There’s no missing Potato Head’s facade along the streets of Keong Saik – keep an eye out for a captivating red-and-white structure gracefully following the curve of the road, and you will have reached your destination.
First opened in 2014, Potato Head is a stack of vibrant partners in crime: burger joint Three Buns occupies the first two floors, cocktail bar Studio 1939 on the third, and a charming open-air rooftop bar takes level 4.
The third-floor bar, Studio 1939, is the highlight of this lovingly restored shophouse. Located halfway up a winding chequered staircase decked out with vintage knick-knacks and slightly sinister motifs of sailor boys and fairytale figures, its fantastical concept is inspired by the Boy’s Own series from Australian artist and the Folks’ design consultant David Bromley. Inside, plush Chesterfield sofas, vintage rattan furnishings, and wooden flooring lend easy, effortless style to the dimly lit, high-ceilinged room, and the semi-circular marble bar gives a sense of both space and intimacy.
The bar’s latest menu STFU is all about talking less and drinking more. Meaning “Spice, Tea, Fruit, Umami”, this newest curation takes inspiration from familiar local flavours that the Studio 1939 bar team grew up with. The menu is also notably more technique-driven, with each drink consisting at least two to three components, making use of in-house machinery to produce guava distillates, clarified punches and the likes.
The menu presents a selection of 12 signature cocktails ($22 each), with half of the items designed to be available as zero-proof variations ($14 each). For a starting drink, we recommend the Sugar Plum Fairy. The vodka-based concoction features guava, pistachio, plum, suppose, lemon and aer, and is heavily reminiscent of the popular local snack of guava slices dusted with sweet and salty sour plum powder.
For fans of cocktails with savoury notes, get the Som Tum Mamuang, a punchy mix of gin, peanut butter, mango salad mix and lime that hits all the flavour spots of quintessential Thai cuisine. Or go for the Basiline Junkie, which sees tequila, clarified mozzarella, tomato, basil and chilli oil blended to make a highly smashable cocktail that tastes as close to a liquefied pizza as you can get.
For the daring ones seeking more robust flavours, try the Chai Fashion – a beverage inspired by spices used in Indian cuisine – out for size. The mix features whisky, assam black tea, a special spice mix, cardamom and orange. And if nothing on the menu quite speaks to you, surrender and opt for Your Song ($25), where you simply need to share your preferences with the bartenders and wait for them to blow your mind.