Joo Bar : Home Brewed Makgeolli

  

Hippy place that we had been wanting to visit and we finally had the chance to! Located conveniently next to Bugis Mrt (Downtown Line) this is a great place to go after work for a chill out with your friends and co-workers.

First up! Makgeolli Sampler ($35 for 5). Great sampler if you do not know if you like makgeolli or which flavour you should order. Our favourites are the original organic home brew, the makgeolli slush (yucha) and the lychee ones.

It's a pity we didn't have the stomach to give the organic honey makgeolli a go, but we will be back for more. 

Joo Bar's makgeolli is made locally, and at the point of tasting, they are the only one that is doing so. This qualifies for #supportlocal I suppose? 

Overall good authentic taste, they do their best to be as close to those you would get in Korea, but as we all know, it is a tall order. We are happy with what we were tasting, nothing like what you would get in Korea, but we dare say it's good enough.

 

Snacks before the food items.

Baby Eel Paper

 

Deep fried baby eels served with chilli salt and lime zest ($14), this is the perfect snack with your alcohol. Nice and crunchy with the lime zest providing the zing that cuts through the oil and alcohol. We loved this and can't stop munching through it.

  

Another snack before the drinks. These chips are good! Nice thin and crisp.

Tofu Chips with Guacamole & Kimchi Salsa

This dish ($14) was a disappointment for us. The tofu chips were surprisingly tough and hard, plus we couldn't really taste the tofu in it. The kimchi salsa and guacamole was done nicely though but the chips, which is supposed to be the star, didn't perform.


Warm Kimchi with Tofu & Spam

The warm kimchi combination with spam and tofu ($16) was simply awesome! Who doesn't like spam? It goes well with almost ANYTHING but this combination totally blew our minds. The nice silky, bland tofu is very well matched up with the robust luncheon meat. And have you ever had a warm kimchi? Guess what, there is a surprise in the kimchi... there's slices of pork belly in it! We were super impressed by this whole combination and this is a definite must order.

Slow Roasted Mangalista Belly

The pork belly ($32) was nice and fatty as you would expect from a Mangalista cut. Nicely grilled and done, but be forewarned, this dish is fatty. If you are belong to the group that doesn't eat the fats on sio bak, this may not be the dish for you. There are other pork dishes available on the menu for you instead. Overall good and goes perfectly with the alcohol.

Joo Grilled Squild

Initially the squid ($20) looked like it came out from outerspace because of it's size. But it is due to how it was cut up and being served. Nicely seasoned and perfectly grilled, we all know how easy it is to overcook squids, perhaps the next best comfort food after the warm kimchi.

Hand Chopped Korean Minced Rib Steak

Think hamburger patty instead of a piece of steak ($20). And this is one solid beef patty. If you love burgers but want to skip the buns, this is the perfect fodder for you. Seasoned and nicely grilled, the fried garlic gives it a nice little boost that with send you to the skies. 

Sojurita

Inspired by the margarita-corona concept, this is  Joo Bar's rendition of it ($28). Basically you get a soju-yucha slushie with a bottle of Hite beer that makes it magical. It is recommended to be shared amongst 2-4 friends, but trust us when we say you can probably finish it on your own.

The premise is nice and comfortable, purposely dark (it's a bar!) but the third floor holds it's own charm. Bar seats on the third floor is comfy and perfect for a two pax date. Only gripe is that it's lines the path to the restroom so privacy probably not the best. Fine for people watching though.

Joo Bar is exploring offering lunch menus and also having a soju sampler. Exciting times are in for Joo Bar and reservations is highly recommended on Friday and Saturday nights.

Oh yes, they have a good selection of Japanese whiskies too.

Great place, with good food and awesome drinks. We would be back for desserts too.

Joo Bar is located at 

5 Tan Quee Lan Street
Singapore 188094
Opens 530pm to 12midnight, Daily

For reservations: +65 81381628 

Website: http://www.joo-bar.com/