Hip and happening Nou Noodle Bar is a noodle-forward tangle of contemporary Asian eats combined with some envelope-pushing cocktails.
Craig Road, snuggled between the vibrant nightlife enclaves of Tanjong Pagar and Duxton Hill, is seeing somewhat of a rejuvenation as a destination for dining. The recent opening of Mondrian Singapore Duxton Singapore has seen a slew of new restaurants and bars open in the area, from fine dining concepts like contemporary South American restaurant Araya to more casual yet cutting-edge eateries such as modern Asian grill Tribal.
One of the latest to join the fray? Nou Noodle Bar, located right across the road from Mondrian. Opened by Petites Ventures – the same folks behind cocktail bar Foxtail and wine bar Juice – Nou is an edgy little gastrobar that combines a contemporary take on Asian noodle dishes with a bevy of fun cocktails.
They’re not just any noodles either. Nou Noodle Bar is a collaboration with Petrina Loh, the chef-owner of acclaimed Asian fusion restaurant Morsels. Chef Petrina brings her wildly creative culinary streak to Nou, infusing the small but tightly curated food menu here with techniques more commonly reserved for highfalutin concepts – such as lacto fermentation or koji marination – than for traditional Asian noodles.
Hence don’t expect your wanton mee or mee sua to taste anything like what you’d find at your favourite hawker.
Consider the Nou Umami Noodle, a liberal and wild take on dry tossed Chinese noodles. This is tossed in a sauce rendered from scallions and preserved olives, garnished with pickled jalapeno, and served with a tea marinated egg. It is a flavour bomb. A koji fermented hot sauce is also on hand, in case you need a further umami assault.
Likewise the Chicken Mazemen. Not quite the mazesoba of Taiwanese or Japanese origin, this is chicken noodles on crack. Between the crunchy pickled lotus and heavily seasoned minced chicken, you’ll need the slightly tangy ume-inflected chicken paitan soup to refresh your palate.
Our favourite of the lot, though, was the Scallop Spinach Noodle. This is a luxe twist on Hong Kong style shrimp roe noodles. It’s the perfect balance of flavour and texture, the house-made XO sauce and crunchy tobiko enveloping the green strands making this an absolute delight.
There are a number of small dishes available to complement your meal or work as drink-friendly bites. I highly recommend the Beef Tongue Spam, a riotous hybrid of fried spam meets tonnato, or the Alba Lamb Char Siew, a meaty extravaganza that combines inspiration from multiple cuisines. Skip the dumplings, however. Those tend to be doughy and overcooked.
Nou Noodle Bar is also a full-on cocktail bar. Co-founder Cheryl Tng and head bartender Bernardine Chan may look young, but they come loaded with heaps of bartending experience.
The Gin & Tonic here is assertive and rich unlike its usually crisp and clean cousins, while the Gimlet – herbaceous with notes of kaffir, bay and coriander – has to one of the best I’ve had in a while. Their signature Ducktini is a dirty and oily Martini made with mezcal that’s been washed with duck fat. You’ll either love it or hate it.
Dimly light, red neon-streaked Nou Noodle Bar attracts a predictable crowd – young, progressive, liberal, creative, bombastic, and effortlessly hip.
Much like the bar itself. A fun addition to Craig Road.
Nou Noodle Bar
Address 45 Craig Rd, Singapore 089683 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 5pm to 12am Wednesdays to Sundays; closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Tel (65) 8768 1224
Web nou.sg
Instagram @nou__sg
Reservations book here
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