LAUT Restaurant Review & Menu @ Historic Stanley Street in Singapore

Met up with buddies to chill over drinks and some grub at LAUT NOA gastrobar @ 17 Stanley Street. Not the top of my mind type of joint initially but turned out it's really cool and I enjoyed it.

I walked the entire 300 metres of Stanley Street but missed the shop as I was looking for a big signboard. Turned out it was a tiny plate that said "17 LAUT NOA".

Stepping inside, a bar set at the deep far end with rattan lamp shades overhead. They were fish trap / kelong inspired. Looked really nice, and I got up several times during the dinner to get more shots of this.

It's not a big space but comfortable, warm and welcoming. I like the casual, friendly, cool vibes here.

LAUT is the Malay word for "sea". It is the sea that connects the peoples of southeast Asia since time immemorial. Co-owners Frank and Leon grew up together by the sea in Siglap.

NOA is the Hokkien Chinese word for saliva. And, LAUT NOA sounds like the Hokkien Chinese phrase for salivate or drool 🤤

You got the idea 😛

LAUT NOA design their own cocktails and beers made with flavours from local produce and spice.

Most dishes are re-interpretations of familiar southeast Asian classics or comfort food.

Lemongrass, Bentong ginger pale ale

Frank warmed us up with lemongrass and Bentong ginger pale ale. I like the taste and fragrance of the familiar spices. The mild ginger heat got our saliva flowing ready for the first dish 🤤

Burnt Eggplant Dip

Toasted papadum with burnt eggplant dip spiked with chili pepper. We loved this and had at least 2 refills during our session.

Oyster Eggs

A re-interpretation of orh luak - poached local oyster set on a cushion of velvety steamed egg custard (chawanmushi style).

June Plum

Blend of gin, pandan, kedongdong plum, kaffir lime, and Hawthorn sorbet crowned with a butterfly pea flower petal.

Frogs

Marinated meaty local bullfrog legs with cereal crumbs and curry leaves. The frog legs were slightly crisp savoury outside while inside it was juicy sweet. The curry leaves added aromas and a subtle heat. I love this dish's nice balance of savoury and sweet with a familiar local spice note.

Tuna

Seared tuna slices with green mango salad and chlorophyll sauce.

Tuna

Natural taste of fresh tuna in the spongy juicy slices complemented by slight zest and sweetness from the crunchy green mango salad.

We love this. Had 2 servings also 😄

Squid Gado

Seared whole squid in gado gado peanut sauce topped with fried fish crackers. Nice layers of savouriness and nutty flavour with a bit of toasty taste and umami from seared squid.

Otah

Local fish and shrimp otak otak sandwiched between toasted bread slices wrapped in banana leaf, with Nyonya achar and Asian slaw at the side. The otak otak was sweet with only subtle traces of spice and savouriness.

Soft Shell Crab

I like this. Battered soft shell crab seasoned with quite sharp Borneo pepper and honey glaze sauce, served fish flakes and salted egg yolk dip. Nice blend of natural crab briny umami sweetness, sweetish notes from honey glaze, and aromatic spicy tingle from pepper. The salted egg yolk added another savoury layer. Eating crab, getting at the juicy meat easily without fighting with hard shells makes it perfect for me 👍

Laut Curry

Fish of the day (today it's sea bass), local shellfish, seasonal greens served in sweet coconut milk and very mild spice curry.

Prawn Raja

Gilled King prawn umami juices and aromatic essence of Asian herbs infused into the risotto of simmered rice spiked with petai (stinky bean) and bits of century egg.

Prawn Raja

I like this flavourful re-interpretation of the traditional Hakka lei cha 擂茶 comfort dish. Lei 擂 is the Hakka word for grind. As it sounds like lei 雷, the word for thunder, it is often referred to as "thunder" tea in Singapore.

Crab Toast

Pulled sweet flower crab with yogurt, cilantro oil, soy cured quail eggs on crunchy toast bread slices.

Banana

I enjoyed this sweet cocktail of aged Malaysian molasses, banana, candlenut and Javanese coconut palm sugar.

Laut Pisang

Bite size sweet tapioca and banana cake shape inspired by the cockles that warm our hearts.

Tart Limau

Calamansi curd, Javanese palm sugar and sour plum in a buttery crusty cup.

Stanley Street 2020

Today's Stanley Street by day is a relatively quiet one-way street nestled in between and dwarfed by towering glass offices. In the evenings, it comes to life as there are several popular watering holes and trendy food joints here such as Shukuu Izakaya etc.

Stanley Street 1953. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Stanley Street was once an entertainment hub but of a different sort. It was known in Hokkien Chinese as 马祖宫戏台后 or "behind Mazu temple wayang stage".

Stanley Street wayang night 1953. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Huge crowds would gather on wayang night which also attracted mobile stalls selling drinks and small bites.

Stanley Street 1952. Image credit: National Archive of Singapore

These boys were playing a marble board game along the five foot way of shophouses of Stanley Street. It is a sort of home made pachinko - nails on a wooden board. The marble is released at the top of the board and rolls down through the maze of nails to the slots at the bottom. Different slots for different prizes. (I can't remember the name of this game. Can anyone help?)

Hokkien Huay Kuan from Telok Ayer Street 1955. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Stanley Street was part of the Hokkien Chinese enclave centred on Telok Ayer Street which runs parallel to the north of Stanley Street. The Hokkien Huay Kuan or Hokkien Society is located on Stanley Street and Telok Ayer Street (main entrance).

Chong Hock Girls' School 1930. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

Chong Hock Girls' School founded in 1915 was the first all girl school in Singapore. It was at Chong Wen Ge beside Thian Hock Keng Temple at Telok Ayer Street and expanded to Stanley Street in 1930.

One more lemongrass Bentong ginger pale ale for the road

I enjoyed the drinks with local twists and local food with modern touches as well as also love the laid back tropical seaside life ambiance at LAUT NOA.

Disclosure: Please note that this was an invited tasting.