Tag: contemporary
The Keong Saik of today is not the same as before. Once home to numerous titanic names of Singapore’s dining scene, the vicinage seems to be on its last legs as it founders under the threat of vacating favourites and fading stalwarts. But even amidst the waning embers, a few sparks of optimism have roused — one of them is the vibrant new Hevel.
It’s a Friday night and I sat waiting for my friend in the cosy dimness of Appetite, a chicly placid bar hiding away from the stir of pre-weekend Amoy Street, nestled in a loft sitting two storeys directly above its sister restaurant, Nouri.
A suite of rustic Korean-style furniture populates the space, and a fleet of globe lamps dye the ambience in a passionate orange. At the back of the restaurant, a glossy art piece overlooks the restaurant — on it is a voguish illustration of a Geisha, seemingly supervising everything with a playful side-eye.
Comfort is an expansive and profound concept. Supreme comfort denotes disparate notions, emotions, and fascinations. For some, it’s plain nostalgia. And others, it’s unalloyed gratification. At Rosemead, it’s a chef’s earnest love letter to his roots.
It’s 7:30pm and the rustic bar along Purvis Street is already packed. The space is awash in a sea of chatter and laughter and walking space becomes more scarce as eager guests start swarming the counter. That’s the scene at Draft Land’s Singapore outlet, early into its maiden Friday service. Continue reading “Draft Land”
Unusually small. Dwarfed by adjoining countries. Devoid of resources. The Lion City is an irrefragable state-building miracle and a country with many unexpected virtues. Even after you understand all its feats, Singapore’s flourishing cocktail bar subculture would probably still jump out to the layperson. Continue reading “Best Cocktail Bars in Singapore”
No indications. No door signs. A rickety wooden door hides, inconspicuously camouflaged, flush against the rightmost corner beside Low Tide’s bar. One’s initial curiosity would peg it as a closet of sorts. Pry it open though, and you’ll be greeted by a dusky flight of stairs leading into the basement, into a hidden bar — Ssal. Continue reading “Ssal”
Sometimes, little discernment or foresight is needed to identify the immense potential of a new opening. To those of us living in 2023, Frantzen Group’s latest local outfit, Brasserie Astoria at the Victoria Concert Hall, saunters effortlessly to a podium finish for one of this year’s most anticipated openings in Singapore.
I remember being entranced by the luxurious sweeping vistas over the Singapore skyline when I first visited Smoke & Mirrors. Seeing the MBS, Esplanade, and Singapore Flyer illuminated during golden hour in all their majesty. Continue reading “Smoke & Mirrors”
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was a structure devised by mastercraftsman Daedalus as a means to contain the monstrous Minotaur, one that’s elaborate and flush with serpentine paths leading to its centre.
