Beast and Butterflies – Delicious Mee Tai Mak Laksa Worth Your Calories

Designed by renowned French designer, Philippe Starck, Beast and Butterflies bar and restaurant boasts a retro-mix-modern interior. The whimsical setting, with a little elegance, is themed around ‘Opposites Attract’. Well, so is their menu as you can expect modern fusion and surprising flavours. We enjoyed an evening catching up and relaxing on the colourful plush sofas, with lava lamps and warm lighting exuding a homely vibe. There’s even a pool table if you’re in need of some entertainment.

Chic Popcorn ($10) and Spam Fries ($10) will definitely top the list for your kids’ favourite snacks! The former features deep-fried chicken popcorns coated with salted egg yolk. While the taste of salted egg yolk was subtle, it was sufficient to give the chicken popcorns some savoury flavours. These little crispy bites were so addictive that we continued popping one after another into our mouths. Before we know it, the whole bowl of popcorn chicken has been devoured. The latter features luncheon meat fries served with home-made basil cheese dip. Nothing needs to be said as everything with luncheon meat is just perfect!

For our mains, we had the MTM Laksa ($16) and the Lobster Porridge ($28). “MTM” stands for “Mee Tai Mak”, which is my personal favourite choice of noodles. Silver needle noodles are accompanied by fresh cherry stone clams, prawns, fishcake and crispy tau pok, soaked in tasty Laksa gravy. The broth has a good balance of coconut milk, spices and herbs. It’s not too spicy or too rich. Although this Laksa doesn’t come with cockles, the plump and sweet cherry stone clams are a delicious alternative. The only setback is the price as you can get a few bowls of Laksa at hawker centers with this price.

The Lobster Porridge is prepared according to Teochew-style rice porridge. Jasmine long grain rice is soaked in a savoury crab broth, sweetened by the chunks of meaty abalone and dried scallops within. The large, half lobster captured everyone’s attention when this stone bowl arrived. We liked that the rice wasn’t too mushy. It has been cooked just right, with a slight bite in texture. The lobster boasts fork-tender meat, which are easily detached from its shell. This is the ultimate comfort food for us.

Yam Brulee ($10) is a must-try in my opinion! It was my first time trying a yam dessert that isn’t in the form of traditional “Orh-Nee”. Yam paste at Beast and Butterflies is served with a beautifully caramelized sugar crust and a scoop of coconut ice cream. We like the light yet creamy yam paste, which finishes with a sweet twist. This is such an interesting culinary creation, kudos to the chef!

We also had So Shiok ($18), consisting of thin, crisp waffles, dusted with salted egg yolk powder, accompanied by juicy strawberries and a creamy, thick durian pengat. We recommend you to try the waffles first, or else the rich durian pengat will overwhelm whatever flavours you savour after that.

Beast and Butterflies bar and restaurant is an ideal place to chill after work. If the weather’s good, you can also dine al fresco, with the view of our Singapore River. The interior is spacious, making it great to hold private conversations without worrying about someone eavesdropping nearby. There are many other items available on their menu but you should remember to save stomach space for desserts!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the restaurant featured here.