Bar Review: Rebel Rebel Launches A Natural Wine Revolution In Bukit Pasoh, Singapore
PUBLISHED August 22nd, 2020 06:00 am | UPDATED August 28th, 2020 11:54 am
If grungy cult spots like RVLT haven’t already made clear, the brave new wave of wine bars in Singapore is all about getting down-to-earth. Forget starched collars and rarefied vibes; keeping it real, for these rebels with a glass, means a welcoming space to share adventurous flavours, rating or price point be damned. It is perhaps no surprise that these bars get down to earth quite literally as well – enter Rebel Rebel, a Bukit Pasoh newcomer where terroir takes the spotlight.
Its 200 bottle-strong list centres on small-batch and minimal intervention wines, each an eloquent expression of where it came from. Don’t expect your conventional cheese boards here either – the food menu, crafted by Burnt Ends alumnus Deborah Yeo, is a hodgepodge of startling fusions and regional influences.
There’s vino here for the price-conscious and ‘unicorn’ hunters alike, with bottles starting below S$100 and soaring north of S$1,000 for rare vintages like the 1952 Bollinger R.D. Extra Brut Champagne. If you’d rather sip your way around, the lineup of wines by the glass rotates weekly with new surprises. As the candid photos of winemakers lining the walls testify, the owners have strong relationships with many of these producers, enabling them to bring in labels never before seen in Singapore.
For one, there’s small-batch Osaka-based producer Fujimaru. When we visited, the Fujimaru Petit Petit 2019 was available by the glass – a rare chance to get a taste of Japanese winemaking at S$20. Made from seeded Delaware grapes, this unfiltered sparkling wine has a fine fizz and plenty of green apple acidity.
It’s lovely for cutting through our unctuous starters: Sourdough (S$6) paired with whipped Pork Fat (S$6). Farro and barley add crunch to this decadently silky spread, with a dash of honey sweetness coming through. Another toasty snack, Prawn (S$12), sees two pieces of brown butter toast topped with an otah-like slab of prawn uni paste and punchy red chili.
More tongue-tingling textures await in the Octopus (S$28) – a medley of tender octopus pieces with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and green chilies. The sprinkling of coriander works nicely with Domaine AMI’s lean, clean Bourgogne Aligoté 2018 (S$19/glass). Birthed from organic vineyards in the Maranges, this Burgundy white opens mineral on the nose and bursts with stone fruit freshness.
Chef Deborah has a knack for bold fusion plays, and the Pig’s Head Tagliatelle (S$28) is proof. Uncannily resembling mee pok, slightly soft tagliatelle is tossed with crispy, deep-fried bits of pig’s ears and other parts of the head. Finished off with a healthy dash of lime and chili, it’s at once familiar and radically fresh. And while it might seem like a whammy on the palate, our glass of Envínate Albahra Tinto 2018 (S$18/glass) stood up well to it with elegant cherry notes and soft tannins.
For dessert, Churros (S$8) might sound fairly conventional, but the dipping sauce of miso chocolate and lime zest is anything but. A molten bomb of sweet, salty, and savoury, it’s a fitting end to Rebel Rebel’s flavour upheaval.
Rebel Rebel is located at 14 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore 089828, p. +65 6224 5466. Open Tues-Sat 5pm–11pm. Closed Sun-Mon.
Top Image: Pig’s Head Tagliatelle
