Side Door’s warm hospitality made the cafe bar akin to a home in town. Well, if your home happens to house an award-winning bartender and chef couple Tryson and Bannie, joined by pastry chef Jamie. Found just right across the street from the Maxwell train station, it is perfect for one last stop before you head home for the night. Just be careful as the three-lane road feels a lot longer after a few drinks and you aren’t walking in a straight line.
At first glance, you are met with a minimalist decor – bare concrete walls and wooden stumps for chairs. However, small personal touches scattered across lend life to the space, tiny figurines hang off the lighting letting guests play an impromptu game of Where’s Wally while plants (both Lego and natural) can be found tucked away in spots around the place.
Decor and ambiance
The centrepiece is, of course, the pastry display case.
Baked goods are surrounded by Tryson’s proud collection of legos, which changes according to the seasons. The first part of the year had a Chinese New Year theme, a lion dance performer straddling a cheesecake while a Chinese architectural gate set the backdrop.
Amidst it all, the crew is always present should you want a refill, another round, or a tasty bite.
The food and drinks here are all fantastic. If you have any preferences, Bannie can easily point you to one of the many choices that hit every flavour note and then some. While they are open from 3 pm onwards, the stronger options are only available from 6 pm alongside the full kitchen menu. That is just as well, with the signature cocktails packing a punch. The lighter drinks on the other hand do feel that way, the Bartender’s Choice ($20) was akin to a cider with a foamy top.
Food & Drinks
My favourite, the Green is the New Black ($26) brings together Green Chartreuse, Cucumber & Dill for a herbal, refreshing note that is brightened up further with the addition of lime. It is then balanced with Cachaca, a Brazilian fermented Sugarcane juice liquor lending a hint of funkiness.
Each drink stands out, either through a masterful blending of elements, or having a contrasting note such as the use of Langoustine Oil in Just 3 ($26), giving a kick of ocean brine to an otherwise mellow beverage. Bannie seemingly takes inspiration from their travels and her Korean background with the inclusion of ingredients such as Korean Barley (within the Non-Fruit Beer) or Korean Plum (One for the Road).
Non-Fruit Beer in particular does not utilise any beer in it at all. Blending the ideas of a soju bomb and a shandy, the resulting concoction reminded them of a Taiwan Fruit Beer from their months-long stay over in Taiwan in a previous venture – thus the name.
The Beef Tartare screams indulgence from the get-go with gold foil atop caviar and a dusting of seaweed to the side. I love it all. The Yuzu Sorbet gives a mild sour-sweet note with a chilly bite together with paprika-dusted rice puffs lending a textural element to the otherwise soft and chewy dish.
The base of it all, the beef binds it all together. Once it’s all mixed up, you can scoop it up with a slice of freshly toasted and buttered sourdough.
The sourdough on the side deserves a mention of its own. Having a dedicated pastry chef on the team pays off with freshly baked goods that perfume the surroundings.
Keep an eye out on their Instagram page as Side Door hosts private Omakase-style meals in their backroom. (There are no photos of the private room here because it’s totally private and not as the writer got lazy after a few drinks on his last visit.)
A cosy spot in the heart of town, step through the door and enjoy yourself with their fantastic selection for the night.