Stopping by 51 Duxton Road, DIBS Restaurant and Bar
The first thing I did when I got an invitation to visit DIBS Restaurant and Bar was to check out the menu and boy was it elusive. Their sleek one-page only website beckoned guests to visit with the promise of an “unconventional but real” experience and, get this, an ever-changing menu introducing new dishes every few days.
The street art look-and-feel begins from outside the restaurant
Open kitchen concept
I guess that’s one way to beat the competition: maintaining an air of mystery and freshness. After all, DIBS is housed in one of the restored colonial shophouses at Duxton Road, already rife with competition from hipster eateries and posh dining establishments left, right and centre.
With all this “research” done, I still didn’t know much of what I was in for, only that I’d be surprised by what DIBS had to offer and that it would probably come in the form of fusion. They call it “the culinary sweet spot between the familiar and the interesting”. Alrightey.
Jars of pickles sit on an irregular DIY project shelf
Little improvised “plants” in glass cups
I think I missed sharing this pertinent point, but DIBS isn’t a new restaurant that popped up only recently. Opened in 2014, the restaurant is still in the same two-storey shophouse at 51 Duxton Road, but its been given an identity change in terms of look and feel and concept.
Heightened dining experience in a restaurant that now is brimming with character
The previously clean grey walls lined with paintings were given fresh coats of paint complete with haphazard paint streaks. The paintings have been removed and in their stead are rustic-looking intentionally “irregular” shelves carrying handmade jars filled with pickles, draped with little fairy lights. The urban on-wall paintings that are gritty and almost graffiti-like and the overhead hanging lights are bulbs covered in aluminium foil (I can’t deal – this is so creative). Even the tables are new and made by hand with wooden planks and metal nuts by one of the co-owners.
While it was previously probably best described as down-to-earth and simple, the revamp unveiled a DIBS which screams a different kind of realistic. It’s just very “industrial meets street” and from the looks of all that DIY going on, everything is definitely born of blood, sweat and tears and from the heart.
Extensive drinks menu
Fucking Hell is one of the German pale lagers you can order to complement your conversions
And of course, the menu was not exempt from this major transformation. While the drinks menu is straight-forward enough, peppered with the most hilariously named beers that will surely elicit a curious double take and a chuckle or two. Wait till you see what they’ve done with the food menu.
A menu full of surprises waiting to be uncovered in a deck of cards
Greeting diners is this deck of cards, colour-coded to represent whether its a starter, a main or a dessert. Descriptions are purposefully vague and the unconventional naming does nothing to help you imagine what exactly you’re getting. Let’s just say, this is dining in the dark… with the lights still on.
To add to the excitement, the menu is very dynamic and not the least bit fixed. Dishes come and go as the restaurant gets more feedback and insight into which dishes are best-sellers and which ones can be replaced, inviting something new creations that may better please the taste buds of their diners.
Wildcards of specials and slotted between semi-permanent menu items in this “menu deck”
While “constant” is definitely not on the cards here (pun intended), this is nevertheless a novel experience that may add a new dimension of fun and refreshment to those weekly or monthly gatherings with the same-old folks. It is also a brilliant conversation starter and from the get-go, you and your dining companions will be debating which dish to choose before realising that this smells like a slightly more democratic tapas version of omakase and that it would be for the best if you could just shuffle the deck and pick out a couple of dishes.
You could also consider leaving the fate of dinner in the hands of the chef by choosing the cards labelled with a giant question mark “?”.
I’m not sure if by the time you visit, some of the items will still be on the menu, but here are some of the interesting dishes I tried during my tasting session.
RATATOUILLE
Appetizer
Ratatouille
Inspired by Ayam Masak Merah (red-cooked chicken), a Malay chicken dish that is known for its bright red gravy made of of tomatoes and spicy chillies, the French stewed vegetable dish, Ratatouille, is adapted by DIBS to present an Asian flavour.
Baked zucchini, cubes of eggplant and slices of tomatoes are just mixed in a Masak Merah fluid gel and topped with an addictive Masak Merah chip.
Having never eaten a Ratatouille before, I have no basis of what it “should” taste like and I found this a pleasant, tangy and mildly spiced vegetable dish of sorts. The highlight of course being the crisp Masak Merah chip that gives this appetiser some crunch.
PARMESAN STICKS
Appetizer
Parmesan Sticks
Digging into the truffle egg white foam with a parmesan stick
Even though I felt this a little too greasy, I actually did quite enjoy it for its savouriness. The deep-fried parmesan sticks come in a paper bag and is served alongside a little cup of tomato reduction and bacon bits and a large dollop of truffle egg white foam and confit egg yolk.
This is fine comfort food, my friends and should the greasiness of the parmesan sticks get to you, take a generous dip of the tangy tomato reduction and saltish bacon bits, mop up some of the egg concoction at the side and that should balance things out. It also goes really well with a swig of beer.
FRESH CATCH
Mains
Fresh catch
Chef’s fish of the day is served with a unique mix of nori couscous, sparing streaks of horseradish pea puree (uh-may-zeeng) and a miso glaze. Yes, there is also that wonderful dehydrated lotus root chip.
On my visit, I had a little portion of sea bass which was really fresh and well presented. The skin was browned just about right and was delightfully crusty, crisp and tasty. The fish fell apart in neat flakes while still being deliciously moist and the fried couscous with flavoursome seaweed helped give the dish more crunch. I’m a wasabi fan, so absolutely loved the complementary horseradish pea puree.
TOMYAM PUMPKIN RISOTTO
Mains
TomYam Pumpkin Risotto – Italian dish meets Thai flavours
This is the dish that has restored my faith in Asian fusion. I cannot emphasise how much I really enjoyed this risotto.
Everyone knows how rich and completely overwhelming some risottos can get, but this clever combination of light Thai aromas and flavours from refreshing tom yum and lemongrass (in the form of slates) cuts through an otherwise heavy, creamy risotto that’s even loaded with chunks of mildly sweet pumpkin.
BAK KUT TEH PORK BELLY
DIBS “?” Wildcard
A classy interpretation of traditional bak kut teh
I had mixed feelings about this one. Meant to be a spin on bak kut teh (pork tea bone soup), DIBS’ creates a deconstructed version.
The tender and fatty pork belly, so soft it practically melts in the mouth, is drenched in a fragrant but very saltish garlic sauce which packs a concentrated taste of bak kut teh. The rice pops replaces piping hot bowl of jasmine rice that comes with each bowl of bak kut teh and quickly soaks up the garlic sauce and braised peanuts completes the experience. Everything was great, but I couldn’t help feel thirsty as I wipe this dish clean off my plate because it was so salty.
This is a Chef’s Special, so you might not have the chance to taste this on your visit. Give the restaurant a ring to check if you’re keen on trying this.
MAC & CHEESE
Dessert
I was on a roller coaster of emotions. When I heard that we would be getting a taste of DIBS’ Mac & Cheese, I was just super excited and puzzled at the same time as to why it was labelled a dessert. My host kept things hush hush and I waited with anticipation for the Mac & Cheese to reach the table.
Then it was served and I entered a state of confusion. Here was this glass cup holding a dragonfruit cheesecake macaron hybrid with plenty of foam. What is this?
So it was explained that the “Mac” was actually referring to the macaron and the “Cheese” was, well, the cheesecake. The foam was made of Teh Botol, an iconic Indonesian tea and had a slight bitter tinge to it but went well with the sweetness of the dragonfruit macaron and cheesecake. Cool.
CHOCOLATE SHELL
Dessert
Pouring the white chocolate contreau over the Chocolate Shell
Melting down the dark choc casing of this treat
Revealing the house popcorn, vanilla ice cream and summer berries
All I can say is that this is major yum and a must order – don’t leave without having it
The Chocolate Shell is instagram food porn, you’ll definitely find yourself whipping up your mobile phone camera for this one. Almost like a Kinder Surprise for adults, the dark chocolate shell hides within it, ice-cold vanilla ice cream, house popcorn and summer berries.
A decadent white chocolate contreau melts down the chocolate shell casing revealing the ingredients within. If you think this dessert is so photogenic, you’ll be happy to know it actually tastes even better than it looks. (Like that is even possible – but it is.)
Inedit, a Spanish beer, makes an easy light tipple
Call me old fashioned (and unadventurous), but I am an advocate of safe and reliable food choices. I’ve seen how “fusion” sometimes descends into utter confusion when enthusiastic chefs, eager to push culinary boundaries, get so creative, the dish is just everything at once and nothing at all. I’ve tasted dishes that were mostly forgettable with the only memory left behind being that I couldn’t quite “get it” and probably wouldn’t order it again. However, DIBS has managed to win me over with its heartfelt and sensible renditions of Asian Fusion. There were some hits as there were misses, but overall, I appreciated the thoughtfulness of each dish presented which plays a lot on textures and taste.
Service is warm, spirited and friendly, but most unfortunately, slow. A lot of hard work and intricate plating goes into each dish and I’m sure that’s how the time adds up. It’s not an issue if you’re in the mood to down some beers (may I suggest ‘Inedit’, a light Spanish lager) and chortle over chatting. Just don’t come too hungry.
DIBS Restaurant & Bar
51 Duxton Road, Singapore 089515
Open Mondays to Saturdays from 6:00pm to 12:00am
Closed on Sundays
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