Dirty Supper Club: An intimate & smoky Soiree moves into Tiong Bahru
The greys of dusk slowly trickle into the nooks and crannies of Tiong Bahru. Its white veneer takes on an increasingly ashen shimmer and the kiss of the golden hour sun waned as we weaved through the motley of low-rise flats, on the lookout for the night’s protagonist, Dirty Supper Club.
Eventually, our eyes meet with an old-school sign, black wood etched with the words in gold: “Hua Bee Restaurant” in both English and Chinese.
It’s a familiar scene — once housing stalwart Japanese-fusion outfit Bincho at Hua Bee, now the base for Dirty Supper Club, with origins as an Ann Siang Hill pop-up many moons ago.
Vignetted by the creeping dark and the dusty orange glow of a wall-mounted signboard by its entrance, our dinner venue’s vibe is an amalgamation of vintage charm and modern spunk.
To one corner, the skeletons of a hawker stall lay dormant, the stainless steel counter still gleaming and nostalgic orange bowls stacked tall at the back.
Everything else though, is focused around a cramped semi-open kitchen where diners huddled around low marble ledges, glancing in on the bright flames and chefs tirelessly working the grill.
As with modern supper clubs, it feels intimate and exclusive, redolent of a private house affair — all while exuding a devil-may-care grit from embellishments of sharp graffiti and mood lighting.
A charming Spunk
After we were comfortably settled, we flagged down a passing staff for a menu-run-down, which started with an assured pushed for the Sourdough ($8) as an imperative starter.
Quickly persuaded, the homemade sourdough arrived post-haste, sharply presented on ocean-blue ceramic, cut into two with a mound of sloppy cultured butter served on the smaller fragment.
Crunchy and buttery, Dirty Supper Club’s sourdough first appeared hearty but rather run-of-the-mill — though it turned remarkably satisfying when caked in the gentle, fragrant twang of its buttery accoutrement.
We were then given a peek into the madness of Dirty Supper Club’s imagination with the subsequent Smoked Mackerel & Fried Chicken Skin ($18).
An unorthodox combination: it positions rich and tender smoked mackerel as the star but supplements it with a sheet of condensed chicken skin layers, soft with the gentlest of crunches.
Bites brought smoky and briny indulgence while contrast came through seasoning on the chicken skin — familiar and endearing, like an elevation on KFC’s original. Though working on a second piece sparked a tinge of tedium as the pockets of fat eventually left the palate with a thin film of grease.
The starters then move on to Dirty Supper Club’s Pig Head Nuggets ($18), fashioned out of shredded pig head and drizzled with anchovy sauce.
What greeted us was a glut of shredded pork, slightly fibrous but juicy and boasting robust ham-like umami, touched up with pinches of herbaceous aroma to balance against the abundance of flavours. Interesting.
Saucy, Dirty Dinner
Nex to hit the table was a Confit Duck Leg ($24), served with a blanket of vividly orange fermented chilli, belonging to the day’s list of specials.
Slightly drier than expected but infinitely redeemed by Dirty Supper Club’s remarkable chilli concoction, inspiring more vivacity with distinct zest and feisty sizzle blending into the duck’s earthy richness and spurts of light, enjoyable game funk.
What ensued after this was an awkward lull with numerous quizzical glances into the kitchen —maybe due to teething issues— before the Pork with Roast Leek and Burnt Pear ($38) found its way to our table.
For our finale: luscious pork with appropriate scores of fattiness rounded off with piquant sauce and bouts of smoke and pepper. Admittedly, appreciation dulled with the wait but this dish was as solid as solid could be.
Does Dirty Supper Club bring anything new to the table? There’s certainly plenty of heart, bolstered by the occasional spark of creativity, and the execution is markedly reliable.
To cap it all off, the prices are welcoming for a modish establishment such as this — maybe with some fine-tuning, the newest Unlisted Collection concept could usher in a new lease of life for this Tiong Bahru spot.
Make a reservation online before visiting Dirty Supper Club at Tiong Bahru.
Dirty Supper Club
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- Address: 78 Moh Guan Terrace, #01-19, Singapore 162078
- Hours: (Tues–Sat) 3pm to 11pm, (Sun) 11am to 4pm