Roots by 3 Blokes: Muslim-owned eatery with hearty sandos and potatoes in the East
East Village has become a hotspot for halal and Muslim-owned eateries. Some better known establishments there include Ground Floor Coffee and the viral Ramen-ya – though the latter is not halal.
But unless you live, study, or work around Tanah Merah, you probably wouldn’t have a reason to go down to East Village, much less frequent this lesser-visited mall.
Our latest discovery there might just convince you to make the trip down to the east.
Opened in December last year, Roots by 3 Blokes is a Muslim-owned eatery with sandos and potatoes that star slow-cooked meats, such as pulled lamb shoulder and beef brisket.
Roots is nestled further within East VIllage, so first-time visitors to the shopping mall might take a bit of time with wayfinding, as the mall’s layout can be confusing at times.
There’s limited dine-in space here at Roots, with only four bar-counter seats available. If you do, though, you’ll be treated to a full show of the chefs working their magic in the open kitchen.
Sandos at Roots
A warning for those with small stomachs: Roots’ sandos are a lot more filling than they look. If you’re planning to try a few sandos, make sure to bring a friend or two along.
Roots offers its sandos with either sourdough or focaccia bread. They were out of stock of the former when we visited, though, so we had ours with focaccia.
First on our order was the Deli (S$20), which features smoked sliced beef brisket as its star, accompanied by melted mixed cheese, chimichurri, caramelised onion, honey mustard, and demi-glazed sauce.
On first bite, you’re hit with the flavour of the beef brisket, followed by its juiciness, and then finally how well the caramelised onions complement the meat.
The beef brisket does dry out a bit as you get through the sando, but the chimichurri, sauce, and caramelised onions make up for it.
The Caravan (S$18) was my favourite sando of the lot. Starring Roots’ pulled lamb shoulder, the sando features mixed cheese, arugula, caramelised onions, garlic aioli sauce, and mint. Visually, it looked similar to the Deli, but with an added touch of green from the arugula.
Safe to say, it was love on first bite.
If you’ve shied away from lamb because of its usual gamey smell and taste, you might want to give it a second chance at Roots.
The slow-cooked lamb shoulder was so immaculately tender, I dare say it’s one of the best iterations of lamb I’ve had, and impressively, it avoided being gamey at all.
We also tried the Harvest (S$15), which stars grilled chicken as its protein. Also included in the sando are mixed cheese, a mesclun mix, spicy garlic mayo, and mango chilli salsa. The latter, in particular, caught our eye as it’s a pretty refreshing combination.
Taste-wise, the Harvest sando paled in comparison to the first two sandos we had. The grilled chicken was on the drier side, and though the mango chilli salsa added a nice sweet touch, it was so overwhelmingly spicy that the mango notes were rather muted.
Since Roots’ sandos are loaded, eating them can be quite a messy affair. If you’re scared of getting your hands dirty, disposable gloves are provided for your use.
Potatoes, two ways
If you prefer to have your slow-cooked meats with potatoes instead of bread, Roots has a selection of its meats paired with potatoes, served either mashed or roasted.
We opted to try the Shepherd (S$18), which features roasted sweet potatoes, Roots’ hot-favourite pulled lamb shoulder, arugula, mixed cheese, cherry tomatoes, garlic aioli, and edamame. The bowl was reminiscent of a regular salad, just that this salad bowl comes loaded with slow-cooked protein.
While the roasted purple sweet potatoes were plain on its own, it went well together with the meat. I’ve never had slow-cooked meats as part of a salad, but it works, especially for those who are looking for a low-carb, high-fibre diet with proteins!
We also tried the Heritage (S$15), a mashed cassava potato bowl starring smoked pulled beef brisket, embellished with arugula, cherry tomatoes, spicy garlic mayo, and edamame. The mashed potatoes were buttery, and of a soft and smooth consistency.
If the Shepherd felt like an upgraded salad bowl, the Heritage was closer to a mashed potato bowl on steroids, loaded with ingredients. It’s a good alternative to the sandos, if you’re not big on bread.
The price point at Roots is definitely on the steeper side, but for good reason — you can truly tell how much effort goes into slow-cooking the meats here, and you’re really paying for quality.
If you’re looking for food places to explore in the east, give Roots a shot. I’m confident you won’t regret it!
Looking for more places to eat in the East? Check out this authentic Spanish spot at Joo Chiat, or this taco spot at Simpang Bedok.
Wed 11am - 8.30pm
Thu 11am - 8.30pm
Fri 11am - 12.30pm, 2.30pm - 6pm
Sat 11am - 8.30pm
Sun 11am - 8.30pm
- Tanah Merah
Hannah is constantly on a hunt for good food and vibey cafes, with the occasional mild lactose intolerance being the only thing that interrupts her endeavours.
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