Bingo: New rustic bakery in Joo Chiat with hand-crafted pastries and chill, homely vibes

Ask any avid cafe hopper where to go for the best hidden food haunts in Singapore and they’ll probably say Joo Chiat Road. After all, it’s a vibrant enclave that houses some of the top eats in town (Dickson Nasi Lemak, Two Men Bagel House, Kohi, anyone?). 

Simply stroll down the bustling streets of Joo Chiat Road and you’ll stumble across a plethora of hole-in-the-wall cafes and hip eateries along the stretch. Some of them are nestled among colourful, ornate Peranakan shophouses — landmarks unique to the neighbourhood — which add to its idyllic charm. 

Just last weekend (May 25), new bakery Bingo joined the fray. Despite its recent launch, it has already garnered plenty of fanfare online. 

Now, the space is frequently packed with customers and regulars, with certain signature bakes selling out fast.  

Bingo in Joo Chiat is a quaint, cosy space founded by a close-knit group of friends with a love and passion for baking. 

If you’re wondering how it got its quirky name, one of the founders mentioned that it embodies “bingo”, an expression of a satisfying outcome — which is their hope and vision for this joint. 

But it’s more than just a bakery. To the team, it’s their second home and pride. In their own words, it’s also a “community centre, but cooler”, where folks from all walks of life can bond over pastries, coffee and good vibes. 

A large, wooden communal dining table sits in the middle of the space, presumably to facilitate conversations and togetherness among diners.

It also gives you a full view of the team at work, as they carefully roll bakes out of the oven. 

The menu at Bingo in Joo Chiat

Bingo’s menu is kept lean with only a handful of choice pastries. This is intentional as the team wants to serve signature bakes with the best quality and precision. 

An item that comes highly raved is the Iranian pistachio tart (S$14). It’s a hit if you have a sweet-tooth — an indulgent treat layered with moreish Iranian pistachio praline and fragrant pistachio frangipane.

Atop the tart shell are fluffy clouds of vanilla and pistachio cream, which navigate a fine balance between sweetness and saltiness. Crushed pistachio bits also crown the pastry, adding a lovely texture and crunch to the bake.

Despite its cream-filled appearance, the tart isn’t too jelak (cloying) either, so much so that we can devour the whole pastry on our own. Among all the bakes we tried, this is easily our favourite, and one we will return for.

Next up, we tried the Memory of Osterbrogade (S$9), which looks like a creative take on a cruffin (croissant-muffin hybrid). 

The decadent pastry sees flaky, laminated layers of dough dusted with sugar and a dollop of velvety vanilla cream on the top. Break the cruffin apart and zesty raspberry jam oozes from the middle. 

The fruitiness of the jam lends a tangy oomph to the bake, which goes really nicely with the mild sweetness of the vanilla cream. If you enjoy a toothsome pastry with vibrant, fruity flavours, then you’re likely to fall head over heels for this.

For those with a penchant for savoury bakes, Dear Tomas, Love Bread (S$10.50) is a good old-fashioned chicken pie that you mustn’t miss out on. It’s a bestseller at the bakery and sells out quickly.

According to the team, its chicken pie rendition was inspired by someone named Tomas, who loved chicken pies. So, they decided to create their version of a traditional chicken pie — just made elevated. 

Much like all the other bakes at Bingo, the chicken pie is lovingly made from scratch daily. It features tender roasted chicken meat and potatoes buried underneath a crispy pie shell. 

The pie dough and sauce are made with chicken stock and fat, which bolsters the pastry with extra savouriness and fragrance.

If you’re a stickler for tradition, you will love the cardamom bun (S$6) — a dainty little thing intricately laced with cardamom spice. 

It hits all the right spots: The bun is baked wonderfully golden and has a firm exterior and pillowy body underneath. Every bite was a heady burst of buttery fragrance, so much so that we had to resist ordering a second serving.

It’s a simple bun done right and the perfect accompaniment to an aromatic pick-me-up beverage.

Bingo in Joo Chiat offers a selection of hand-crafted brews, including non-coffee options. 

We weren’t feeling coffee when we visited the bakery that day, so we opted for iced chocolate with oat milk (S$7.50) and iced seasonal shrub soda (S$7.50). 

They weren’t mind-blowingly delicious but were good refreshers nonetheless. Perhaps Bingo’s caffeinated alternatives will be better picks if you prefer bolder, full-bodied drinks.

For the latest eats, read about the return of In-N-Out along Upper Thomson Road and McDonald’s spicy McNuggets and McShaker fries. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here. 

You can also book a ride to Bingo at Joo Chiat to savour its bakes. 

Do explore the GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.