Black is sexy, and always will be. And more restaurants turn to squid ink and charcoal to enhance the appearance of their dishes; well, we are not even complaining. Some might argue they are gimmicky, but looking at a sleek and seductive black dish on your table is an excitement that is quite second to none – this, no one can deny.

That old-fashioned curiosity then kicks in, and if the taste of the dish turns out better than it looks, it puts us on a high. Bring on those gimmicks; the best ones will prove you wrong.

We handpicked some of our favourites to curate this list of the 10 Black Dishes in Singapore, and if you have more to suggest, pray tell because black will always be the new black – even for food.

#1 BLACKBIRD BISTRO & BAR – SOUTHERN BURGER

Blackbird’s Southern Burger has been one of our favourite affordable burgers because for a friendly price tag of S$16.80, you will be treated to a juicy fried chicken patty in a gorgeous charcoal bun. It definitely tastes as alluring as it looks.

6 Handy Road
Singapore 229234
Tel: +65 6337 3448
Tue to Sun: 11.30am – 11pm
(Closed on Mondays)
Nearest Station: Dhoby Gaut

#2 DOLCETTO BY BASILLICO – SQUID INK PANINI

Dolcetto has some of the best looking and tasting desserts in Singapore. However, what most people overlook is their menu of delicious deli bites that are great for a quick and light meal, or to take away.

The Squid Ink Panini (S$14) justifies its price tag with generous amount of prawns and crab meat tucked in between squid ink panini, with a crisp outer layer from being warmed on the griddle.

1 Cuscaden Road
Lobby Regent Hotel Singapore
Singapore 249715
Tel: +65 6720 8000
Daily: 7.30am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

#3 MIN JIANG – CHARCOAL CUSTARD BUN

This custard bun took a spin around the sleek block and got itself a cool new look. Of course, the charcoal does not add much to the bun’s taste, but we can all agree that it looks better than before. Breaking open this bun is just like opening a treasure chest of liquid gold.

Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Tel: +65 6730 1704
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Sun: 11am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

#4 QUAYSIDE FISH BAR & BISTRO – SQUID INK LOBSTER SPAGHETTI

Quayside Fish Bar & Bistro has always been a frontrunner in offering the freshest seafood dishes and you should know by now how much we love dining there.

Their Squid Ink Lobster Spaghetti is a definite must-try. With squid ink that greatly enhances the taste of the pasta, this sexy dish is perfectly cooked with lobster, and it never disappoints.

31 Ocean Way #01-11
Quayside Isle, Sentosa Cove
Singapore 098375
Tel: +65 6268 8633
Mon: 5.30pm – 12 midnight
Tue to Thu: 12pm – 12 midnight
Fri: 12pm – 1am
Sat: 10am – 1am
Sun: 10am – 12 midnight
Nearest Station: Harbourfront

#5 SPATHE PUBLIC HOUSE – SQUID INK WAFFLES WITH PRAWNS

While we were on the search for Singapore’s most unique waffles, we chanced upon Spathe’s cool cat – Squid Ink Waffles. The squid ink waffle itself was a tad bit overwhelmingly black, but the overall taste of this dish was pretty darn good. We also liked how they took the risky path of using prawns to top off this savoury waffle dish – because nobody knew it would work and it did.

8 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-01
Singapore 238958
Tel: +65 6735 1035
Mon to Fri: 11am – 11pm
Sat: 9am – 11pm
Sun: 9am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

#6 STATELAND CAFE – TAN CHARCOAL THICK TOAST

As one of our go-to Shibuya toast places to head to, Stateland always has unique takes on trending cafe fare and they certainly did well with this black beauty. The toast itself was buttery, crisp on the outside and served warm.

32 Bali Lane
Singapore 189868
Tel: +65 8715 5475
Mon, Wed, Thu & Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Bugis

#7 SUN RAY CAFE – CHARCOAL PORTOBELLO BURGER

A great option for vegetarians or vegans, the owner of Sun Ray Cafe (who is a vegetarian himself) decided to create a veggie burger that actually tastes so good that meat-lovers will approve. The addition of juicy portobello in between the charcoal buns is a genius move because all the flavours came together so perfectly.

79 Brighton Crescent
Serangoon Gardens
Singapore 559218
Tel: +65 6283 8700
Mon-Tue: 6pm -11pm
Wed-Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri: 11am – 12am
Sat: 10am – 12am
Sun: 10am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Serangoon

#8 THE COLD PANTRY – CHARCOAL ROOT BEER WAFFLE

You should be familiar with The Cold Pantry’s Charcoal Root Beer Waffle (S$12.50) by now because it looks and tastes so good that got so many of us heading down to the cafe just for this specific dish.

Listed in our unique waffles piece, we were definitely unanimous on how good-looking (and tasting) this dessert waffle is. Do note that the waffle is very dense and is more cakey than it is waffle-y. But try it anyway; it is really good.

131 Rangoon Road
Singapore 218409
Tel: +65 9179 7266
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 9pm
Fri to Sun: 12pm – 10pm
(Closed on Tuesdays)
Nearest Station: Farrer Park

#9 TIONG BAHRU BAKERY – SQUID INK BUN

Loaded with salmon, ham and pesto sauce, Tiong Bahru Bakery’s Squid Ink Bun (S$8.50) is a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds. For just S$8.50, it is a great option for a simple, yet satisfying takeaway lunch. Enjoy this with a cup of coffee while you unwind with a magazine; we like our afternoons casual like that.

56 Eng Hoon Street
#01-70
Singapore 160056
Tel: +65 6220 3430
Daily: 8am – 8pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
Nearest Station: Tiong Bahru

#10 TWENTY GRAMMES – CHARCOAL SALTED EGG WAFFLES

Our eyes were glued to this beauty on a plate when our orders arrived at our table.

Enhanced with a rich salted egg sauce, we could not resist gobbling up this waffle completely. Choose between Twenty Grammes’ wide range of ice cream flavours to top your waffle off. Find out how you can get 50% off waffles here, until the end of October 2015.

753 North Bridge Road
#01-01
Singapore 198721
Tel: +65 6717 1733
Mon to Thu, Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Bugis

I am a fan of the Spa Esprit group. To me, they are one of the best F&B groups in Singapore. From their first food outlet Barracks Cafe, to the crowd’s favourites Forty Hands Cafe, and Open Door Policy at Yong Siak Street – every concept that they have created become popular almost instantly. One of their latest ventures, Tiong Bahru Bakery is no exception.

Tiong Bahru Bakery is opened in collaboration with celebrity baker, Gontran Cherrier. It started with much fanfare in the now-hip Tiong Bahru neighbourhood (Eng Hoon Street), and added a second shop at Raffles City shortly after.

During a recent tasting at the artisan bakery, we tried most of the signature items on the menu. Below are some of the highlights from Tiong Bahru Bakery.

We started with Tiong Bahru Bakery’s Croissant ($3.20), which has been getting lots of attention. Some people go to the extent of calling it the best croissant in Singapore, while there are others who beg to differ. Does Tiong Bahru Bakery’s croissant really live up to the hype?

To me, a good croissant is light, flaky and buttery. While the croissants here are tasty, I thought they were not so great. I’ve had much better ones in France before. That said, it is still one of the better versions you can find in Singapore. Moreover, taste is subjective, so it all boils down to personal preferences.

In all fairness, I am not against their croissants. I’ve had mixed experiences (having tried them on several occasions), hence undecided about them being the best.

The Almond Croissant ($3.20), on the other hand, won me overly completely. Unlike the normal croissants, these were dense and moist, and tasted slightly more like a cake than a bread. But what I loved most was the hint of almond in the bread. I am not sure if purists would like it, but I loved it.

One of the show-stoppers at Tiong Bahru Bakery is the Kouign Amann ($3.50), which is a Breton cake with similar characteristics to that of a puff pastry. It is a round crusty cake, made with bread dough, containing layers of butter and sugar. Lots of butter, sugar and caramel. Sinful, but so damn good. I didn’t manage to get a picture of it, but trust me when I say you must not leave Tiong Bahru Bakery without trying this. This is my favourite item and I will go back again and again for it.

The Pain Au Chocolat ($3.20), while good, could have done with a more generous amount of chocolate.

Much has been raved about Tiong Bahru Bakery’s Squid Ink Sandwich ($8.50). In my opinion, it was nothing fantastic, as the squid ink taste was not as distinct as I had hoped it would be. If you have never had it before, it is worth trying once, but I’d suggest saving room for the other sandwiches.

Tiong Bahru Bakery also has pretty decent brioche (available in plain, sugar, almond and chocolate). It’s something that I would have for afternoon tea everyday.

After having the savoury bites, we moved on to the sweet stuff.

The Pandan Flan ($6) is like a giant egg tart, only that the chef chose to use pandan instead of the usual custard filling. I wasn’t too keen on this, but go ahead and order it if you have a thing for pandan.

The Mixed Berry Crumble ($6) was also decent, but it would have been perfect if they had served it with a scoop of ice cream.

Tarte au citron is one of my favourite desserts, so I was really looking forward to trying Tiong Bahru Bakery’s rendition. The Round Lemon Tart ($6) was good, but not what I had in mind. It was more like a short bread than a butter tart. If you love the usual tarte au citron like me, this is probably not for you.

Also worth mentioning is the Pineapple Coconut Cake ($6), which is rustic, and tastes somewhat nostalgic – exactly the kind that you would find in your grandma’s kitchen. It was enough to gain my adoration.

We also had a Chocolate Tart ($6), which had layers of fruits (orange, apricot and fig) in between. It was sticky and chewy, and again, quite unlike the standard chocolate tarts.

Most of the creations at Tiong Bahru bakery are infused with Asian flavours and ingredients like curry, pandan, pineapple and tamarind skin. In other words, you either love or hate the unique flavors.

Not everyone will love Tiong Bahru Bakery on their first visit, but if you get the chance to sample more of their offerings, you will discover more favourites along the way that will then keep you coming back for more.

Tiong Bahru Bakery
56 Eng Hoon Street
#01-70 Singapore 160056
Tel: +65 6220 3430
Daily: 8am – 8pm

252 North Bridge Road
#B1-11/12 Raffles City Shopping Centre
Singapore 179103
Tel: +65 6333 4160
Daily: 9am – 10pm

Note: This was an invited media tasting.