Now synonymous with cool concepts, hipster bars and great food, here’s where to go when you’re in the Keong Saik, Jiak Chuan and Teck Lim streets.
Burnt Ends
After snagging bragging rights as one of San Pellegrino’s Asia Best Restaurants 2015, this industrial-style grill has gone from strength to strength with dishes like the Burnt End Sanger, a brioche bun with pulled pork, and rump cap with burnt onion and bone marrow. Just be prepared to wait as the space doesn’t take reservations.
Candlenut
Chef Malcom Lee fuses creativity with the robust and complex flavors of Peranakan cuisine passed down through his family to create dishes like buah keluak beef rib, assam sotong and buah keluak ice cream that tastes like an update of your grandmother’s hearty cooking. The airy and light-filled restaurant with the modern wooden kampong decor really feels like a throwback to the simpler times.
Cure
Chef Andrew Walsh, formerly of Spanish restaurant Esquina (which is also down the road), has finally struck it out on his own with this bistronomy degustation-based restaurant. While dinners function on a three-, four-, five- and seven-course basis, lunch has a la carte options. The menu is ever-changing but dishes might include plates of hamachi tartare with heirloom tomato, roast scallop with chicken wing and Scottish salmon with crab porridge and oat crumble.
The Daily Roundup
Amazing crepe and galette places are few and far between in Singapore, but luckily this cheery and pastel-flanked cafe has it nailed. With direction from famed chef Bruno Menard, there are sweet crepe and savory galette options that are based on traditional Brittany-style French recipes. Don’t skip the burrata and heirloom tomato or chorizo and egg galettes, but leave room for dessert with a dizzying array of delectable sweet treats like yuzu butter and salted caramel crepes.
Esquina
Started by hotelier-restaurateur Loh Lik Peng and Michelin-starred Jason Atherton, Esquina is a cool and intimate space that focuses on tapas. With the recent addition of Chef Carlos Montobbio, formerly of Antidote, there are new dishes on the menu such as the Spanish nigiri, a bacalao brandade topped with roasted capsicum, as well as the grilled Spanish octopus with burnt onions, oyster leaf and Jerusalem artichoke puree. Plus, the restaurant now takes reservations.
Lime House
One of the first Caribbean restaurants in Singapore, this two-story space is homey and rustic, with unfinished walls and mismatched vintage tables and chairs. It’s a great place to chow down on well-spiced and filling Caribbean recipes like jerk chicken and goat curry served in generous portions. Don’t forget the variety of sweet and easy-drinking rum-based cocktails.
Lollapalooza
Ann Siang Hill’s Lolla’s new sister has more sexy small plates. The Scandi-chic light wood and white-washed space has a vibrant open kitchen that overlooks the main dining room. The focus is still on off-cuts and offal-centric dishes that change daily. While some plates manage to stay on the menu for a few weeks, don’t be surprised when favorites like roasted lamb hearts, chargrilled wagyu ribeye cap and veal tongue in salsa verde disappear forever. The space has a strong wine list, with at least 20 options by the glass.
Neon Pigeon
Colorful floor-to-ceiling pigeon murals, loud music and grungy-industrial vibe aside, this fun gastrobar is always packed with the most beautiful crowd. It’s all about izakaya-inspired small plates with creations like a miso-roasted pumpkin risotto, a moreish roasted bone marrow with fried garlic and fall-off-the-bone smoked baby back ribs. Leave room for Japanese-inspired cocktails, all of which are a steal at no more than $20 a glass.
Nicolas le Restaurant
Cult favorite chef Nicolas Joanny’s loyal regulars return again and again for his seasonal French fare at this minimally decorated restaurant. Since 2007, he’s offered three- and five-course lunch sets and four- and a rotating six-course degustation set for dinner with dishes like Iberico pluma pork with mushroom bouillon and confit pigeon. Head here for a convivial atmosphere in a warm and fuss-free space.
Restaurant Ember
Even after a decade and a major overhaul, this restaurant still gets really busy here thanks to the approachable but playful modern European food. Helmed by chef Sufian Zain, formerly of Waku Ghin and Iggy’s, the kitchen plays with seasonal ingredients to craft dishes like slow-cooked Angus short rib and a duo of duck with braised red cabbage and carrot puree. The space is still airy, just with updated blue-tinged interiors.
