Fresh off their Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 debut where they placed No. 64, The Elephant Room has more exciting news to share – they’ve just relocated to a brand new space along Tanjong Pagar Road, offering an imaginative cocktail menu that imbibers will definitely want to try.
“Over the past four years, we have successfully established ourselves as a cocktail bar inspired by Indian culture. The Elephant Room 2.0 marks the start of the next chapter of our journey, where my team and I are focused on delivering an elevated bar experience that is immersive, sensorial and imaginative,” Yugnes Susela, co-founder of The Elephant Room shares.
Boasting almost twice the size of its previous space, the 45-seater bar offers plenty of room for guests to mingle comfortably, whether at the bar counter or in one of the cosy booth seats.
A notable feature in the new space is the spice corner, lined with an array of Indian spices. Featuring cardamom, clove, black pepper, vetiver and more, it offers guests a sensorial experience as Yugnes and his team share more about how they use these spices to make their own liquors and infusions.
“Every guest who comes through our doors will be introduced to the spice corner where they can see, smell, touch and learn more about the different spices we use in our cocktails. These spices are all from India, which not many people have heard about – some have really unique flavour and aroma profiles, while others offer health benefits like the stone flower,” Yugnes explains.
Apart from offering unrivalled cocktails and warm hospitality, Yugnes hopes that The Elephant Room can be a place where people learn more about Indian culture, spirits and more.
“Little India has a very special place in my heart – I spent a large part of my childhood and teenage years there and have a lot of fond memories of the place. I realised that not many people in Singapore know much about this vibrant ethnic enclave, except for Mustafa Centre or Race Course Road’s famous fish head curry, which is a pity. There is so much to learn and uncover about this treasured district steeped in history. It is my wish to be able to share more about Little India’s colourful past with guests through what we are doing at The Elephant Room,” Yugnes shares.
Menu 5.0 shines the spotlight on savoury-forward sips
Along with the new space, Yugnes and his team are also unveiling their latest menu 5.0, which continues to draw inspiration from the sights, sounds and memories of growing up in the vibrant ethnic enclave of Little India. Set to excite and surprise, the new menu comprises 16 new cocktails that is unlike anything the team has done before, packed with savoury, spicy and umami flavours.
A culmination of Yugnes and his team’s passion and expertise, Menu 5.0 showcases some of their best creations yet.
Sharing more on the inspiration behind menu 5.0, Yugnes says, “Being a culture-forward cocktail bar, it was important that our offerings resonated with our guests. This led me to think about what draws people to Little India – people of all races and nationalities frequent this area to experience authentic cuisine. This inspired my team and I to attempt recreating popular dishes like briyani and spiced crab rasam – popular dishes that people enjoy – into cocktails.”
A cocktail that encapsulates the team’s culinary flair and immaculate techniques, Briyani ($26) is chock-full of fresh, spicy and umami flavours. Inspired by the famous rice dish from Tekka Market, the tipple is masterfully prepared with briyani spices, sake that has been infused with ghee, basmati makgeolli and finished off with shaved cured masala egg. Another impressive creation, Chicken Curry ($27), made with bourbon whiskey, chicken stock and chicken skin, offers the unique experience of having whisky with curry – an unbeatable combo enjoyed in most Indian households during Deepavali.
Adventurous tipplers should try the Spiced Crab Rasam ($27), which offers a good combination of savoury and tangy flavours contributed from ingredients like crab distillate, rasam and tamarind. Made using flower crabs that have been cooked with ginger flower, then blended with vodka and redistilled, the crab distillate displays Yugnes and his team’s strong understanding of flavours. Other notable highlights include Teh Halia ($26), comprising turmeric leaf kombucha, whiskey and clarified soy, and Champa Fizz ($24), prepared with champa flowers, bourbon whiskey, fermented apple and honey.
Those who prefer time-honoured classics with a modern twist should definitely try the Wild and Fresh ($27) and Singapura Sling ($26). The former is their take on the classic Negroni, concocted with gin, strawberry, and kokum (wild mangosteens) sourced from India, while the latter is based on the cocktail of Singapore, made with gin, beetroot, pineapple and cherry heering.
