Nestled in a quieter area of Dempsey Hill, Jiu Zhuang is a beautiful hidden restaurant and bar that is a worth a try. The ambience of Jiu Zhuang perfectly matches up to its name, with the whole restaurant appearing to be a premium drinking house, and decked in heritage, Chinese style decor which aimed to emulate how a sophisticated “atas” drinking parlour might have been like in the past. The immaculate vibes of Jiu Zhuang won my heart. And even though the restaurant is not all that big, they’ve positioned their customers to be comfortably apart from one another, and that is always well appreciated.
As it’s name goes, you’re at a premium bar which offers a wide range of liquor - from Bai Jiu & Huang Jiu to a very extensive wine list. They have a massive range of whiskeys but also a unique selection of cocktails inspired by the four seasons (pictured). The cocktails were decent, but this is a definitely a bar for people who enjoy their hard liquor, be it neat or on the rocks. And when it comes to whiskey, you’ll be spoilt for choice here. Jiu Zhuang has a food menu as well, and no surprise it’s a Chinese menu, with a few dim sum options but also szechuan cuisine. And I’ll highly recommend one of my favourites got to be their Whisky Xiao Long Bao. So if you’re looking for a somewhere unique and quiet for a cosy date night, you can consider heading to this elegant hidden bar✨
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.
Level 9 Burppler · 1287 Reviews
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