If you enjoy trying out interesting cocktails that come with stories, and some history, then I would suggest you spend a leisurely evening at Nutmeg & Clove, on Purvis Street. Now, this restaurant, founded by Calvin Chia, is no newbie to Singapore’s drinks and food scene, in fact, it was rated 32 in 2020, as one of Asia’s best 50 bars.
The team has now come out with a fantastic new experience called: The Cocktail Diaries, a sort of homage to Singapore by a traveller visiting the country. I absolutely adore the new menu, which comes in a diary format, from which you can read about, and choose from a total of 10 cocktails. The little booklet is replete with gorgeous Singapore-inspired sketches, and lovely, informative anecdotal ‘dear diary’, entries.
For example, Garden City ($24++) is a lovely, herby cocktail, inspired by the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the world’s only tropical garden. This lovely cocktail is made of Hendricks gin, infused with fruity flavours such as muskmelon, lime, honey, shiso - a refreshing Asian herb, and Empirical Spirit Ayuuk a blend of spirits, made with Mexican Pasilla Mix: smoke-dried chillies
Another fun drink was the Can Bubble Gum ($24++), an interesting take on the bubble gum ban in Singapore. It comes as a pink liquid, with some froth on top which I am told is bubble gum air. Made with an excellent quality mezcal, a spirit from the same family as tequila, it has a base of strawberries, and mint. You can also discern a hint of distilled Tabasco bitters, lending it a different edge.
My favourite was Michael Jackson’s Punch ($24++), named after a refreshing and popular soy milk, grass-jelly drink available at Hawker centres in Singapore. The drink has a piney taste, which comes from the Braulio, an Alpine liqueur which has an earthy, herby taste, and comes along with gin, and clarified soy milk. It is served atop a block of ice, and is perfect for a warm evening.
Don’t forget to sample some of the incredible food that the restaurant has to offer to supplement your drinks, for which the kitchen team has come out with an excellent range of Singaporean classics. I particularly enjoyed the otak otak ($16++), a spicy fish cake, made out of sea bass, and is served wrapped in a banana leaf. Another interesting dish to try out is the Singaporean scotch eggs ($18++), pictured above - in which the egg is encased in minced kurobata, and lap cheong, Chinese pork sausage.
The slightly spicy, tangy Assam & Batang ($28++) curry is a must try, which uses Spanish mackerel, and comes along with garlic toast. I rounded up my experience with Nutmeg & Clove’s delicious ice cream sandwich ($12++), which is a brownie soaked in bourbon, and served in between slices of fried Hainanese toast. It doesn’t get more decadent than this!
a. 8 Purvis Street Singapore, Singapore 188587
s. www.facebook.com/nutmegandclove
m. See menu
