A newcomer to the row of trendy restaurants and bars lining Club Street and Ann Siang Road, Le Bon Funk fits in nicely with its chic neighbors, adorning its shop house unit with a mix of brass and terrazzo against corkwood and rattan. In its cozy space, the bar centerpiece frames a gold-gilded wine rack, high stools face the windows for people-watchers to plop down on, and plush leather booth seats are tucked away in the back.
Even if you’re just passing by without a clue on what this place is about, the crowd of cool cats gathering there for post-work drinks will get your attention. It did for us.
Brought to you by The Lo & Behold Group — the team behind similarly cool concepts like Tanjong Beach Club, The Black Swan, Loof, Overeasy, and The White Rabbit — Le Bon Funk’s name is a cheeky jab at the misconception that all natural wines taste funky (spoiler alert: they don’t). They’re farmed organically and fermented naturally with minimal “intervention”, either from additives or chemicals or technology.
And with that, the joint obviously focuses on natural wines, with a curation mostly from parts of France, as well as Austria and Australia. To keep things fresh, wines by the glass are switched up daily, depending on everything from the climate to the mood and energy of the crowd, and they’re complemented by an ever-evolving menu overseen by chef-owner Keirin Buck, formerly of Burnt Ends.
Expect house-made bread and house-cured charcuterie on the line-up, with the Japanese-Canadian chef’s naturally leavened sourdough bread ($6) a mainstay among the other items that change based on the day’s freshest produce.
One of the most talked about dishes (so far, at least) is the beef tongue sandwich ($24), brioche bread generously packed with thin slices of cured meat and smeared with gribiche dressing. Another buzz-about item on the menu is the cedar jelly and foie gras toast — a Canadian rendition of kaya toast — with cognac-cured foie gras that’s frozen and grated, served with cedar jelly and brioche. The rabbit boudin blanc and carrot ($19), rabbit sausage glazed with chicken liver and pork reduction, then wrapped in collagen casings, is another popular one.
As for desserts, they’re definitely trying out some non-mainstream flavor combinations here. The delicate-looking burnt white chocolate, rosemary, and orange tart ($14) is probably one for the traditionalists, but those who are capable of squashing their squeamishness over veg-focused sweets can try the celery cream custard served with buckwheat crumble ($10). Strange, but perhaps a more enticing way to eat your daily dose of greens.
FIND IT:
Le Bon Funk is at 29 Club St.
6224-1490, Tues-Sat 5:30pm-midnight.
MRT: Telok Ayer/Tanjong Pagar/Chinatown
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