Checking another downtown bar off my list! This is a Japanese-fushion bar with very interesting drinks. My drink contained gin, sake, black sesame, coconut milk, and orange blossom water. It ended up being sweeter than I expected but it was balanced with a strong nutty tone from the sesame and was overall a unique drink! My friends drink with sparkling wine and lemon was a little less interesting. We ordered the nori fries to share which came in a generous portion. My friend ordered the sausage and pepperoni pizza with Thai basil, which was a fun twist on a traditional Italian flavor. Unfortunately the 5 spiced duck pizza was not it - the duck was cut so small you could barely taste it and it was drenched in a way too sweet sauce that made it sickening. Logistics: - indoor seating only - Limited street parking nearby but close to light rail and several paid public garages - Only open Wednesday through Saturday - Happy hour until 9pm ($9 selected drinks and 20% off apps) read more

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Came as a group of 8 on a Saturday night around 11pm, and it was packed! My friend and I went to go wait in line for the bathroom (the wait was reallyy long lol would recommend going beforehand) while some of the others managed to snag a table in the corner. Drinks I tried: - Lychee Martini - never had this before, and as someone who doesn't like the taste of alcohol, I enjoyed this! Would drink again - Green Tea Shot - initially thought this was pretty good but was not longer as big of a fan after trying the White Tea Shot - White Tea Shot - way better than the Green Tea Shot! Would drink again Would be open to coming back if I was already in South Bay and wanted to go barhopping again! read more

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This place knows how to party! It was packed on a late Saturday night. Great playlist of modern and classic pop hits. Was lucky to score a table, otherwise it would've been nuts to have to stand near the crush at the bar. Highly recommend all of their Asian inspired drinks like their Pandan Old Fashioned and Japanese Old Fashioned. I've had their tasty food before too but note that kitchen last call is relatively early at 9:30 PM. read more

Nomikai - Pandan Old Fashioned, Kamikaze shot - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Nomikai has the best food out of all the bars SJ downtown! Not pictured by the duck pizza is my favorite, but you can't go wrong with another pizzas. The fries are also super good and flavorful. The spam musubi and shishito peppers were also solid. Sake bombs are a must and are great for groups. There's a live DJ and the place was decorated for Christmas! They had fun decorations. The servers were super nice and attentive. One comment is the pizza is made to order and take a while, so I recommend order drinks and apps while waiting. read more

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The night was a hit, all thanks to Nomikai. From the outdoor bouncer to the indoor waitstaff and bartenders, they nailed the customer service. I had a killer cocktail that was super unique -- I could actually taste the ube and other flavors, which is a rare feat for me since I'm not exactly a connoisseur, haha. One thing we definitely messed up was not pregaming. Huge regret, considering we ended up blowing a ton of cash on shots. Each Royal Crown shot ran about $15-$20. Oh well, unlike me and my group, make sure you get yourself a buzz going first, and then keep it rolling with their awesome cocktails ;) read more

Nomikai - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Located in downtown SJ, this bar is pretty small but has a decent amount of tables and seating. It was not packed on a Friday night so I was able to get drinks in 10min. Vibes are pretty chill and good music. Good spot to hang with friends. 9/10 Green Jamison Shot $16 - not exactly on the menu but you should ask for this. It is pretty steep for a drink but it tastes really good surprisingly. The green tea is strong and the drink isn't too strong. 7/10 Biko Monk $16 - Pandan flavor was prominent but the drink was pretty strong. The blend was not that good but still worth a try. read more

Nomikai - Menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Good vibes, place is nice, good music, and great place to drink, hang out, service is great, night vibes dtsj! read more

Not too busy on a Thursday evening. The bartender was extremely friendly. I ordered a Buko Monk cocktail ($16). It was pretty delicious! I usually don't like a strong alcohol taste and I'm pretty picky with alcohol, but this was impressive. It was creamy, sweet, and didn't have too strong of an alcohol taste. Ambiance is pretty nice. Dimly lit and chill vibes. Overall good spot for drinks and food. Would come back to try other drinks and try the food. read more

Nomikai - Buko Monk cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Nomikai was a great late night stop after our comedy show ended. They are open late and have some good options to catch a bite and some drinks. We had a punch bowl drink which was quite literally a punch bowl. It was colorful and decorated festively and brightly, plus it tasted good. Six people could share one for sure. We curiously tried the adobo pizza, which didn't quite taste like adobo to me, but it was really good. The crust was nice and thin and there was something baked into it that added an extra touch. Not sure what it was. Kept trying to figure it out in the dark lol, but couldn't make it out. The Nori Fries were your typical fries with a seaweed topping offering, but with a little kick. That was good to munch on too for a late night bite. The space isn't too big, but we had a nice booth/table area which was perfect for our party. The space is cozy and there are board games to play. I'd come back here again for a night cap. read more

Nomikai - Adobo Pizza - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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I love bringing people here to enjoy the lychee martini. Everyone's loved it! It's a great place to start the night. There's usually seating and a DJ. read more

Nomikai - Lychee Martini yummy! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

The food was quite good, but the drinks were okay. The service was extremely slow--they took what felt like forever to bring out our order.

My friends and I have been to Nomikai before and wanted to stop by during our Christmas bar hop. We went around 6-7 PM so it was still pretty empty. The place was beautifully decorated with Christmas lights and decorations; def a good opportunity to sit down to hang out or top stop by for a quick photo op! FOOD - Miso Mac N Cheese (3/5): It was pretty good mac n cheese, but there was no miso flavoring which was a tad disappointing and also the whole reason we wanted to try it. - Five Spiced Duck Pizza (2.5/5): Interesting concept but the hoisin sauce was overpowering all the other flavors. Probably wouldn't order it again. - Trio Mushroom Pizza (3.5/5): As an avid mushroom lover, I always come back to Nomikai for this very pizza but admittingly it is not the BEST mushroom pizza I had. Still always a solid option. DRINKS (holiday edition) - Rock N Rum Ube Milk Punch (0/5): It was not what we expected! Presented similarly to an old fashioned, it was really strong. There was no milky taste and seemed like just a shot (or even less) of pure alcohol. Do not recommend unless you are into that kind of drink... - Candy Cane Penny Lane (3.5/5): I was looking for something peppermint-y but it was actually more of a fruit based drink with a baby candy cane on the side. it was a pretty good drink regardless. - Billie Holiday (3.5/5): It was pretty good, but definitely on the sour side. Overall, Nomikai is always a chill place to go for quick dinner and drinks but nothing special with the holiday menu. I would go again but not necessarily during the holiday season but more for the chill vibes. read more

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Nomikai has some of the best Lychee Martinis, I highly recommend them. Their Ube Rum Milk Punch is also really good. We tried the gyoza and enjoyed them as well. The service was pleasant and fast. Overall ambiance is also great, good vibes all around. I like that they play anime on the screens above the DJ booth. The music is also enjoyable! I'll definitely be coming back to try more drinks and menu items. read more

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I was looking for a place to get drinks and stumbled upon this place on yelp. Once I saw that they have happy hour it sealed the deal. We got the Tokyo Cloud and Mugi Mule to drink. Both drinks are great but I'm always disappointed in a mule that's not in a copper cup even if it's not a classic mule. For food we tried the fried chicken wings and the chicken adobo pizza. The fried chicken was pretty tasty but the dynamite sauce is not a necessary addition. When I dipped the chicken in the sauce the flavors ended up being all over the place and honestly made the chicken worse for me. I don't think I would get the wings again though if I came back. The chicken adobo pizza had amazing flavor but when my boyfriend was eating it he noticed a chicken bone that he needed to spit out. So be careful when eating it. This place is mostly a bar and not a restaurant so I'll give it 4 stars since the drinks themselves tasted great. read more

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Came here on a Thursday for some snacks and drinks with my group for a birthday celebration. The bartenders were attentive and friendly. Their cocktails are some of the best we've tried in DTSJ. Fun little board games to play at the tables as well! read more

Nomikai - Pandan Old Fashioned - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Had some high hopes- I really liked this place. Friends got a reservation for a birthday and we got there early for food. I really liked the pizza- sausage fest and the duck one. I love me a thin crust and the Asian flavors. Would be back for the pizza and wings! Drinks - There was such a variety to try. We tried- nori cal, yuzu raddler, ruby sapphire, peach sparkler and the lychee one. I'm in love with the nori mezcal drink- it was strong but such a smooth finish. Parking - downtown so limited street parking and garages near by. Didn't go to the bathroom but should be in the back past the bar read more

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Server was great but all the food was barely warmed. We order Brussels sprouts, adobo pizza, sausage pizza, fries and spam musubi. Everything was pretty much room temp and the drinks were pretty much no alcohol and all juice. For $17 per drink ... I'd definitely go somewhere else. Alter Ego, Still OG, or even paper planes is the place to be. Unfortunately for our girls night they were all unavailable last night. read more

Nomikai - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

The atmosphere sets the mood for a mysterious upscale food adventure..(yes I used my code to enter) The entire staff was so pleasant and efficient and the food is amazing! We ordered the Nomikai sushi set (8 pieces Nigiri, 1 handroll), Bluefin Tuna pizza, and the Chicken Truffle Dumplings...I highly recommend for a memorable experience! read more

One of my favorite bars in dtsj - good drinks, super chill, not crazy crowded. Staff is alwaysssss friendly, too! Nomikai is ALWAYS one of my stops when I'm frequenting dtsj, particularly because of the good vibes and great drinks. My friends and I always end here with many rounds of sake bombs. This past week, I went here for dinner. I'd never think to come here for food, but it was actually pretty good. Most of their menu consists of flatbread pizzas, which our server informed would serve 1-2 people with appetizers... but I think we're just fat because we ordered a million appetizers and practically one pizza per person, LOL. My favorites out of it all were def the roasted duck and sausage pizzas. I thought their appetizers were average at best, but our group really enjoyed their wings. S/O to our server, Amanda! (: read more

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I had no work the next day so I had to go to my favorite SJ bar for their punch bowl Thursday! We got the Fountain of youth. It was a great share and the lychee was a great snack. read more

Nomikai - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

When I think about and miss my time living in San Jose, I often think of Nomikai. Being a millennial who still wanted to have a good time in downtown SJ, this was my spot. The music was always the r&b/hip-hop I wanted to hear (Frank, Anderson Paak, Sza, etc.) the crowd was always diverse and chill/fun folks, the food is good, loved the Asian-y drinks, and I always had good service from the staff here. Been here many times with friends and often friends from East Bay came down to visit and wanted to go here. It's hard to find a chill place where you can dance a bit and not feel like people are only there to hook up/creep! This place always felt safe and comfortable to just have a good time and vibe with friends and strangers, and nice break in the middle of 1st street from the other spots that are more clubby/loud/turnt (or in contrast overly hipster/craft cocktail-y/not fun enough). read more

I absolutely love the Asian-inspired cocktails at this place, especially my favorite, the lychee martini. During Christmas, they introduced some festive variations on the drinks, and they were delicious! The music is always lively, mostly playing hip-hop. The venue tends to get quite crowded, probably because it's on the smaller side. The crowd mainly consists of young Asian Americans and ABGs (if you know what I mean). read more

Nomikai - Christmas drinks - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

One of my favorite bars in downtown San Jose! I haven't been disappointed by any of their drinks yet. Their in house cocktails are amazing! They're usually a good balance sweetness and fruity flavors with a slight alcoholic kick at the end. My top favorite drinks have been the berry buck and mugi mule. They have a great sweetness to it, so it doesn't feel like you're drinking too much alcohol. I've recently tried the food available and it's surprisingly great! The pizza has a good crust all around, including under the cheese. The sausage had a slightly crisp edge and good flavor. Not pictured was the mushroom pizza and it was so delicious. There was an even coverage of mushrooms on the top and similar crispy crust. On Thursday nights, you can also get punch bowls of some signature cocktails! I was able to try to versions -- my neighbors Totoro and fountain of youth. The fountain of youth had a more lemon-lime flavoring that was refreshing and slightly sweet. The second punch bowl, my neighbor Totoro, was a bit sweeter and had a similar fruity-citrus flavor to balance out the tequila. Multiple times I have gone and I've felt very safe inside. There's always some commotion outside, just from being in a high-traffic downtown urban area. The staff have been very observant and cognizant of this and have jumped into action. They have heard some common room outside and move swiftly to check out what's going on and closing their open door for our safety. On weekends, the security posted outside the door help to keep everyone calm as well. Overall, I love taking my friends here to enjoy the ambience and drinks! Weekday nights and earlier in the evening have been quiet. It's a nice place to catch up with friends! Later on during weekend nights, the bar becomes very busy and has high-energy party music. I've really enjoyed Nomikai and would always love to come again. read more

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Sake bombs are a must!!! One of my favorite and go-to bars with my friends. The food is pretty filling but not super heavy, which is a perfect way to start the night. My favorite pizza was the Five - Spice Roasted Duck Pizza. Super flavorful and the crust was thin. My favorite drinks are the lychee martini and the sake bombs. The lychee martini is pretty light and the lychee is usually sweet. Sake bombs goes down pretty smooth and are great to share with a group! read more

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Every time I do my Downtown SJ bar hopping routine, Nomikai is always on the list for me. I haven't frequented Nomikai in a while but every time I do, it's never a miss for me. This time around, I decided to go during happy hour and I brought 2 of my friends with me since they've never been barhopping in DTSJ. The two happy hour appetizers we got were the nori fries and roasted brussel sprouts. The nori fries were good but whatever. We got thrown off by the red pepper in the ketchup so we just ate it plain. The brussel sprouts were so good! There was a creamy sauce under the brussel sprouts which I pleasantly enjoyed. We ordered 2 of their pizzas which were the mushroom and plain jane (just a classic cheese pizza). I really enjoyed both pizzas but my favorite out of the two was the mushroom! I ordered the classic lychee martini and it was so yummy! I feel like the last time I had a lychee martini here it was lowkey too alcohol-tasty for me so I didn't enjoy it but they made it just right this time. My friend was also vegetarian so as you can tell from my review, there were lots of veggie options for your vegetarian friends! Their happy hour ends at 7:30 PM which is actually pretty good for people getting off work at 5 PM or even 6 PM. read more

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My favorite bar in DTSJ! Very chill atmosphere to just hangout with friends or go on a date. There is seating inside (booths and a bar area) and also outdoor seating. The happy hour ends at 7:30! They serve food until 10:30 PM and it is Asian-inspired fusion. I highly recommend the Five-Spice Roasted Duck Pizza ($21). It was flavorful, had lots of toppings, gooey cheese, and served 3 of us well. The duck wasn't too greasy and paired very well with the other ingredients ln the pizza. You also can't go wrong with the nori fries and miso mac and cheese! Though, they are a bit on the pricey side considering the size of the appetizers. Cocktail wise, I really recommend the Buko Monk! It is literally a buko pandan dessert. You can hardly taste the alcohol in it! So enjoyable if you're looking for a creamy and sweet drink. I also really enjoy the Rose Royce, which has a floral taste and a strong kick of gin. The Apple Lychee Smash is refreshing, sweet, and my personal recommendation to anyone who can't decide what to order. I was sad they no longer have their Drunken Milk Tea anymore :( read more

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Dropped by on a Saturday night for some drinks, it was still early so the place wasn't crowded! The place itself is dark and has chill vibes. There was a dj setting up which was pretty cool! This place is small, there's not that many tables so fyi! The drinks were pretty decent! We had the lychee martini, pandan old fashion (unique!), and some others which I can't remember. Our goal was to get the fishbowls which sound so interesting! Unfortunately fish bowls are only served on Thursday's. If you're looking for a place to vibe, and hang this is a good place! read more

Nomikai - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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Nomikai has a really chill vibe with no extremely loud music. It's a good spot to hang out with friends on the weekends. Their food and drinks are pretty average. The nori fries are just alright, crispy but not much flavor. Adobo pizza has pretty unique dough. It's quite thick and not crispy on the bottom. It has a vinegary chicken adobo flavor, but the chicken is a little dry. The sausage fest pizza is a bit too oil, but I do love the flavor and the sweetness from the Chinese sausage. The pandan drink is a bit odd for me. I like the alcohol and I love pandan, but somehow they just don't go well together for me. The peach sparker is kind of similar to champagne, but the alcohol taste is definitely stronger. The service is quite slow as we have to try to get the staff's attention a few times just to get our order. read more

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Celebrated my birthday on a Thursday night here and it was the best place to do it! I had a party of 12 and we enjoyed everything, so much so that we had to do another order of chicken wings, plain Jane, and the five spiced duck pizza. Very happy that Nomikai had some vegetarian friendly items on their menu as well! Our server and the whole staff are amazingly friendly and nice! I chose this place to celebrate my birthday because I've always been curious with what they serve for dinner time. When I'm bar hopping in dtsj, I always end my night here and never leave without one (or two) lychee martinis. I just love the music and the atmosphere here. It's very chill and not "ratchet", very suitable for my age Order a Ruby Sapphire if you like a sweet and yummy cocktail and a lychee martini, just bc it's that good! read more

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Pretty good! My boyfriend and I visited for dinner on a Saturday night, and found Nomikai almost entirely empty. We got to pick our own table and the hostess ended up also being our server. For drinks, I ordered a Next Generation and my boyfriend got a Lychee Martini. The Next Generation was just okay (I really wanted to try the Buko Monk but they were out of condensed milk), but the Lychee Martini was delicious. Unfortunately, we had just missed happy hour (ends at 7:30 and includes 20% off all starters), but their deals looked great. Most of the dinner menu consisted of pizzas, but we decided to just get a bunch of starters to share. We ordered the Brussels Sprouts (not my favorite, a little bland), Sweet Chili Chicken Wings (so delicious - messy to eat but worth it), Nori Fries (loved these too), Miso Mac & Cheese (tasty but not really special - couldn't taste the miso), and Pate Plate (very good). All the food came out quickly, and we were surprisingly able to finish it all with no leftovers. Would return to try the Buko Monk and their pizzas! read more

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I've only really been here after dinner hours, so this probably isn't the most comprehensive review, BUT I will say this is a solid place to get sake bombs LOL. Like they're so affordable and something about their cups makes them extra fun to drink. I've been here with friends a few times just for these bombs. I've never had a bad experience here -- servers and bartenders are nice and on top of it. The line can be a drag at times depending on what time you come, but I'm not sure where else in Downtown San Jose is better. I like how it's relatively upbeat and lively here but isn't too degenerate LMAO. Music is also pretty good on most nights! read more

Nomikai - Sake bombs lol - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

The drinks are so cute here. My drink had cute little blue dolphin gummy's! Love the place aesthetic! read more

Came here on a Thursday night with my friend and after reading the comments, I was worried that it would be loud, but it actually wasn't at all! Plus they were playing bangers. Although I can definitely see this place getting loud on the weekends; it's a great cocktail bar/bar hopping atop! Not many people were there throughout the night. It has a cozy feel to it, and the lights dimmed as we ate. Adobo pizza - I think it's clear they handmade these pizzas because the dough was unique! It's not crispy on the bottom so you can't pick it up and eat; you got to fold it a bit or else things fall off when it flops over. It really captured the chicken adobo vinegar-y flavor and I'm a big fan of the cilantro pesto. Brussels sprouts - My friend was like :| "Brussels sprouts?" But we both really liked it and it's miso flavor! It's not that salty but rather creamy and savory-sweet. I like that they didn't burn it to a crisp but rather a nice char. The texture still felt like a plant and not a chip, which I Nori fries - Yummm. Thin and crispy. There's a bit of a kick to it. So simple but good. Came with ketchup with red pepper flakes and spicy mayo. I recommend going here for a date night or for happy hour with friends! HH is from 6:30-7:30. Service was pretty good; the staff seemed very tight-knit. I'd come back! read more

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This is one of my go to places of all time. Service is always great and music vibes energetic and chill at the same time. They always have new things on the menu. The passion fruit punch was really tart but tasty. Banh mi pizza on point. The dough was light and soft. read more

Nomikai - Gyoza - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

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It's crazy to think that its been nearly five years since I wrote my initial review! With the pandemic and moving out of state, I haven't had the opportunity to visit. I'm happy to report that Nomakai STILL slaps. I came here on 4/20 with a few of my closest friends and it did not disspoint. The drinks were great (I had the lychee martini) and the mac and cheese is still one of my favorites in the Bay Area. read more

Friendly staff modern twist on a comfy family bar and food is legit....great place to meet up and catch up

Nomikai is my go to place when I'm craving some delicious Asian-fusion pizza in the Bay Area. They also give a free pizza for your birthday if you sign up on their e-club! The vibe here is always great as well. On weekend nights, they have live music so the place turns into like a mini club. They also have happy hour on Thursday - Saturday from 6:30 - 7:30 PM (20% off). Nori Fries ($7): The fries are very crispy but kind of flavorless unless you dip them in the sauces. Still a great snack, especially when you have the drunk munchies. Sweet Chili Chicken Wings ($12 for 8 pieces): These were good but not crispy. Brussel Sprouts ($8): Prepared very differently from other restaurants. They didn't taste/looked fried in oil at since they weren't crispy. They were served in a light sauce that looks like ranch but it wasn't heavy. It was interesting & tasted healthy but the portion was a bit small. Spam Musubi ($6): The spam was a bit crispy from being fried but overall, it was super plain. Hard pass for me. Pollo Adobo Pizza ($19): Pretty flavorful. Chicken was tender. It's not as heavy as I would expected so that's plus. Five-Spice Duck Pizza ($21): This is the reason my family comes to Nomikai. We always get this when we come here if the kitchen is still open for years. The duck is soft, the flavors goes so well together, & it's still the best pizza on the menu. Mojito ($12): Normal & tasted like spiked mint water. Pass. Mugi Mule ($13): The men at the table really liked this drink. I thought the taste was interesting but nothing that was amazing. Peach Sparkler ($12): My mom said it tasted like something we could make at home lol Kentucky Buck ($12): This was my favorite drink which was more fruity. Bee's Knees ($11): Surprising has a stronger alcohol taste than all of the other drinks. My brother really likes this one. Sake Bomb Set ($28): This use to be the thing to order here but they don't do the separate sake mini cup to drop into the beer so it's not as fun anymore. In general, Nomikai is good for food but not drinks. read more

Nomikai - Sweet chili chicken wings, brussel sprouts, nori fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Jose, California

Foods very good, but serving food and business hours are inconsistent. The website said they would be open at six but they had a notice on the door, not open till eight and weren't serving food. Had to make other dinner plans.. service is always good one open read more

Great spot for weekend hangouts and get together! They seem to always have a line both times I visited but with the right company it went by pretty quick XD We came after they had stopped serving food which was a bummer, their food items sounds yum, I'll definitely try to stop by earlier to give it a try. The drinks were good. We got the Sake Bomb for the table and tried 3 drinks. My favorite was the Lychee Martini. It was light, refreshing, and I love the lychee fruit in there. The drunken milk tea needs some work. The alcohol is there but it didn't really taste like milk tea at all. The pandan drink was rlly strong LOL. It was also warm(?) I'd love to try it cold next time. Service was good. Our server was super nice and offered to take our group pics without asking. She also gave me some recommendations since it was my first time. Drinks 3.75/5 Service 5/5 Ambience 5/5 Experience 4/5 read more

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Sake bombs upon sake bombs! Great japanese styled bar in DTSJ - very aesthetically pleasing. For the cocktails, I liked the Lychee Martini & Pandan Old Fashioned. Definitely a great spot to hangout with friends. read more

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