That’s the bar at the foot of the block! Can you see it?

Lepark, not Le Park, comes from Malay etymology. “Lepak,” which is officially co-opted into English language in the Oxford English Dictionary, means to loaf, laze, slack, and relac one corner. It’s an apt name for a rooftop bar, despite the wrong spelling. Perhaps the owners, who also run the vastly different and vegan outfit, Afterglow, wanted to pun on its location, People’s PARK Complex.

After a miserable rooftop experience at Charcoal Pit, I was pleasantly surprised by the smart and detectable Singapore-meets-West (mod-sin) streetfood at Lepark.

The tapas section of menu was gimmicky. The chicken rice sushi (5 pcs, $8, above) was chicken rice made into sushi, but the taste was spot on and delicious; I wouldn’t mind ordering it again.

Another gimmicky tapas, otah bomb ($8, above), was rather spicy otah, wrapped in deep-fried wonton skin. Would complement beer but didn’t have the surprise, taste, or aesthetics of the sushi.

The server also recommended spam fries ($8), something I would never order because (1) it’s processed and (2) it’s much cheaper at supermarket.

But the mains and signatures were pretty good. The salted egg yolk soft shell crab slider ($12, above) was suitably moderate, aimed to please both camps that like strong or subtle flavors. Still crispy after I left it standing for some time. The mantou was also nicely toasted. Nothing in this dish was left to chance.

Although the seafood in slipper lobster tom yum pasta ($18, above) wasn’t too fresh, the dish was able, spicy, and piquant.

There weren’t too many options for desserts, only two, and, well, the soft serve milo ($8) was as described even if it was garnished with banana, Khong Guan, and Froot Loops.

Although mineral water ($5) was comparatively more expensive than beer ($6) and although the ordering is confusing, ordering drinks at one end and food at the other, part of the joy of the bar is in finding it. You can either take the shopping centre’s lift or cargo lift to 5th floor. (The Residential lift has no access.) Then walk up a crummy stairway to 6th floor. It’s a pretty frightening journey. I was scared of being raped or eaten by zombies. Such fun!

We paid $61 for two persons. Would return to try more of the mod-sin food when I’m in the mood for beer.

Lepark Singapore

1 Park Road, Level 6 People’s Park Complex, Singapore 059108
T-F 4pm-10pm, Weekends 11am-11pm
T: +65 9658 9938 / +65 6908 5809
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Value: 7.25/10
Food: 6.75/10
Ambience/ Decor: 8/10
Service: 7.5/10
Rating: 3.688/5

Written by A. Nathanael Ho.