The Place Joo Chiat just got more exciting with a new concept from the folks behind Kings Cart Coffee. Meet Joo Chiat Oyster House, where the café space transforms into a “red light district” come evening. It is quite a cool, dim neon red vibes when I visited for dinner where the bar counter lights up amidst the dim dining tables.  

The Food This new concept is a one-stop place for oysters, cocktails, and food with highlights being the fresh plump oysters imported weekly from Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.  

Starting from S$3.10 per piece (minimum order of 2 pieces per flavour), choose from Naked, Flavored, or Baked oysters. For a start, I had the Flavored Oysters with toppings like Chimichurri, Red Wine Mignonette, Salsa or Yuzu Foam at S$3.90 per piece, $3.60 per piece for half dozen and $3.30 per piece for a dozen. The first thing I noticed is how plump the oysters are, where the flavours are fresh and I especially like the Chimichurri flavoured oysters.   

Moving on to the Baked Oysters which are priced S$4.90 per piece, S$4.60 per piece for half dozen and S$4.30 per piece for a dozen. Toppings include the likes of Mentaiko, Miso Butter, Garlic Chilli or Cheese Baked, with my favourite being the Mentaiko baked oyster.  

Oysters aside, there is also a selection of Eastern-Western tapas such as Blur Like Sotong Fritters (S$6) of fried calamari served with housemade lemon mayo sauce. 

The Chili Crab & Mantou (S$16) is a familiar Singaporean dish, and you get bits of crabmeat here with Singapore’s iconic sauce, accompanied by fried mantou to mop up the sauce. 

I also had The Tako Romesco ($14) where the cured octopus leg is cooked in a romesco sauce, finished off with crunchy pistachio nuts.  

For something carbish, there is the likes of Portobello Aglio Olio (S$21) which is a huge portion of pasta good for 2-3 persons to share.  

The cocktails are the highlights of the drink options here with cheeky names like East Coast Plan (S$22). This is my favourite cocktail of the ones I tried as it is refreshing and easy to drink with the flavours of Hendrick’s gin with mint, lime,and prosecco.     

There is also the Aunty Rosalyn (S$22) inspired by Peranakan culture with flavours reminiscent of an elder’s feisty and sharp-tongued nature with ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, and gin. 

For something sweeter, take a trip back to your childhood with the Solero (S$20), created as a rum-based drinkable version of everyone’s favourite Solero lime-flavoured vanilla ice cream. 

Well, the tip is also to head for the Happy Hour from 5pm to 7pm from Mondays to Saturdays where House Pours – Gin, Vodka, Rum, Whiskey or Bourbon, and House Red, White and Bubblies priced from S$10. 

Rants Dim and dark like a bar where the tables are a little close to one another.  

Will I Return Again? A cool casual concept in Joo Chiat where it is great for light bites, oysters and some cocktails for a good unwind session. I like that there is a local touch to the drinks and some of the dishes which strikes a chord for me, especially in a heritage rich district like Joo Chiat.  

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

Make your reservations instantly at Joo Chiat Oyster House here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5

Joo Chiat Oyster House  
328 Joo Chiat Road 
#01-05, Singapore 427585  
Tel: +65 8814 8445 
 
Opening Hours 
Monday to Saturday: 5pm to 10pm 
Closed on Sunday  

Ranted by The Ranter