By Wesley Gunter 

(Singapore - February 7, 2021)Love is in the air! Whether you’re dining alone or with a hot date I guarantee you will fall in love with the view at FLNT, Singapore’s newest cocktail bar perched right atop ION Orchard and one of the three dining establishments from 1-Atico. 

Personally, the view here is enough to take your breath away but that’s not all FLNT has to offer. Branded as Singapore’s only ‘Nikkei-influenced Sumiyaki’ bar and grill, the menu is a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine using indigenous ingredients and spices. As a huge fan of Japanese Izakaya and Spanish Tapas, this was a major culinary discovery to me much like first finding out how vodka is made from potatoes.

As always, the first thing my eyes usually lock on to is the bar menu and I was pleasantly surprised with the extensive list of Japanese sakes from smaller distilleries and varied cocktails.

First on my tasting menu was the Mizuame ($25) a slightly sweeter number made with Cognac, Kyoho grape sake, blood orange liqueur, cherry blossom syrup and fresh citrus. While I did find this cocktail a little bit too saccharine for my liking, I thought the cognac did a good job in cutting it down. This was paired nicely with the Ceviche Nikkei ($25) a Japanese interpretation of a popular Spanish dish that brought out the flavours of the sea with sliced fish served with lime, yuzu, tomatoes, shallots, roasted hazelnuts and avocado; and the Foie Gras Taco, a self-explanatory decadent flavour bomb that explodes in your mouth.

Next cocktail on the list and probably my cup of tea amongst the two was the Nuevo Casa ($23). Speaking of tea, this number had yerba mate orange tea in it to give it a unique flavour along with Kumquat, pisco, yuzu sake and cherry blossom syrup. Upon research I found out that yerba mate is a native plant to South America used in many health tonics today. Well, I must say I felt very revitalised after this cocktail, but it was probably due to kick from the sake.

This was served with the Gindara Misoyaki ($28) a perfectly grilled miso cod served with a savoury Aji Verde, which is a green savoury Peruvian sauce. At this point of the tasting session, I finally observed FLNT’s open kitchen concept as the crowd started to come in closer to dinner time and the chefs were busy preparing plates in the kitchen which gave off a kind of homely izakaya vibe.

So, remember when at FLNT look around as there’s more to observe than just the gorgeous panoramic view, although it will be rather difficult close to sunset. 

FLNT is located at 1-Atico, 2 Orchard Turn, 56 ION Orchard, Singapore 238801. For reservations or queries please email enquiry@1atico.sg or go to www.1-atico.sg. 

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