Mama Diam has been making its rounds on social media for a long time, and I haven’t been able to book a slot until recently. The concept of Mama Diam is uniquely Singaporean, and a perfect expat tourist trap for people who want to “experience” Singapore culture, with the mini mart photo op or even childhood items for sale. The menu is very well done, and Mama Diam clearly lays out the alcohol strength and sweetness in their drink for you to make an informed choice. I went for the Pisang Old Fashion - chocolate + banana + rum + bitters combination that was a strong one, but I honestly didn’t think much of the flavours here. Pictured is the Chai Tarik Brew, a seemingly crowd favourite for its aesthetic (duh) and how easy it is to drink. With its lower alcohol level and high sweetness, this is one dessert drink you’d enjoy at night after drinking all your non-alcoholic teh pengs in the day. That being said, it’s all cute, fun, and nice to look at it, but I personally am not very convinced. A huge part of it was perhaps got to do with the crowd and the rather bustling, noisy atmosphere that made Mama Diam more suited to be a restaurant to hangout in groups and eat, rather than a speakeasy bar to chill and drink. And because of the crowd, the staff were understandably busy - but that also meant a lot of movement and less attention.
I’d still recommend coming to Mama Diam with the right group of friends and right intentions - because why not? But if you’re looking for a quiet, cosy, bar to really have a nice and calm night, this will not be the speakeasy for you.