The area around Telok Ayer MRT has some seriously cool shophouses and now, it’s become a legit dining destination with hip eateries sharing the space with mom-and-pop stalls and bars located next to Korean barbecue joints. Here are the latest batch of restaurants to check out in Telok Ayer, Amoy and Boon Tat.
For meat lovers:
FYR Cycene Ond Drink
It’s about back-to-basics dishes at this Boon Tat restaurant. With huge murals full of cavemen and how they found fire, the menu focuses on Josper-grilled dishes with Southeast Asian spices. Think ribeye with Java curry dressing, red snapper with sambal belacan and platters of five-spiced chicken, striploin and tiger prawns. The long space with a small street-side patio is great for after-work drinks, too.
Meat Smith
One of the first restaurants in Singapore to focus on smoked briskets and all things meat, this American smokehouse is casual, convivial and packed to the brim on most nights. The menu is full of carnivorous options lik wagyu beef ribs, pulled pork sandwiches and fried chicken sandwiches, but don’t leave without trying picklebacks, which are whiskey shots with pickle brine.
For those who like small portions:
Sum Yi Tai
This 1980s Hong Kong-inspired shophouse space makes full use of balmy night air and after-work snacks and drinks. While the first floor is full of Chinese tapas like carrot cake, crispy roast pork and shrimp paste chicken wings, or har cheong kai. It’s a little reminiscent of glam Oriental opium dens but the rooftop bar is perfect for breezy after-work drinks before descending for a snack.
Sorrel
This bistronomy concept restaurant needs no introduction after making waves earlier this year. Operating on a degustation-based menu, pick from five- or seven-course dinners that gets small tweaks on a daily basis and bigger updates every two weeks or so. Everything here is plated pretty small, so you won’t have too much trouble getting through the conceptual creations like langoustines with egg yolk ravioli.
For cocktails:
Spiffy Dapper
This often ramshackle cocktail bar isn’t new to the scene, but it is new to the street. After moving out of their Boat Quay digs, they now boast a much larger space on Amoy Street. For those of you who frequented the old space, wallking into this bar may seem surreal, what with all the copper touches, proper bar seats and a dedicated herb ledge. The place still serves up the same great cocktails and raucous atmosphere you’d expect.
