I wouldn’t go to Jypsy for classical Japanese dishes but most definitely for its own take on sashimi and sushi rolls and fantastic chicken karaage. This is a nicely adorned modern izakaya in Singapore, and a comfortable place I can bring friends to without breaking the bank. After opening in early July, I made three visits within two weeks. This is just solid comfort food that Jypsy’s parent, the P.S. Cafe group, has managed to perfect at manageable pricing (for Singapore). And the dessert is good as you would anticipate from a place spawned from P.S. Cafe.

The caveat I have is that Jypsy pales in comparison to Ronin in Hong Kong which is a more sophisticated take on a modern izakaya but these are in two different countries and so Ronin is not going to be a viable alternative to Jypsy unless you’re in the private jet set. But I think there should be enough at Jypsy that should entice patrons to return.

Undoubtedly, the place is wonderfully decorated. The blue hues evoke Japanese denim and gives the place a seaside taverna feel. Placemats used on the sushi counter are recycled from excess floor boards. I am partial to blue and anything nautical so it was right up my alley the moment I stepped in. Also, it’s always nice to start with a good cocktail. Jypsy has a decent drinks list but we also ordered from the adjoining bar, The Tasting Room, that has a wider selection of drinks. There were a couple of misses on the cocktails, however, which I put down to teething consistencies. I’m quite sure the list will get tweaked over time.

And most importantly, I think there are enough good dishes to come back for. There are selections of robata sticks, sushi rolls, sashimi, salads, cold and hot dishes and “all day bowls”, which are items such as noodles and rice that are a meal in itself, and of course dessert. I’m not a huge robata fan but the three sauces that accompanied the teriyaki glazed port belly robata were really good. Definitely save room for dessert.

Jypsy Sashimi

I certainly haven’t tried all the dishes but the following highlight those I’ve liked best so far. From the sashimi section, the “Jypsy Sashimi” choices are preferred over the “Classic Sashimi” because the fish doesn’t compare to that you’d get in a more fancy sushi-ya. So the Jypsy creations are more interesting as the fish are dressed in delicate sauces.

Sushi Rolls – Some better than others

There’s a decent choice of nine different sushi rolls – all creative. The rice is different from traditional Japanese restaurants in that it has been shaped into a ball for the most part as opposed to the more common rolled shape. Of the rolls, I was told that 5 Stones is particularly popular as this is seared unagi (eel) with foie gras, two generally crowd-pleasing ingredients but a thicker cut of unagi would have been better. However, I thought the Crispy Shrimp roll was very good while the Jypsy Rainbow, while pretty to look at, was a bit underwhelming in taste. This may be because the three different fishes (tuna, salmon and yellowtail) are cut thinly to wrap around the rice and I’m just used to having a bit more fish with the rice. The Aburi Tuna was fine but I still think the Crispy Shrimp roll was best. I’ll have to try their Jypsy Cali on my next trip.

Hot and Cold Plates 

I think collectively, the Hot and Cold Plates were my favourite. The two cold plates that I’ve tried are the Yellowtail Ceviche and the Salmon Tacos. For whatever reason, I keep missing out on the Momotaro.

The Hot Plates is where there is a bit more of the P.S. Cafe vibe, particularly in the Nest of Fries and the Beef Sliders. I was reluctant to order the fries as it felt wrong to do so in a Japanese restaurant but when we saw one served at the next table, it was difficult to pass up. And it’s excellent. The fries are sliced much thinner than you would get in P.S. Cafe so that it’s more like shredded potato and then served with a mix of truffle oil, wasabi mayo and teriyaki sauce. A great combo. Also very good is the chicken karage, which comes with the same homemade rice crackers that accompany the ceviche. I did not like the beef sliders as much because I felt they were a bit sweet and also a bit too much bread relative to the meat. And the Pork & Unagi Gyoza pales in comparison to other dishes in the restaurant, a bit disappointing as the ingredients held promise but maybe the Lobster & Crab Gyoza may be better. My husband had the oyster tempura, which is dressed with a green tea tartare. He said that was merely okay but he does have a preference for raw over cooked oysters.

Definitely order the rice

The Smoky Unagi Fried Rice was very good. It’s a good meal on its own in case you don’t feel like sharing. Besides the grilled unagi, the rice comes with tofu, egg, pickles and a cabbage slaw. The other three “All Day Bowls” were fried udon, charsiu ramen (soup based) and curry rice with tonkatsu (pork cutlet). I’ll have to return to try the latter one day as although Japanese style curry is not on the top of my list, I’m hopeful that I’ll be happily surprised.

There’s always salad

And for those who feel guilty or prefer something a bit healthier, there are two good salads while the third, which is cucumber with three miso choices, is also not a bad starter.

Some very good dessert

Given the large group of us, of which several are dessert fiends, we pretty much ordered every dessert on the menu except for the sorbet and the choc-banana brittle mousse. The latter didn’t seem particularly Japanese which is why we skipped it in favour of the coconut matcha panna cotta, yuzu tofu cheesecake, apple pie cream puff and the watermelon granita. The coconut matcha panna cotta was excellent and I would say the yuzu tofu cheesecake was also very good.

Jypsy occupies the space that used to be P.S. Cafe’s Chopsuey Restaurant in Martin Road. It is open Tuesdays to Sundays for lunch and dinner (closed on Mondays). Website: Jypsy.