The friend wanted to give me a surprise by suggesting a restaurant to go to for my birthday. But 3 days before when I found out she hasn’t booked anything, I think she had given me a shock instead. So I suggested we go try Iru Den. I’ve visited when they first started out as Il Den at Orchard plaza so I was quite excited to see how much they had grown

Sharing the same compound as Jung Saem Mool, you wouldn’t miss the big signage of the restaurant

Walk down the pathway and you will find the door on your first

It wasn’t crowded for a weeknight with just us and another table. So it was honestly pretty quiet

Snacks

We started off with some snacks which was a Guava tart, Carabinero prawn toast and Maguro bite. Each snack was decent on its own but I particularly enjoyed the prawn toast for its deep and umami flavour which really stood out

Maguro, Roasted Sesame, Plum

A very light and refreshing starter which you savour the sweetness of the fish alongside the flavour of sour plum

Homemade Spring Onion Shio Pan, Brown Butter Caipu Butter

The friend really loved the bread, so much she asked for second portion. The Shio pan had the fragrance of the spring onion flavour, and you could taste hints of the caipu in the butter. Didn’t know butter and caipu can go together. But it was a good mix

Taichung Wheat Noodles, Uni, Tsuyu

I really liked the mian xian. The texture was really good. Mixed with Taiwanese cod roes, you get the sweetness from the uni and saltiness from the roe with a dash of wasabi as you eat with the noodles together

Red Prawn, Shellfish Broth, Fermented Bean Sauce & Egg Custard

I thought the flavours worked well together. Would have preferred the egg custard a little warmer. You can taste the sweetness of the prawns and a good crunch of it when you chew everything together. Sauce might be a little on the heavy side but you could dip the Shio pan (if you still have it) for a different touch

Threadfin Fish, Squid, 3 Cup Sauce & Basil

This was really good. I liked everything on this plate. The 3 cup sauce itself was outstanding and the fish and squid cooked really well

Duck, Caramelised Shallots, Plum Jus

There were 2 mains to choose from. We both went for the duck. I liked the cook on the skin. It was so crisp you can literally hear the crackling when you bite into it. I thought the duck was quite decent overall

Lu Rou Fan Claypot w Ping Tung Pork Belly, Taro Rice

But what stood out was this claypot rice. It was packed with so much flavours and texture you can taste the lu rou finished off with crispy lard. It was so sinful yet delicious

Cai Pu Chicken Broth

Washing the palate with a chicken broth that was so comforting and rich in flavour

Amazake, Pickled Strawberry, Tang Hulu

This was a new dessert. I thought it was okay, not wow in anyway

White Miso Financier

But the financiers were really good. Crisp on the outside, soft inside with a slight chewy texture without being too dry

Iru Den has certainly grown in more than one way or another. The menu now is more refined, more depth yet with a touch of familiar flavours. It’s one worth trying, if you are tired of the usual omakase for something different yet comforting

Iru Den

27 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228222