The Place Located in Ion Orchard, Ingen Kyoto is a few months old new Japanese teahouse and restaurant concept by the same team behind Hvala. It is located as basement three of Ion Orchard, where the entrance of Ingen Kyoto is the retail section, and beyond the retail space is a minimalist and zen looking teahouse vibe which made me forget I am in Singapore.

There are three main dining sections – the counter seats where you get to have the most interaction with the chefs and teamasters, a long communal wooden table which is the centrepiece of the space, and also a tatami room section which embodies the Japanese tea ceremony spirit the most. 

The Ingen name draws inspiration from Zen Buddhist monk, Ingen Ryuki, who was known for founding the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto, and also introducing a new wave of tea brewing, now known as “senchado” (the way of sencha) to Japan. 

The Food Other than serving an ala carte menu of desserts and tea selections, Ingen Kyoto just introduced a new 8-course omakase menu available for both lunch and dinner. You can expect a curated selection of sweet and savoury treats inspired by Japanese ingredients in the seasonal omakase menu which takes place at the counter seating. I managed to try the Zen Discovery 8 Course (S$88++) menu and for an additional S$25++, you also get to experience the tea pairing. 

Here is what to expect from the Zen Discovery 8 Course menu and tea pairing selections: 

Japanese shokupan (milk bread) and freshly toasted sourdough bread are first served for a start, along with Nori (seaweed) butter. I have to say these two types of bread are delicious. 

Kochi Yuzu Madeleine 
The first savoury course is a freshly baked madeleine topped with yuzu zest. It is a bite-size portion which is ideal after the series of bread I had earlier. 

Gyokuro Cold Brew (Tea pairing) 
For the first tea pairing, this cold brew spots a clean and intense umami flavour with a tinge of natural sweetness.   

Gazpacho 
The second savoury course is a tart, inspired by gazpacho as the mini tart is filled with Shizuoka tomatoes dashi jelly, red shiso vinaigrette and a tinge of yuzu kosho. The flavours are complex yet palatable. 

Hokkaido Sobacha Cold Brew (Tea pairing) 
The second tea pairing is the sobacha cold brew and this is my favourite tea of the trio I had. I like the light toasty notes of this cold brew and it is very aromatic. 

Nori Twist 
The third savoury course is one of my favourite courses on the menu. It is essentially like a seaweed croissant filled with miso cream cheese and topped with Chitose tomatoes for an added balance. Personally, I enjoyed the croissant on its own without the tomatoes. 

Japanese Eclair 
Moving on to the sweet side of things, the most unique part about this eclair is that it has Kinu tofu within so it helps to balance the sweetness of the flavours. Topped with Hokkaido Ikura along with Ponzu and Bonito Flakes, I love the complex flavours in one bite. 

Freshly Roasted Hojicha Karigane  (Tea pairing) 
The final tea pairing is a hot Hojicha with a toasty aroma and flavour and low in caffeine. 

Goma Cotta 
This is quite an interesting dessert as it comes with a Walnut kinako butter which is akin to fried mochi. It is then added with Kuromitsu sauce and the black sesame ice-cream also pairs with the Parmigiano Grissini sticks.  

Kinmokusei 
A refreshing dessert was up next where I had the Sake Nashi pear along with White peach osmanthus pear sorbet. 

Kyoto 
This is a seasonal dessert, and it is not hard to tell it is inspired by the Sakura season from the pink colours. Ceremonial matcha mousse, Sakura jelly and Genmai bits complete the dessert. 

Okashi 
Last but not least, some Japanese snacks to conclude the meal with the Tomato basil mochi and Yatsuhashi, the flat triangle looking pastry which is typically flavored with cinnamon and matcha. 

Rants While there are some savoury bites at the start of the discovery menu, the overall flavours of the whole experience still leans towards sweets more than savoury. This is not for you if you are looking to find more savoury flavours in an omakase experience.

Will I Return Again? It is an interesting dessert-centric omakase with tea pairing and I hope this will start a trend of serious teahouses in Singapore. The price for this 8-course omakase is also relatively reasonable which makes it a good option for those who would like to be surprised.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Ingen Kyoto @ Ion Orchard 
2 Orchard Turn 
B3-15-16 
Singapore 238801 

Opening Hours 
Monday to Sunday: 10am to 10pm 

Ranted by The Ranter