Food Picks: Flavour-packed food at new Tiong Bahru restaurant Magpie

SINGAPORE – Magpie, a new restaurant which opened on Jan 9, is the kind of achingly cool place that feels like it has belonged in the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood forever. Its concrete walls are dotted with eclectic personal heirlooms, its tastefully tiled interior suffused with a groovy mix of reggae and soul. 

The menu, short and focused, promises “aggressively delicious”, “unconventionally familiar” “borderless soul food” – bold descriptors that raise my eyebrows and expectations. 

As promised, the first arrival grabs my taste buds by their proverbial neck. The grilled langit rice ($16), loaded with ulam herbs and other aromatics, is technically a rice dish in the same way lasagna is technically a type of noodle. Crispy on the outside and chewy within, these strips are more akin to fried carrot cake sticks. Whatever it is, it is delicious. 

Next comes the aguachile ($26) – sharp, fresh, smoky. Similar to ceviche, this Mexican dish of raw shrimp and fish – usually whatever is available at Tiong Bahru Market across the road – is tossed with coriander, mint, dill, fish sauce, garlic, fermented tomatoes, green chillies, sesame oil and a drizzle of mezcal. You have the option to add an additional shot for $12, but the original portion is potent enough, in my opinion. 

The dishes, I am told, are a reflection of New Zealander chef-owner Eliot Thomas’ life journey – the places he has worked in and the countries he has travelled or hopes to travel to. The aguachile, for one thing, pays tribute to his appreciation for Mexican culture and longing to visit. The meaty main courses, meanwhile, are spiced with his memories of the Middle East. 

My massive, medium-rare, mostly tender grilled beef skewer ($54) is served with a Lebanese garlic dip and vibrant North African sauce. True to the restaurant’s unpretentious ethos, it arrives relatively unadorned, save for a basket of fresh vegetables that counterbalances the heaviness of the meat. 

To end the meal on a lighter note, get the fruit granita ($12) for dessert. To indulge further, try the warm chocolate and Mexican chilli mousse, which comes with a choux bun, tres leches ice cream and praline ($18). 

Where: 01-88, 57 Eng Hoon Street
MRT: Tiong Bahru 
Open: Noon to 2.30pm, Fridays to Sundays; 6 to 9.30pm, Wednesdays to Saturdays 
Info: www.magpie.city