Roo’s Gastrobar Shines In Hidden Foodie Hotspot Off Siglap, Singapore

Siglap is a popular foodie hotspot in Singapore, with a plentitude of cafes and local eateries.  Everyone knows that and Siglap is especially popular with food lovers who reside in the east of Singapore, even though I think Siglap is a little overrated.  Thankfully, there is a quieter, classier foodie hotspot just off Upper East Coast Road, a stone’s throw away from Siglap Centre.  That foodie hotspot is Frankel Avenue!  A row of shophouses/ restaurants beside a beautiful tree-lined avenue, I think Frankel Avenue is a much classier option than Siglap, which is where the masses go to.

Masterchef Who?

Nestled among the shophouses is Roo’s Gastrobar, a neighbourhood family dining hangout.  Roo’s Gastrobar is managed by chef and owner Roo.  Roo transitioned from cooking for her friends and catering to starting this 3-year-old restaurant after receiving popular acclaim for her cooking.   Gordon Ramsey would be proud of this former home cook.

Chef-owner Restaurants Are The Best!

I have said it before but I will say it again— chef-owner restaurants (such as Roo’s Gastobar) are the best.  The chef-owner knows cuisine and makes sure every plate that goes out of the kitchen is up to standard.  Roo personally trains her chefs and makes sure (in her own words) “they have perfected the recipes.”  It’s not like a businessman who knows nothing about food and starts a restaurant for ego or to make money. 

A businessman does not have the time to come in and personally manage the restaurant.  Roo, on the other hand, runs a tight ship and it shows.  She talks to her staff nicely and they seem energetic, happy to be working here and are competent.  Roo even has a checklist of how the toilets should be cleaned and they are indeed spotless and attentive to details.

Indian and Western Cuisine

Roo’s Gastrobar serves a mixture of Western (burgers, pasta, western mains) and Indian (curries, tandoori) cuisines.  All the recipes are her own and include slight tweaks which indeed improve on the usual renditions that everybody has tasted before.    

Frozen Strawberry Margarita

Roo’s Gastrobar has a pretty extensive wine, spirit and cocktail menu.

This Frozen Strawberry Margarita is competent.  It is refreshing, sweet and reasonably strong.

Mumbai Masala Fries

Accented with Roo’s Gastrobar’s unique spice mix, these fries arrived in a cloud of irresistible aroma.  I wish Roo has a factory that produces these.  I munch on savoury snacks and these fries have a good crunch, a beautiful golden colour and the spices are just so addicting.

Prawn Tempura

Fresh tiger prawn in a light and fluffy tempura batter

Each prawn is personally handpicked by Roo herself and it shows.  All the prawns were huge and very fresh and firm.  I was pleasantly surprised that the prawns didn’t feel greasy and sickening at all.

Classic Chicken Tikka

Boneless chicken spiced with aromatic herbs, yoghurt and garam masala

OMG!  Each morsel was so tender and flavourful.  The flavour has completely soaked through every molecule of protein in there. 

Having tried 3 starters, I must say this: you know how some “cuisine” are very lame.  The flavour is boring or one note or just tasteless and the dish is riding entirely on the sauce?  Nothing lame like that happens here.  All of the 3 starters above can definitely stand on their own.  The sauces add to or take the starter in a slightly different direction, just as sauces should.  I think it’s quite evident that Roo has definitely put in a lot of thought into her cuisine. 

Paneer Makhni + Garlic Naan

Marinated cottage cheese chunks in a delicious gravy

The gravy is very creamy and very delicious.  The garlic naan has the faint whiff of garlic but not overpoweringly so.

Moroccan Lamb Shank

Stewed in spices and served with vegetables on a bed of herb mashed potato

Stewed for 3-4 hours, the meat simply falls off the bone at the slightest touch which was a relief as I thought this would be quite difficult to eat. With all the meat juices, the mashed potato was absolutely delicious. 

Affogato

Vanilla ice cream in espresso and amaretto

I like Roo’s Gastrobar attention to details. They didn’t think desserts are unimportant and just do a sloppy job.  Take this affogato for instance.  They took it further than most affogatos by adding amaretto.  And since it has liquor in it, they served it in a martini glass.  It is all very cohesive. 

Islandwide Delivery; Just Whatsapp Them

The deliciousness of Roo’s quality cuisine is not limited to east-enders of Singapore only.  In the age of Coronavirus, Roo has made delivery available to satisfy the palettes of her loyal fans who live in other parts of Singapore.  Please note, there is delivery fee of $10 (or more, if your area is remote).  If your order is above $100, the delivery fee is waived.  The minimum waiting time is 45 mins, especially if you live in a remote area.

To get a bite of this deliciousness, just call or whatsapp them.  They are very responsive on whatsapp.

Near-perfect Reviews on Google and Tripadvisor

Overall, Roo’s Gastrobar is an excellent restaurant with a very strong focus on quality cuisine.  Before coming, I was shocked to see near-perfect review scores on Google and Tripadvisor.  I now understand why.

Roo’s Gastrobar

87 Frankel Ave, Singapore 458215

Tel/ Whatsapp: 6679 1763

www.roos.com.sg

Facebook/ Instagram: roosgastrobar