The Public Izakaya has been one of our favourite haunts for casual Japanese food since 2017, when I first wrote about their oden. If you’re not familiar with oden, do have a look at my oden guide where I go through every item on their oden menu back when the dish was still a novelty here.
Since then, The Public Izakaya has slowly been expanding. They started by taking over the shop next door. Then they opened The Public Izakaya 2 over at Icon Village, just a 5 min walk away. After that, they took over another shophouse at the original 100AM location, making it the largest Izakaya in Singapore.
The latest restaurant was just opened this year at Keppel Central South, again a 5 min walk away. It’s called The Public Izakaya 2.5 ‘Nitengo’ because the owner wanted to let everyone know that it is not just more of the same thing. It is an evolution as 50% of the menu features new items.
Go straight to:
- The Public Izakaya (100 Tras Street)
- The Public Izakaya 2 (16 Enggor St)
- The Public Izakaya 2.5 ‘Nitengo’ (10 Hoe Chiang Rd)
So, now there are three Public Izakaya outlets within a 120m walking distance of each other. But they are not exactly the same. Each one has its own unique proposition. Whether you’re planning a cosy dinner for four or a company gathering for seventy, there’s a Public Izakaya built for that.
In this post, I’ll go through what makes each outlet different, from the seating to the dishes that are unique to each. Our family has always dined at the original outlet, but after this Izakaya crawl, we found compelling reasons to visit the other two!
The Public Izakaya (100AM Mall)
We start with the original Public Izakaya, the one that started it all back in 2013. This place is huge, now spanning three shophouses with a seating capacity for 300 pax. It can comfortably host groups of up to 20 pax.
The seating options here are the most extensive of the three. You can choose from counter seats, tatami seats, booths, private rooms, and there is plenty of outdoor seating. We’ve always loved the authentic feel of the place. The décor across all three outlets is similar, giving off that unmistakable izakaya vibe. You get dark wood, warm lighting and Japanese antiques tucked into every corner. You can almost imagine you’re dining at an izakaya in some back alley in Tokyo, except for the weather.
We’re most familiar with the menu here, and over the years we’ve built up a list of family favourites. You can check those out in this earlier post. But if there’s one dish that’s truly unique to this outlet, it’s their oden.
If oden is what you’re after, I don’t know of a better place for it in Singapore than The Public Izakaya. Oden traces its roots back to the Edo period, when it started as skewered tofu grilled with miso, before evolving into the simmered, dashi-based dish we know today. It’s essentially a Japanese take on comfort food, ingredients like daikon, fish cakes, and hard-boiled eggs, slow-simmered in a dashi-flavoured broth until they’ve soaked up all that umami goodness.
The range here is extensive, with many items specially imported from Japan. Even the dashi itself is specially formulated and imported from Japan. It just shows their commitment to serving the best, most authentic oden in Singapore.
The Public Izakaya 2 (Altez)
The Public Izakaya 2 has a slightly different vibe altogether. This outlet is built for groups of 8, with a unique stretch of tables that can seat up to 32 pax, which has seen many company events over the years. I guess you could call it a Japanese tok panjang (the long communal table in Peranakan culture)!
Besides the usual counter seats, they’ve also got an irori table with a sand pit in the middle, where you can hang a pot over an open fire for your own tabletop hotpot. It’s a fun, interactive way to eat, and perfect if you’re organising a party of 8.
Another thing that sets this outlet apart is that they don’t have true outdoor seating. What they do have is seating that’s technically “outdoor”, as in outside the restaurant itself, but still within the building. So it’s perfect if you want that outdoor feel without having to sweat it out.
Dishes Unique to The Public Izakaya 2
Wagyu Rosu
If I had known they had this dish here, I would have come sooner! Marbled Japanese Wagyu, flame-grilled and sliced thin, is right up there with my all-time favourite things to eat!
They use Ribcap meat here. Not to be confused with the ribeye cap, this is the meat that sits between the ribeye proper and the skin of the cow. In non-Wagyu cattle, it tends to end up as burger mince, but in Wagyu, it’s actually quite thick and still nicely marbled, which is why it’s so good served this way.
Eaten with a mound of chopped green onions, garlic crisps, and a smidgen of wasabi. It really is well worth the calories, and you’d be hard-pressed to find another place to get this quality of Japanese Wagyu at this price.
Yaki Wagyu Gyu-tan
Although I’ve never been a huge fan of gyutan, I must say they did it quite nicely here. The thing that always throws me off with beef tongue is the gaminess of the meat. Here though, they managed to get rid of that gaminess, so you get to enjoy the kori kori texture. It is that bouncy, resilient bite the Japanese prize in tongue. And it which pairs very well with the shio negi.
Momoniku Yaki
Their roasted grilled chicken caught me completely off guard. This must be the spiciest Japanese dish I’ve ever come across! It tasted like butter chicken but without the cream.
Not something I’d order for myself, since I can’t take the spice, but if you like Indian food, you’ll love this. Although it tastes very much like something you’d get in Little India, the owner tells me it’s actually made from a whole list of Japanese spices, including mustard and paprika. Lisa loved it!
The Public Izakaya 2.5 (Keppel South Central)
This latest restaurant is not “3” but “2.5“, because the owner wanted to signal that it’s an evolution of The Public Izakaya, not just another outlet. Whereas The Public Izakaya and The Public Izakaya 2 share 95% of the same menu. Half the dishes at The Public Izakaya 2.5 are brand new.
The seating here is also very different from the other two. There’s only one small area with two tables for four. The rest of the izakaya is one big open space, perfect for hosting a function for up to 70 pax.
We’ve covered some of the unique dishes in our last post. Here, we’re highlighting a few more that have just been added.
Wagyu Nakaochi Karubi ‘Jingisukan’ Style
If there’s one dish I’d go to The Public Izakaya 2.5 for, it’s this one. It’s certainly not innovative, but it’s a classic dish that I’d genuinely crave for and could eat regularly.
Nakaochi, or rib fingers, is the meat that sits in between the ribs. It’s chewy in a good way, and the flavour really develops the more you chew. The sweet jingisukan marinade is Hokkaido’s classic lamb marinade built on soy sauce, mirin, garlic, and grated apple for sweetness. It is very similar to Korean galbi, which is my favourite way to marinate beef.
At $25 for the amount of wagyu you get, this is really very good value. I can’t recommend it enough.
Ebi Agedashi Tofu
This dish is like the lovechild of agedashi tofu and Calbee prawn crackers. The usual agedashi coating is just plain potato starch, but here the tofu is dusted with a crustacean powder instead, before being deep-fried. Unless you don’t like tofu, or are allergic to prawns, you’ll love this!
Nobiru Potato & Toast
If you’re the type that just picks off the toppings of the pizza, this is definitely the dish for you. It’s essentially mashed potato with tomato and cheese, and you get to enjoy doing the cheese pull.
Fun to have on the table, but not something I’d order for myself if I’m not dining with a group.
Pineapple Sorbet
Dessert is not something you usually find at an izakaya, and in fact, I don’t remember ever ordering dessert whenever we dine at The Public Izakaya. But The Public Izakaya 2.5 is bucking the trend by offering a pineapple sorbet specially imported from Japan, served in a very cute dwarf pineapple.
It is a very refreshing way to end a meal!
If you’re up for a more elegant omakase meal, simply head next door to Hachi. Located in the same Keppel South Central building, Hachi is directly accessible through a back entrance from The Public Izakaya 2.5.
Conclusion
Taken as a whole, the three Public Izakayas offer a very unique concept, with something for everyone! So far, everyone we’ve brought to the restaurant has told us they’ve become regulars, so we’re quite confident with this recommendation.
If you’re already a regular, like us, I hope this has stoked your curiosity enough to go explore the other outlets. And if you’re trying to organise a gathering, now you know which one to head to for your party!
Disclosure: the post is written in partnership with The Public Izakaya. All opinions expressed are those of our own.
