Ding Dong! Who’s there?

The quirky brand is actually the brainchild of celebrity chef Ryan Clift. Ding Dong’s contemporary tapas menu features an eclectic mix of Asian-inspired cocktails, Peranakan-style desserts and East-meets-West gourmet dishes. These fusion delicacies are set to impress – at a hefty price of course.

Located in Ann Siang, the fusion eatery is a favourite haunt among epicureans, expatriates and working professionals. Make a special trip there and get ready for a fascinating dining experience.

Everything that was previously unthinkable is now made possible; expect never-seen-before items such as Pi Pa Gao Cocktail (S$22++) and Crispy Pig Ears (S$17++) at Ding Dong.

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Ding Dong’s main entrance is shockingly grimy, where an unexpected pink ‘Ding Dong’ signboard greets visitors at the front door to indicate that they have arrived at the right place.

Electric blue bar chairs and Chinese red-coloured paper cutout murals further illuminate the restaurant’s eccentricity – perhaps a preview of what diners can anticipate for their food?

Patrons are going to either love or hate the unconventional menu. Depending on one’s personal preferences, some may be enraged by the ‘unnecessary’ revamps of classics, while others will find these reinterpretations a sheer stroke of genius.

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We say, go with an open mind and you might just be pleasantly surprised. Quality of food is superb, but a la carte prices are rather unjustifiable.

Thankfully, there is still an affordable way to sample Ding Dong’s delicious creations! Drop by during lunchtime and dig into a reasonably priced 3-course set lunch at only S$25++.

If budget is not an issue for the lucky ones, do order the amazingly tender Wagyu Beef Char Siew (S$29++), where beef short ribs have been sous vide for two days in char siew sauce. So divine!

Ding Dong
23 Ann Siang Road
Singapore 069703
Tel: +65 6557 0189
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 12am
Sat: 6pm – 12am
Sun: Closed
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves traveling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.

For our last coffee feature of this month, we had a chat with Harry Grover, owner of Forty Hands Cafe and Kiasu Expresso, to talk about the local coffee scene, and his plans for 2013.

What do you think of the local coffee scene?

The local coffee scene is really exciting right now. It is slowly getting its own identity. A few years back, cafes here started by copying ideas from the Australian cafes – in particular those in Melbourne – and now most of the established ones have pretty much created their own styles and sophistication.

In fact, in terms of coffee expertise, I believe Singapore is edging closer to Australia, and ahead of most Australian cities like Sydney, Brisbane and Perth – with the exception of Melbourne, of course. Consistency, however, might be the only thing lacking. A lot of the new coffee joints are not sustainable as they lack the manpower – most do not have enough talent to produce good coffee consistently.

Advice to people who want to open a café?

You must know a few things. First, you will not have a life on weekends and holidays after opening a cafe. You are probably also going to lose weight while managing the cafe. And if you are prepared to make the sacrifices, you need to have a concrete business plan and be really familiar with the day-to-day operations of running a cafe. There is no way you can jump onto the bandwagon without knowing anything about the trade.

Tell us briefly about Forty Hands

Forty Hands is more of a happy-go-lucky and youthful brand. It is a simple cafe that specialises in coffee.

Any exciting plans for 2013?

Our latest venture is Kiasu Expresso, a tiny takeaway joint at 100AM on Tanjong Pagar Road. We will also be opening Common Man Coffee Roasters at Martin Road in August. The name of the cafe is to pay tribute to the fact that coffee is grown and drank by the common men. People tend to have the misconception that only hipsters drink coffee – which is definitely not the case.

Common Man Coffee is a mature space dedicated to being more coffee-centric, and we will also be serving a restaurant-quality menu alongside coffee. It has a 7kg roaster for roasting single origin coffee beans. And we will also be looking to introduce more coffee appreciation classes.

Words by Sarah Lim, photos by ladyironchef.

Open Door Policy at the uber-hip Yong Siak Street has certainly managed to draw in the brunch-loving crowd with their creative weekend offerings. Groups of patrons, mostly expatriate families, started streaming in once doors flung open at 11am and half an hour later the restaurant was fully packed.

Being under the Spa Esprit group (which also manages Forty Hands Cafe), we’d expected no less of the décor, and ODP certainly delivers as far as ambience is concerned. Despite the collision of rustic wooden shelves, metallic elements lining the ceiling and stools looking as if they came out from a 1960s classroom, everything blended together to create the perfect Manhattan-chic vibe for a weekend brunch.

And that was precisely what we were here for on a Sunday morning. It didn’t matter that the brunch menu had fewer than 10 items; we immediately homed in on the pancakes, French toast and smoked salmon with scrambled eggs.

If you thought the decoration was stunning, prepared to be awed by the beauty (literally) of the dishes. Our almost too-pretty-to-eat French toast with roasted berries and vanilla ice cream ($18+) was a testament to the emphasis ODP places on food presentation.

Four hunky blocks of buttery, almost cake-like brioche perfectly seared to achieve a crusty caramelized surface came dusted with icing sugar. The juicy compote of berries and creamy vanilla ice were the perfect accompaniment to the French toast. The marriage of flavours and textures was indeed a treat for the palate.

The smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toasted ciabatta with spinach and fresh herbs ($19+) was a less exciting option. Parting the slices of smoked salmon that blanketed the dish revealed a generous portion of gorgeously creamy scrambled eggs, which we felt could have been perfect with a little more seasoning. Having been soaked through by the moist eggs, the ciabatta was also less crusty than we’d have hoped for.

Amongst the three dishes, we were least impressed by the ODP pancakes with black berry and chocolate ($17+). These turned out too thick and dry for us since we’ve been so spoilt by fluffier varieties elsewhere, and were struggling to finish despite sharing. Fortunately, the sticky and decadent chocolate sauce, balanced by the tart blackberries was a welcomed redemption for the dish.

Service was efficient despite running on full house, so applaud ODP for doing away with the 10% service charge despite their right to do so. While prices here still push the boundaries for brunch, what you get in exchange is a wonderful dining experience amidst beautiful surroundings – as long as you pick the right dishes.

Open Door Policy
9 Yong Siak Street
Tel: +65 6221 9307
Mon to Sun: 12pm – 3.30pm, 6pm – 11pm
Weekend brunch: 11am – 4pm
Closed on Tue

For more recommendations, please read my list of best cafes in Singapore