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Tess Bar & Kitchen - 1^st Apr 2015

Away from the busy shoppers and humdrum of the city, nestled amongst the low-rise shophouses along North Bridge Road isTess Bar & Kitchen, just a stone's throw away from Raffles Hotel and Bugis MRT. Stepping into the bar, we were greeted by edison lightbulbs, rustic walls and wooden table top surfaces, a long shelf of spirits and a window looking into the kitchen.

To start the evening with cocktails and oysters, we had a Achar Mango cocktail in a Cajun-rimmed glass and Whisky Smash garnished with generous sprigs of mint leaves and citrus curl, they were small but definitely packed full of flavour and kick. If you’re game for it, go for their bespoke cocktails, simply request for one and the creative bartenders will create a concoction to suit your mood and taste. They have mouth-watering, huge Canadian Oysters that are going for $3 all night too, briny and sweet. I wished I could have a dozen or two but I’ve gotta save tummy space for more food lined up.

We soaked up the indie music and ambience, and forgotten all the stresses of the work week. The crispy pork belly screams “Eat Me” so we couldn’t resist but to order one to share – it has super crispy crackling skin and fat just bursts with flavour, definitely worth the extra 20 minutes on the treadmill earlier.

It took us quite a while to decide on our mains – shall we have Wagyu Cubes & Bone Marrow or Mushroom Risotto or Braised French Chicken Leg or … we finally settled on the Grilled Duroc Pork Chop, glazed with grapefruit reduction and apple chutney and the Frenched Lamb Rack on a bed of warm braised cabbage and bacon sauerkraut and sautéed brussel sprouts, paired with a bottle of crispy white wine. Our taste buds were spoilt (in a good way), having taste combinations which we didn’t think would work. Portion size was perfect as every plate went back cleaned!

Instead of having something sweet, we opted for Tess’ Cheese Platter. We selected 2 cheeses that you don’t get to see in most places - Swiss Tete de Moine which translates to “Monk’s Head” and has a sweet and delicate flavour that is rare for a hard cheese, and NZ Kapiti Kikorangi, an intense and decadent triple cream cheese with a rich network of blue veins distributed evenly.

Tess’ Cheese Platter

The honey comb added a sweet contrast to savoury notes and buttery crackers echoes the milky creaminess of these cheeses, mmmmmmm. We can now sleep tight with a relaxed mind and happy tummy. Definitely coming back!