Lepark? "Lepak" on a rooftop you mean
A rooftop bar that sits in the middle of Chinatown. You won’t expect any bar to be in such a place.
Written by: Christian Bernard
Photos by: Christian Bernard
Whenever one visits Chinatown, a striking yellow and green building would always have anyone’s eyes gaze. The Peo- ple’s Park Complex.
Not known to many, but the opened space at People’s Park Complex is home to a mod-sin (Modern Singapore) tapas bar called,”Lepark.” The name arouses our local nerves when hearing its synonymous pronunciation.
The name derives from a colloquial term in the Malay ety- mology,”lepak.” The word is referred to being in a laze or slack manner. More often used in local context, ”lepak one corner,” means to have one’s own time in a cozy area. It is indeed a smart move to call the name as such because it is self-explanatory for a bar.
The striking feature of this hole-in-wall hangout place is its opened area for rooftop events, namely Getai Electronica, Urbanscape and movie screenings. You might never expect a rooftop to be a function space for local-themed events.
Finding your way to Lepark is an escapade by itself. Brisk your way through the consecutive outlets of beauty salons and you would find yourself taking up the lift to the fifth floor. Then, stomp your way up the stairs to the 6th floor. It all leads to its entrance of aluminum shutters.
A set-up of long benches and tables greet you, implying the feel of idling in a school canteen. It prides itself to be a great alternative social place with great chill-out music or for Amigas just wanting to pop a bottle of beer and chat incessantly.
The menu’s unique fusion of local and international recipes is their main selling point. Take for example, Chicken Rice Sushi (5 pieces for $8), was impeccable in taste for chicken rice turned into sushi. Another gimmicky rendition of theirs, Pepper Salt Chicken Skin ($6), reminded me of the street food in Taiwan that sells crispy chicken. The taste seemed similar with the flavouring but less oily.
Personally, I did not order main dishes as I wanted to expe- rience how it is like to have supper there. I just had a beer and some sides. The food seems overpriced for a student like me. If you have the budget, you might want to opt for the main dishes. Some of the interesting dishes include SEY – comprising of soft shell crab topped with salted egg yolk sauce and for dessert, and you might want to try the “Milo Dino Soft Serve Swirl”.
Lepark is indeed the place to chill and have a relaxed rendezvous with pals. Make sure you bring a big group with you to enjoy every aspect of what the bar has to offer.
