Award Winning Cocktails at 28 HongKong Street - Review

Location: Clarke Quay
Price: £££
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Perfect for: Quality Cocktails, Asia’s 50 Best Bars

Upon my arrival in Singapore, I asked for recommendations on the places I simply had to dine and drink at, and one place kept coming up. 28 Hong Kong Street was universally recommended by everyone I spoke to, and by many online too.

So I made a reservation at this hidden speakeasy, which has repeatedly made its way into Asia's 50 Best Bars, and headed down to sample its delights.

The Decor:

28 HongKong Street is hidden behind an unassuming 1960's shophouse façade. Like all good speakeasies, there is no signage, no clear entrance and a very secretive vibe around it.

However once I had located it, I made my way through the nondescript door into a dark corridor and rang the bell for assistance. Almost immediately a staff member arrived from behind a think, dark velvet curtain to check if we had reservations and lead us to our table.

Once through the velvet curtains, we discerned that the bar area was long and narrow with cosy booths and tables on each side, as well as large bar towards the end of the shophouse.

In keeping with the mysterious feel of the bar, the lighting is minimum and directed, leaving much of the space and particular the corners in darkness. This gives the bar a feeling of space, as you can’t quite make out where the corners of the room are and how far back it goes.

Conversely, the bar area is warmly lit and welcoming, and I was pleased to be seated at the bar with direct views of the mixologist whipping up his creation.

The Cocktails:

The cocktail menu at 28 HongKong Street is vast. In fact the menu is split into four distinct concepts, each with their own style of drink.

This includes Halogen, which has a beach style vibe and serves ‘tongue in cheek’ versions of well known club drinks. There is Brenda’s Bad Hand Bar, a classic American dive bar with drinks highlighting whiskey and boilermaker pairings.

Another concept is Sin and Misery, channelling a luxurious modern hotel bar that features lighter spirits and champagne. Finally there is 28 HKS, based on the neighbourhood speakeasy inspired by the early 2000s cocktail renaissance in New York.

I knew immediately which concept I aligned too, and this help narrow down the cocktails I wanted to try from the voluminous list. This combined with personalised recommendations from the mixologist meant I was sure to enjoy my choices.

I started with the Black Forest Negroni from the 28HK concept, made with Diplomatico Mantuano Rum, Campari, Rosso Vermouth and Port. After the mixologist expertly created the Negroni, I sank into the rich, bitter and very boozy drink.

Next up I tried 184Old Fashioned, with Ferrand 1840 Cognac and Champagne reduction. This was also a strong cocktail which hit the right spot and had me wanting to sample even more of the delights.

From the Brenda's Bad Hand Bar concept, I decided to try Brenda’s Breakfast. A cocktail filled with Michter’s Bourbon, Monkey Shoulder Whiskey, brown butter, salted maple and smoke. This cocktail sounded like a breakfast dish and tasted like one too. The sweetness of the brown butter and salted maple perfectly completed the Monkey Shoulder whiskey.

By this point I had realised that the cocktails at 28 HongKong Street packed quite a punch, and each was boozier than the next. This wasn’t the kind of bar that water down their drinks! So I decided to line my stomach and sample their food.

The Food:

Although the menu classes the dishes as nibbles, there are plenty of substantial dishes to try.

The menu is focused on American styles dishes, and we opted for the Chicken Enchilada, Mac & Cheese Balls, and Hot Chicken Tenders. The Mac & Cheese Balls are a favourite at 28 HongKong and I could see why. The crunchy balls contained three cheeses, Panko and aromatic truffle oil - these certainly were a hit with us.

We also tried the Apple Fritters as desserts. These donut style fritters with bourbon cream were delightfully moreish, and we enjoyed them even more than the Mac & Cheese Balls.

The dishes here are mainly small plates designed to be shared, and five dishes shared between the two of us was plenty and we didn’t need to have dinner.

Overall:

28 HongKong Street is a landmark destination in Singapore thanks to its laid-back ambiance, tremendous cocktails, and engaging and knowledgeable staff.

Sitting by the bar watching the expert mixologist in this iconic bar, I knew I was in a special place and recognised why 28 HongKong Street was award-winning. This will certainly be a bar I’ll return to during my time in Singapore.