It’s easy to mistake LECOQ as another CBD restaurant-bar that’s competing for the top spot as an after-work tippling joint. But you’d be wrong to assume so, especially after taking a look at their menu. LECOQ offers a dizzying array of fusion-forward nosh alongside an extensive selection of tipples; ranging from house signature cocktails to wine, sake, beer and Korean soju.
While many Raffles Place folks are drawn to their stellar happy hour deals, most stay for their delicious dishes. Their food menu range from Japanese yakitori skewers, Szechuan mala chicken, Nonya kueh pie tee and more. We paid a visit recently and found their cocktails to be an instant hit. They go far beyond the average restaurant-bar that tends to overcompensate either by making a drink too sweet or potent. If you haven’t heard of LECOQ prior to this article, we’ll give you six delicious reasons why you should.
Firecracker Chicken (La Zi Ji)
When it comes to food pairing, the rules are simple: there aren’t any. Among their repertoire of chicken-forward offerings, the one that seemed the most eye-catching was their Firecracker Chicken (S$12++). You’d typically find this at a Sichuan restaurant but at a bar amongst a slew of social bar bites? Exactly.
The dish arrived at the table fashioned (or shall we say smothered) in dried chilis, chilli peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, sesame seeds and tons of aromatics. The individual nuggets of crispy fried chicken were absolutely heavenly. The different sizes provide different experiences; with the smaller bits being crunchier and the chunkier bits boasting a more meaty bite. Regardless, each bite was underscored by an electrifyingly-hot numbing sensation that makes reaching in for more so much easier.
Spicy Garlic Wings
Coated in a sweet-sticky, garlicky molasses-type glaze which brims with piquant, bordering-on-tear-inducing spice, their Spicy Garlic Wings (S$12++) is not here to spare your tastebuds. Period.
It packs massive heat but underneath that is a delicious succulent, crispy chicken wing that oozes with an umami-packed, savoury profile. The garlic was prominent and the sweetish glaze gave it a distinct quality redolent of Korean soy-garlic fried chicken. For maximum enjoyment (and to take the edge off), we highly recommend pairing this with an ice-cold beer.
Kueh Pie Tee
The Kueh Pie Tee is a quintessential component in any Peranakan feast. It’s simply a thin and crispy pastry tart shell moulded into the shape of a teacup, filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly sliced vegetables and shrimp. But what these folks do with their rendition of this Nonya favourite will seriously get you excited.
An umami time bomb waiting to go off at a mere mouthful, these one-bite-wonders contain a medley of traditional kueh pie tee ingredients from braised radish, shrimp and the like. But the real kicker, the ultimate oomph factor, lies in the generous topping of tobiko over top. At S$6++, it’s well worth it to order up a plate (or ten) to share.
Our only gripe, if any, was that the kueh pie tee shells had gone limp and were slightly chewy by the time we got around to tucking in properly. So be sure to limit the time you spend capturing photos—we know they’re pretty—and enjoy them the second they’re served.
As far as craft cocktails go, there are professional cocktail bars and there are restaurants that happen to also serve cocktails. We’ve had our tongues tainted by badly mixed cocktails on several occasions… And most of the time they either lean toward the sweet or strong end of the spectrum. After all, it’s hard to go wrong with insanely sweet-tasting cocktails. Let alone ones so potent you’ll end up forgetting what a proper cocktail tastes like.
It’s bloody tough to find cocktails of such high quality at a bar that doesn’t position them at the helm of their entire drink programme. But we were genuinely intrigued. Made with proper care and enthusiasm, with a good level of genuine complexity for a relatively affordable price, you’ll find it difficult to be disappointed.
Drunk Milo
This particular cocktail is part of a growing trend of taking a harmless everyday beverage, tweaking it and transforming it into something totally new. While many other bars tend to fall short, going a tad too far with their recipes and zombifying the end product, what we like about their rendition, the Drunk Milo (S$12++), is that it retains its intended flavour whilst providing a nice tinge of alcoholic bite across the palate. Crafted using rum, Irish cream and Milo, this locally-inspired cocktail is approachable, delectable and all the less fatiguing to drink.
Oriental
If you’re looking to beat the heat—and possibly workday blues—the floral-forward Oriental (S$12++) is what you’ve to order. It has all the makings of a potential killer of a cocktail but fashioned into a soft, fruity and aromatic cooler. Made using sweet, moreish lychees, vodka and chrysanthemum tea, there’s enough going on in it to make it a good option even during cold, rainy nights come to think of it. It’s crispy, clean and sweetened just a touch.
Que Sera
Que Sera (S$12++) is an aromatic floral-forward drink that, despite its delicate appeal, packs powerful flavour. It’s made with earl grey-infused Gin, elderflower liqueur, sweet & sour and egg white. A frothy libation worthy of scorching afternoons and cool evenings post-work, this tangy, luscious drink is one we recommend at LECOQ.
Address: Capital Square, 25 Church St, Singapore 049482
Opening Hours: 11AM – 12AM (Mon to Thu), 11AM – 2AM (Fri), 6PM – 12AM (Sat), Closed on Sundays
Contact: +65 6788 8066
Nearest MRT Station: Telok Ayer
Disclaimer: We were guests of LECOQ, but all opinions remain our own.
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