Potato Head Folk at Keong Saik Road

The red and white Dong Ya building at Keong Saik Road is an icon by itself. And it is exactly why the folks at Potato Head Folk were willing to pay the skies for the four storey shophouse right at the fork of the road. Each level of the shophouse were renovated and converted into interesting spaces and differing experiences.

The first level of Potato Head Folk houses the kitchen of Three Buns, the restaurant at Potato Head Folk serving burgers and cocktails. Alfresco dining is available here, with tall bar tables and chairs right by the curbside.

The second storey of Potato Head Folk, also known as the living room, is the air-conditioned dining area of Three Buns. The space is artfully decorated with colourful and whimsical paintings, sculptures and buntings.

Three Buns has a very targeted offering- burgers and cocktails. This makes choosing so much simpler - a rarity these days when we are constantly bombarded with numerous options and multiple customizations.

We immediately knew that we wanted Sherbie Hancock ($7) for we were bought over by the promise of a zingy lemonade with orange, lemon and grapefruit. Anything that is sour and fizzy would work well for us. However, we were disappointed when it turned out neither sour nor fizzy. It tasted like flat, watered down syrup water, and the promised grapefruit was missing.

The pina colada ($17) also looked and sounded better than it tasted. We were swooned by the colour and the presentation but that impression did not last through the first sip. The taste of rum was clearly missing, and all we could think of the slurpee from 7-11 and that we could have bought many cups of it.

Thankfully, the Naughty Fries ($9) was able to perk us up. The fries were huge chucks of double fried potato that had a crispy shell enveloping the mushy insides. Very well done, and went really well with the beef chilli and shallots that topped them. It was served piping hot, and we think they were certainly very naughty, and hearty.

Wings-it ($8) were also twice-cooked before being coated in a smokey BBQ sauce. The flavour of the chicken however, stopped right at the skin. The chicken itself did not have much marination, and lost its flavour once the skin had been stripped off.

The Baby Huey ($20) was a life-saver after the ordinary wings-it. The 150g beef patty was perfectly grilled to a medium doneness, with a smokey outside and a juicy inside. The buttered bun was also crispy and savoury, and the spiced mayo brought everything very nicely together.

The buttermilk fried chicken in Honky Tonk ($19) was lip-smacking. However, we did not really fancy the coleslaw that came in the burger. It was a little too creamy and cabbagey for our liking.

The third storey at Potato Head Folk houses Studio 1939, a bar that we pictured Sherlock Holmes investigating some peculiar crime. It was almost pitch dark behind the behind door. The only illumination was the bar counter, and the lights bouncing off the bottles of wines and liquor. The music was loud but the chattering was even louder. The room, though dark, was teeming with strong energy and vibe.

Finally, the fourth storey at Potato Head Folk boasts a rooftop bar overlooking the shophouses and flats of Chinatown, and the skyscrapers of the CBD. Such quaint, soothing juxtaposition somehow. The weather was forgivingly cooling and breezy the night we were there, and we lounged on the cushioned seats sipping and chilling the night away.

Despite its good track record in Bali and all the hype about them opening an outlet in Singapore, there were certainly hits and misses at Potato Head Folk. We would recommend skipping the drinks at Three Buns, and just go straight to the Naughty Fries and the Baby Huey beef burger. The staff waiting at Three Buns can be pretty unforgiving if you were to linger after finishing your food. So, we recommend that you head up to The Rooftop for drinks instead. There, you can be sure that you would be left alone for a slow sip and be able to lounge the night away.

Potato Head Folk does not take in reservations, so do go early. Else, the waiting list, we heard, could be a good one to two hours wait. Alternatively, we would strongly encourage you to head to The Lokal which is just a few steps away. Great coffee, great food and awesome atmosphere there.

SINGAPORE FOOD BLOG REVIEW BY KUMORY

☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Potato Head Folk (Three Buns and The Rooftop)

36 Keong Saik Road

11am to 12am daily (Closed on Mon)