An indie spirit

NEW RESTAURANT

Joo Bar

5 Tan Quee Lan Street

Tel: 8138 1628

Open daily from 5.30pm to 12am

IN the hipster scene, Tan Quee Lan may not have the same ring as, say, Ann Siang, Telok Ayer, Keong Saik or Teck Lim - original Chinese names which didn't need to be changed by deed poll into something more English to complete their Western(ised) domination. But with its equally ethnic sister Liang Seah and the refreshingly unglamorous location sandwiched between Beach and North Bridge Roads better known for its steamboat, chicken rice and no-frills Thai food joints, this place is shaping up to be a working-class Club Street - with less contrivance and slightly better parking.

The bohemian, grunge-chic vibe feels more genuine here, partly because it all seems so ad hoc and messy, as if a whole bunch of people of different mindsets and (mostly Asian) native tongues got together in this relatively cheaper and increasingly spruced up neighbour…