Bar Review: The Elephant Room’s New Cocktails Showcases the Best of Indian Culture in Keong Saik, Singapore

PUBLISHED November 11th, 2020 06:00 am | UPDATED November 18th, 2020 02:10 pm

After my first visit to The Elephant Room for this review, I was excited to extol its virtues to my friends – but as it turns out, I was late to the party. “Oh, I love that place,” one friend responded with equal enthusiasm. “If you think Yugi was being extra nice to you, he wasn’t. He pays that much attention to everybody there,” another said.

That’s something truly special about this Keong Saik bar. Dedicated to sharing the culture of Little India with patrons, Head Bartender and Co-Founder Yugnes Susela and his team make a point to explain their drinks and the inspirations behind them. Spice boxes on the tables hold quintessential Indian spices infused in the drinks – think black pepper, cardamom, vetiver, clove – so guests can look forward to an extra sensorial experience.

Mellow hip-hop plays as Yugi serves up our welcome refreshments before explaining that the bar uses only spirits from India. Old Monk Rum and Ceylon Arrack wink at us from behind the bar, but so do a rotary evaporator and a food dehydrator, both used to create his unique tipples. Most of the other ingredients are sourced from small businesses on Buffalo Road, to support his local community. The interior is designed with the neighbourhood in mind too; check out the cultural wall with nuggets of information about Little India while leftover material from Indian tailors are used in fabricating the coasters and menu covers.

But enough gushing about Yugi, let’s gush about his drinks – all cocktails are priced at S$23 – because his new menu is peak modern Indian. We’ll start with Jothi’s Flower Shop. Cooled with liquid nitrogen, this concoction of jasmine distillate, fermented lime and honey tastes incredibly light and refreshing, it’s almost like drinking tea. As for the name, well, you now know where The Elephant Room sources their fresh jasmine buds from.

In contrast, the King of Toddy has a much bolder flavour profile. Inspired by Malayan toddy tycoon Mr. S Rasoo (you’ll find his obituary on the cultural wall for more information), the cocktail of distilled toddy and spiced clarified buttermilk comes garnished with a pickled palm seed on fried Amarnath leaf. In fact, all the drinks come with some kind of edible component at The Elephant Room.

Topped with sweet, crunchy caramelised onion, try Sippin’ at 78 for a take on the classic Little India breakfast that’s also a twist on the espresso martini. The bitterness of coffee melds beautifully with the sweetness of the onion and the rum in the cocktail, while the kombucha and coconut acid keeps the drink well balanced.

The Indian A.F. is another one we’d highly recommend. This new-age version of a clarified milk punch with yoghurt, pistachio and saffron is made with Old Monk Rum. Thick on the tongue and smooth going down, it’s served in a lovely brass cup traditionally used in religious offerings. Nobody tell Yugi’s mother, she’ll be very upset.

Then there’s the Banana King. This lightly spiced, aromatic tipple is sustainable practices at its finest. Utilising the entire fruit, think roasted banana gin, banana oleo, juice from the stem for acidity, sandalwood liqueur, a banana blossom sugar shard for garnish, and served on a banana leaf coaster.

If you only have room for a nightcap though, make it the Chai. This tea-based drink is made with masala spices and rum, reminding me of watching my own grandmother eating chappati and drinking chai, only… boozier. Topped with a pineapple foam for richness and tanginess, this sweet drink is almost dessert and oh-so-delicious.

Fans of The Elephant Room will be heartbroken to learn that they’ve replaced the popular prawn curry with TER Curry Chicken (S$21) served with putu mayam (string hoppers). The new Gunpowder Calamari (S$17) is incredibly moreish; tossed in gunpowder spices, it’s served with a warm, tangy curry dip and has become a huge favourite at the bar. Also try the vegan-friendly cultural hybrid bar snack, the Gobi Manchurian (S$16). It combines the gobi (cauliflower) of Aloo Gobi with Chinese-inspired sweet and sour gravy. These cauliflower fritters are light, and the sauce elevates it to an absurd level of addictiveness.