Gin lovers across the city mourned last year when speakeasy-style bar Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour closed its doors in the basement of Landmark earlier this year in January. Luckily they didn’t take too long to dust themselves off, as Dr Robben Fern is returning with a brand-new chapter and location.
Dr. Fern’s 2.0 will be named The Doctor’s Residence, where the good physician treats emotional symptoms with personalised drinks from the comfort of his home. If you’ve been to Dr. Fern’s before, you’ll be familiar with their quirky concept of the doctor prescribing curious, eccentric cocktails for ‘patients’, and the narrative thread runs through this new iteration as well. Specialising in gin and botanicals, bar manager Babit Burathoki dishes out unusual concoctions, handpicking ingredients to mix according to flavour preferences.
Try Shroom Service, an earthy, tropical drink containing Native Australian gin, Fernet Hunter, calamansi juice, almond liqueur, and coconut oil, topped with aged Chinese mushroom foam. Meanwhile, Brinewashed is more spicy and herbal, with Tamras gin, coriander extract, housemade chilli brine, mint, lemongrass, and clarified watermelon juice. There’s also the savoury-leaning Jellyfish Martini, made with squid-distilled gin, thyme sous vide, Mancino Secco Vermouth, sake, jellyfish, cucumber bitters, and saline solution, then garnished with mini jellyfish drops that turn the drink blue. Don’t forget to read through the prescription label that comes with each drink for a dose of clinical satire.
Cocktails at The Doctor’s Residence are priced around the $130 mark, and customers can also add Dr. Fern’s signature floral glow ice to any G&T for $40, which contains edible flower arrangements that impart floral and citrus notes as it melts. The bar menu also provides savoury bites such as whipped edamame with Asian spices, housemade fermented chilli oil, and crispy lotus chips; queso fresco cheese and corn croquettes with ancho chilli mole; or double smashed patty burgers. We’re particularly intrigued by the Codependent Fish Burger, consisting of curry-spice fish fillet, slaw, pickles, and salmon roe.
Visit the retro-chic lounge and alfresco terrace of The Doctor’s Residence on the third floor of the Pottinger Hotel – they’ve basically taken over where The Envoy and Room 309 used to be. It is currently still in the soft-opening stage, and will be fully open to the public from July 1.
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