Club Street Laundry, a modern Australian eatery with plenty of vibes and hearty plates

It wasn’t too long ago that Club Street was a car-free zone, closed off to traffic on Friday and Saturday evenings. 

I recall rushing from my then-CBD office to meet my friends at Club Street on Fridays, and opening a bottle of wine under the skies to herald the start of the weekend, along with many other like-minded folks. 

Since then, the once-vibrant street has had many bars and restaurants come and go, some affected by the cessation of the car-free initiative in 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic, or simply by diners looking to tighten their purse strings.

As someone who loved the al fresco vibes of the Club Street of old, the new Club Street Laundry, located at the crossroads of Club Street and Ann Siang Hill, feels like a small blast from the past, especially with its name.

The name is a nod to its history — the building used to be known as Hup San Laundry — with the restaurant taking the “Laundry” part of the name, while the underground bar, Hup San Social Club, taking the “Hup San” component.

At first glance, you might think Club Street Laundry is just a watering hole (after all, it is not uncommon to see people downing a pint while staring out into the streets), but step inside and you’ll see that it’s a lot more than that.

Club Street Laundry serves up modern Australian fare, whipped up by its Australian owner-chef Justin Hammond, who trained under top chefs in Melbourne, and has worked in kitchens in Asia and Vancouver. He was most recently at Neon Pigeon and the now-shuttered Underdog Inn. 

The venue and menu, which covers a range of starters, some mains and sides, appears to be geared towards small groups, like for date night or a more intimate gathering among friends.

Trying Club Street Laundry’s dinner menu

The first thing you do when you reach, should be to grab a drink or two — choices run the gamut from coffee, to sparkling tea sodas (made in-house), beer, wine and refreshing cocktails. 

We gunned straight for the paloma (S$19), a breezy tequila cocktail with grapefruit fizz, and the CSL spritz (S$22), made with St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, Aperol, sparkling wine, and soda.  

The beverages, concocted by the venue’s beverage director June Baek (who is also behind Hup San Social Club), were unsurprisingly easy-to-drink, and eased us right into the evening ahead.

Of its starters, we loved the kingfish ceviche (S$18). What really stood out for us was the inclusion of firm slices of fresh avocado, helping round off the tartness of the citrusy Tiger’s Milk marinade. 

The other interesting starter is its roasted beet and goat cheese salad (S$17). Chef Justin roasts the beets with sugar, a method he picked up from his hometown, removing any semblance of earthiness that comes with the root vegetable. 

The beets come on a bed of goat cheese, topped with red chicory and toasted walnuts, finished with a drizzle of balsamic reduction. He recommends having every element in a single bite. It’s a tasty dish with many strong flavours, and one you ought to try if you love goat’s cheese and beets especially. 

Of its mains, the charcoal-grilled sea bream (S$31) sealed the deal for us. It came crispy on the outside, firm yet flaky, and still moist within. The fish was already well-seasoned, but made better with the zesty lemon and caper sauce, as well as the bright pickled fennel.

As someone who doesn’t gravitate towards fish as a main, even I could not stop myself from multiple second helpings from my dining companion’s dish. 

Similarly, the flame-grilled beef cheeks (S$33) fared well as a protein — fork-tender and cooked just right. 

But we did feel its accompanying salsa verde, which was meant to cut through the unctuousness of the beef, was a bit much, considering the beef already came with a very delicious and not-at-all cloying jus. 

I’d order the beef dish again, to share, if the salsa verde came in a thinner coating or on the side. 

There aren’t many sides on its menu — four in total — but it has a good mix of vegetables such as wood-fried mushrooms (S$15), and charred leek (S$15), if you prefer those to mash (S$10) or fries (S$6). 

The mushrooms were particularly memorable as it came with a very addictive celeriac cream with chunks of king oyster mushrooms, that even I, as a celery-hater, loved. 

It also has a small desserts menu, and we got to try the double chocolate miso brownie (S$8), which was crispier than your regular brownie, but delicately moist within. We only wished there was more ice cream (S$2 extra) to go with it.

All things considered, Club Street Laundry makes for an extremely cute date spot, or even for a solo date where you can sit and watch the world go by. 

Its food and drinks menu, which comes with a decent variety of items also means you can mix and match courses to your heart’s desire. Want a girl dinner with a drink and a dessert? Your call. 

Club Street Laundry is also open for brunch, with a whole ‘nother menu comprising sandwiches, bites, soups, and salads, and even has a S$25 brunch set where you choose a soup, sandwich, and side. 

You’d do well, however, to make a reservation as it has relatively limited seating, whether it is for lunch or dinner. 

This was an invited tasting. 

For more ideas on what to eat, check out Bedrock Origin’s  ew Sunday a la carte buffet brunch, or visit the luxurious Coach Bar, the brand’s first in the world. 

Reserve a table at Club Street Laundry via Chope and then book a ride to the restaurant via Grab.