Tom, Dick and Hillary's is the first Peranakan tapas bar nestled in the heart of Chinatown, serving up unique tapas and finger food that complement the wide array of alcohol they serve. Besides finger food, they serve hearty dishes as well.
This means that you and your group of friends don’t have to scour the island for good grub and head to another bar for drinks. You have a restaurant (and bar!) — the best of both worlds — right smack in the middle of Chinatown.
What makes this drinking joint a standout along the bustling Chinatown streets is the fact that this is the only place that serves up a different cuisine (a fusion of Peranakan and Eurasian), compared to the rest of the restaurants that serve Chinese food.
This is Chef Lionel Chee’s latest venture after closing down Casa Bom Vento Express at Xin Tekka a while back. He and his wife Lyn also used to run Casa Bom Vento, a popular restaurant in Joo Chiat that offered a fusion of Peranakan and Eurasian cuisine. His goal has always been to promote home-cooked heritage food, and he now has the chance to do so in Singapore’s largest historic district.
To catch up on our last article, Chef Lionel has been cooking Peranakan and Eurasian cuisine for more than 25 years, starting all the way back in 1995. During his time in Casa Bom Vento, he used to cater to local dignitaries, even clenching one of the spots for the Top Five Catering Companies in Singapore. He even catered to every single government state board and was awarded Favourite Caterer Of The Year by People’s Association.
Chef Lionel also ventured into guiding, became a licensed tour guide, and went on to claim the title of being the first and only person in Singapore to be an ambassador for the World Food Travel Association. So if anyone knows his food, it's him.
Chef Lionel recently moved to Tom, Dick and Hillary’s, after his wife, Lyn Seow, introduced him to the owner of the bar. After tasting his food, the owner offered him a job at the bar, and he has been working in the kitchen ever since.
The authenticity of Chef Lionel’s dishes is unmatched, as he is adamant in never using curry powders in his dishes. However, he has made a few changes since his time at Casa Bom Vento Express, deciding to serve more finger food such as focaccia bread instead of the usual jasmine rice he served at his previous establishments. And somehow, the changes are welcome as they give his dishes a new dimension of flavour and texture.
The first main dish that was served to us was the Debal Curry Pizza ($20). Chef Lionel remarked that bread (or French loaf) always goes well with debal curry, so this unique dish was bound to taste good. And I was right! The pizza had a good amount of spice, especially the aftertaste. Compared to his previous debal curry dishes, this pizza was not as spicy as the former.
Next up, we have Tom’s Babi Assam ($18), which is served only on Mondays and Tuesdays. This dish is well-loved, mostly because of the perfect blend of sweet and sour tastes. Filled with fatty pork, the babi assam goes well with rice, especially if you think the dish is a tad bit too sour for your taste. Fret not, the rice neutralises it!
Last but certainly not the least is Simon’s Creamy Tomato Seafood Pasta ($18). Cooked using pink sauce, this dish combines creamy white pasta sauce and tomato, mixing them flawlessly. It is also topped with a generous amount of prawns, squids, and mussels. Having the perfect balance of savoury and sour flavours, this pasta dish is a great option for children. So if you have kids tagging along, why not let them try this kid-friendly dish?
Tom, Dick and Hillary’s stands out from the crowd in the streets of Chinatown, so if you’re curious to know if it is worth a visit, it is. Invite your drinking buddies and head down for good grub and drinks today!
Address: 11 Mosque St, Singapore 059491
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 3pm–10.30pm
Closed on Sunday
Contact: 6260 0676
