First look at Pop City x Pony, Jigger & Pony’s new Japanese-inspired cocktail bar in Singapore

Singapore’s most lauded bar group Jigger & Pony has launched its latest concept Pop City x Pony at 19 Cecil Street, taking over the second-floor space previously occupied by the group’s now-defunct, rum-focused Sugarhall.

When CNA Luxury had an exclusive preview earlier this month, there was a flurry of contractors putting the finishing touches. Jigger & Pony’s co-founder Indra Kantono apologised for the glue fumes, but I hardly noticed it. Instead, I was fascinated with the armchair I was sitting on – it was one of the most comfortable seats I’ve had in a bar in a while. 

The bar’s name is a playful inversion of city pop, the Western-influenced Japanese music genre that was popular in the 1980s, and its Jigger & Pony origins. Instead of a singular theme, Pop City is divided into four zones, seamlessly held together by mid-century modern design and vibes reminiscent of cosy bars in Tokyo’s famous Golden Gai district.

Byobu Bar is the 11-seat counter backdropped by a hand stitched and painted “byobu” (Japanese folding screen). Bar Mixtape is a secret alcove inviting guests on a nostalgic listening journey with compact discs and headphones. Pop City’s collaboration with Japanese spirits maker House of Suntory is reflected at the Tasting Commons space, which facilitates tastings by day and lively DJ music by night. After Hours Salon is designed for larger groups, who can choose between banquette seating dressed in kimono textiles or the aforementioned low armchairs, inspired by legless “zaisu” floor chairs in traditional Japanese settings, with the addition of ergonomic armrests. Other than the tucked away Bar Mixtape, there is visual connection with the rest of the room and counter action wherever you’re seated.

Kantono said: “We want people to drop by for any occasion. You can come solo, sit at the counter and talk to the bartender, hang out with your friends at After Hours or enjoy your favourite CD in Bar Mixtape with a shot of whisky.”

He is unfazed by talks of economic storms ahead, saying that the group has always been “charting our own steady path” since they opened the award-winning Jigger & Pony in 2012. The group, which Kantono oversees with his wife Gan Guoyi, also operates the Live Twice and Gibson bars in the Bukit Pasoh neighbourhood, as well as oyster bar Humpback and modern Italian restaurant Caffe Fernet. In July 2024, Jigger partnered Jakarta-based F&B group The Union Group to open Cosmo Pony bar in the Indonesian capital.

Kantono said: “We don’t say ‘oh the economy is roaring, let’s open many at one go’. Neither do we get too spooked when people say that the going is tough.”

Summarising the questions he would ask himself before opening a bar, he added: “Do we have a great idea that brings value to our consumers, and do we have the team and infrastructure to execute the concept and keep it going?”

Kantono also wanted to make “good Japanese whiskies more accessible” and the Suntory partnership offered an opportunity to do so. He explained: “We used to sell a lot of Yamazaki back when Jigger & Pony first opened and we wanted to bring that back again through a lifestyle cocktail bar that debunks the image of Japanese bars being formal, intimidating and not for newbies.” The Hibiki collection is a highlight in Pop City, alongside spirits such as Roku Gin, Bowmore, Maker’s Mark Bourbon and Toki Whisky.

Pop City is led by Aki Eguchi, the group’s bar programme director, bar manager Sylvia Chong and principal bartender Christopher Foo. Chong said: ‘People want to return to the place where they had a good experience. We hope to be that place where people feel so comfortable that they will always come back.”

Happy Hour drinks include S$15 (US$11.50) highballs and S$17 Harmony Old Fashioned and Yuzu Whisky Sour cocktails using Hibiki Harmony whisky. The debut menu features 16 cocktails priced from S$24 to S$28. They are organised under three sections – Pop, City and Seasonal – with music and fashion references and seasonal produce highlights according to Japan’s 24 solar terms. Classics with a twist include the Hojicha Espresso Martini with a subtle mezcal punch and tang from raspberry powder, and a seasonal Shiitake Negroni whose earthiness is tempered by a sweet potato and white chocolate garnish. Meanwhile, the Mikan French 75 exudes whimsical fun with sparkling sake and a mikan ice ball while the Pop City Sour brings visual delight as the drink, laced with purple shiso vermouth and sour plum syrup, morphs from light orange to lilac as you work through it.

The team broke into laughter as they shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes, such as wracking their brains over cocktail names (“we debated whether to call one a ‘Harajuku Mary’ or ‘Bloody Harajuku’; the first one won”) and deciding the height of tables and chairs.

Kantono said: “We can’t control the economy, and the nature of the F&B industry is such that it will always be challenging. But we can focus on giving value to our guests by paying attention to what they want: a convivial space with good drinks and great service.”