Set inside COO, a new hipster boutique hostel in Tiong Bahru, this all-day dining bistro serves a menu of global and locally inspired dishes, all with a modern twist. The setting is casual, so come with a few buddies to enjoy a laidback dinner. Whet your appetites with the Roasted Pork Belly ($12), elevated with a salted egg yolk emulsion, then move on to hearty mains like Braised Lamb Shoulder ($32) served atop potato mousseline with gremolata (an Italian herbed condiment) and orange lamb sauce, and COO's Prawn Noodles ($18), which Burppler Shawn Loh describes to be "a dry interpretation of soupy prawn noodles" made with fettucine, smoky grilled prawns and a chilli sauce with a kick. Save space for Tiong Bahru "Chwee Kway" ($9), a fun dessert of panna cotta topped with candied walnuts and balsamic strawberries that almost looks like the real deal.
Avg price: $25 per person
Photo by Burppler Shawn Loh
Essentially a dry interpretation of soupy prawn noodles with a noticeably firmer texture of pasta, and at no point do you consciously register the noodles as being particularly drier or less soup-soaked than the original. The Chun Li-esque kick of chilli padi and aggressively alluring fragrance of shallots bring authentic credibility, while elsewhere the obscenely wet egg strikes a pouty pose and the nicely grilled prawns bring forth a smoky sensuality. 3.9/5
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One of the better openings I've been to in recent times. Delicious, decently priced fare with a playful Sin-cuisine slant - colour me intrigued.
