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Singapore’s first Latin American cocktail den and newest must-visit drinking hole Vasco has opened on Hong Kong Street.
A devilishly sultry cocktail den beckons, in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District. This latest addition to the bar circuit is a brazen celebration of the lust for life that is Latin culture: vibrant, sultry, colourful and spirited, reflected in Vasco’s dashing ambience of killer cocktails, romantic hospitality and well executed bar bites freshly made in the visible open kitchen.
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Brought to you by the talent behind The Cufflink Club The Cufflink Club, one of the world’s top ten high volume cocktail bars (Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2014, Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar), this is owner-founder Joel Fraser’s second outpost: a rarity in the Singapore cocktail scene. Fraser’s travels to Latin America, including a trip to Rio de Janeiro in 2014 for the FIFA World Cup, inspired him to create Vasco and bring his appreciation for Latin culture to life; an appreciation shared by Vasco partners Christian Hartmann and Andrew Walsh who also felt strongly that the South American scene was missing in Singapore.
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Helming the kitchen is Executive Chef and Vasco partner Andrew Walsh, previously Executive Chef of stellar establishments Esquina and The Study. No stranger to bustling environments with top-notch food, Walsh, who is also partnering up with Fraser on a new soon-to-be-announced restaurant concept, has conceptualised a concise menu hefty with fresh ingredients and bold in flavour; making the food at Vasco a crowd-puller in itself.
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Rounding up this team of some of the best in the business is Head Chef Jennifer Lee, founder of Sarnies café on Telok Ayer Street. As one of the few female head chefs in Singapore now, Lee, of Australian-Chinese descent, has worked in restaurants, bakeries and cafes all her life, and had been in Mexico City cooking and reviewing restaurants for a year prior to Vasco.
Begin the evening’s revelry with their choice of signature cocktails and Latin classics. Cachaça, Mezcal, Pisco, Rum and Tequila boldly headline the playful cocktail list here, including The Old Man & The Sea, Girl From Ipanema, Cusco Puta, Mexico ’70 and Del Monte Cartel. Making for a dangerous proposition of a decadent night out is the food, which presents a heady pleasure of more senses: try the El Cubano Sandwich, a healthy portion of pig, pickle and cheese, as well as the authentic empanadas and Peruvian inspired ceviche.
The 1,600 sq ft space with 56 seats is designed for a night of serious fun, courtesy of both Fraser and Hartmann.Expect nothing less than a lively mix of Latin beats on the stereo complete with Bossanova funk and tunes from the likes of Buena Vista Social Club to bring out the full Vasco experience.
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