Tiger’s Milk at The Club Hotel is rebranded from Yin Yang Bar after 9 months of renovation, now serving Peruvian food and drinks.

Salmon Nikkei with yuzu and ginger dressing ($16)

Derived from Leche de Tigre, “Tiger’s Milk” is a Peruvian citrus marinade to cure hangovers, and seafood in ceviches. It is also known to be an aphrodisiac. The food is conceptualized by consultant chef Hajime Kasuga who, despite his Japanese sounding name, is born and bred in Peru, with 20 years of culinary experience, incorporating some Japanese flavors in the Peruvian cuisine.

Perhaps it is a difference in culture that I don’t understand some dishes. For instance, the eponymous dish, Tiger’s Milk Trio ($9, above), consists 3 shot glasses of seabass and octopus in increasing spicy marinades. I don’t understand why the seafood is a few grains, and the purpose of this dish is to drink the marinade.

I also don’t understand the seabass ceviche ($14, above), overpowered by red onions which are substantially more than seabass. Maybe this dish can be called “Finding Nemo.” Nor do I understand the causa ($16, below), which is potato with shrimps and avocado, masquerading like a cake, because it is dry.

What I like are the anticuchos or street food skewers. The pork neck & Shishito peppers ($18, above) are the best thing here. They are marinated for 48 hours before grilling at the Peru-imported charcoal grill. Super tender and flavorful, although each piece of pork varies in texture; the one with more fats, more tender. The lamb heart skewer ($16, below) marinated with harissa is also good, nicely chewy, not gamy, good flavors.

The cocktails are also excellent, towards the sweeter side, which is to my liking. We had variations of Piscos, all are good. The pisco sour ($18) isn’t face-scrunchingly sour, but appetizingly so. Pisco verde ($20) is like an appetizing apple martini. And coco con pisco ($24) is a sweet crowdpleaser, with pandan, malibu, rock melon, kaya, and coconut.

Grilled pineapple with vanilla ice cream ($14)

In general, the food is ok, but the cocktails are the highlights, as should be the case for a bar. My inability to understand the food stems mostly from my ignorance of Peruvian cuisine, and not so much from the execution of the dishes.  I need to travel more.

Tiger’s Milk
28, Ann Siang Road, The Club Hotel, Rooftop, Singapore 069708
T: +65 6808 2183
M-Th 5pm-1am, F-Sat 5pm-2am

Food: 6/10
Decor/Ambience: 6/10
Service: NA (tasting)
Value: 6/10
Overall rating: 3/5

Written by A. Nathanael Ho.

This is an invited tasting. Thanks, Keith.