World-renowned bartender Shingo Gokan is steadily growing a cocktail empire around the globe, from Speak Low in Shanghai to the newly opened Sip & Guzzle in New York, but that’s not to say he’s slowing down business in Tokyo. After many weeks of teasing, the star mixologist just unveiled a new watering hole in the financial district of Marunouchi, this time collaborating with Yoshihiro Narisawa, whose namesake restaurant, Narisawa, is consistently featured on the annual list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Like Gokan’s Shibuya flagship bar The SG Club, which draws its inspiration from the first official Japanese journey to the United States, SG Tavern is inspired by a historical cultural exchange. This time, the focus is on the tale of 19 young samurai who broke Japan’s isolationist policies in 1865 to study abroad in the UK to bring back knowledge of industrialisation and modern technology.
SG Tavern’s menu retraces the journey these samurai took through its menu, which included stops in Hong Kong, Singapore and Bombay before finally arriving in England. Drinks include highballs that reflect the ports these students docked at, to be paired with Narisawa’s reiteration of national dishes from around the world, like fish and chips and laksa. Blending local sake culture with international flavours, Gokan masterfully reveals new and exciting discoveries by examining the past.