CHOYA opens first Singapore bar at Millenia Walk

CHOYA has launched The CHOYA Ginza BAR Singapore at Millenia Walk, giving the brand its first dedicated bar in Singapore and only its second overseas location. The venue mixes umeshu, cocktails, food pairings and non-alcoholic options to broaden how diners experience Japanese ume.

Why it matters: - The CHOYA Ginza BAR Singapore gives the Japanese umeshu brand a physical destination in Singapore beyond retail shelves. - The launch expands CHOYA’s experiential push in a market where the brand has been sold since 1998. - The bar is designed to sell ume as both a drink and a food ingredient, not just a liqueur served on the rocks.

What happened: - The CHOYA Ginza BAR Singapore officially opened at Millenia Walk in Singapore on Oct. 1, 2026. - The venue is Singapore’s first dedicated CHOYA bar. - The Singapore opening is the concept’s first outpost in the city and only its second location outside Japan. - The brand launched the Ginza bar concept in Tokyo in 2019 and expanded it to Hong Kong in 2024.

The details: - The bar offers more than 12 CHOYA editions, CHOYA serves, classic cocktails with a CHOYA twist and original cocktails created exclusively for Singapore. - The food menu includes bar snacks, appetizers, mains and desserts built around ume. - Menu items include Grilled Pork Jowl with ume yakiniku glaze, slaw salad and ume aioli. - Other dishes include Grilled Chicken Skewers with ume sherry glaze, toasted walnuts and romesco sauce. - The menu also features 4-Cheese Lasagna with green and yellow zucchini, nasu, ume béchamel and tomato ragout. - Signature drinks include the TC Sonic, which pairs CHOYA with soda and tonic water and is topped with fresh ume flown in from Japan. - The CHOYA Martini uses ko-ume instead of the traditional olive. - The Golden Rod cocktail combines CHOYA Single Year, rye whiskey, CHOYA Nectar and fresh mango juice. - The Golden Rod is paired with Hamachi Tropical Ceviche with fresh mango, pickled mustard seeds and CHOYA glaze. - C4D, or CHOYA Cookie Cheese Cake Drink, blends CHOYA Kokuto Umeshu, Tiffin liqueur, fresh milk, cream and cocoa crumbs. - C4D is paired with the B&W Cheesewich featuring mascarpone, cocoa crumbs, ume salted caramel and CHOYA gel. - CHOYA’s umeshu is made by steeping whole ume fruit with the seed intact. - The brand uses Japan-grown ume, mainly the premium Nanko variety from Wakayama’s Kishu region. - CHOYA says it makes the drink without artificial acidulants, flavorings or colorings. - Non-alcoholic options are also available. - The bar’s address is 9 Raffles Boulevard, #02-06 Millenia Walk, Singapore 039596. - Opening hours are Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight, and closed on Sunday. - The bar is available for private events and group celebrations. - Reservations can be made through the bar’s booking link, and more information is available on The CHOYA Ginza BAR Singapore’s website.

Between the lines: - The Singapore debut signals that CHOYA is leaning into premium hospitality experiences to deepen consumer familiarity with ume. - The locally developed food menu suggests the brand wants the Singapore venue to feel distinct rather than imported wholesale. - The mix of cocktails, tasting flights and pairings is meant to make CHOYA accessible to both longtime drinkers and first-time customers. - Edison Ong, director of Letat Agencies Pte. Ltd., said the goal was to show that CHOYA offers more than umeshu on the rocks.

What's next: - CHOYA will likely use the Singapore bar to build awareness for its wider range of umeshu expressions and cocktail serves. - The venue’s private-event offering gives the brand another route to reach groups and repeat guests. - The bar’s Instagram handle is @thechoyaginzabar_sg.