Lifestyle destination New Bahru (46 & 58 Kim Yam Road) recently opened in the River Valley neighbourhood. Located on the grounds of the former Nan Chiau High School, the 20,156 sqm New Bahru (Bahru means “new” in Malay) is home to over 40 independent, made-in-Singapore retail, dining, lifestyle, wellness and hospitality brands.
Conceptualised by homegrown hospitality company The Lo & Behold Group, New Bahru is fast becoming a foodie hotspot, with its cornucopia of food options.
We shine the spotlight on 10 eateries that you have gotta check out.
1. Artichoke
www.artichoke.com.sg
#01-02
Operating hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 5.30pm to 10pm, Saturday & Sunday – 11am to 3pm
Helmed by Singapore chef Bjorn Shen, Artichoke serves what Shen calls “new-school Middle Eastern food”. Think classics like baba ghanoush, falafel, hummus and shakshuka, but given a innovative Bjorn Shen spin! Must-orders include the creative chef’s Black Sesame Hummus, Eggplant Zaalouk, Baharat Eggs, Lamb Merguez and Cold Milk Baklava. Don’t leave without checking out the array of Artichoke merchandise.
2. ÁTIPICO | Room #15
www.atipico.sg
#01-15
Operating hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 9am to 6pm, Dining Bar on Friday & Saturday – 7pm to 10pm
Italian-born private dining chef Matteo Pertoldi is known for his unmatched flair with pastries. The chef makes makes to-die-for dessert pastries like Pavlova, French Kiss, St. Honore, Croquembouche and Rock ’N Roll, as well as breads like focaccia, sourdough, ciabatta, Sicilian brioche and Japanese milk buns. These gorgeously constructed pastries and breads, and ÁTIPICO | Room #15’s chic interior hint at Chef Pertoldi’s former life as an engineer and architect, which he left behind 10 years ago to pursue his baking dreams.
3. Bar Bon Funk
www.bonfunk.com
#02-01
Operating hours: Tuesday to Saturday – 6pm to 11.30 pm
It’s impossible to discuss Singaporeans’ booming interest in natural wines without mentioning Le Bon Funk, a decorated establishment that has outposts in Club Street and Holland Village. It is known for its tasteful selection of natural wines and ever-changing menu.
Latest addition Bar Bon Funk is a cocktail bar that serves classic cocktails and innovative signatures like A Glass of Milk, which comprises gin, cider brandy, fermented strawberry honey and “multiversal nut milk”. Among this institution’s myriad of cocktails is the playful P.B.W (Peanut Butter Wine), an old Dutch-style gin called genever that has been flavoured with sourdough and peanut butter. Scrumptious light bites to try include Pickled Egg, English Mustard and Dill Pollen, Frittelles with Buffalo Ricotta and Fennel Pollen, Tripe, Parsnip and Zucchini Fries, Squid and Barley Porridge, Parisian Gnocchi, White Corn and Chanterelles, and Lamb Skewer, Yoghurt and Cucumber.
4. Dearborn
dearborn.sg
#03-04
Operating hours: 9am to 3pm daily except Tuesdays
Granola-speciality cafe Dearborn’s New Bahru outlet serves all-day breakfast items and baked goods from its micro-bakery like sourdough toast and madeleines. Founder and chef Christopher Kong originally envisioned an American-style supper club that sourced regional produce, greens, grains and sustainable seafood, but he pivoted Dearborn during the pandemic to sell artisanal granola that emphasises traceability and sustainability. Besides Dearborn’s unique granola bowls, a must-have is the Dearborn Breakfast Sandwich, which comprises homemade pork sausage, American cheddar, egg and spicy pepper relish.
5. Huevos River Valley
www.huevossg.com
#01-16
Operating hours: 11am to 3pm & 5pm to 10pm daily (closed every Monday and the first Tuesday of the month)
Mexican joint Huevos’ New Bahru outlet focuses on grilling and smoking. Come here for specials like Pulpo Asado (charred octopus tentacles on fried kale), Murotsu Bay Oysters, Mussels La Mexicana (live French mussels with Roma tomatoes, capers, olives, onions and torta), Baja Fish (breaded fish with mango salsa and chipotle aioli), Birria Beef (beef short rib and brisket with cheese, onion salsa and beef consommé), and Chorizo Pork with sour cream, onion salsa and pickled onions. If you love oysters, get them for only $1 each when you order a tequila shot.
6. Kotuwa
kotuwa.com.sg
#01-03
Operating hours: Monday to Thursday – 6pm to 11pm, Friday & Saturday – 12pm to 12am, Sunday – 12pm to 11pm
Serving modern Sri Lankan fare, Kotuwa is the brainchild of Sri Lankan chef Rishi Nalealso founded award-winning establishments Cheek by Jowl and Cloudstreet. Savour Chef Naleendra’s specialities like Lamb Shank braised in Sri Lankan red curry, Garlic Butter Crab, Jaffna Duck Curry cooked in light coconut gravy, Devilled Lingus (stir-fried Sri Lankan pork sausage with dried chilli), Mutton Rolls (panko crumbed spice mutton rolls) and Porch Erachi (fried beef cheek in sweet tamarind, chilli and lime). Kotuwa is also famous for its Kottu Rotti, a popular Sri Lankan street food, comprising chopped up bread cooked with vegetables, eggs and gravy. Kotuwa’s bar serves a wide range of cocktails, including those crafted with arrack and agave, along with a series of quirky cocktails inspired by Sri Lanka’s cricket team.
7. Odem
www.odem.sg
#01-17
Operating hours: Tuesday to Friday – 5pm to 12am, Saturday & Sunday – 12pm to 12am
Known for its hand-crafted makkoli, Odem offers a curated selection crafted in small batches by passionate artisans following the principle of “son-mat” (craftsman touch). Enjoy these artisanal rice wines with modern Korean dishes like Brioche & Gamtae Seaweed Butter, Barbecued Kalbi (US boneless beef ribs with Tokki (gold) butter sauce, watercress salad), Duck Guksu (buckwheat noodles, barbecued duck, perilla seed sauce and cucumber kimchi), and Kalbi Sando (beef short-rib patty, perilla pickles, aged cheddar, aioli and house-made sand sauce). End on a sweet note with the Black Garlic Tart with berries and smoked jujube Chantilly.
8. One Fattened Calf Burgers
www.onefattenedcalf.com
#01-11
Operating hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 8pm
Burger lovers will want to sink their teeth into One Fattened Calf Burgers’ well-loved juicy grass-fed beef patties and fluffy homemade potato buns. Its bestselling Cheeseburger has a 150g beef patty with cheddar cheese, onions house-made crisp pickles and signature sauce, while its Butterburger has the addition of thick slabs of grass-fed butter. The Goldburger is loaded with pulled beef brisket plus beef patty on top of the usual toppings.
9. PPP Coffee
pppcoffee.com/pages/new-bahru
#01-06
Operating hours: Monday – 7.30am to 5pm, Tuesday to Friday – 7:30am to 10pm, Saturday, Sunday & public holidays – 8.30am to 10pm
Pioneers of Singapore’s speciality coffee scene, PPP Coffee’s beans are sustainably sourced from countries like Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia, and lovingly roasted in small batches in order to yield rich and nuanced flavours. Its New Bahru outlet boasts an extensive menu that includes all-day breakfast items, burgers, pastas, pizzas, cocktails and an assortment of tapas. Be sure to try desserts like Banana Rum Baba, Miso Chocolate and Vanilla Rice Pudding, and pastries like scones, viennoiseries and petite gateau which are curated by renowned pastry chef Sandra Lee.
10. The Coconut Club
www.thecoconutclub.sg/river-valley
#01-14
Operating hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – 11am to 3.30pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm, Friday to Sunday – 11am to 10.30pm (closed on Wednesday)
Fans of nasi lemak (rice cooked in pandan leaves and coconut milk, and usually served with sides like anchovies, peanuts, fried egg, cucumber, fried chicken, fried fish and sambal) must try The Coconut Club’s gourmet version. The New Bahru outlet serves the coconut rice with its Signature Ayam Goreng Berempah (spiced fried bone-in chicken leg), Beef Rendang, Homemade Otah (charcoal-grilled fish cake with barramundi chunks) or Deep-fried Kembong Fish with kecap manis. Other local favourites include Singaporean Seafood Laksa, Gado Gado (Indonesian salad with fried tempeh, veggies, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, belinjau crackers and peanut sauce), Kueh Pie Ti (tart shells filled with jicama, cabbage, dried cuttlefish, shrimp and baby lobster), Terung Asam Manis (fried eggplant in special sauce) and Sambal Goreng (king oyster mushrooms, fried tofu, tempeh, French beans and sambal belado).
*This article has been edited and adapted from Now Boarding by Changi Airport’s “New Bahru: 10 must-try eateries in Singapore’s latest lifestyle hub”
