Bao Makers is a great modern gastrobar restaurant in the trendy Tanjong Pagar / Duxton area that managed to become a mainstay in the area, which is not easy! T…
Bao Makers is a great modern gastrobar restaurant in the trendy Tanjong Pagar / Duxton area that managed to become a mainstay in the area, which is not easy! The food's quite indulgent, for people to reward themselves in some way through comforting yet sinful versions of classic Chinese food that originated from the kong ba bao (braised meat bun). The place also had not much of a smell, though it gets a bit noisy when there's a crowd.
We had a great time with the buns, pasta and cocktails. While its definitely not refined or Michelin-starred in any way, the food still manages to hit the spot between socialising with friends!
🙅 Thank you, next
🤷 Try if nearby ✔️
💁 Bookmark this
Bao Makers
4 Jiak Chuan Road, Singapore 089261
Tuesdays to Sundays 12-3pm, 6-9 or 10pm
Closed on Mondays
Reserve on Google via Chope
I was intrigued to find out about this newish Japanese-Middle Eastern gastrobar called Habibi-San at Haji Lane adjacent to Bar Stories so I made a reservatio…
My first attempt at speaking Mandarin in a vlog reviewing the Rayben King of Seafood Soup at 39 Sin Ming Drive (they are available for dine in, takeaway from …
Oct 2025 Update: I revisited Marcy's in Oct 2025 with a friend and saw that quite a lot of things has changed on their menu (but they kept the crab toast a…
I feel very blessed sometimes to have foodie friends who are willing to go try new places with me - or tell me about new restaurants opening, such as newly opened Spanish restaurant Kulto at Amoy St, right beside the hip and trendy burger restaurant Carne (which I heard is suffering from some issues). Helmed by experienced Spanish Chef Jose Alonso who believes in using the freshest ingredients and respecting the seasonality of the produce, the restaurant seems to hold a lot of promise! I went with 3 colleagues for their set lunch yesterday and we were all very pleased by the dining experience. I hope to be back to try their mains too, soon!
A straightforward layout - there's a small coffee/drinks bar at the entrance of the shophouse and walking in you will see the sort of open kitchen at the end, and tables spaced out quite nicely in between. It got filled quite quickly during the Tuesday lunch with reservations starting at noon.
Here is their ala carte menu, taken from their Facebook Page. I like how it's a small but classic selection of Spanish dishes that made me feel like I was back in Barcelona (one of my favourite cities in the world). The set lunch took some of the dishes here to make into a 3-course meal ($30 + $5 dessert/drink) which is really great, especially if you go with 3-5 other folks!
We tried 4 starters and am happy to say all of them were great. We did not try the grilled avocado with homemade pesto & "pipirrana" or the grilled prawns with garlic, chilli and homemade sambal (+S$10).
First, the roasted Australian cauliflower, tahini, hazelnuts & chilli. This was a light, deliciously savoury vegetable dish that got us in the mood for the rest of the items. Even though it was light, it was a clean and distinct taste to balance out the heavier dishes. 4/5
My favourite among the lot might be the Jamon iberico croquettes & crab croquettes though. It was soft and pillowy inside with just the right among of ham and crabmeat. Slightly salty, sweet from the potato and perfectly fried with a crispy batter exterior. 4.5/5
The Spanish omelette with aioli and romesco sauce was quite plain in comparison. If you like eggs, this is for you. But nothing fantastic here except it was well-executed and tastes very homely but with the best ingredients (not stuff you get from the fridge to fry up). 3/5
The croquettes fought with the Iberico chorizo, confit potato and soft egg for first place. This was simple but so good when the egg yolk's broken and the golden potatoes are mixed with it together with the salty chorizo sausage. The 2 pieces of bread with the egg also gave this dish a brunch-y feel. 4.5/5
YUM.
For mains we chose to get 2x Paella (min. 2 pax) - the Chicken & Seafood and Squid Ink. They also have a pure seafood version. We did not try their Charcoal chicken with Brussel sprouts or
beef cheeks with asparagus and apple puree (+S$5).
The squid ink paella (they kindly split it into 4 portions for us to try - so it should be double if its 2 of you sharing) was so delicious. Really tasty, with the seafood items giving that extra flavour hit on top of that distinct squid ink taste that coated the soft rice so well. 4/5
We also had the chicken + seafood paella. Even though it didn't have squid ink, it was still seafoody, and the bits of chicken and seafood together with the green long beans (I think) helped to create a symphony in our mouths. 4/5
For dessert we tried both on the lunch set menu (+$5, and comes with a coffee or tea), which is the Kulto cheese cake and Charcoal Pineapple with vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately I think this is where the menu's the weakest, in my opinion. The cheesecake was decent, like a no-bake one, and had a hint of lemon. But it didn't give off the same vibe as the savoury dishes. 3/5
Same with the charcoal pineapple. It was deliciously cooked to be a soft texture with the juices retained but felt a bit plain on its own. Even with the vanilla ice cream. 3/5
Regardless, Kulto is definitely going to one of the new restaurants in Singapore to watch this year, giving other Spanish restaurants like Binomio and Esquina a run for their money! If you are not a dessert person, skip that and go for their croquettes and paella.
🙅 Thank you, next
🤷 Try if nearby
💁 Bookmark this ✔️
Kulto
87 Amoy St, Singapore 069906
Lunch 11.30am-2.30pm, dinner 5-10.30pm
Closed on Sundays
Reservations here
I feel very blessed sometimes to have foodie friends who are willing to go try new places with me - or tell me about new restaurants opening, such as newly ope…
So this is coming out ahead of the actual Tanoke sake gastrobar review (it's newly opened in 2021), but this daytime Sunday sake brunch has less items so…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
