Great Food and New York Cool at East 8: Review

PUBLISHED October 6th, 2014 10:00 pm | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:31 pm

The minute you walk into East 8, it’s clear that this place has it going on. Every single detail here screams NYC – from the raised area inspired by the city’s loft apartments to the use of bricks and metal in exuding that industrial chic vibe that Manhattan is known for. But this place is not just about looks though, oh no.

Think a small but perfectly formed menu, which turns from West-side New York offerings for lunch to Asian-fusion tapas inspired by the ethnic eateries of New York’s East 8th street at night.

We checked this place out when they just opened, so we reckon it’s time for an update two years on, especially with their recent major menu revamp. We loved it then, and we’re really happy to say that the sentiment hasn’t changed!

Kicking off the evening with A.L.T ($16), we savoured the well-balanced appetizer where the creamy avocado provided the perfect foil to the tartness of the lemon and the freshness of the yellowfin tuna chunks. We also found our close-to-perfect bar snack, crispy truffle Portobello Fries ($16) with roasted garlic aioli, which we polished off even though we knew there was a truckload of other dishes coming our way.

To our pleasant surprise, the Summer Spice Lamb ($24) managed to match that entrance. The spicy marinate had a fiery kick we enjoyed while the sweet lime zest glaze and pineapple rings took most of the gaminess out of the equation. The meat was super tender and fell off the bone easily. The most complicated dish – and the least impressive – of the night was Land + Sea ($27), baked bacon wrapped Hokkaido scallops, sunny side up quail eggs, and yuzu vodka cream sauce. While each component was cooked well, it didn’t set off the whizzbangers on our palate as a whole.

The Melting Pork Slider ($18), however, was another great example of bar bite staple done right. The combination of tender, juicy braised pork cheek with melted Gruyère cheese, grain mustard and tomatoes is, to us, timeless.

East 8 signatures that have stood the test of time on their menu like the Soy Yuzu Beef ($20), succulent Argentine beef rib eye infused with soy yuzu and torched, giving it a wonderful play of intense sweet and sour flavours, remains one of our favourites here, and the Chilean Seabass ($24). The fish was impossibly soft, and melt-in-your-mouth good, having absorbed the marinade of miso and wine beautifully.

Even the most hardcore dessert junkies will find it hard to find fault with the classic and orgasmic pairing of Molten Peanut Butter & Chocolate ($15) cake, with French vanilla ice cream on the side. Our only peeve was the ice cream melted rather quickly so we ate only about half of it. The White Chocolate Banana Tempura ($12) took us by complete surprise. Not really expecting much of it, the banana’s amazingly light and crispy texture combined with the lush white chocolate sauce and ice cream had us dribbling with delight.

Before we leave you to make the reservations, here’s our word on the cocktails. We personally enjoyed the refreshing cocktails that didn’t overwhelm the flavourful tapas like East Village ($18), a pair of sparkling jelly sake shots with fresh raspberries, and the crisp Sake Sangria ($16). Prefer something heavier on the palate and less sweet? Try Downtown Swing ($20), a Gatsby-ish concoction of bourbon and amber earl grey on the rocks dashed with bitters. For the teetotaler, their specialty Brooklyn Ice Tea ($7.50), which also comes in a ‘spiked’ vodka version ($16), is a thirst-quencher infused with hazelnut and passion fruit that hits the spot.

In a nutshell: great food, cool vibe, and awesome interior. What’s not to love?

East 8 is located at #01-21 Grand Park Hotel City Hall, 10 Coleman Street, Singapore 179809. Open Mon-Thu 12pm-11pm, Fri 12pm-12am, Sat 6pm-12am. For reservations, call 6338 8289.