Quick answer: AO (青, pronounced “ah-oh”) is a casual Japanese sharing-plates restaurant by Cloud Restaurant Group at 1 Claymore Drive, #01-01, Singapore 229594, about 500 metres from Orchard MRT Exit 1. It opened on 1 September 2026. Culinary Director Takeshi Araki, formerly head chef of Michelin-starred kappo restaurant Esora, runs an à la carte menu of 26 dishes priced from $14 to $68++, with most plates between $20 and $32. Average spend is $50–$80++ per person. AO is open daily from 11am to 10pm, with last orders at 9pm. The entrance is through the Cloudmills bakery on Claymore Road. It seats 60 indoors and 30 alfresco, and the alfresco area is pet-friendly.
The first thing to know about AO is that you won’t find a door with its name on it. You walk into a bakery, past the doughnuts and a charcoal grill, and the restaurant is behind it.
The second thing is who’s cooking. Takeshi Araki spent four years at three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori RyuGin in Tokyo and then led the counter at Esora. At AO he’s making stuffed chicken wings and a wagyu maki that costs $28.
We were invited to a media tasting. Here’s how to get in, what it costs, and the six dishes we’d go back for.
What Is AO?
AO is a relaxed, à la carte Japanese restaurant built for sharing. It’s the third concept from Cloud Restaurant Group, after the all-day restaurant Cloudfields at Tan Boon Liat Building and the takeaway bakery Cloudmills, which shares AO’s address.
The name is the Japanese word for blue (青), pronounced “ah-oh”. It refers to the sky and the sea, where most of the menu’s ingredients come from.
The cooking is led by Takeshi Araki, Culinary Director of Cloud Restaurant Group. He’s from Hiroshima, trained across Japanese, Italian and French kitchens, and became head chef of the modern kappo restaurant Esora in 2022. AO is the opposite format. There’s no counter, no set course and no fixed order of dishes. The menu runs from carpaccio and tataki to maki rolls, charcoal-grilled mains, ramen and somen, and each table orders as much or as little as it wants.
The restaurant describes it as izakaya energy with careful technique. In practice, the dishes are Japanese at the core, with borrowings from elsewhere: French duck rillettes, a Caesar salad with white grapes, tofu ice cream with kaya and gula melaka.
Where Is AO, And How Do You Find The Entrance?
AO is at 1 Claymore Drive, #01-01, Singapore 229594. Despite the address, the restaurant faces Claymore Road, and that’s the side to walk to.
Getting in: look for Cloudmills, the bakery, on Claymore Road opposite EtonHouse International Pre-School. Walk in, go past the bakery counter and the charcoal grill, and AO’s dining room opens up behind.
By MRT: Orchard Station (NS22/TE14), Exit 1, then about 500 metres on foot.
By car: there is limited street parking on Claymore Road. Covered parking is available via Claymore Drive and in neighbouring buildings.
Inside, the room by Singapore design firm Grafted Studio is all natural wood and stone, with a ceiling that dips towards the centre and a mix of communal tables and quieter corners. The open kitchen stays in view. Outside, low sofas face Claymore Road, and pets are welcome in the alfresco area.
What Are AO’s Opening Hours?
AO is open daily from 11am to 10pm, with last orders at 9pm. There’s no afternoon break and no closed day.
Two practical notes. If you want a late dinner, be seated by 8:30pm so you’re not ordering against the clock. And for reservations, the number is 8092 6532.
How Much Does AO Cost?
You can estimateo spend around $50–$80++ per pax. Prices are subject to 10% service charge and 9% GST, which adds about 20%.
The menu has 26 dishes. Starters run $14–$28, sharing plates $20–$34, mains $28–$68 and desserts $16–$20. Take out the $68 sirloin and nothing costs more than $36.
What Should You Order At AO?
Our six picks, in the order we’d eat them.
Bluefin Tuna Tartare & Toasted Sushi Rice ($28)
Smoky bluefin tuna tartare and caviar sit on a block of crisp, toasted Yukinko sushi rice. The tartare is dressed with a smoky soy and green chilli, so there’s a nice kick at the end. You pick it up with your hands and eat it like sushi. We thought it was really nice, and it’s the right first plate for the table.
Grilled Chicken Wings with Black Truffle Mochi Rice ($22)
These are boned-out wings, stuffed with truffle-scented mochi rice, chicken and vegetables, then grilled until the skin crisps. They’re finished with porcini powder and a red vinegar (akazu) and garlic reduction. Another one we liked a lot. It’s the dish that best shows what AO is doing: izakaya food, made with fine-dining patience.
Sukiyaki Wagyu Maki Roll ($28)
The best-value dish on the menu. The roll is wrapped in torch-seared wagyu rather than seaweed. Inside are simmered wagyu, smoked pickled daikon and vegetables, with an egg yolk sauce and garlic chips on top, which stand in for the raw egg dip you’d get with sukiyaki. A maki wrapped in wagyu beef for $28 felt really well priced.
Cold Sudachi Somen with Uni & Ika ($28)
Cold somen with sea urchin (uni), squid (ika) and seaweed, sharpened with sudachi citrus. It’s a simple bowl with nowhere to hide, and it was really well executed. Order it between the richer plates.
“Sakura-dai” Sea Bream Ramen ($28)
Our favourite dish at AO. The broth is made from sea bream (sakura-dai) rather than pork, so it’s creamy and milky but light. It still has the collagen-rich body that everyone wants from a ramen. It comes with swordfish chashu in place of pork, black garlic oil, kaiware, crispy sakura ebi and a cap of yuzu bubbles on top. If you only order one thing, order this.
Roasted Black Sesame Tiramisu ($16)
We loved this. It keeps the structure of a classic tiramisu, with espresso and cocoa, and uses roasted black sesame to deepen the flavour. The ladyfingers are perfectly soaked, and the sesame is nutty and rich. Don’t share it.
What Else Is On The AO Menu?
The rest is described from the menu, not from our table.
To start. Wild Northern Amaebi Carpaccio ($26) pairs sweet prawn and scallop with tomato, rakkyo, finger lime and ikura. Hay-smoked Bonito Tataki ($20) is grilled briefly over hay and dressed with ponzu, myoga and sesame. There’s also Live Oyster with Yuzu Ponzu Foam ($22), Challans Duck Rillettes & Foie Gras Terrine ($20) with seasonal fruits, and Cherrywood-smoked Shio Kombu Edamame ($14), the cheapest thing on the menu.
Sharing. Yukari Shishamo with Shiso Aioli ($22), Grilled Spanish Octopus ($26) on edamame purée, Japanese Little Neck Clams & Karasumi ($20) in kombu stock, and a White Grape Caesar Salad ($22). The other two maki are the Negi-chutoro Maki Roll ($28) with iburigakko and the Salmon & Ikura Maki Roll ($24). Wagyutan Curry with Onsen Egg & Garlic Rice ($34) uses beef tongue and gyusuji. Cut Fries & Nori ($28) comes with a seaweed cream.
Mains. Spanish Chestnut Pork Belly & Sake Lees ($32) arrives with leaves, pickles and sauces so each person builds their own wrap. Yuzukosho Teriyaki Chicken ($32) is brined French poulet glazed on the charcoal grill, with celeriac kinpira and Padrón peppers. Grilled Miso Seabass ($36) comes with broccolini and mushroom. The Grain-fed Sirloin (MB4/5) with Akazake Sauce ($68) is the most expensive dish.
Sweet finish. Smoke Vanilla Ice Cream & Burnt Marshmallow ($16), Burnt Bleu Cheesecake with Wildflower Honey ($20), and Tofu Ice Cream Three Ways ($16), a dairy-free soy milk ice cream served as mango warabimochi, red bean strawberry, or kaya gula melaka.
Who Is AO For?
- Budget $75–$90 a head for a full shared dinner after service and GST. A starter and a bowl of ramen each lands closer to $50.
- Good for groups that can’t agree. There’s no set menu, and the dishes range from sashimi-style starters to curry rice.
- Good for a late lunch. It’s open straight through from 11am.
- Bringing your pet? Ask for the alfresco sofas.
- Not the place for pork-free or halal dining. Pork belly is on the menu, and there’s no halal certification mentioned.
AO: Key Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Claymore Drive, #01-01, Singapore 229594 (enter via Cloudmills bakery on Claymore Road) |
| Opened | 1 September 2026 |
| Cuisine | Contemporary Japanese sharing plates, à la carte |
| Chef | Takeshi Araki, Culinary Director (ex-Esora, ex-Nihonryori RyuGin) |
| Group | Cloud Restaurant Group (Cloudfields, Cloudmills) |
| Price | Dishes $14–$68++ · Average $50–$80++ a person |
| Opening hours | Daily 11am–10pm (last order 9pm) |
| Seating | 60 indoors, 30 alfresco (pet-friendly outdoors) |
| Nearest MRT | Orchard (NS22/TE14), Exit 1, about 500m |
| Parking | Limited street parking on Claymore Road; covered parking via Claymore Drive |
| Reservations | 8092 6532 |
| @ao.restaurant |
Frequently Asked Questions about AO Restaurant
Where is AO restaurant in Singapore?
AO is at 1 Claymore Drive, #01-01, Singapore 229594, in the Orchard area. The entrance is through the Cloudmills bakery on Claymore Road, opposite EtonHouse International Pre-School. The nearest MRT is Orchard (NS22/TE14); take Exit 1 and walk about 500 metres.
When did AO open?
AO opened on Tuesday, 1 September 2026. It is the third concept from Cloud Restaurant Group, after Cloudfields and the Cloudmills bakery.
What are AO’s opening hours?
AO is open daily from 11am to 10pm, with last orders at 9pm. It does not close between lunch and dinner.
How much does AO cost?
AO’s dishes cost $14 to $68 before service charge and GST, and most are between $20 and $32. The restaurant puts average spend at $50 to $80++ a person. Starters are $14 to $28, sharing plates $20 to $34, mains $28 to $68 and desserts $16 to $20.
Who is the chef at AO?
AO’s menu is led by Takeshi Araki, Culinary Director of Cloud Restaurant Group. Originally from Hiroshima, he spent four years at three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori RyuGin in Tokyo and became head chef of Singapore’s Michelin-starred modern kappo restaurant Esora in 2022.
Does AO take reservations?
Yes. AO takes reservations on 8092 6532. Walk-ins are possible, as the menu is à la carte with no set courses.
Is there parking at AO?
There is limited street parking along Claymore Road, and covered parking via Claymore Drive and in neighbouring buildings. Orchard MRT Exit 1 is about 500 metres away.
Is AO pet-friendly?
Yes. AO’s alfresco area, which faces Claymore Road and seats 30, is pet-friendly. Pets are not allowed in the 60-seat indoor dining room.
This article is based on a media-tasting event, but all opinions expressed about the food are entirely our own.
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