Cozy Bistro & Lounge
2 Jalan Lokam #01-51/52
Kensington Square
Singapore 537846
FB: https://www.facebook.com/cozybistro/
Photos: IG @o_oican
Opens daily: 1200 to 0100hrs
Kensington Square is a very new freehold apartment development that popped up at Jalan Loukam, along Upper Paya Lebar Road. And I’d estimate is equidistant between Serangoon MRT Station (NE12 / CC13) & Bartley MRT Station (CC12).
Cozy Bistro & Lounge is only 4 months old, located at the foot of Kensington Square, facing the bustling Upper Paya Lebar Road, almost impossible to miss (albeit the trees can be quite an obstruction).
It’s unmistakable that they offer food, as they display photos featuring some of their best dishes on the outside, as well as a copy of their menu at the entrance. Though the menu may seem a tad humble, I have to say I was quite surprised that there were possibly 50 dishes, comprising of western fairs & local zi-char selections.
Don’t be intimidated by the tinted full glass windows, because the owners resorted to this measure as they were west-facing, and deemed it necessary to keep the interior ambience cooling & comfortable for patrons & diners to chill out.
Upon entry, the bar is there, overlooking the tables & chairs that should seat approximately 40pax, followed by the pool & dart area, with tall-boys & bar stools that should accommodate another 20pax.
The setup is inclined to be entertainment centric, with a 9 foot pool table, as well as 2 dart boards in the far corner. Cozy Bistro & Lounge hosts pool tournaments/ leagues regularly, and those are days when they’re swarmed & busy.
On any other day, residents in the proximity and passers-by, would find this a nice environment to escape from the humidity/ heat of the day.
For this invited tasting session, I had the pleasure of company from fellow food blogging & Instagram-ming friends, alamakgirl, cptslowyeo, herpenandfork and jellylovesfood.
To start things off, we’re all served our beverage of choice. Moments later, the kitchen rolled out the dishes successively, and it was starting to look like a feast.
Two of the Signatures are available on Pre-Order basis.
The German Pork Knuckle is a Chef Specialty, weighing at 400-500g, this knuckle is served on a bed of mashed potatoes, accompanied with salads, and a Thai chili dip. The Chef was kind enough to help us cut the knuckle into bite sized portions… And if I may add, the combination of crispy skin with buttery fats, and succulent meat, goes really well with most beers. Shiok~!
The Roast Beef is also another Chef Specialty, this 600g of Ribeye (medium rare) is sliced into thinner layers, makes it easier for picking off with the fork, is served with a brown sauce for dips, accompanied with leafy salads.
Those who know me well, knows this sets my heart racing.
The adventurous palates & game lovers would enjoy the Lamb Rack. The triplet of the rib, is nicely done with a hue of garlic & lemongrass, to mellow the game scent, drizzled with a red wine reduction brown sauce, accompanied with leafy salads. This too was among my top hits
Golden Friend Fish Fingers & Crispy Chips, accompanied with leafy salads, and a spoonful of tartar sauce for dips. The batter is crispy & crunchy, so when u cut, be sure to cut it neat. Squeeze the lemon if u prefer. But in all fairness, there are better fish & chips out there.
Golden brown Crispy Prawn Twisters, are chopped prawns wrapped in popiah skin & deep fried for a solid finish. Served with celery & carrot sticks and a spoon full of tartar sauce for dips. It’s a pretty nice bar snack to go with the beers. I liked this
There’s the Mushroom Aglio Olio, which is moderated to suit local palates; less oily, not too heavy on the garlic. Be occasionally surprised with fine chopped chilies in there. Though not exactly authentic, but I believe the locals should find this easy to appreciate.
In case anyone is not a fan of western fairs, there r plenty of oriental fairs to choose from…
Here, the Sweet & Sour Pork (咕老肉) is somewhat crunchier than most mainstream zichar versions. Comes with rice & a sunny side up. Usually, you would expect he batter to grow soggy after the sweet & sour sauce is doused over, but to my surprise, the crunchiness still holds.
Last but not the least, this to me was quite an impressive feature. Little did i expect that the kitchen was capable to impress me with this platter of 生面
The savory starchy gravy is drizzled over, blanketing the fishcake & lean pork slices, vegetables, and wafer of Crispy Egg Noodles. This was among the earliest dishes to be presented, and we took at least 20-30min taking pictures of all the dishes.
To my surprise, the crispy crunch of the 生面 was not compromised, the noodles was crackling & snapping when we sank the fork & spoon in.
All in all, the ambience was good, music not loud, and nice selection of alcohol & spirits. Initially, I wasn’t sure what’s to be expected for food, considering the setup is more entertainment inclined. But when the dishes began rolling out, one after the next; my perception was altered.
Now, I’m actually pondering what else should I be trying on my next visit.
By the way, we’ve been told that they will be introducing a Christmas menu and some promo for the month of December, so, do check them out.
Current ongoing promotion for Carlsberg draught
SGD 60 per tower
SGD 25 per jug
* Drink responsibly
* Don’t drink & drive
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Pictures taken using LG G4 Dual LTE
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Epicurious Caniggia 