Maison Ikkoku is Back and Ethan Leong Has Made It Better Than Ever

There are bars you miss, and then there are bars that leave a Kandahar-Street-shaped hole in your heart. Maison Ikkoku was always firmly the latter for me – that beautifully idiosyncratic little cocktail den that felt like a privilege to discover, and a genuine loss when it closed its doors in 2024 after more than a decade as a cult favourite. So when I heard that the phenomenally talented Ethan Leslie Leong had reopened under the same beloved name – this time in Tanjong Pagar – I had my reservation in before I’d finished reading the announcement.

I am so glad I did.

Tucked into the ground floor of the Orchid Hotel on Tras Link, the new Maison Ikkoku seats just twelve guests at a time, and that intimacy is entirely deliberate. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors offer passersby a tantalising glimpse within, while inside it feels like stepping into one of those wonderfully petite speakeasy bars you stumble upon in Tokyo – hushed, considered, and gloriously unhurried. For private occasions, plush red velvet curtains can be drawn to close the world out entirely. Either way, the moment you settle in, you understand: tonight is about you.

At the heart of Ethan’s new chapter is the Five Elements Philosophy Cocktail ($23), and it is unlike anything else on Singapore’s impressive bar circuit. Before a single ingredient is measured, Ethan asks for something unusual: your birth date, time, and location. You then pull up an AI tool on your phone, enter those details using a specially crafted prompt, and generate your personalised five elements profile – identifying which of the ancient Chinese elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, or Metal) is your weakest. From there, Ethan crafts a bespoke cocktail expressly designed to restore that elemental balance. Good luck, poured into a glass.

Owner and Mixologist Ethan Leslie Leong

My weakest element was Water. The cocktail that arrived – Rum, Black Tea, Blue Orange and Maple Smoke – was ceremoniously presented within a smoky cylinder, the plume curling upward before dissolving into something almost meditative.

Water Cocktail infused with Maple Smoke

Fluid, smooth and profoundly layered, it asked you to slow down. Each sip revealed quiet depth, harmony, and a kind of reflective wisdom that felt entirely intentional.

Water Cocktail

My husband drew Fire – Cabernet Sauvignon, Passionfruit and Spice. And as the lights dimmed, his drink was set dramatically alight. Bold, intense, and expressive, it arrived like a declaration: all courage and boundless energy.

Fire Cocktail

Wood was a revelation in its own right – a flambéed lemon meringue-style creation served in a wooden sake vessel, bright with Vodka, Sake, Green Herbs, Citrus and Cedar. And Earth, arguably the most visually arresting of the five, arrived in what appeared to be a plant pot, the cocktail concealed entirely beneath recycled coffee grounds. The collective gasp it provoked around our table was absolutely warranted.

Charcoal Bruschetta

The food more than holds its own. The Charcoal Bruschetta – Miso, Cherry Tomato, Bergamot Zest on an Activated Charcoal Cracker – was an elegant opener, and the Raclette served in individual personal trays was an instant crowd favourite.

Raclette

But the evening’s undisputed showstopper was the Bartender-Made Tiramisu, freshly assembled tableside in what Ethan himself calls a live show. Thick, rich and impossibly smooth – with your choice of alcohol level – it ranks among the finest I have tried anywhere.