Expat Choice | Introducing White Shades: a Four-story Modern Cocktail Playground by the Co-founder of Stay Gold Flamingo

White Shades is the brainchild of JiaWei Bai, co-founder of the renowned Stay Gold Flamingo ( 32 on Asia's 50 Best Bar 2023). Launched this July and occupying a four-story shophouse along Boon Tat Street, White Shades presents a ﬁrst-of-its-kind cocktail experience in Singapore.

The progressive cocktail playground broadens the horizons for imbibers, encouraging tipplers to explore spirits in different forms, from boozy gelatos to bespoke craft concoctions and draft cocktails and beer.

Dessert (Level 1)

Inspired to marry different concepts under a single for ultimate convenience, Bai has thoughtfully engineered the space to offer a multi-sensory experience. At White Shades, diners are invited to embrace the extraordinary, the imaginative, and the unforgettable. This remarkable dining destination promises to be a platform for new experiences, where colours, ﬂavours and music unite. The ﬁrst ﬂoor welcomes you to Dessert, the ice cream parlour, where joy and playfulness set the vibe.

Vibrant furniture and hanging art installations add pops of colour against the backdrop of white walls; a playlist of famous hits will have you singing along. On the menu are 12 types of ice creams, made up of four tantalisingly alcoholic ﬂavours, four classics, two sorbets, and the rest are seasonal and experimental. Housemade juniper-ﬂavoured cones complement the ice cream, as do the cold-brewed tea and coffee and low-ABV tea cocktails served, giving guests a lighter experience of the innovative cocktail programme that is the DNA of White Shades.

Cocktail (Level 2)

Venturing to the second level, Cocktail, guests will ﬁnd themselves in a sophisticated bar enveloped in dark gradient tones and man-made stone. The ambience switches to a more elegant and luxurious mood, with soulful R&B tunes giving mellow acoustics from the cushioned walls. Hospitality is taken to the highest level on this level, where exceptional service is paramount. Guests are invited to connect here, with cosy indoor seats for intimate conversations; outdoor tables for the revellers; and waist-high ledges for those preferring to mingle while standing close to the bar.

The bespoke menu on the second ﬂoor is carefully crafted, with a range of boundary-pushing cocktails and fusion dishes. Aptly named ‘unRAW’, the ﬁrst cocktail menu concept by Bai unveils the captivating journey he undertook to create White Shades. Savi Galloping, made with Codigo Blanco tequila, paprika, lime, ﬁre water and smoked chips, is inspired by the Hermès scarves that decorate the space and the dust stirred up both by horses galloping and during the venue’s construction.

Bomber J

The menu progresses to tell a story: as the ﬁne dust settles, the team is ready to rock n roll, as seen in Bomber J. Named after the bomber jacket uniform the team adorns, this balanced cocktail features Suntory World Whisky AO, toasted rice syrup and Hinkoi bitters. Other cocktails on the menu offer a preview of Bai’s plans to evolve the menu in the next ﬁve months.

Accompanying the cocktails is a menu of bold, contemporary fusion dishes artfully composed by Chef Hosni, previously from Employees Only. Menu highlights include a Beef Tartare topped with a runny quail yolk and ﬁery sambal matah, and Tagliatelle tossed with spiced bebek ragu and winged bean. The beef cheek Rendang Grilled Cheese with brie and red cheddar is an indulgent bite to ﬁll you up whilst enjoying a few cocktails. This is gastronomy at its ﬁnest.

Ribs with Kencor and Crispy Garlic, Beef Tartare with Quail Yolk and Sambal Matah and Clams with Maitake and Miso Butter

Take the lift up another level and teleport into the Event universe: A blank canvas adorned with ambient ceiling lights that can transform into any colour. Here, Bai invites creative minds to ﬁll the space with their imagination, vibe, and style, with a customisable setting to suit any branding or occasion. This event space can comfortably accommodate an intimate gathering of 35 pax.

Finally, atop the shophouse on the breathtaking rooftop, White Shades takes the concept of laid-back cocktail experiences to new heights. The sounds of soulful acoustic covers and live music will set the vibe on the Rooftop. There will also be a corner ﬁlled with games to further liven up the space. Keen to give guests a range of price points, White Shades will serve draft beers and draft cocktails here, each affordably priced under $20.

“Since young, it has always been a personal goal of mine to open my own space. At White Shades, creativity is not just a buzzword; it's ingrained in every ﬁbre of the space. From the moment guests step through the doors, they will be transported into a vibrant world where each ﬂoor boasts a distinct identity, colour tone, and music genre, resulting in four mesmerisingly different experiences,” shares Bai.

White Shades is located at 25 Boon Tat Street. For reservations, please make your booking via this link.

Opening timings differ for each level, as stated below:

Dessert (L1): Mon-Thurs, 12 pm to 10 pm and Fri-Sat, 12pm to 11 pm Cocktail (L2): Mon-Sat, 5pm to 12am

Rooftop (L4): Mon-Sat, 5pm to 12am (Opening soon)

a. 25 Boon Tat St, Singapore 069622

e. [email protected]

ig. www.instagram.com/whiteshadessg

t. +65 8575 8578

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Comments

Douglas

31 Aug 2023 , Thu

56 comments

CONTRIBUTOR

RATED 7.5 / 8

I'm constantly looking for new dining experiences in Singapore, and I was thrilled to discover White Shades, located in Telok Ayer, the bold and creative new restaurant by owner, Jiawei Bai, of Stay Gold Flamingo, one of Asia’s Top 50 Bars.

Stepping through the front doors into the cheerful ice cream shop on the first floor, I knew this would be a different experience. The bright and colourful décor and lighting match the eclectic Perspex tables and comfy seating. You have a feel-good mood with hits from the '80s and '90s playing in the background. The real stars here are the twelve tempting ice cream flavours - four boozy choices like the white truffle and coffee rum, four classics like vanilla, pistachio and chocolate, two refreshing sorbets, and two experimental seasonal options. The juniper-flavoured wafer cones are made on-premises and add a delightful complement. I managed to sneak a sample of the White Truffle, Coffee Rum, Gin Cucumber, and Mascarpone Wasabi. They were super good. My favourite was the Gin Cucumber, closely followed by the Wasabi ice cream. You can also buy these to bring home.

White Shades also has cold-brew teas and coffees with a splash of alcohol, providing a nice balance. I had the Lapsang made with the very distinctive lapsang sochong tea. A few of these, and hic! Next time, I must taste the aged coconut water… this piqued my curiosity.

On level two, the decor switched to dark, elegant tones with mellow R&B music in the background – an excellent spot for an intimate cocktail and conversation. The cocktails here are incredible and thoughtfully crafted to tell a story. For instance, the Savi Galloping cocktail evokes images of horses racing across a plain. Much theatre is involved in serving the Savi Galloping, so put this on your must-try list. Meanwhile, the Bomber J is a nod to the staff's uniform bomber jackets.

The food and plating are works of art. The Beef Tartare comes with spicy sambal matah and quail yolk. It is a delicious starter served with fried wanton skins. Next up was the Clams with miso butter. There’s never enough meat in clams but look in the bowl; there is a delicious miso butter sauce for dipping with the bread. I tried the Double Cheeseburger with jalapeno mayo and caramelised onions. It was as good as a burger gets, and I loved the cotton-wool soft bun. The sweet endings came as Chendol and truly robust Tiramisu. The chendol at White Shades is a masterful deconstruction of the iced sweet dessert, usually containing shaved ice, green rice flour jelly, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup.

Level three is still a blank canvas event space that awaits creative minds to customise it for any occasion, such as birthday parties or corporate events. Finally, the rooftop bar provides affordable, laid-back cocktails on level four. There will also be a live band to give the music-under-the-stars atmosphere, precisely what Jia Wei wants to achieve for this rooftop bar. It is sure to become a neighbourhood favourite.

Come over and meet the founder, Jia Wei. He will be the good-looking guy with an infectious smile. His passion shines through in the sheer variety of experiences offered. White Shades transported me into his vibrant world from the ground floor to the rooftop. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun exploring a restaurant.

With four different themes, colour schemes, and soundtracks, each floor offers something unexpected. The hospitality also stands out, from the exceptional service in the cocktail lounge to the friendly rooftop bartenders. Thoughtful touches like double-sized coasters and aptly branded glassware show attention to detail. In today's competitive bar and restaurant scene in Singapore, finding a concept that genuinely pushes boundaries is rare. White Shades does just that by merging art, design, drinks, and cuisine into one sensational journey. If you are a curious foodie, you will be utterly captivated and talk about this restaurant for years. Check it out…you won't regret it!