If you’re a current student, alumni, or have visited the sprawling campus of the National University of Singapore (NUS), you’d know that the university is not short of great dining options. However, few are as unique as South & East, a new restaurant on campus serving a fusion of American barbecue with Southeast Asian influences.
What began as a private dining concept. SouthEast, by chef-couple Shane and Eve has evolved into a fully-fledged restaurant in the heart of NUS. Here, they still retain their style of charcoal-grilled creations with an Indonesian flair.
It’s highly recommended to bring a group to experience the communal-style dining featured on their menu, starting with the Signature Five-Spiced Smoked Beef Short Ribs (from $67++).
Its pink hue and intensely charred exterior are achieved through slow-cooking the ribs with a housemade five-spice blend, before smoking them for up to 10 hours. This dish has won much acclaim for its rich, powerful smokiness.
You’ll also find two other dishes pulled from the restaurant’s smoker: the Smoked Prawns with Tom Kha Butter ($32++), and the Smoked Cauliflower with Roasted Corn Sauce ($18++)—perfect as a side for sharing.
For mains, the BBQ Claypot Laksa Rice with Seafood ($28++) is not to be missed. Almost like a cross between Spanish paella and Chinese claypot rice, it’s served with a lemak laksa sauce and topped with grilled prawns and clams straight off the charcoal.
The other meat dishes here may not be from the smoker, but are equally delectable. The Chicken Thigh with Tamarind Hot Sauce ($19++) comes with a side of burnt chilli honey, and is said to be wonderfully juicy yet well-charred.
Other options include the Black Garlic Beef Steak ($32++) with a tangy cincalok chimmichurri and the Grilled Fish Fillet with Spiced Coconut Sauce ($28++).
South & East also offers wallet-friendly set lunches for students and staff. Each order comes with your choice of meat, rice, and a sambal egg and cucumber salad.
The BBQ Wagyu Beef Skewers with Marmite Glaze and Spring Onion ($16++) stands out here, along with the Thai Style Pork with Cucumber Salsa ($15++), as well as the aforementioned Chicken Thigh and Grilled Fish Fillet dishes.
It’s quite rare to find alcohol on campus these days, and South & East serves up craft beers fresh from the tap by homegrown brewery Brewlander. Get their malty ‘Freedom’ Lager from $11++ per pint, or the crisp, tropical Love Wild IPA from $13++ per pint.
South&East is located at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, which is a 15-minute walk from Kent Ridge Bus Terminal and a 20-minute bus ride from Buona Vista MRT Station. We recommend taking the Internal Shuttle Bus A1 from Kent Ridge MRT Station or the Central Library to AS5 for easier access.
In other news, the popular American fast-food chain Chick-fil-A Singapore has finally opened its doors at Bugis+. You might also be interested in this Vietnamese omakase that has a limited-time promotional price!
Address: 11 Kent Ridge Drive, #01-03, Shaw Foundation Alumni House, Singapore 119244
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am to 3pm, Daily 6pm to 10pm
Website
South & East is not a halal-certified eatery.
Feature image adapted from Ong Zhi Yuan via Google Maps and @southandeastsg
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