The atmosphere
‘We sat at the bar where the cooks were. The kitchen action was fun to watch.’ – Jamie
‘It’s nice and cosy, and the staff were really friendly. I’ve been to other yakitori places, too, and clearly it’s done something right with the ventilation here.’ – Elizabeth
The food
‘We had the $65 set. It was filling – actually, we could barely finish our food.’ – Jamie
‘We had a pâté with bread that was really yum! We also had a grilled chicken that was a burst of flavour – it was so good.’ – Elizabeth
The drinks
I had two half pints of Suntory, it was really crisp and fresh.’ – Jamie
‘I ordered a mocktail – it was a soursop martini and was really tasty.’ – Elizabeth
The date: cocktails and dinner at Bincho.
First impression
Jamie: ‘I first noticed her on the street when she was also trying to find the place, but I ran away to go wipe my sweat before actually meeting her. She’s quite cute. She looked like she put effort into her dressing and makeup for the date and it was nice that she did that.’
Elizabeth: ‘Interestingly, we walked past each other a few times while looking for the place. I thought it might be awkward to ask, though. He’s lanky; I tend to prefer guys who are built.’
Chemistry
Jamie: 'She's very personable, so we had lots to chat about. She's energetic and bubbly. That's good, especially since I'm the “awkward silence” type. I think she’s the type who can build chemistry with anyone, though. I wouldn't go so far to say that there was a spark, but it was an alright start.'
Elizabeth: 'There was no chemistry. It was like going out with a friend, but not in a romantic way. We talked about work, our interests, music and food. The conversation flowed quite easily. I made myself laugh a lot.'
Awkward Moment
Jamie: ‘There were silences here and there, but they weren’t very long. I think it was generally still okay.’
Elizabeth: ‘When I realised I was eating a lot faster. I didn’t slow down, just went full steam ahead and let him catch up later.’
Afterward
Jamie: ‘I offered to send her back – I usually offer that on first dates – but she declined, so I walked her to the bus stop. I forgot to take her number, so as she was getting on the bus I gave her my card in a hurry. Not the way I would have wanted to exchange numbers. It felt so business-like.'
Elizabeth: ‘As the bus doors were closing, he was like, “Wait!” and he rummaged through his bag, passed me his card and said, “Let’s contact each other on WhatsApp.” I had to apologise to the uncle.’
Verdict
Jamie: ♥♥♥♥ ‘Interesting. Not as bad as I thought it would be. I suspect she’s really picky – she’s pretty, not weird and a good conversationalist, why is she still single?’
Elizabeth: ♥♥ ‘He’s a nice guy. I prefer someone who’s surprising, with a different point of view. He's nice and would make someone else a perfectly nice boyfriend. He's just not for me.’