Here’s a good motto to start 2025: follow the café’s ethos to “slow it down, live it up”. A kissaten is a traditional Japanese café with an emphasis placed on slower, more intentional social interactions and exchanges of ideas between guests. Mizue boasts a peaceful oasis during the day, a quiet nook for coffee and laid-back beats. Come night, and the rhythm of the day picks up, along with a more plentiful menu and pronounced beats.

A delightful and delicate Shisou Collins, pair this with the Salmon Grain Bowl.

Cocktails here have a Japanese twist, like the Houjicha Old Fashioned (S$25) with roasted tea-infused Makers Mark and Okinawa brown sugar. A clever margarita twist is the Kappa’s Breakfast ($28), shaken with mezcal, Japanese cucumber, coriander, lime and a pinch of green chilli. I particularly liked the Shisou Collins (above, $20), a delicate opener with Koi Shishou Shochu, gin, yuzu and soda water. Oishii, as they say in these parts. Japanese craft beers (by the bottle), shochu and umeshu round out your drinking choices.

The extensive selection of wines and sake are curated by General Manager Myra Bucca.

The wines here are mostly New World (Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Slovenia and beyond) emphasising biodynamic, minimum intervention wines from predominantly younger, boutique vineyards. Japanese wines will debut soon, but there’s plentiful sake here, with 15-20 current varieties broken down into filtered, unfiltered, and aged categories – sourced from numerous prefectures.

Mizue offers Japanese-Italian-inspired bites by Head Chef Vikern Chua.

The menu is ingredient-driven with Japanese inflexions. So a familiar Avocado Toast ($16) is perked up with togarashi, while a Cubano ($18) is stacked with Japanese-style braised pork belly and homemade pickles. My favourite is the Scallop Maitake Risotto ($26), made with Japanese rice simmered with shallots, ginger, sake and dashi – finished with butter and parmesan for an umami hit. I wish we had more time and space for the Japanese King Crab Ravioli.

> Lunch Special. From now till the end of February, all lunch mains are one-for-one.

More momo.

Highly recommended is the dessert: Yon chocolate, tuilles (tres well done), chestnut puree and sunchoke ice cream. Pair that with a momo and you’re good to go go.

The minimalistic décor is accented by chocolate brown leather sofas and retro Edison hanging lightbulbs.

This is my first review of the year, and I do like the effortless charm of the cafe, which is minimalist but warm. Am looking forward to some afternoon coffees here too. 

> From now to end of February, mains from the lunch menu are one-for-one. Water deal, eh?

Mizue, 87 Club St, Singapore 069455

Tel: +65 9639-5914

Email: reserve@mizue.restaurant

Opening Hours: 

Tuesday, 6 pm–late. Wednesday – Saturday, 10 am–3 pm / 6 pm – late. Sunday, 10 am– 4 pm.  Monday, closed.

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