- Fung Ying Tan Tai
Bar Bites @ Neon Pigeon, Keong Saik Rd
I took a hiatus from doing food reviews for a few months, mostly due to an overloaded schedule and some travelling, so it felt quite serendipitous that the last place I reviewed before my break -- Neon Pigeon, is the one that I returned with. You can check out my previous review here.
This time round, Neon Pigeon had a new bar bites menu that they were presenting to us. Their food has always been intriguing, a combination of different cuisines and styles to make for a more interesting dish. So as per usual, I was super excited to see what they had to offer.
First up on the table were the Shoyu Glazed Peanuts ($5), with puffed wild rice. A relatively simple tasting dish for you to munch on while you indulge in their large variety of alcoholic drinks.
Next up, and my favourite for the night -- Tokyo Hummus with Curry Chips ($6). This colourful blend of spices and edamame-based hummus was to-die-for. And in combination with crispy slices of toasted baguette and curry powder, it was finger licking good! I would have licked the bowl if I weren't in such a posh establishment. I am shameless... But not that shameless. 100% recommend, and something I shall be ordering every time I visit.
Next up was the Yuzu Ceviche ($12). This one was a tad unfortunate for me as I am not a fan of celery, so I ended up not eating more than a bite. But from the expressions of my eating companions, they definitely enjoyed it. I personally am a big fan of both Yuzu, and raw fish, and would most likely have loved it too if not for the celery.
I have rather mixed feelings about this next dish. I would say half the table enjoyed the Brie with Wasabi on Tempura Seaweed ($10), while the other half... not to much. Unfortunately I was in the latter group. I could see where they were trying to go with the dish -- a sort of Eastern twist to the classic "cheese and crackers", except you have wasabi and brie, atop deep-fried seaweed. I was not a fan of wasabi in the first place, and the brie in combination made this the least liked dish on the menu that night.
The Cauliflower Croquettes ($9) with bits of bacon was utterly yumy. And it comes paired with a vinegar dip and some freshly chopped green onions. You dip the deep fried piece of indulgence into the vinegar, and then the onions, and those three flavours counteract with one another beautifully. Absolutely love the ingenious combo.
And then some Sweet Potato Fries ($8), that are probably the best sweet potato fries I've had in a long time. They come with this dipping powder that pairs really well.
Last but not least, the Tonkatsu Po Boy ($12). Yup, you heard it right, TONKATSU. Po. Boy. If you've never heard of a Po Boy... Basically it is a sandwich that hails its origins from Louisiana. But Neon Pigeon gave it their own unique twist by deep frying a wonderful piece of tender pork, and placing it between two light, fluffy pieces of bread with some spicy miso sauce. An excellent way to end the night.
I highly recommend that you give them a visit should you have the chance!
Not forgetting! For all you Sake lovers out there, Neon Pigeon just had a bunch of new additions to their beverage menu. And for all of you that love your ginger-drinks, the Kickin' Mule is still my number 1 cocktail in the world.
Neon Pigeon
1 Keong Saik Rd
Tel: +65 6222 3623
Operating Hours:
Everyday except Sundays
6pm - 12am