Chinese flavours get a wildly creative twist at this fun, experimental bistro in Keong Saik

If you're a fan of Marcy's, the charming seafood bistro in Duxton known for its vintage European-inspired interiors, you'll probably like Maggie's too – its spunkier counterpart along Keong Saik Road. The brief at Maggie's is 70s retro grandma-chic, and if that sounds slightly out-there and ludicrous, it's because it is. 

Picture the home of an eccentric Chinese grandmother who happens to have impeccable taste, a slight hoarding habit and a penchant for disco glam. Mismatched upholstery, glittering chandeliers, old TV sets and cheeky, nostalgic elements at every corner – they're all part of the mise-en-scène. Every table in the house, whether it's a cosy booth or a communal round table, gives you a full view of the restaurant's buzzing energy come peak dinner time. 

Maggie's new menu

Maggie's concept is best described as 'Almost Chinese', and you see it most in the menu, which gives a wildly creative, never-before-seen twist on familiar Chinese flavours. As the restaurant turns one this year, it's launching a refreshed food and cocktail programme, with the same experimental spirit, bold flavours and unique flavour combinations. 

Some signature dishes and drinks remain. The 'Golden Gun' cigars ($18 for two), a staple here, are a fun starter that'll have you and your dining companions feeling like noblemen in Republican-era Shanghai. The snack is generously stuffed with bigeye tuna, spring onions, creme fraiche and olive leaves, with a final dusting of tomato powder. 

The golden prawn Croque Madame ($25) and Maggie's Southern Dirty Rice ($35), mainstays from day one, also stay on the menu. Meanwhile, cocktails like Luscious Lucy ($24) – longan-infused Roku gin with red dates and Campari – and the Pei Pa Koa-spiked Cough Drop Connie ($24) are as popular as ever. 

The hits

Among the newer additions to the menu, the Stracciatella Chinois is an easy crowd-pleaser ($23), featuring a cheesy dip with smoked olive oil and a sweet-spicy black bean chilli relish. The already flavourful dip is paired with equally indulgent you tiao (dough fritters) sticks – greasy and crispy the way they should be.

Also try the wagyu cheek marmalade ($26), an East-meets-West creation which sees a taro cake base topped with tender shreds of wagyu beef cheek, caramelised onions and cucumber slices pickled in black vinegar for a much-needed touch of acidity.

The joint also introduces two new pastas – Maggie's Hae Mee ($28) and the Mapo Conchiglie ($27). We like the former, which is a valiant rendition of Singapore's iconic prawn noodle dish. Al dentre strands of bucati pasta are coated in a seafood-rich sauce and topped with red prawn crudo, grilled maitake mushrooms, dried shrimp and chilli crumble, with a final squeeze of kaffir lime. 

Cocktails at Maggie's are light, approachable and highly crushable, with nine creations named after various 'aunty' characters – think Haughty Harriet, Salacious Sally and other irreverent equivalents. We like our picks of the Busty Betty ($23) and Mouthy Margaret ($23), the former a straightforward Gimlet-style pour with clear notes of melon, and the latter a spin on a spicy Margarita with notes of watermelon and mala. They are not quite craft cocktails, but decent enough for pairing with the dishes, which here lean slightly salty and heavy-handed in seasoning.

The misses

The Iberico pork chop ($48) arrives nicely caramelised and tender inside, the way a good char siew would be, with a suitable black garlic sauce on the side. But the accompanying watercress salad and cilantro yoghurt pull the dish in a more Mediterranean direction, yet not quite enough – resulting in a confusing melange of flavours. The sour tang of the yoghurt, in particular, clashes with the sweetness and fattiness of the pork. 

We are also not quite convinced by the reworked Ahma's sticky date pudding dessert ($18). The kitchen has swapped out the familiar vanilla ice cream for a healthier creme fraiche topping, but the combination doesn't quite work, with the creme fraiche adding an unwelcome tinge of sourness. The cake, too, needs a touch more moisture, while the final drizzle of olive oil is barely noticeable. 

Time Out's rating: 4/5

Maggie's gets both the aesthetics and the food right – a feat not many restaurants achieve. The space is packed with personality, and it's the kind of place we'd imagine as the setting for a celebratory girls' night out, date nights, or any other night when you feel like dining somewhere a little more special. The dishes are creative and fun, and even the last moments of your meal become a talking point, with plates of fortune cookies and small farewell drinks passed around the table as a final hurrah.

Maggie's is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 5.30pm to 11pm at 1 Keong Saik Road, #01-04, Singapore 089503.

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