New Rasa Singapura, Tanglin Road

I’m not sure how to describe New Rasa Singapura (56 Tanglin Road, tel : +65 9818 8102). It looks like a bar/watering hole with al fresco seating. If not for having read about them on the web, I would not have been able to tell that the establishment had a proper kitchen that did local food. Or at least their rendition of local food. And I also would have been puzzled as to why would they name a bar after an old iconic hawker centre that had been closed more than two decades prior.

So now that we’ve cleared the facade, here’s a few things.

1. It’s also a social enterprise that employs those that may have impairments.
2. It’s local food, no doubt about that. The price just falls under the tourist spectrum. And I'm inclined to feel that the flavour profile for the food is made for tourists too.
3. They have Asahi Kuronama on tab.

We wanted to try the satay because we were hoping it’ll be good. As iconic as those marinated skewers of meat are for us locals, they’re really not so common these days in places that are priced for locals. These satay here were decent, but there was a sense of refinement in it that made them passable rather than not bad. These had no char and I’m doubtful if they had been graced in a proper charcoal grill. The dipping gravy was decent. Better than most, but there are better. In a local colloquial, mai hiam buay pai.

There was a dry laksa they called New Rasa Laksa. Possibly something they wanted to do as a signature dish? Honestly, it didn't taste too bad. It just tasted like Hokkien mee with rempah and minus the lard. Those laksa leaves that they used are in another local colloquial, lao hong. Could barely taste them.

Moving on, we also had soup kambing. Can't say that I did not enjoy it. There were also pretty generous portions of tender mutton and boned in rib. But this simply didn't taste like soup/sup kambing as it is everywhere else. I don't pretend to know what are the spices involved in the cooking but the ones here do not use exactly the same or have the same ratio. Don't mind having it again though.