last – the Okonomi-Rosti ($30). It is a quirky take on the traditional okonomiyaki with shredded potatoes as the base instead of a pancake, along with cabbage, bacon and Hokkaido scallops topped with a generous amount of bonito flakes that dances. It is finished with mentaiko sauce and shredded seaweed. Cut it up like you would a pizza and dig in. It is so moreish and yummy I would definitely order this again on my next visit!
As part of its opening promotion, we heard that ShopFarEast members get to enjoy 1-for-1 mains (complimentary miso char siew), valid till 31 December 2023. Enjoy the good deal and also pop by the new mall. Ginkyō is tucked at the corner of the third level so it makes for a good date night too!