Beer lovers in the CBD, rejoice - there's another place to add to your list of lunch spots in town. From the folks behind Autobus in Shenton Way comes Autobar, a 120-seat "contemporary Asian taproom" with a swanky vibe that's perfect for lunches with a touch of booze or post-work tipples with fellow office sloggers.
Stepping into Autobar, we're greeted by a wall of 28 taps, of which three are used for draft cocktails. We're told about half of the rest form a permanent menu of beers, while the rest will rotate as founder Lee Chee Li discovers interesting new kegs.
Most of the beers hail from Asia, with what seems like a focus on Chinese breweries. There are familiar names like Master Gao, as well as several smaller labels like Anhui-based Myth Monkey and No 18 Brewing & Co from Hubei. For the working crowd, Autobar has the usual happy hour that runs daily from 5pm to 8pm, and several promotions throughout the week - one-for-one beers and the like.
It's just as well that we've come on a punishingly warm day. We cool off with a light, refreshing Baby Jasmine Tea Lager by Master Gao; though a little muted for our tastes, we imagine it'd do well with those seeking something milder. For something punchier, we try the Punk City by No 18, a quadruple IPA that's surprisingly balanced despite its 15% ABV label (which, at lunchtime, reads more like a warning).
The kitchen at Autobar is run by Yang Xueling, who says the menu is aimed at "preserving traditional flavours while presenting them in ways that speak to modern diners". Since it's barely past noon, we figure it's time to set aside our glasses and start on lunch.
Autobar offers a set lunch on weekdays priced from $35++. This starts off with a hearty helping of chap chye, blue pea jasmine rice and a touch of achar. We particularly like the chap chye for its simple, traditional preparation.
See also: Station by Kotuwa serves up big traditional flavours in a modern format
Then one gets a choice from three sides. There's the zingy white rojak, which comes with pineapple, turnip and chinese pear in a ginger flower dressing; the mapo tofu, which is mildly spicy but still flavourful; and the mushroom dumplings, which come with a ginger-soy dip on the side.
For mains, there are four options, including the vegetarian nangka gulai (jackfruit curry) and beef cheek rendang, which comes at a supplement of $15++. That extra top-up is well worth it, though; the beef is braised for 10 hours so it's fork-tender, and the spicy, coconutty flavour feels like a trip to mom's kitchen, or perhaps into an episode of Emerald Hill.
More top-ups apply for dessert, if you have the space for it, since portions here are generous. An additional $5++ gets you the dessert of the day, and $8++ gets you a bowl of cheng tng with a scoop of yuzu sorbet on top.
As far as restaurant descriptions go, "contemporary" is often code for pretentious and highfalutin - so we wonder if Autobar ought to drop the word from its signboard. For one, the food is about as squarely traditional as it gets, at least if the lunch set is any indication of the remaining food offerings. There's no fluff, pomp or circumstance; just well-executed food and interesting beers. And for that, we're grateful.
