Iza’s signature rice balls stuffed with hae bee hiam are suffused with flavour, but were slightly too dry and crumbly. Its texture might benefit from the use of a different variety of rice.
Taste: 3/5
The standout dish seems to be the Special Yaki Onigiri ($5.90 for two), and I think I understand why.
The charred surface of the onigiri brings to mind the best part of claypot rice - the crispy, barely blackened bits at the bottom that seem to have the most flavour. You get a pleasant kick from the hae bee hiam, and mind you, they are served piping hot. Great for a cool, rainy night!!!
The guys behind Geylang's popular The Skewer Bar are behind this izakaya concept at Siglap. What sets them apart from the many Japanese joints in Singapore is their unabashed feature of local flavours, along with extremely wallet-friendly prices — prices are nett, with no GST or service charge. Bring a few friends along to this spacious spot, not only to knock back a few drinks with, but also to partake in a communal feeding experience. Burppler Jasper Six&Seven highly recommends the Special Yaki Onigiri ($5 for two), which he describes to have a "smokey, hae bee hiam-belachan aroma". Other dishes to try include the Otah Tamago ($6.90), which cleverly combines lightly spiced otah and Japanese rolled egg, and Grilled Eggplant with Housemade Chilli ($5), which features a bed of soft smoky eggplant blanketed with chilli paste. The Oysters ($12 for three) are also plump and fresh, and you can even opt to have them grilled if you don't enjoy raw shellfish.
Avg price: $25
Photo by Burppler Veronica Phua
What makes these grilled compressed rice cakes unique is the “hae bee hiam”, which gets even more fragrant and tasty from spending time over the hot coals. IZA’s local twist on the Yaki Onigiri has the spicy dried prawn mixed evenly in with the grains, so you get a good hit of it with every bite.
Order this to share as it is pretty substantial.
Definite highlight includes the Special Yaki Onigiri ($5.90, 2pcs) with an alluring smokey, hae bee hiam-belachan aroma, made even tastier with a touch of pork fat. #MediaTasting #FindNewFood
