Joo Bar is one of the most popular kids along Tan Quee Lan Street of Bugis, set within a heritage three-storey shophouse. Helmed by Singaporean aficionados of Korean culture and food, Jamie and Kristin Lim, this trendy restaurant bar is the venue for many nights of amazing drinks. Joo offers top-notch moreish Korean bites and creative drinks.
To satiate our hungry stomachs, we were first presented with their house signature - Joo Wings (SGD18)! The wings here are freshly fried to a golden perfect crisp, and yet the chicken meat does not lose its moisture inside! It is still super tender and juicy, and the best part is its savoury soy glaze and chopped nuts marinate that coat these wings! We all agreed this was the best item of the meal.
Here is one for you to pair with your drinks - Tofu Chips with Salsa and Guacamole ($14). Unlike regular boring chips, these house made tofu chips come with two special dips: one - salsa, and two - avocado and cucumber mix!
We keep talking about drinks - but what does Joo Bar has when it comes to their alcohol selection?
Joo actually means alcohol in Korean, so we definitely cannot skip this. An unusual concept likely to the delight of Korean rice wine fans, Joo is the first in Singapore to proudly brew its signature drink – the makgeolli – as well as serve it on tap. This cloudy, light-bodied and mild-tasting drink is 6-8% ABV and best served cold. Priced at SGD7 for a 150ml bottle, SGD15 for a carafe (serves 2) and SGD28 for a large bottle (serves 4), the House brew organic makgeolli is perfect for a convivial night out and is an excellent match with food as well! We had tons of fun sipping it together 😂
At Joo, the owners are steadfast about making only preservative-free makgeolli with organic rice and purified water. The fermentation and filtering process takes two to three weeks, rendering a milky white, subtly sweet and delicately fizzy beverage!
The Seafood Rappokki (SGD22) is a cheesy and umami mix of ramyeon, toppokki, shrimp, clams, black mussels, squid, mozzarella! It became a hit quickly, Stringy and chewy mozarella cheese is generous throughout this tantalizing dish of rappokki.
One of Joo's unique concepts is their DIY Bibimbap, priced at SGD10.90 and up. This is only available for weekday lunch 12nn to 2.30pm. You can get to choose your favourite type of rice (white rice or purple rice or quinoa), type of meat (spicy chicken,, stir-fried pork, beef bulgogi, broiled saba, or argentinian grassfed steak), type of vegetables (more than 10 types) and finally, type of sauce (Original/Soy)! Check out the full menu below:
Next - we tried Joo's Slow Roasted Mangalitsa Belly (SGD32) presented on a platter, with thin cuts of the mangalitsa pork belly complemented with dijon mustard. These slices of pork belly are not the fatty sort, retaining its juicy flavour and a bit of the porky taste. I did not find this particularly impressive; the quality is decent but I found the portion too small for the price.
The Honey Butter Chicken (SGD18) is a sweet, sticky hot mess of chicken tenders, honey butter glaze and chopped nuts, with sticky rice added to this dish too! As compared to the Dak Kang Jung (SGD18) which is its counterpart with a different sauce of gochujang, honey and garlic, most of us prefer the latter. The honey butter chicken is a little too sweet for my liking, while the dak kang jung was more savoury and addictive.
All the desserts here at Joo are super innovative and are definitely not your usual run of the mill sort. Look at this unsuspecting Doenjang Creme Brûlée, it is a creation by Chef Nathaniel. He amalgamated Korean bean paste into this classic French dessert which managed to create a strange mix of sweet and savoury flavours. While the custard beneath the surface of caramelized top is smooth and lovely to have, I found it a little difficult to appreciate because I still like my desserts sweet!
Another of the chefs' dessert inventions. While I was trying this out, I found it interesting but when I realized it included white kimchi in this sweet dish, I was a bit taken aback! I am two minds whether I like it or not, it has a curiously pleasing taste but the idea of having kimchi in my dessert still baffles me! If you're up for a night of inventive desserts, Joo is the place to go!
This is my favourite dessert, the Chocopop Ganache (SGD14), a bacon-infused chocolate ganache with graham crackers, popping candy and a slice of dehydrated orange! Bacon and chocolate really goes very well together, and I like the playful popping candy that goes along with it! If you need a recommendation for desserts - this would be it!!
Joo Bar - the place to be for a memorable night ahead!
Joo Bar
5 Tan Quee Lan Street
Singapore 188094
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