Sauce Bar: Do-it-yourself cocktails, punchbowls & gourmet meatballs
PUBLISHED January 16th, 2014 02:22 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:31 pm
From the cheeky monkeys who opened The Butter Factory to forever change Singapore’s nightlife scene comes their newly revamped gastro-bar, Sauce. Dubbed as the ‘marvellous vintage’ bar, it is the group’s take on a grown-up magical experience. Be greeted by a cacophony of gourmet meatballs, punchbowls, and do-it-yourself cocktails that is all punctuated by the philosophy of sharing.
Occupying a large indoor and outdoor space, the bar is perfect for casual after-work drinks and snacks on a balmy evening. Communal dining, and in this case, drinking, makes the experience all the livelier. Punchbowls, reminiscent of old-school spiked picnics, come in two sizes and flavours to share: the smaller ‘Gathering Bowl’ that serves up to six people ($50), and the larger ‘Party Bowl’ that imbibes up to ten ($80). We recommend the Hendrick’s Punch, a heady mixture of gin, wolfberries, spices, ginger, and blood orange liqueur. Sauce also hosts a daily cocktail buffet, which is an all-you-can-drink affair between 5pm to 9pm on weekdays, and 6pm to 10pm on weekends for $60 per person.
With an extensive drink menu, cocktails (ranging from $15-$18) are rarely ordered individually as DIY tableside bottle service is de rigeur. Choose your bottle of poison from Hendrick’s Gin ($195), Reyka Vodka ($190), or Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum ($170) and you will get your pick of four out of eight in-house mixers. All this brought on a silver platter, enough to delight your inner Alice-esque tea parties. Mixers are carefully thought-out concoctions that are meant to complement any spirit, and not your run-of-the-mill juice.
For those who enjoy sweeter drinks, we recommend Mixers No. 1 (Lychee, Mint), No. 2 (Pandan Leaf, Lychee, Mint), No. 6 (Kaffir Lime, Lychee), and No. 8 (Cucumber, Mint, Lemon). For those with fresher palates, we recommend Mixers No. 3 (Ribena, Lime), No. 4 (Earl Grey Tea, Honey, Calamansi), No. 5 (Raspberry, Apple, Mint), and No. 7 (Apple Sour, Rosemary). Each 250ml mixer makes four cocktails and is mixed and matched for DIY customisable fun. Should you need more, subsequent mixer bottles are $8.
If all this drinking has whet your appetite, fear not as their gourmet meatballs will satiate any grumbling tummy. Like their drinks, six different meatballs have been crafted to go with any six sauces. Confused? Try their Old School Beef Meatballs ($14) with Firehouse Arrabiatta Sauce to stir up your appetite. The CrabOlore ($16) with Vodka Caviar Sauce deserves its own place for inventive use of spice-filled, chunky crabmeat and silky decadence. For vegetarians, the Vegan Meatballs ($14) made with mushrooms and lentils paired with Green Market sauce does your palate justice and would fool any carnivore. Be sure to ask about their quarterly ‘Special’ – it is currently Black Cod Meatballs ($14) aptly paired with Pink Laksa sauce for some local goodness.
Meatballs don’t tickle your fancy? Try their Beef Rules ($12), a trio of sliders made with a twist on beef meatballs sandwiched in a sesame-crusted bun, or Goldilocks Spring Rolls ($14) due to its gargantuan length of cheesy paradise. Top it all off with Bacon Ice Cream ($6 for a single, $10 for a double) and you may be on your way to Wonderland.
Written by The Non Sequitur
On this occasion drinks and food were compliments of Sauce Bar
