The Public Izakaya has just opened its third outlet in Tanjong Pagar! Remarkably, all three are located within a 120-metre radius of one another. In a time when restaurant closures seem to dominate the headlines, this is no small achievement. Their continued success speaks volumes about what they do right – authentic Japanese flavours, a cosy, welcoming atmosphere, and pricing that remains refreshingly reasonable. Somehow, they’ve managed to hit that elusive sweet spot.
We’ve been regulars at The Public Izakaya for more than a decade, ever since discovering their oden back when it was just beginning to make its appearance in Singapore. While oden never quite took off locally in the way other Japanese staples did, The Public Izakaya has remained the go-to destination for it. Till today, if you’re craving a comforting pot of oden, this is still the place we recommend without hesitation, as well as their yakitori and other Izakaya dishes!
The newest outlet is located just across the road from their flagship izakaya, in the newly opened Keppel Central South building. Interestingly, the management has chosen to call this outlet The Public Izakaya 2.5 “Nitengo”, instead of 3. Nitengo means 2.5 in Japanese. The name signals that this isn’t simply another clone of the original – it’s an evolution. About 50% of the menu features brand-new items, giving even long-time regulars plenty of reasons to return and explore something different.
In this post, we highlight 11 new dishes you can look forward to tasting at The Public Izakaya 2.5. And don’t forget to participate in the Opening Giveaway on our social media platforms. We’re giving away $100 dining vouchers for a chance to experience it for yourself.
8 X $100 Voucher Giveaway on 4 Platforms
Head out to our social posts on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok to participate! We are giving away 8 X $100 vouchers on each platform! Within the comments section, simply tell us which 3 dishes you’d like to try and tag 2 friends.
Dates:
– Submit your entries by 12 April 2026
– Winners will be contacted 13 – 14 April (so watch out for comment replies and PMs)
– Winners will be announced by 21 April 2026
11 New Dishes to Try! (There are actually more)
Ebi Fry
One dish we’ve long waxed lyrical about is their tennis-ball–sized chicken karaage. At $20 for four hefty pieces, it was hands down the most economical way to fill the tummies of hungry teenagers. This was back when the kids were younger and permanently starving.
At The Public Izakaya Nitengo, they’ve pulled off a similar frying feat with their giant ebi fry. Plump local tiger prawns are coated in panko and shredded spring roll wrappers, then fried until shatteringly crisp. They’re served with a house-made Kanzuri ketchup that deserves a paragraph of its own.
Kanzuri is a special chilli sauce from Niigata. The chillies are traditionally buried under snow during winter, then fermented and aged for up to three years. The result is a chilli with a deep, distinctive flavour that is sweet, savoury, and gently spicy. That adds another layer of excitement to an already showstopping dish.
Porcini Daikon
Another visually curious dish is the Porcini Daikon. It’s surprising on two fronts – how it looks, and how unexpectedly well the flavours come together. Thick cylinders of daikon are first slowly braised with shiitake mushroom dashi specially imported from Shizuoka, allowing the earthy mushroom flavours to fully permeate the radish.
The daikon is then served with a luxurious mushroom cream made from three different mushrooms, including Italian porcini. The contrast between the clean, gentle sweetness of the daikon and the deep, umami-rich cream is striking. It’s one of those dishes that makes you pause after the first bite. And you wonder why you haven’t come across this amazing combination earlier.
‘Takezutsu’ Tofu
The ‘Takezutsu‘ Tofu is a house-made tofu crafted from imported Japanese soybeans, set gently with nigari and steamed in a bamboo mould. It’s the kind of dish that quietly resets your expectations of tofu altogether.
It showcases how flavourful something so simple can be when it’s done properly. The natural sweetness and depth of the soybeans are intensified, resulting in a texture that’s delicate yet deeply satisfying.
Served with sea salt, wasabi, and an umami-seasoned seaweed dip, this otherwise pedestrian-looking dish reveals itself to be insidiously addictive. One bite leads to another, and before you know it, you’re wondering why all tofu can’t taste like this.
Toumorokoshi Karaage
Deep-fried Japanese sweetcorn, slathered generously with sweet-and-spicy amakara butter.
Nuff said. You already know it’s good.
Maguro Yamagata Dashi Fu
Yamagata dashi is a refreshing summer condiment from Yamagata Prefecture, traditionally eaten to beat the heat during the region’s hot months. Finely chopped cucumber, eggplant, myoga ginger, shiso leaves, and kombu are lightly seasoned with soy sauce and sometimes a splash of vinegar, then left to meld into a fragrant, crunchy relish.
It’s called dashi not because it contains soup stock. It is because the vegetables release their own natural juices and umami as they sit, forming a light, stock-like dressing that binds everything together.
It is typically spooned over cold tofu, rice, or noodles. But at The Public Izakaya 2.5, it is mixed with grated yama imo to create a gooey sauce, which is then poured over soy-cured tuna. It was yet another unexpected flavour combination that worked.
Tsubo Potato Salad
A tsubo (壺) is a traditional Japanese jar or pot, most commonly associated with storage and fermentation. Historically, these were evident everyday workhorses in Japanese households and shops. They are used to hold miso, soy sauce, pickles, sake mash, vinegar, oil, grains, and even water.
Here, the tsubo is repurposed to house a potato salad enriched with karasumi (dried mullet roe) and shuto, a fermented fish viscera. It lends a distinctive, seafoody funk to the familiar dish. Also, making the choice of vessel both apt and quietly evocative of its original role.
Anchovy Sour Cream Fries
If you’re suffering from truffle fries fatigue, it might be time to switch things up with Anchovy Sour Cream Fries.
Here, the sour cream is transformed into an umami bomb with the addition of anchovies and Grana Padano cheese. All of which give the fries a savoury depth that’s rich without being cloying. It’s a bold, addictive twist that might just be the next big thing in the world of fries.
Kunsei Camembert
There are few things better than melty, gloopy cheese and that is when it is smoked with specially imported Japanese straw.
The only complaint here is that the Camembert comes in a mini size, which means you get just two precious spoonfuls of that luscious, molten centre. Do make sure you eat the rind though. It’s wonderfully smoky and adds an extra layer of flavour that’s every bit as satisfying as the gooey cheese itself.
Aburi Wagyu Sukiyaki
Oh, and here’s another thing that easily rivals gloopy cheese – Wagyu beef, aburi-ed at the table and served with slivers of crunchy vegetables, sukiyaki sauce, and a rich Japanese egg yolk.
The lightly torched beef is smoky and luscious. The sauce is sweet-savoury, and the egg yolk pulls everything together into pure indulgence. It’s one of my absolute favourite things to eat! I could happily polish off three of these – if not for the inconvenient reality that there are so many other delicious dishes to try. And I got limited stomach space.
Ippon Kakuni no Warayaki
If you enjoy buta kakuni, you’ll no doubt be delighted to find it presented here as a whole slab of pork belly (ippon).
The pork is first gently braised in a light, savoury sauce until tender, then finished with a straw-smoking that lends it a subtle but unmistakable smokiness. It’s a thoughtful twist on a classic, retaining all the richness you expect while adding an extra layer of smoke flavour.
Gyutan no Horohoro ni
If we didn’t tell you this was the tongue of a cow, you might never have guessed it. It’s an unusual presentation of gyūtan, that is more commonly sliced thin and grilled yakiniku-style.
Here, the tongue is slow-cooked until chopstick-tender, allowing its rich, beefy flavour to shine. It is then served simply with daikon and hourensō spinach. We’re usually sensitive to offal flavours, but we’re happy to report that this is impeccably clean, with no trace of unpleasant smell at all.
Conclusion
These are but highlights of some of the new dishes at The Public Izakaya 2.5. Thankfully, the old favourites – such as the Chicken Karaage, Jaga Mentaiko, and Kushiyaki, are still firmly on the menu.
Rather than a complete departure, this new outlet feels like a natural progression, balancing much-loved classics with thoughtful new creations. It’s the kind of place that rewards both loyal regulars and curious newcomers, and one that gives you every reason to keep coming back.
Disclosure: this is written in partnership with The Public Izakaya. Opinions expressed or those of our own.
