After discovering the coffee trail and checking back on the page of
Be Disloyal every now and then, I've come to experience an entirely new foodie adventure. I can say that this is not my thing because I honestly don't drink too much of beer. I don't like the taste and the aroma. But, why not try it,right?
I just turned 21 not long ago, and I believe I'm of a very legal age despite my looks. Furthermore, it feels very adult-like drinking at posh bars with a friend, or alone. Although it would be weird to be reading a book over a cold bottle of beer or cider. Even worse if I'm reading juvenile fiction or fairy tale. I never did that, though. And I may suggest that no one do that. It's just too weird. Really.
Most importantly, please drink responsibly. I am not encouraging whoever is reading this to drink. Probably that's why I only published this post by the time that the Beer Trail is over. And I am also not forcing whoever is reading this to quit drinking. That's your choice and I really have nothing to do with that. But bear in mind that only you will be responsible for your own actions and decisions...so, be wise.
Save the best for last, they say. But in this trail, you have to get the best first so you can enjoy it in the end.
Note: Further reading leads to discovery of not-so-much-adult materials.
The CARD
Heart of House
4 Kim Tian Road
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This was the first restaurant and bar that my friend and I went to start the Beer Trail. It was a chic, modern restaurant that is a bit crafty. I know that I cannot properly describe it but...yeah. I'll let some of my photos do the description for me.
It has a nice interior design even though the space was not too big. The furnitures were basically black and white in colors which is common. Once you enter the restaurant, you would notice that they have their craft beers on display and you know that you just have to try one of the bottles they have. In their station counter, they have decors like random stuff you'll see in the kitchen, like kettle and stainless steel lunch box. In the bar counter, there were also random stuff like a small motorbike, a stuff toy, and an antique weight measuring device. I think that the style of the restaurant is suitable for young female professionals. The place just gives me that kind of feeling. I liked it and it feels cozy there.
The best thing about this restaurant is their wide selection of drinks, although these are mostly beers. They also have a good range of ciders and fruit beers which is very favorable for me. Another plus for the females, that is. And the food? They have a good selection of western dishes. They also have some Mexican dishes in the menu. And the dessert part doesn't have much but there are some desserts that I would like to try on my next visit.
My friend and I only had a drink and some snacks since we just had coffee before coming in there. I ordered Honeydew Melon Beer while my friend had a Rose Cider. My drink was good and there really is a taste of the honeydew melon. The aroma is enticing too.
Heart of House is located along Kim Tian road perpendicular to Tiong Baru Road. It was nearby the Tiong Bahru MRT Station and is also accessible by bus. You can either alight at Central Green Condominium or Tiong Bahru Plaza bus stops in bus numbers: 5, 216, 33, 63, 123, 195, 195A, or 851.
Wok & Barrel
13 Duxton Hill
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I went to this restaurant which is close by the city and is also nearby another restaurant that's participating in Beer Trail. When I went here, the plan was to actually go to 2 restaurants in one day but that failed.
The restaurant looked small from the outside but they have a reasonable number of tables on the inner part. The restaurant is mostly white in color with accents of black in furniture and decorations. The interior was classy and chic. It was obviously a modern restaurant with a touch of elegance. The bar counter was placed under the staircase going to the second level. It was a small eye-catching bar counter, and I would say that it was odd.
I sat on a two-seater table beside a wall on the inner part of the restaurant. It was high noon so there are not much people in the restaurant. The ceiling above my seat was made of glass and I can see the windows of the higher floors. I thought that the view was artistic and I loved it.
I only had a glass of Jungle beer,which is a draft beer. The menu is somposed of innovated Asian cuisine. I didn't like the food they are serving so I didn't get myself anything to eat. the staff gave me a plate of naan (Indian bread), though. The selection for the drinks are also limited.
Wok & Barrel is a small looking restaurant located in a street lined with other restaurants and bar at Duxton Hill.. You could give the area a visit since there are interesting stuffs there. There's also a pastry shop that sells creative cakes.
Ji Biru Japanese Craft Beer
313 Somerset Road
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This alfresco restaurant and bar is Japanese inspired and their specialty are, of course, Japanese beers and dishes.
Since it is an open bar, there would be no interiors right? So then, the furniture is made of wood in Japanese style.
They have a quite wide variety of drinks, mostly beers. The food menu doesn't have much in it. They have juts enough for good bites.
The place is just located in the most convenient area and getting here is very easy. You can take MRT which is more convenient. Just alight in Somerset Station of the North-South Line (Red Line) then go outside of the Somerset 313 main mall. The one lined with resto-bars and is leading to H&M. Or you can take the bus and alight at either Somerset Station or Midpoint Orchard or Opposite Mandarin Gallery.
Big Bad Wolf
226 Tanjong Katong
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This restaurant and bar is just a typical-looking store along an array of restaurants and bars in Tanjong Katong. Honestly, I got off the wrong bus stop so I had to walk more than a kilometer to get here.
It was a cute 2-storey resto-bar with the fairy tale theme. Uhm, actually, with the fairy tales' villain - the Big Bad Wolf. Remember him from Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs, and the 7 kid goats stories? That was him! The resto-bar's wolf was named Arnold Wolfie. You'll see lots of wolf designs inside the restaurant. It's really crafty and artistic. I love this restaurant. I would have gone here several times if it's not that far in the east.
They have quite a selection of drinks too. Well, not much for the fruit beers or ciders which I prefer, but you can definitely enjoy the variety they have. I had a Peach Beer and an Apple Pie a la mode with butterscotch sauce. I highly recommend the dessert because it's just heaven. The pie's crust is not hard which relieves me of the trouble of eating a pie. It's complemented with vanilla ice cream which will be served almost melting because the pie is hot. And, oh! The butterscotch sauce is just love. Well, juts try it. I like how it complemented my Peach Beer.
Old Empire Gastro Bar
491 River Valley Road
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This bar gives off the exquisite, high-end tavern feeling. It's mostly bar and they don't have much of tables. You can just sit on a high stool and have a good cold drink while chatting with friends.
The place is small but they have a really wide range of drinks, from beers to wines. You might not make up your mind quickly so just drink moderately and get another drink if you can manage.
I had a Strawberry-Lime Cider here and a good talk with a colleague.
The Good Beer Company
Blk 335 Smith Street
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First of all, I would mention that basically this place is not a bar. It was a store located in a food center in Chinatown. It's quite tricky finding this place that I have to ask the visitors' center in the area.
So then, it was the oddest one of all the bars and restaurants but definitely that best find. If you can't take drinking in a food center, you have the option to bring the drink home. Unique right? I actually took the bottle home.
Being located in a food center, the advantage is that you have a wide variety of food to go along with your drink. What's more? The drinks available are not the typical ones you can get from a normal drink stall in a hawker center. You have a selection of good beers and even ciders before you. The person selling the drinks is as good as a bartender. Ask him about what he sells and he'll tell you more than you want to know.
The best thing about this store is that you can get a good bottle of drink for a cheaper price as compared to when you buy the same drink in other restaurants and bars. I got a Strawberry-Lime Cider here for only $12. It's a good deal.
Next Door Cafe and Taverna
699 East Coast Road
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I mentioned that Big Bad Wolf is far in the east, right? Well, as compared to Next Door Cafe and Taverna, that restaurant is much closer to the city center.
I went to this restaurant second to the last because it was too far from my place. Besides the location, everything in this restaurant is lovely.
The interior is that of a family restaurant. There is a corner with bookshelf and they have this book for exchange thing. I never asked about it but I'm guessing it was getting a book from them and exchanging what you have in hand, or somehting like that.
They have table candles placed on wine bottles and you can see that the melted candles have piled up in the mouth of the bottle. The silverwares were tied in a cute ribbon that I want to take home but I did not. The chinawares were like so random like the ones your mom is probably keeping in the cupboards in your kitchen. The glasses, sadly, are normal.
You'll get the cozy feeling while staying in the restaurant. The ambiance is is very soothing and you can just tak eyour tiome eating with family or friends. I had a Toffee Apple Cider and Seafood Spaghetti in tomato based sauce. I didn't like the pasta I ordered. The sauce is more like soup. The Toffee Apple Cider is good. It's sweet but not too sweet. I'll definitely have this one again.
Oosters Belgian Brasserie
25 Church Street
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I tried visiting this place prior to drinking here and it gives me the high-end feeling so I saved it for last. It was located in a high-end district of Raffles, anyway.
By observation, I noticed that most of the people going here are office people. There were several offices in the area and of course, a good day should end with a good drink. Old man's thinking, eh?
Anyway, the place is good. It wasn't that big of a restaurant and bar, or brasserie, and the seating capacity is not that much. It has almost the same theme with Old Empire Gastro Bar, just that this resto-bar has the Belgian theme. And surely, you'll find good Belgian drinks here, and chocolate desserts too.
I had a cold bottle of Cherry Beer and Chocolate Mousse topped with sliced strawberrry. That was the first time that I actually ate and finished a strawberry fruit. The chocolate mousse was good but quite dull. It complemented the strawberry but not my Cherry Beer.
More photos to follow.
(Original post
here)
