A unique experience: Pang pouring Spectre’s Bonseki ‘snake soup and mezcal cocktail that’s served warm on a micro Japanese sand raking box. — The Straits Times/ANN
If you passed through Boon Tat Street in the Central Business District in the last few weeks, you might have noticed a new ice cream shop serving up a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic flavours.
Venture farther, and you will find that the ice cream parlour is just the entry point for a multi-concept venue called White Shades. On level two is an intimate bar specialising in innovative cocktails and fusion food, while the fourth floor houses a rooftop bar serving beer and cocktails on tap. The third floor is an event space, ready to host anything from brand pop-ups to art exhibitions.
Founded by Singaporean bartender Bai Jiawei, White Shades is the latest in a slew of innovative alcohol-anchored concepts that have popped up in the last two months.
Others include Spectre, a mental wellness-focused bar, which is a joint venture by singer-songwriter Inch Chua and bartender and Beam Suntory regional brand ambassador Andrew Pang.
Drinkers say the focus on experiences at these concept bars helps them stand out in a crowded bar scene.
“I’m a sucker for both ice cream and cocktails, so White Shades immediately caught my attention with that. I like that I can grab dessert after drinks or vice versa,” says copywriter Valentina Ho, 27.
“From what I’d heard of the place, I thought it’d just be an Instagrammable location that you’d visit once just for the aesthetics, but I really enjoyed the drinks, which were experimental and innovative. Gimmicks might work to grab customers’ attention, but no one’s going to return if the offerings aren’t up to snuff,” she adds.
Sweet and spicy: The ice cream parlour at White Shades in Boon Tat Street, aims to fill the ‘desert void’ in the area. — The Straits Times/ANN
Jay Gray, 33, co-founder and chief executive of the Sago House group of bars, says: “I’m always amazed at the talent and creativity in Singapore, and I thought it would be interesting to give hopeful bar openers the opportunity to dip their toes into ownership in a safe space, without the inherent overheads and pressures of running a business such as long-term leases and investors.”
A unique concept will likely be able to find its own audience among Singapore’s ever-hungry and thirsty populace, but top-notch hospitality is still the most important secret sauce to even the most radical concepts, he adds.
Amid the ongoing economic downturn, Gray says he and his staff are “trying to find ways to add value for our guests and really make sure they feel like their spend is worth it”.
White Shades, which opened in July, is the ambitious culmination of everything founder Bai learnt from his experiences.
Each floor at White Shades serves a specific purpose, says Bai, 30.
“For the ice cream parlour on the first floor, one strategic point we were thinking about is the fact that there aren’t really any dessert places in this area, except one patisserie down the road. So the first floor is open from noon for the office crowd to grab something sweet after lunch or even after work. It is set up for a quick turnover,” he notes.
In contrast, the bar on level two is set up to be a softer, slower and more cosy experience, with more service touchpoints and premium offerings.
In the long run, Bai hopes White Shades will become a go-to space for whole-venue takeovers during special events.
Alcohol might be known as “happy juice”, but given its links with addiction, excess and vice, it is not the first thing that pops to mind when one thinks of mental wellness. But the free therapy element has always been built into the act of going to a bar, notes Spectre co-founder Andrew Pang, 38, who oversees the establishment’s drink offerings.
“There’s that classic image of a movie bartender polishing a glass while inviting a patron to share his or her problems. We’re just looking to take that concept a bit further and actively incorporate the ideas of community, wellness and nourishment into our food and drinks.”
Accordingly, he has come up with concoctions such as the Bonseki, a “snake soup and mezcal cocktail that is served warm on a micro Japanese sand raking box”, says Pang.
“It’s tactile, it’s relaxing and it’s also a talking point,” he continues, adding that he consulted a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine when developing his cocktail menu.
In TCM, snake soup is considered to be a “warming” food which boosts energy and improves blood circulation.
The food menu by Inch Chua, 34, includes its own liquid offerings in the form of a soup series called Clarity.
She says: “Some are more medicinal than others, but the idea is that people can have something to line their stomach before drinking, or even as a palate cleanser after a whole night of drinking.
“In fact, we will be sending guests home with a bowl of soup, just to fully embody that idea of both physical and emotional nourishment.”
A respected indie musician who straddles multiple genres including electronica and folk rock, Chua also hopes to bring her years of experience in musical and event production to create unique experiences at Spectre.
“We intend to create more fun artistic productions like dinners here in the future – not so much dinner theatre, but using sound and music to add to the storytelling that we do with our food and drink,” she says.
The Barbie’s Pink ‘Fro cocktail at High Bar Society.
The newest kid on the block, High Bar Society, marries the concept of the upscale cocktail bar with a fancy ice-cream joint.
Officially opened by chef Sharon Tay on Wednesday, the late-night dessert bar serves alcoholic gelato and cocktails, as well as tapas and desserts.
Tay, 43, says the venue targets the younger demographic of drinkers who are looking for new ways to enjoy alcohol.
“Customers are demanding a different yet familiar experience. I have noticed at cocktail bars that drinking and cocktail culture has evolved. Although classics are always generally well accepted, people love a dash of fun and innovation with their drinks.”
The flagship product of High Bar Society is the alcoholic gelato with its 6% alcohol by volume, which might well be among the highest in Asia. Each cocktail is served with a side of gelato.
The concoctions include one called Barbie’s Pink ‘Fro, which Tay describes as “a highball float that comes with cotton candy, whisky, soda and cotton candy gelato, if you would rather eat your alcohol.” — The Straits Times/ANN
