Opened by folks behind rooftop event Getai Electronica, this tapas restaurant and bar in Chinatown is so hip it hurts
Sitting atop People’s Park Complex, Chinatown’s prominent yellow and green building, is Lepark, a quirky tapas bar and beer garden. Started by the geniuses behind kicky hyperlocal rooftop events Getai Electronica, Lepark, and UrbanScape – a yoga festival that’s happening next month; our expectations for this hot new restaurant were, of course, pretty high.
Finding your way to Lepark is an adventure on its own. Brave your way through the maddening crowd and beauty parlour touters at People’s Park Complex, and find a lift to take you to either the fourth or fifth floor. Then, walk up a dingy stairwell to the 6th floor car park, where you will be greeted by a killer view of Chinatown, and of course, the hole-in-the-wall social space Lepark.
Decked out in kitschy illustrations of local campaign mascots like Sharity Elephant, Teamy the productivity bee, and Singa the courtesy lion, you should be able to tell that this painfully hip restaurant pays homage to the best of Singapore’s dynamic culture. Lepak (which means hang out; a local slang that was recently recognised in the Oxford Dictionary) at the back of the 63,000 square feet restaurant and be entertained by local musicians, while you knock back craft beers sourced from all over the world. Lepark is set to be the largest beer hall in town with over four live draft beers on tap and 80 different types of craft beers for sale. The place also offers beer flights, so those who are fickle can sample a wide variety of brews all at once.
While the menu isn’t extensive, Lepark shines with its modern renditions of local dishes and Asian cuisines. Go for their salted egg yolk crab and cake slider ($12) that uses deep fried man tous (chinese bun) for the base – the sinfully greasy batter goes perfectly well with a pint of beer. The Lepark Platter ($18) is also a great choice for groups. Consisting of Thai basil pork tau pok, Otah Bomb, chicken skin and nacho with spicy salsa, plus poached chicken sushi, the platter has pretty much all of Lepark’s must-order tapas dishes. The Poached Chicken Sushi – chicken rice that’s compressed into a sushi, and is topped with garlic, chilli, and a slice of fatty chicken – packs a punch and will please even the most difficult Hainanese Chicken Rice critic.
End your meal with a sweet note and have the soft serve milo dino swirl ($8), topped with sugary cereals like Honeystars and Froot Loops. The pleasant dessert reminded us of happier times back when we were kids.
Lepark, People’s Park Complex, Level 6 Rooftop Carpark,1 Park Road, Singapore 059108. Open Tue-Fri, 4pm-10pm, Sat-Sun, 11am-11pm.