Kappou may have humble beginnings as a 12-seater speakeasy at Fortune Centre, but that hasn’t stopped its young – and award-winning – chef Aeron Choo from making waves as Singapore’s first female Japanese restaurant owner and chef.
These days, you’ll find Choo at Kappou’s refined new digs in the Central Business District, serving up an ever-changing kappo omakase menu organised around the 72 micro-seasons of the Japanese calendar. Taking inspiration from her frequent travels to Japan, Choo applies the concept of seasonality to the dining experience with the fervour of an artist – from the cuisine to the vintage lacquerware, to the ikebana.
Kappou checks all the boxes of a good fine dining experience – contemporary flavours, quality ingredients and certainly traditional cooking techniques elaborately executed. But what leaves the strongest impression, is the maverick chef’s inimitable sense of hospitality. Beyond her moreish caviar toastie and spectacular ice block tuna, it’s her sharp-shooting sense of humour and the kawaii (endearing or cute) elements of surprise that she concocts throughout your time there that will linger long after the meal is over.
