The quieter sister of Keong Saik Road, Bukit Pasoh Road deserves equal credit for being a foodie’s lane. Lined with hip bars and charming cafes, this preserved street has won our hearts over with its laidback, rustic aura.

And, if you haven’t heard, this stretch has received another addition to its family of establishments.

Meet Bakery’s Bench Bakery — a new artisanal neighbourhood bakery that churns out stellar bakes and gourmet sandwiches. From cranberry scones to croque monsieur, they’ve got everything you need for a dignified brunch. Caffeine junkies, not to worry, they also have a respectable selection of coffee brews and tea beverages.

Their interior brags of elegant Scandinavian vibes, replete with muted greens and lush plants. The granite floor and walls lend a subdued industrial touch to the whole space.

We especially adore the aesthetic of the main counter, which sees dangling lamps and hanging pastries.

The server shared that all their bread and croissant pastries are made with a sourdough base, which endows them with a tarter, deeper flavour.

Starting off with the Savory Swirl (S$4.50), this spiral danish pastry is stuffed with pesto and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. While the pastry itself was gorgeously flaky, it could have used more pesto filling and cheese.

One of their signature pastries is The Sticky Bun (S$5), a cinnamon bun glazed with caramel and toasted pecans. Resembling a gooey caramelised block of gold, it set our expectations pretty high for how it was going to taste.

And, trust us, it was every bit as good as it looked. The dough itself was fluffy with a soft, buttery chewiness. And when accompanied with the sticky caramel and crunchy pecans, it made for a dreamy indulgence.

We also tried the Hazelnut Twice-Baked Croissant (S$5.50). Speckled with hazelnut bits and icing sugar, the croissant had a deliciously crisp exterior.

However, we wished they were more generous with the hazelnut-infused frangipane filling, which was merely concentrated in the middle. Also, they could work on the overall flakiness of the croissant, which was slightly lacking.

Although Baker’s Bench Bakery’s pastries aren’t out-of-this-world amazing, they speak of incredible thoughtfulness and soul. We can’t get enough of their alluring atmosphere and warm service.

We can see this place getting really packed soon, so you might want to head there soon before this place gets big.

6 Bukit Pasoh Rd
Singapore 089820
Wed – Mon: 8.30am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Outram Park

Tucked away on Bukit Pasoh, the vibrant and lively Casa Poncho is a new Latino restaurant and bar that serves some of the best churros and cocktails in the area. Inspired by Latin American cuisine, the dishes are designed to be shared and feature a whole array of rustic nosh synonymous with Mexican comfort food.

If fresh ceviche, sinful churros and devilish Mezcal-based cocktails are things you fancy, then this new kid on the block is sure to spice up your evening as you watch the sun slowly set and kiss the workday goodbye.

For a little bit of Mexico in the heart of Singapore, drop by Casa Poncho be it for a full-on meal or an end-of-work tipple.

Decked out in vibrant colours and with groovy Latin music booming in the background, Casa Poncho is the sort of place you should definitely come with your best buddies for a night out of zero restraint. Armed with a cocktail in hand, the restaurant’s vibrant atmosphere will have you feeling transported straight to Cuba.

If like us, you go absolutely mental at the sight of a grilled octopus leg, then allow their El Pulpo, an insanely tender grilled octopus topped with chilli ranchera salsa, pumpkin seeds, and a dash of scallion oil, to delight your taste buds.

To get yourself and your mates in the mood for a fiesta (and fast), consider one of their Mezcal-based cocktails. Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from an agave plant native to Mexico and much like the infamous spirit, tequila, it really packs a mean punch.

Casa Poncho
14 Bukit Pasoh Road,
Singapore 089828
Tel: +65 6224 5466
(Closed on Sundays & Mondays)
Tue to Sat: 5pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Outram Park

All photos are credited to Casa Poncho Singapore.

Yakitori bars have been sprouting up a lot recently in Singapore, especially with the pairing of cocktails and Japanese meat skewers gaining immense popularity. Nestled along the cafe-strewn street of Bukit Pasoh Road lies Chikin, a new Yakitori bar that dishes out hearty meat skewers with a twist.

Opened by the owners of Sum Yi Tai, Chikin is an unassuming bar which specialises in clever cocktail infusions, comforting Japanese eats as well as Szechuan mala yakitori—the first of its kind. Combining traditional Japanese methods with mouth watering Szechuan flavours, Chikin aims to reshape the way we think and feel about Japanese yakitori forever.

The first floor features a neon-lit open concept kitchen and bar with a gorgeous marble bar top and the walls are covered in cheeky murals that encompass Japanese pop culture elements. With a mixture of hip-hop and clubby tunes playing in the background, stepping into Chikin almost feels like being in a club.

Chikin’s menu boasts a variety of Izakaya-style dishes to complete the dining experience. Among these are spicy variations of Japanese street snacks and comforting Japanese favourites and with a namesake like Chikin, it is not hard to guess that most of their skewers are going to made of chicken.

Ensuring no part of a chicken goes to waste, their selection of yakitori features several unconventional parts such as windpipe, heart and cartilage—which are surprisingly delicious if you are ballsy enough to try them.

Using Japanese methods of grilling skewers over binchotan flames, Chikin marries the art of Japanese Yakitori with mouth watering Szechuan spices in a creative effort to combine the best of two Asian disciplines.

We opted for a selection of 6 different chicken parts—the thigh meat (S$3), skin (S$3), ‘oyster’ (S$4) which is essentially the breast meat portion of the chicken, heart (S$3.50), cartilage (S$3.50) and chicken meatballs (S$4.50)

Spice lovers will most definitely fall head-over-heels with this. Their meat is pre-marinated in a mixture of Szechuan spices and just before serving, is dusted with more Szechuan spices. With varying degrees of spiciness, get your lips ready to be numbed in the midst of savouring the succulence of the grilled meat.

Our top three favourites were the chicken skin, chicken thigh and chicken heart.

The skin was incredibly crisp with a light dusting of spices to give it a slight kick. The heart may seem daunting at first, but it is actually really tasty with an interesting texture to it—tender and not off-putting at all.

Overall, this is a great place to hang out be it after work or not. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves from the great skewers, friendly staff, right down to the sexy interior (of which is perfect for selfies).

Chikin
6 Bukit Pasoh Road,
Singapore 089820
Tel: +65 6910 2742
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Fri: 5pm – 12am
Sat: 6pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Outram Park

Eating out in Singapore is getting considerably expensive. Nowadays, it is increasingly difficult to find a restaurant that serves good food at reasonable prices.

When I was at The Clan Restaurant for dinner, I was surprised to find out that it not only dishes out an extensive menu – with offerings of cold dish, side dish, soup, main course and dessert – that you really cannot go wrong with, but it is also relatively inexpensive given the quality of the food.

Under the cold dish category, our party tasted most of the dishes, and everyone agreed that the Beef Carpaccio ($20) was a terrific choice. The pairing of well-marbled beef slices and truffle mustard salad with truffle teriyaki & horseradish sauce made for a winning combination.

The other favourite of the table was Alaskan King Crab ($22). It stood out with its light homemade Karashi dressing that allowed the freshness of the crab to shine through.

The Chef’s Starter ($18) – a trio of foie gras chawanmushi, seared scallops with truffle foam, and hamachi with ponzu – is also a good way to start the meal.

After sampling the cold dishes, we progressed to side dishes of Deep Fried Foie Gras ($18) with balsamic reduction and cheese focaccia, Kurobuta Pork Belly Confit ($15) with pork cracker and passion fruit sauce and Steamed Razar Clam ($15) drizzled with Japanese sauce, and Herb Crusted Mushroom Escargot ($15). Among them, the standout dish was the Kurobuta Pork Belly Confit, while the Foie Gras was disappointing as the deep-fried batter overwhelmed the foie gras.

The Clan has main courses like Spiced Braised Lamb Shank ($29), 48 Degree Poached Salmon with Japanese broth ($27) and Pan Seared Cod Fish ($29). But what you must order is the 48 Hours Beef Short Ribs served on hoba leaf and lava stone. Everyone was gushing when the waiter served the dish to the table. It was outstanding, and undoubtedly the highlight of our dinner. Another commendable dish from the menu is the Duck Confit ($26) with plum mustard, and truffle mashed potato.

Sweet treats include a Madeira Cheese Panna Cotta ($10), Chocolate Lava ($10) with homemade gelato, Triple Espresso Crème Brulee ($10) and the excellent and highly recommended Chan La Royaltine Chocolate Cake ($11).

The Clan Restaurant
1 Selegie Road, #02-01 PoMo
Singapore 188306
Tel: +65 6222 2084
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Dhoby Ghaut

Within the edgy New Majestic Hotel is The Majestic, a modern restaurant with a causal yet classy vibe. The boutique hotel is located in Singapore’s historic Chinatown, a 5-minute walk from Outram Park MRT Station.

Majestic Restaurant is known for their Cantonese cuisine and it has been around since 2006. Chef Yong Bing Ngen (who also runs Jing Restaurant at One Fullerton) is no stranger in the Singapore Food scene. Previously from Doc Cheng’s and Hai Tien Lo, he led Majestic Restaurant to clinch the Asian Restaurant of the Year title during the WGS 2010.

I was at Majestic Restaurant on a Sunday for dim sum brunch. With only 13 items on the Weekend ala carte dim sum menu, there is not much choice. Most of the dim sum are priced at $4.50 for a basket of 3 pieces.

Even though I’ve eaten at many dim sum restaurants in Singapore, I have yet to taste a 10/10 Siew Mai. Nonetheless, I am happy to say that Majestic Restaurant’s Steamed Pork Dumpling is better than the average ones that I’ve had.

The Custard Bun ($6 for 3) at Majestic Restaurant comes in two options: steamed or deep-fried. Evidently, we had the steamed ones, and it was quite a moment as the molten custard flowed out. Majestic Restaurant’s Custard buns were good, but not great.

Next up, we had the fluffy and soft Steamed Barbecue Pork Buns ($3 for 2).

We also had the ubiquitous Steamed Prawn Dumpling ($4.50 for 3 pcs). As much as I think that Har Gow is boring, there’s something profoundly reassuring to see a basket on the table. The mere presence of it makes you feel that you are really having dim sum.

I had just one Char Siew Sou with buttery flaky crust and savoury Char Siew fillings. They were so good! Maybe I should have gone for a basket of four Baked Honey Pork Puff ($4.50 for 3) instead. Hmm…

I have a soft spot for Roast Duck ($20), and the one I had at Majestic was good. I think the picture of the Roast Duck tells you everything.

It was impossible to stop at one cube of Roast Pork ($12), but thank God the portion was tiny so it made us less guilty of having more.

The Deep-fried Baby Squid ($12) was a great appetiser. It was strangely addictive and we couldn’t stop eating it.

All in all, Majestic Restaurant is a stylish Chinese Restaurant and it is an ideal place for a quiet business lunch. Most of the dim sum items that we had were decent, nothing particularly outstanding. If you are thinking of visiting Majestic Restaurant for dim sum, do note that they only have 5-6 selections on the weekday menu. I’d probably come back again and order their signature dishes from the Majestic Restaurant’s main menu.

Read my list of Dim sum Restaurants | Brunch Places in Singapore

Singapore Food Blog Review
Majestic Restaurant
31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road
New Majestic Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6511 4718

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