A former school is SG’s hottest new lifestyle and foodie spot
A former girls’ school in Singapore gets to witness totally new stories, ones that are very different from typical scenes such as students loitering along the corridor or cramming homework in the library.
Under the current name New Bahru (formerly Nan Chiau High School), the upcycled building gets a new lease on life, this time as a wellness and lifestyle enclave thanks to The Lo & Behold Group, which owns and runs decorated French restaurant Odette and the boutique heritage hotel called The Warehouse Hotel, among many others.
It was a massive undertaking, but certainly not impossible, especially since New Bahru is passionately driven by a noble initiative to champion made-in-Singapore brands, amid the entry of international chains into the country. New Bahru, with the help of like-minded entrepreneurs in the community, will hopefully act as a worthwhile stage for local talent to get the acknowledgment and appreciation they deserve.
Situated on Kim Yam Road, the compound is divided into two blocks—big, which has five floors, and small, which has four—each housing an array of establishments, from food and beverage joints to education, fitness and hospitality outlets.
There’s Off Duty Pilates, Barreworks Ballet and Hideaway, a wellness spot that offers massages and contrast therapy; Make by Ginlee, where immersive experiences such as crafting a bag out of old clothes await; a home goods store called Sojao; CS Fresh supermarket; Kiztopia Prestige, a haven for young adventurers; The Orange Tree Preschool; and the Alma House serviced apartments.
Baked goods and pastas
What’s luring a huge crowd, of course, especially on weekends, is the restaurants. And New Bahru has curated quite a star-studded lineup.
There’s Atipico Room 15, whose baked goods are as interesting as the story of how it started. A former architect, Italy-born Matteo Pertoldi, began his love affair with cooking by first dishing up home-cooked meals for family and friends, and then in 2014, extending it to parties as a private dining service.
He eventually opened a spot in West Coast, followed up by a casual eatery in New Bahru, serving a variety of breads, cakes and viennoiseries such as bombolonis, confit onion speck fontina roll and Sicilian brioche.
It also has a separate menu for lunch and dinner, which lets you have ricotta tartine and pumpkin ravioli for noon and salmon gravlax as well as lobster pepper chou after work.
What used to be the campus library is now Somma, Puglian chef Mirko Febbrile’s newest modern Italian restaurant. The brand, which means “sum” in Italian, takes over two floors in the compound, comprised of a fine dining restaurant with a high ceiling, a cocktail and pasta bar that can sit plenty and an R&D kitchen aka the Somma Lab.
Guests are given the option to have a six-course menu on the second floor or opt for a more casual time by the bar, sipping cocktails crafted by Filipino bar manager Mel Chavez. There’s an easy-to-drink margarita made with coconut-infused tequila and lime cordial, and a drink inspired by bolognese, a mix of scotch whisky, beef broth, tomato and the Italian trinity—carrot, onion and celery.
To go with the tipple are small plates like bucatini tossed in yellow tomato arrabbiata, vitello tonnato, ravioli in caciocavallo cheese and rosemary butter, and maltagliati in wild boar ragu.
From ‘makgeolli’ to tacos
Odem, Singapore’s very first craft makgeolli bar, is also part of the community. For the unfamiliar, makgeolli is a traditional Korean liquor derived from fermenting rice, yeast, water, and a starter culture called nuruk.
Odem has quite an extensive and impressive collection, all sourced from South Korea, and chef Yumi Bae has prepared an extensive menu divided into brunch (like toro kimbap and kalbi sando), lunch (like duck guksu and yachae bibimbap), and dinner (like banchan platter and the popular savory donut with salmon roe, corn purée, and shio kelp).
One of the busiest restaurants in the block is Huevos, started by three 20somethings—Arron Poh, his cousin Nathaniel Moi, and culinary schoolmate Aloysius Poh. They thought of opening a taqueria to fill the gap for authentic Mexican food at affordable price points. Mexican cuisine is also the cofounders’ collective favorite cuisine because of its robust flavors. And you can taste it in their dishes such as the barbecue lamb tacos, beef long tacos, and the bestselling birria beef, which comes with a bowl of consommé.
Cocktails, too
Le Bon Funk is no stranger to the Singapore bar scene, with two successful outposts of its neighborhood restaurant/wine bar that serves downright delicious pub food such as the popular Beef Tongue Sandwich.
It adds flavor and melody to the New Bahru roster with the opening of Bar Bon Funk, a cocktail space with a top-range hi-fi sound system and “nostalgic” interiors inspired by the North American house chef Keirin Buck grew up in.
Unlike the two other outposts, this banks on music, hence the Vintage McIntosh amplifiers, custom Altec A5 speakers, and a custom-made mixer for crisp, cool sounds to complement the tipple program of head bartender Josiah Chee and Buck’s menu, which changes every three to six months.
Chef Bjorn Shen, who used to be a consultant for Lo & Behold’s founding outlet, also gave his Singaporean Middle Eastern restaurant a new address. From Middle Road’s Sculpture Square, he moved to the hip compound to continue his impressive, over-a-decade-old Artichoke. He was actually the first to sign the lease, securing a massive space to serve his signatures in, including the roasted cauliflower and harissa prawns.
Also part of the revered repertoire are the black sesame hummus, grilled haloumi with jackfruit and fermented chili honey, and the lip-smackin’ fried chicken. Tucked in a corner of Artichoke is Small’s, Shen’s tiny eight-seater test kitchen that churns out experimental menus. Currently, it is rolling out its “What if we were a noodle bar” menu where an herbal and comforting duck pho is served.
Not only is New Bahru a one-stop-shop for lifestyle and wellness, it’s foremost a creative cluster that places homegrown brands on a pedestal, exactly where they belong.
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