How Bjorn Shen Made Me Fall In Love With Loof’s New Dude-Sin Menu

Let’s start off by saying, I have been to Artichoke, Bird Bird and queued at Chef Bjorn Shen’s every booth at Savour. His dishes have always struck a chord with me, and I can’t get enough. Everyone’s childhood dreams come true in the form of chicken skin ice cream (why is this not permanent), Twisties Charred Corn and Bak Chor Mee Grilled Cheese. If the last two has got you salivating, then crave no further, it is selling like hotcakes right at Loof, the rooftop bar, with stylo milo cocktails to match.

Often enough, bar food are of the western variety. Sliders, tacos, nachos and so on. They sure taste good with a pint of beer but so does BK eating house’s famous Bak Chor Mee Sua or a packet of my favourite after school snack, Twisties. Chef Bjorn Shen draws inspiration or, should I say, does just whatever he wants in Loof’s kitchen and translate Singapore’s vibrant and robust food culture onto the always 风和日丽 (Chinese idiom for perfect/fine weather) rooftop bar.

Loof’s signature Chilli Crab Fries (S$19) is a definite must-have, seeing that it has survived the revamp along with their other main-stay, Loof Original Ramly (S$23). But, it was not these crisp, fried potatoes that blew me away. Instead, it was the deceptively simple looking grilled corn a.k.a. Twisties Charred Corn (S$13).

It is easy to immediately write it off as the Mexican street food, elotes, but, one bite and it sends you straight to nostalgia town. Ever stood in front of a Mama store, counting your coins deciding which flavour of that one packet of Twisties you’d treat yourself to? Bjorn too, always having to decide between cheese or curry. But, fret no more. He combines both of those flavours onto a gloriously sweet corn in the form of curry mayo and shaved Grana Padano cheese.

It is no secret that MacDonald’s is on his list of favourites. He brings that very same flavour that has gotten the entire world hook in his Cheeseburger Yakitori (S$18). But, my love for the golden arches faltered when I had my first bite of what I deem as the ultimate must-have for bacon lovers – the Bacon Lollipop (S$16). Despite my efforts in keeping my waistline in check, I would not have forgiven myself if I did not savour each Pancetta nugget, fat and all. The salt-cured meat is glazed with maple syrup, reminding me of a decadent version of Bak Kwa. The fresh onion slices and pho herbs did well to cut through the fattiness of the meat and making me feel slightly better that I am having some form of green. (Er, balanced diet, hor.)

I slyly took another skewer all for myself, and I regret nothing.

Usually, I’d ask you to leave some space for dessert. But, at Loof, that would be a waste. No macaron, cake or giant ice cream parfait/milkshake can defeat my craving for this crazily satisfying pork chop sandwich – The Pork Chopper (S$19). Think Macau’s pork chop bun x100 better. It’s simple, with a cream cracker crusted pork chop sandwiched between a refreshing salted vegetable slaw, a slice of tomato and a fluffy brioche bun. And, that is all everyone needs, really.

Chef Bjorn Shen has outdone himself with Loof’s new menu, and, it would be a shame not to enjoy it all with some of the bar’s fancy new creations.

The guys behind the bar continue on the same train of thought, channeling tons of nostalgia for their cocktails. There’s Stylo Milo (S$19), a spiced rum-based drink that is presented in an adorable “milk carton” and Kopi Cat (S$19), a creamy cocktail reminiscent of a latte served in a Kopitiam plastic bag and old school mug (just like how my grandpa used to drink his Kopi-O Kosong).

There’s also the fruity Little Pink Dot (S$19) and Uncle Tee-Kee (S$19) and the Kaya-based Kaya Lumpur (S$19). Both are refreshing tipples, and are lovely with the pretty much any dish on the menu. Sure, they have got a long list of drinks, including the standard bubblies, wine, beers and spirits, but wouldn’t it be more fun to say “Shiso Fine” or “Honey, Dew You Like Whisky” to your (unfortunate) drinking bud? I love a good pun, and when it comes in a form of an alcoholic beverage – who’s gonna complain?

All in all, Loof is great. Good bites from Chef Bjorn, pun-ny drinks that should be served with a badum-tsh and a superb view night or day. The cooling breeze that rolls around 5/6 P.M. is a great bonus to have with your Happy Hour deals too. The self-proclaimed “quintessential rooftop bar” pretty much ticks all the boxes for me, and I could see myself coming back to hang, impress out-of-towners or becoming Miss Popular for organising the best after work party there.

Loof
331 North Bridge Road
#03-07
Odeon Towers Extension Rooftop
Odeon Towers
Singapore 188720
+65 9773 9304

Jessica Chan

Jessica is a young lady of many obsessions. She gets herself into everything ranging from the latest in the monochrome fashion world (she only wears black, and sometimes, white) to convincing the masses that Community is the best TV series ever made.

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