It was my birthday on 6 May, and my wife planned dinner at 808 Eating House — a small modern Singaporean spot tucked into a Joo Chiat shophouse.
The shop is along Joo Chiat. Parking was easy — there is a huge public carpark right next to it.
Funnily, the unit number is 153, not 808. I kept looking for 808 on the door and walked right past it. (My fault for taking the name too literally.)
The shophouse setup is interesting. The front half is 808 Eating House. The back half is another dining establishment called Province, which apparently serves more atas food at a higher price point.
808 itself seats about 15–18 pax max. Cosy, chill ambience, casual dining. The staff and hosts were friendly and helpful — that made the whole experience welcoming.
Drinks
My wife ordered the small-batch Mialbooch kombucha (black currant). I went for the Espresso Orange — double ristretto, orange juice, orange marmalade.
Both were as we expected. No surprises.
Corn-Ribs ($12)
Curry-kombu spice, lime mayo on the side. Pretty flavourful.
My wife and I both agreed these were one of the better corn-ribs we have had.
Flower Crab Chip and Dip ($23)
This was my favourite of the night. Hand-cut russet potato chips with flower crab and XO mayo dip.
What can go wrong with this — crispy chips, generous crab dip, eat by the spoonful.
Cold Bee Hoon ($7)
Tasty. The bee hoon was braised nicely, deep in flavour.
The dish normally comes with sakura ebi tossed in, but my wife is allergic to shrimp, so they were nice enough to serve the ebi on the side. We added it back when eating, and the ebi helped lift the umami.
Small thing, but the kitchen handling it without fuss bumped up the experience for us.
Barramundi ($28)
I thought this had an interesting complex blend of flavours. Garam masala pumpkin purée, hainanese curry broth, with skin-on barramundi.
Some fish dishes with sauce can get too overpowering, but this one held its balance.
My wife did not quite like it though — she found the star anise note too strong.
Roasted Duck Breast ($28)
Five-spice caramel, kaffir lime zest, sliced over a coriander-frisée salad.
I find the duck a tad chewy. Slightly disappointing for me. I would probably skip this dish next time.
Coconut Panna Cotta ($13)
The dessert was complimentary — a nice touch from the kitchen for my birthday. The plating came with a ‘Happy Birthday’ message and a candle.
The panna cotta itself was pretty refreshing and tasty. White chocolate-mint crumble and pickled coconut on top.
My personal verdict.
Food: 3.7/5 — starters carry it. The flower crab chip and dip and the corn-ribs were the highlights. Mains were a mixed bag.
Ambience: 4/5 — cosy and casual. The whole Joo Chiat / Katong vibe adds to it. It sits somewhere between not-quite-date-night and not-quite-fine-dining — better suited for friends gathering for some light snacks and drinks.
Service: 4.5/5 — friendly, accommodating with the ebi swap, and the complimentary dessert was a thoughtful touch.
Will I return? Yes, keen to check out their brunch.
Total bill: about $160 for the two of us.
If you like small chef-led rooms in Singapore, review of Tutto by Da Paolo at Jewel Changi Airport is worth a look too.
Official Details
808 Eating House
Address: 153 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427431 (look for 153 on the door, not 808)
Website: www.808eatinghouse.com
Instagram: @808eatinghouse.sg
