If you frequent the CBD, particularly Marina Bay Financial Centre, you might have seen a recent addition. Liberty Singapore is a new Asian smokehouse restaurant located on the ground floor of the building, just across from Downtown MRT Station.
The restaurant is helmed by two renowned chefs: Korean-born Yong Soo-Do and American Chris Tuthill. Both are from sister restaurant Liberty Exchange Hong Kong, and have cut their teeth at noteworthy restaurants including Texas smokehouse Smoke & Barrel and the now-defunct Japanese restaurant Silencio.
Back to Liberty Singapore: the new restaurant is extremely spacious, comfortably fitting up to 132 people indoors, including a private dining room. There’s also an eight-seater bar, plus a sheltered outdoor dining area that seats up to 60 diners.
Start with the Corn Bread ($6++ for two), a sweet-savoury snack that’s baked in madeleine form, paired with a Chinese-inspired “mei cai” cream cheese dip.
If you prefer something light and refreshing, we recommend the Hamachi ($28++): kingfish slices that are lightly grilled, topped with a tangy mango ponzu salsa, pomelo, shallot chips, and jalapeno.
A few dashes of coriander oil are added for a finishing touch, complementing the sweet, sour, and savoury notes from the fish and condiments.
Then there’s the Salmon Tartare ($23++), which pays homage to Thai flavours in the form of a nam jim dressing—a sweet and tangy Thai chilli dipping sauce. Salmon chunks, smoked avocado puree, and pickled daikon are the other main elements of the appetiser, rounded out with spring onion oil for a burst of freshness.
Mandu fans can try the Short-Rib Dumpling ($22++), where beef brisket, short ribs, and prawns combine as the filling. The fried dumplings are joined by a chilli vinaigrette and topped with Korean-inspired herb salad for added brightness.
Image credit: Liberty Singapore
For short ribs done differently, give their Kalbi Short-Rib ($32++/100g) a shot. After being painstakingly smoked for 12 hours in cherry wood to impart a subtle sweetness and balanced smokiness, then sous vide for another six hours, what’s left is meat that’s fall-off-the-bone tender and succulent. The slab sees the same Korean herb salad on the side, cutting through the meatiness.
It’s all about the smoked meats here, so do yourself a favour and order their Char Siu Pork Belly ($24++/100g). The Cantonese-style barbecued pork requires a whopping total of 16 hours to prepare, rendering three beautiful layers of melt-in-the-mouth skin, fat, and meat.
If you still have stomach space, their Apple Pie ($14++) will make for the perfect sweet ending. This flaky pie is topped with juicy, caramelised apple chunks, then finished with the pièce de résistance of the dessert: a heaping scoop of five-spiced smoked ice cream.
While you’re in the area, check out Fun Wan, a new eatery in Tanjong Pagar with DIY zi char rice bowls. Otherwise, head to Art Ice, a dessert cafe hidden in an art gallery near Maxwell MRT Station!
Address: 10 Marina Boulevard, #01-04 Tower 2 Marina Bay Financial Centre, Singapore 018983
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 10pm
Tel: 6322 3777
Website
Liberty Singapore is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Anthia Chng and edited by Raelynn Ng.
This was a media tasting at Liberty Singapore.
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