MAO King Tavern is a new durian pub at Swan Lake Avenue in Siglap which has premium fresh durians, charcoal-grilled durians, Musang King Beer and durian desserts.

Previously known as Slake Restaurant, MAO King Tavern is officially opening its doors to the public today on 1 April 2021.

Opened by Durian Edition and Slake Restaurant, MAO King Tavern is a durian bar that offers not just premium fresh durians such as Musang King and Black Gold, but as well as durian desserts including MSW Burnt Durian Cheesecake (S$12.80/slice), MSW Durian Mousse Crumble Slice (S$12.80), Musang King Cream Puff (S$2.80) and Premium Mochiko (S$14.80 for 3 pcs).

MAO King Tavern has also partnered with local microbrewery, The 1925 Brewing Co. to create a Musang King Ale using real Musang King durian flesh in the fermenting process.

Prices of premium fresh durians:

• Musang King S$25/kg
• Black Gold S$28/kg
• Grill Your Durian S$15.80
• Extra Cheese S$8.80

There are also bar snacks including:

• Chye Poh Fries S$9.80
• Har Cheong Kaarage S$11.80
• Luncheon Meat Fries S$10.80

The new watering hole seats 18 visitors indoors and 8 visitors at the al-fresco area.

MAO King Tavern
Opera Estate, 15 Swan Lake Ave,
Singapore 455711

Barking Irons is a new steampunk-themed speakeasy bistro bar in Lavender serving up an interesting innovation: local-inspired cocktails! The catch? These cocktails are made from a harmonious blend of both our all-time favourite childhood beverages and liquor.

They also have a sweet story behind the inspiration for their local drinks: they wanted to adopt the “coffee-shop style” with drinks that reminded others of their throw-back childhood generation.

A fairly new kid on the block, Barking Irons has slowly been gaining recognition amongst alcoholics for their killer cocktails and toothsome mains.

We had to try their famed local-inspired cocktails, so we went for their Bandung with Grass Jelly (S$19.00). At first glance, it looks like an unassuming glass of bandung; the drink is actually a balanced mixture of your standard rose syrup, grass jelly, and a douse of roku gin.

It even came with a giant syringe containing condensed milk, making the drink picture perfect for Instagram!

Inject the syringe into the drink, give it a good swirl, and the familiar pink drink comes alive right before your eyes. Upon taking the first sip, we were hit with a heady wave of earthy notes. The sweetness of the bandung paired well with the alcohol, giving it a light, rose aftertaste while elevating the gin’s natural botanical sweetness.

Complementing well with our drink was their Charcoal Skewers in Teriyaki Chicken (S$8.00).

We could taste the charred smokiness from the chicken, which was nicely grilled. The coating of the sweet sauce also added on to its savouriness. While the skin was crisp, the meat inside was tender and slid off the stick easily.

If you are craving for something substantial, definitely try out their Har Cheong Gai Burger (S$18.00)! Taking centre stage among their range of delectable mains, the burger is served with tantalising charcoal buns sandwiching huge chunks of chicken.

The chicken was coated with a thick layer of prawn paste; it was also well battered and crispy, oozing juiciness when we bit into the succulent meat.

Barking Irons is the bar to go to if you are looking for a chill watering hole with a variety of alcoholic options to spend with friends. This place promises nothing except good vibes, amazing service and strong booze guaranteed to give you a buzz!

P.S, the folks here are also coming up with new flavours for their local drinks, such as Ondeh Ondeh and Ice Ka Chang. If that hasn’t tempted you to head down and give them a try, we don’t know what will.

78 Horne Road, #01-01
Singapore 209078
Tel: +65 6909 0349
Tues to Sun: 4pm – 12am
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Lavender