The buzz: You may have had a sneak peek of his food at the Epicurean Market but Californian chef David Myers’ East-meets-West small plates restaurant has finally opened in the hotel lobby of Marina Bay Sands.
The vibe: It’s much cozier than photos will have you think. The bar area is more enclosed and dim, but the main dining room is spacious and unstuffy. While there are normal dining tables, the suspended sofa-like seats near the windows are comfier. Plus, the music playlist full of indie rock, funk and downtempo electronic tunes further ensure that the vibe is casual and fun.
The food: The menu may be tricky to navigate but is divided into categories like bar snacks, bread-centric dishes, protein-forward options and the “Nomadic” experimental options. While the spicy caramel popcorn ($9) debuted at the Epicurean Market last year, the version on the menu is slightly sweeter. Especially good is the buckwheat-fried chicken with honey mustard ($18), fried three times for maximum crunch. Mains include the iberico pork with salted plum with sweet potato ($36), which is tasty and tender, though the Asian salted plum touch doesn’t intrigue enough. The same can be said for the beef tartare on baguette ($26) that’s super fresh but needs a healthy dose of seasoning to offset the egginess. For an East-meets-West joint, it’s still deeply-rooted in Western flavors. Not a bad thing, but still.
The drinks: The cocktail menu steasl the show for its finesse and balance. Choose from drinks like the Mexican-inspired Torchlight ($23) made with tequila, lime, honey, cholula and cayenne; Tuk Tuk Thief ($23) with aged rum, pineapple and Fernet Branca; and their version of a Singapore Sling ($23) made with homemade liqueuers, gin, pineapple and lemon. A standout is the Penicillin ($23) with Scotch, lemon, ginger, honey and an Islay float that is tart but full-bodied at the same time. On the other hand, wines by the glass start at $18 with bottles of Spanish verdejo-viura and a Marchesi Antinori sangiovese-merlot-syrah blend.
Why you’ll be back: It’s a great place to park yourself for after-work snacks and drinks, more so than dinner. But if you are so inclined, be sure to take friends in order to share lots of plates as portions aren’t huge.
