Jigger & Pony’s Uno Jang to open debut bar
Uno Jang has developed his first solo venture, B.O.P., a Korean cocktail dining bar in Singapore, with support from Jigger & Pony.
The name stands for ‘bartenders of Pony’, referring to the people behind the iconic Asian cocktail group. It also has similarities to ‘bop’, as in musical beats, as well as the Korean word for rice, bap.
Jang has been creative director and partner at Jigger & Pony Group since 2024, but has worked with the group since 2017.
He was selected as the winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2025 in September.
While Jang remains part of the group and developed B.O.P. with its support, the bar is his own venture. “I feel like Jennie from Blackpink sometimes,” he explains. “I’m still part of the group, but this is like my debut solo album.”
B.O.P. is said to be the ‘culmination’ of South Korea-born Jang’s journey, exploring his home country’s culture, craftsmanship and connection, through cocktails, cuisine and community.
The spirit of Korean culture at B.O.P. takes shape through three guiding ideas: Kki 끼, the ‘craft and relentless pursuit of mastery and detail’; Jeong 정, the heart, expressed through ‘deep hospitality and emotional connection that makes strangers stay’; and Heung 흥, the ‘energy, joyful vitality and spontaneity that keep the night alive’.
“At B.O.P., I wanted to bring more of myself, be it my home, memories, experience and even my journey, into my cocktails,” he added. “Each drink represents a piece of who I am and where I come from, and that’s really what B.O.P. is about. It’s about craft meeting comfort, and blending technique with soul so every drink feels both familiar and new.”
The cocktails will be rooted in Korean flavours and everyday rituals, with inspiration from Jang’s experiences in both Korea and Singapore.
B.O.P. aims to be a ‘fresh format’, neither a restaurant bar nor a cocktail lounge. Instead, the venue will offer a cocktail-first experience supported by a ‘robust’ dining programme. Each drink and dish will ‘connect seamlessly’ to offer one continuous expression of flavour.
The food programme was developed in collaboration with chef Jason Oh (Oh Jun Tak), who has featured on Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars. He is the founder of TAK Seoul and the former chef-owner of Seoul’s Namyeong Chicken.
The collaboration between Jang and Oh stems from a decade-long friendship with a shared pride in Korean culture.
“I first met Jason 10 years ago during my guest shift in Hong Kong,” said Jang. “I was nervous, but he came up to encourage me and we bonded instantly. As the years went on, we kept in touch and watched each other grow, and when the idea for B.O.P. came about, I knew he was the one to help bring it to life.”
Jang hopes that the bar will appeal to ‘the new generation of drinkers’ – those in their 20s and 30s who connect with Korean culture, value authenticity, and crave places that ‘feel casual yet effortlessly stylish’.
“I hope B.O.P. can be that kind of space,” he explained. “Somewhere that feels like home, whether you come for one drink or stay all night. A place where we look after you, the way friends do.”
B.O.P. will open in the first quarter of 2026, with further details on the debut menu and opening celebrations to be announced soon.
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