Chillax at Outpost 903 Gastrobar

Media Invite

(Daddy reviews)

If you are looking for a place to just kick back and chill with some drinks (and food) - and still be left with ample space for the kids to muck about - then your answer lies somewhere in Bukit Timah.

Located in Tin Tee House, a 111-year-old rare single-storey shop house in Bukit Timah, Outpost No 903 Gastrobar sits in the spot formerly occupied by Brewerkz. I was first struck by the interior design of the gastrobar - a fusion of vintage and modernity with its specially-sourced furniture and decorations from Vietnam.

Already open for slightly over a year now, Outpost 903 has recently revamped its menu and boy, did it serve up a few surprises. Especially this bomber of a chilli.

Beer-battered fresh red and green chili stuffed with cheese, otherwise known as Chilli Bombers ($8), ensured a fiery start to my food-tasting session. I had initially thought that wolfing down an entire chilli would be too overwhelming but surprisingly, the cheese went very well with the spiciness.

Another appetizer was up next and the Grilled Squid ($14), with its accompanying tangy coriander and lime sauce, made its appearance. Nothing too fanciful, but at least the squid was succulent.

We dived right into the mains after that and first up, it was a dish that I believe all kids will absolutely love - Cheesy Steak Sandwich ($20 and available for brunch and normal menu).

The combination of thin sliced ribeye and pork bratwurst with home made tomato, topped with a generous dose of mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheese on a whole ciabatta bread will no doubt make sharing this dish among kids virtually impossible. Especially if they love cheese, like my monkies.

But my favourite dish of the evening was something a tad more decadent. The Crispy Pork Belly ($18) is a thick slab of pork belly marinated in a secret recipe and comes served with mashed potato and salad. Yes, just like sio-bak (roasted pork) but this was way tastier and juicer than those regular ones, thanks to its sweetish sauce which brought out the full flavour of the meat - fats and all.

We sampled the Crabmeat Sandwich ($20 and available for brunch and normal menu) as well, which was juicy crabmeat between 2 slices of toasted brioche and loaded with cheddar cheese.

It was average at best, probably made more so when the subsequent dish plonked down on the table.

WTF!!!

Don't worry, this is still a family blog. W.T.F. simply means What The Fish ($32) - available on weekends only- and is a crispy whole grouper with its meat filleted off and pan seared served two styles - one served with Thai sauce and the other being Chinse style. I have to admit, the two flavours of the fish was very appetizing indeed and complemented each other rather well. In fact, the entire fish was so crispy that even the bones and fins could be devoured with relish!

With such a heavy-duty meal, it was a miracle that I still have the capacity to savour the dessert offerings. Not that I needed any invitation to do so, especially with such a glorious Mud Pie ($16) staring straight back at me.

A slice of chocolate and vanilla ice cream with a crushed cookie base and topped with chocolate sauce. 'Nuff said.

But if you only have the stomach for one dessert, then go for the Mango Float ($12) which has graham biscuit layered with mango and cream and topped with fresh mango slices. Tantalizing stuff!

There is a Kids Menu as well but at time of writing, Outpost 903 is still finalizing its contents. Kids will also be offered activity sheets to keep them busy while their parents enjoy their chomping... and the various promotions that come with it at various days of the week!

Overall, a great laid-back haunt to spend one of those lazy weekends with the family and friends - the type of chill-out place every neighborhood should have.

Together with Andy and Kevin, it was a great evening of great food and catch-up. Special thanks to Youyi too, the lady boss or better known as the ex-host of Channel 8′s Good Morning Singapore, for hosting us!

Useful Details

Outpost 903 Gastrobar
903 Bukit Timah Road Singapore 589620
Tel: 6468 4903
Opening hours: Mon - Fri (except Tues) 5pm - 12mn | Sat 3pm - 2am | Sun 10am - 12mn
Website: www.facebook.com/Outpost903