Hidden in plain sight, The Secret Mermaid is the alter ego of Shinkansen, a design-your-own salad bar in the CBD. The shared space, outfitted with black grilles and brass piping, morphs into a hole-in-the-wall cocktail bar after five in the evening. Bottles of gin, rum, tequila, vodka, and whisky occupy every nook and cranny in this miniscule hideout, and the bar also has one of the largest collections of American craft spirits. Customers can opt for tasting flights or get one of Kelly D’Cruz’s creations at the eight-seater counter. Thorough in her research, D’Cruz learns each spirit’s distillery, ageing process, and mash bill to find out how she can best bring out its flavours – no easy feat considering there are more than 80 varieties on offer here.
Besides creative cocktails, unique offerings can be found on The Secret Mermaid’s food menu, such as the sushi donut ($22) – yuzu-ume rice encased in a mix of salmon sashimi, tobiko, avocado, and ikura – and tom yum mentaiko skewers ($12). Fans of oysters will be happy to know that you can get freshly shucked oysters starting from $5, topped with mentaiko (additional $2), ikura (additional $4), or tobiko ($9).