When New Ubin Seafood first opened Garang Grill at Swan Lake Avenue in 2017, it promised a three-month pop-up of fierce, bold charcoal flavours that were Truly Singaporean.
This came much to the delight of east-siders, who until then haven’t been able to visit New Ubin Seafood’s numerous off-the-beaten-path locations over the years without enduring a bracing car ride. It announced its closure on 31 December 2019, effectively ending a “pop-up” that lasted two months... short of three garang years.
With the closure of its flagship tze char eatery at Hillview Avenue in June 2020 leaving fans scrambling into the city for their New Ubin fix; an upscale restaurant in the city centre CHIJMES cluster and a hotel restaurant in Zhongshan Park didn’t feel quite the same.
The formula is as bewildering as it is exact. An off-the-beaten-path location accessible at best by car, far flung from the city and tucked away into the forgotten crevices of Singapore. It’d count the likes of paint shops and autorepair businesses as its neighbours, and its cuisine best enjoyed in a nondescript outdoor canteen setting that has no business serving choice rib-eye cuts, kaya toast on baguette with French butter, or premium Bordeaux in Riedel glasses – but do so anyway.
Here, New Ubin’s brand of rustic roots and kampong essence, which it serves its ‘Truly Singaporean’ cuisine with, fares exceedingly. Today, that recipe has been exacted to a tee, and with all previous moves, comes with its own set of upgrades. Located on the ground floor of Space@Tampines, a commercial property along Tampines Industrial Crescent flanked by furniture showrooms and inflatable air dancers, is the 5,700 square feet New Ubin Village.
Joining the move is the “grill” in Garang Grill, a $16,000 charcoal grill oven by Spanish brand Mibrasa. Famed for its ability to deliver the intense heat of primal charcoal flames in an enclosed oven, it has been responsible for many of the brand’s cult favourites over the years – from USDA ‘Choice’ Black Angus Rib-Eye to the delicately sliced Crispy Pork Jowl.
Plucked out of one remote location along Siglap's sprawling private housing estates and planted into another equally remote location right smack in the middle of Tampines’ industrial estate, the new Garang Grill sheds some of its suburban charm but manages to stay relatively on brand as a New Ubin Seafood offshoot. eat and an embarrassing amount of butter. Deep-fried mantous seal the deal on this Garang Grill specialty.
Power Starters & Side Kicks include Chilli Crab Rillette (S$12). Reimagine New Ubin Seafood’s chilli crab sauce as a smooth, decadent spread of tomato paste and sambal rempah, folded in with crab meat and an embarrassing amount of butter. Deep-fried mantous seal the deal on this Garang Grill specialty.
Pork Rendang Nachos (S$15). Previously served with deep-fried gyoza skin, this starter to share now comes as advertised—and also gluten-free— using gluten-free nacho chips, topped with cheese mayonnaise and served with its signature pork rendang.
Crispy Pork Jowl (S$12). A delicate cut of fatty meat that needs to be sous vide for half a day before it’s coated in a special flour mix, deep-fried and finished off in the Mibrasa oven for a smoky, charcoal flavour boost. A miso-infused gula melaka dipping sauce coats another layer of umami to each crisp, thinly sliced morsel.
Togarashi Corn (S$9). Roasted sweet pearl corn coated with an irresistible char, finished with a sprinkling of house-smoked sea salt and a dash of Japanese togarashi powder.
Moving on to Meats & Carbo Load items. LA Galbi Beef (S$18) Korean-style beef short ribs marinated in a sweet and savoury ganjang-based sauce and barbecued till fall-off-the-bone tender, served with iceberg lettuce and sliced green chilli as a do-it-yourself lettuce wrap with a kick of spice.
Argentinian Striploin (S$38). Considered some of the world’s best for its incomparably tender texture and rich flavour, the striploin here is served as it is with sweet potato mash and Garang slaw - a testament to the Mibrasa oven’s prowess.
Lime Leaf Chicken (S$30). A crispy half chicken bathed in a secret blend of Asian condiments and spices that’s served with sambal mayonnaise, pickled ginger and tomato chutney and the Classic Carbonara (S$12). 
A quintessential Roman dish from Italy is given a uniquely Singaporean twist by cooking spaghetti with cream and cubes of house-smoked pork belly – a delicious blasphemy that is then served in a claypot.
Garang Grill is now open at New Ubin Village and available for dine-in, takeaway and island wide delivery. Order via online.garanggrill.com and sign up as a Garang Grill member upon checkout to enjoy privileges for dine-in (exclusive add-on items), takeaway (skip the queue) and island-wide delivery (flat fee of S$10, free from S$200).
INFORMATION
a. 18 Tampines Industrial Crescent 528605, #01-16 (Space@Tampines)
s. www.facebook.com/NewUbinTampines/
