Perfect match

In an ideal world, Luke Whearty's customers would visit his underground cocktail bar, pick from one of the omakase food and drink menus, and trust him to take care of the rest. At least, that's his end goal, which is why he's working on upping the ante when it comes to the food offerings at Operation Dagger.

Since opening three years ago, Operation Dagger has always offered a strong drinks programme with house-made spirits and liqueurs, as well as a selection of "natural" wines made in-house by fermenting things like cabbages, tomatoes, and oranges. But after a recent renovation that gave Mr Whearty more kitchen space to work with, he now offers more complex bar snacks like flaxseed crisps with tomato jam, pickled cucumber, and garlic flowers, as well as three- and five-course omakase menus (S$95++ and S$150++ with drink pairings).

His is not the only establishment dedicated to juggling both food and drinks, however. These days, bars are going beyond deep-fried chicken wings and pizza, to well-thought-out dishes with good-quality ingredients, while restaurants are taking more risks with drink pairings and venturing into uncharted territories like sake or non-alcoholic pairings.