As some of you may possibly know: MOGA, the modern Japanese Izakaya-inspired cocktail bar, has launched their new menu for quite some time now. Titled Breaking the Norm, it celebrates being unrestrained by tradition and common societal expectations, while respecting the wisdom that can be gleaned from culinary heritage.

Alongside a collection of eight Izakaya cocktails that reinvent the typical Japanese experience, the menu also includes another eight classic cocktails made Modern with the bold flavours of Nippon, a concept that interested me and my tastebuds.

Strangely enough, though, despite the promising news of MOGA’s refresh, I haven’t heard much about whether the drinks themselves are actually refreshing–or whether they even break the norm! So, with an appetite for alcohol and the journalistic need to get the latest sip, I headed to MOGA to sample some of their new menu highlights: these are my thoughts!

Interior

Entering the cocktail bar, I was immediately impressed by how dedicated MOGA was in reinventing the Izakaya experience, down to its architecture. While the interior of the place resembled nothing like the messy but homely taverns of Tokyo I’ve visited, some elements of Japanese influence were clearly visible.

Take the entrance to another seating section, for instance, as demarcated by a wall of shoji. Though traditionally crafted from a wooden frame and paper filling, the room divider here is constructed instead with stainless steel and frosted glass, giving it an industrial aesthetic.

Yet despite the wall’s unorthodox materials, its form and function essentially remain true to its Japanese roots, making this design choice that not only complements the rest of the bar’s moody interior, but also the MOGA philosophy of honouring tradition through reinventing it.

However, even if this detail—and all the other architectural choices like it—felt appropriate, I still found one technically interior element to be out of place, and that’s the music. Personally, I’m fine with Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and even the phonk genre by themselves since they’re all in my playlist anyway.

But even as a fan, I found it amusing that this selection of upbeat hip hop was playing along to the chatter and clatter of salarymen and taitais under mood lighting–a total mismatch between their usual audience of these artists and the clientele of MOGA. It made me think: maybe this aspect of the Izakaya didn’t need to be reworked!

Still, even if typical jazz might’ve been a better fit, this unexpected genre switch made for an entertaining wait while my cocktails were being concocted. If only they played more hardcore rap…I would’ve loved to see how these middle-aged guests would react to Ken Carson!

Dirty Sake-tini

And speaking of cocktails, they’re here! Starting with the Dirty Sake-tini, its namesake is based on the classic dirty martini, with the twist being that it trades out gin for sake and Iichiko Saiten shochu, building layers of mellow rice notes. Meanwhile, vermouth is still used, with the bar choosing to include the popular Mancino Secco. However, the olive brine has been replaced with its house-made pickling brine.

Truth be told: reviewing this without having tried the original feels dirty to me, but ironically, that can’t be said about the drink itself. Upon first sip, the Dirty Sake-tini goes down cleanly with a refreshing body, only leaving a lingering salty kick after it’s been swallowed. It makes for a refreshing pairing with some of the heavier meal options at MOGA, but unfortunately, there is a caveat to this cocktail.

Yes, while the brine brings a bold kick that makes up for the lack of sweetness in a dry martini like this, that kick starts to get old fast after it’s been hitting you in the throat for multiple swigs. It’s a shame that there isn’t a standard variant of this martini on the menu, as I’d love to explore more of the unembellished interplay between the sake, shochu, and vermouth. Oh well, at least the pickle garnish was crunchily good!

Rating: 7/10

The Rising Grape

Next, it’s The Rising Grape–a creation served Ramos Gin Fizz style, capturing the beautifully sweet Kyoho grape and its hometown of Yamanashi prefecture. Besides this Japanese variety, however, the cocktail also features the Muscat grape through a mixture of ABA Pisco, lemon juice, egg white, soda, and cream—making this an especially grape treat!

It’s also seriously Insta-worthy as well, since the bartender (or in our case, Bar Manager Gavin Teverasan) personally comes to your table to top up the cocktail from a ceramic bottle, raising the fragrant foam just like the name promises.

Taste-wise, this drink is really creamy and light. Similarly to how a certain sake I once tried tasted uncannily like Peach Hi-Chew, The Rising Grape’s initial aroma and flavour reminded me instantly of the candy’s grape version. But once those sweet notes fade, a sour tang follows, and by god–it goes wonderfully well with the Pisco’s crisp finish.

My only word of warning for this cocktail is that, just like said sake, it’s dangerously drinkable. Being so wondrously addicting yet so light on its alcoholic flavour, you won’t even realise you’re done with this drink until after you’ve got a face full of froth—so sip slow!

Rating: 10/10

The Frozen Drink

Finally, we reach the cocktail I’ve been most looking forward to: The Frozen Drink. But unlike the $5 milkshake in Pulp Fiction that famously got John Travolta baffled by its lack of Bourbon, this nod to the beloved Matcha Animitsu thankfully has a thick, boozy base of Kujira whiskey, taro and milk.

Then just in case you thought The Rising Grape was sweet, a thicker layer of cream, stewed azuki beans, and a dusting of matcha is added atop this already decadent cocktail, turning it from a simple drink-dessert into a visual statement that tastes as good as it looks.

But putting aside the flavour of this milkshake (spoilers: it’s sweet), what I like most about this sugary shake is actually its textures. Whether it’s the subtle graininess of the stewed azuki beans, the starchy smoothness of the taro, or even the crunchiness of the various biscuits lining the top–every ingredient in The Frozen Drink adds upon another layer of mouthfeel without feeling wasted.

And so as the same wise man from Pulp Fiction also said: “Goddamn, that’s a pretty good fucking milkshake.”

Rating: 10/10

Miso Pavlova

Surprise, I’m reviewing the Miso Pavlova as well! Because hey, the new menu isn’t just about cocktails, and so what better way to end this sugary bender than with an actual dessert that’s…savoury? That’s right: instead of the usual sweet toppings, this dessert comes decorated with miso custard and powder, offering an uncommon umami break from the usual saccharine norm.

However, it actually didn’t taste much like miso at all, probably and paradoxically because it’s so concentrated. Don’t get me wrong, the custard and powder do provide a much-needed salty contrast to the sweet pavlova, but unless you smell it (which I don’t recommend), there’s little in the flavour that screams fermented soybeans–and that’s probably for the better.

Overall, the Miso Pavlova is a weird dish, and I’m not quite sure if my tastebuds are properly equipped to deal with its unusual flavour. Still, the berries that came with it were amazingly juicy, and there was something satisfying about demolishing this dish under MOGA’s dimly lit space. So with all things considered, I’d say that’s a fitting end to my time at this cocktail bar.

Rating: 7/10

Overall Thoughts

But back to the question: is MOGA’s new menu Breaking the Norm? Well…I’d say yes! Although it’s a shame that I couldn’t sample the full range of offerings (blame the wallet–I’m broke!), the few drinks and one dish I did try were both innovative yet familiar, evoking the same standard of quality you’d expect from a refined restaurant high above the heart of Minato–all the way from Hill Street, Singapore.

All in all, this cocktail bar has made a valiant effort in defining itself as the best of both worlds as a blend between a traditional Izakaya and a modern gastronomic concept, with only a few of its wilder creative touches just barely missing the mark.

However, no matter how much I rave about the cocktails and desserts on the new menu, there’s only one unsung hero from it that truly deserves my highest praise–the absolutely game-changing bar snacks.

📍Location: Level 1, 1 Hill St, Singapore 179949
⏰Opening Hours (daily except Sundays):

Lunch: 12pm to 3pm (Mondays to Saturdays)
Dinner: 6pm to 12am (Mondays to Thursdays), 6pm to 1am (Fridays and Saturday)

So, if any of these four selections has interested you, you can check out the rest of the new menu by visiting the MOGA website today! Plus, to make a reservation at the bar, head to their SevenRooms page to book a slot. Finally, for more of the latest happenings and deals at MOGA, follow their Instagram and check out their Linktree. With that said, I’m off to sleep this alcohol off–see you at MOGA!

Visuals Courtesy of MOGA.