Asian Flavors In a Cup

I don’t think my palate has ever fully appreciated cocktails or vibes of cocktail bars. Once in a while, when it’s early enough that the crowds haven’t whooshed in, and the cocktails offered have a twist, I really don’t mind checking it out. Bars in Singapore tend to have a short shelf life. Strolled over to Native on Amoy Street to see what the fuss is about.

Occupying mainly level two and three of a shophouse unit, Native is tiny and if it gets super crowded, it’s somewhat uncomfortable, especially for me because of insufficient airflow and ventilation. I can imagine the long wait for cocktails as evening falls even though the mixologists have given logistics a thought. The efforts in the presentation of the drinks still require significant prep time.

I suppose they could do me a regular gin and tonic if I really wanted. Hahaha. Never mind, I was fine with flavors this evening. I think Native changes up its menu every few months, so in its limited offerings, one can still find a tastebud-suitable drink or two. The ‘Oolong Highball’ was so dangerously light and refreshing! We had the ‘Chai’, ‘Peranakan’ and ‘Pineapple Arak’, all of which tasted like dessert, and had rather ingeniously infused flavors. The arak was delicious. These didn’t come across as just a gimmick, and are truly Asian spices and syrups done well. Drinks were extremely palatable. The sugar though, sent me bouncing off the walls. Tsk.