Singapore has its first dedicated CHOYA bar. The CHOYA Ginza BAR Singapore has officially opened at Millenia Walk, bringing together more than a century of the Japanese umeshu maker’s heritage with a contemporary cocktail menu, curated tasting flights and ume-inspired food pairings. It is only the brand’s second outpost outside Japan, after an earlier expansion to Hong Kong in 2024, and its first in Singapore since CHOYA bottles first landed on local retail shelves back in 1998.
CHOYA’s umeshu is made by steeping whole ume fruit, seed and all, so the natural aroma and tartness of the fruit develops over time rather than being added artificially. The bar uses Japan-grown ume, mostly the premium Nanko variety from Wakayama’s Kishu region, with no artificial acidulants, flavourings or colourings. The Singapore outpost takes that base and builds its own identity on top, with bespoke cocktails exclusive to this bar and a locally developed food menu.
What to order
The drinks menu runs from more than a dozen CHOYA expressions served neat or in classic cocktail twists, to original creations found only at the Singapore bar. A few to look out for:
- The TC Sonic – CHOYA with soda and tonic water, topped with fresh ume flown in from Japan.
- The CHOYA Martini – a play on the classic martini with ko-ume standing in for the olive.
- The Golden Rod – an original Singapore-exclusive mix of CHOYA Single Year, rye whiskey, CHOYA Nectar and fresh mango juice, paired with Hamachi Tropical Ceviche.
- C4D (CHOYA Cookie Cheese Cake Drink) – CHOYA Kokuto Umeshu blended with Tiffin liqueur, fresh milk, cream and cocoa crumbs, paired with the B&W Cheesewich.
For anyone who wants to taste their way through the range before committing, there are curated tasting flights that walk through different CHOYA varieties side by side. On the food side, the kitchen weaves ume into savoury and sweet dishes alike, including Grilled Pork Jowl with ume yakiniku glaze, Grilled Chicken Skewers with ume sherry glaze and toasted walnuts, and a 4-Cheese Lasagna finished with ume béchamel. Non-alcoholic options are available too, so the bar is not strictly for drinkers.
“Most people know CHOYA as a glass of umeshu on the rocks, but there is so much more to discover,” said Edison Ong, Director of Letat Agencies Pte Ltd, which operates the bar. “With the CHOYA Ginza BAR Singapore, we wanted to create a place where guests can experience the versatility of ume in different ways, be it through cocktails, a tasting flight or even food and dessert.”
The space itself leans more lounge than standing bar, with a mix of intimate seating and group-friendly tables, jazz playing in the background, and opening hours that stretch from after-work drinks on weeknights to later weekend sessions. It is pitched as suitable for a quiet catch-up, a date night, or a small celebration, and is also available for private bookings. It joins a growing cluster of dining and drinking options at Millenia Walk, and follows on from Singapore’s broader appetite for Japanese drinks culture seen at events like Sake Meguri.
Official Details
The CHOYA Ginza BAR Singapore
Address: 9 Raffles Boulevard, #02-06 Millenia Walk, Singapore 039596
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 4:00pm – 11:00pm; Friday – Saturday 4:00pm – 12:00am; Sunday closed
