Magpie in Tiong Bahru, Singapore

On the outside, this looks like exactly my kind of place (57 Eng Hoon Street #01-88). The emphasis is on the beverages and small plates of food to go with it. They play fun music...and they play it unapologetically loud. It's in a nice walkable neighborhood, and there is alfresco seating on a first-come first-serve basis. The vibes are all here.

But when I dug a little deeper, I wasn't so sure. The service was hit-or-miss, and the food tended to lean heavily on acidic flavors. The quality of the ingredients was good, but the kitchen's style reminded me of that old Moosehead place, which I had trouble liking for the same reason. Many of the dishes could have done with one or two less ingredients to let the rest of the items shine.

Still, these guys do it much better than Moosehead did. Despite the acidity, it kinda worked, not unlike how awesome Thai food is despite the heavy acidity. They like to use chili peppers here too, which kept it fun. The only disappointment was that overbattered zucchini flower on the left, but the grilled corn to the right was fun with its curry leaf butter, and we liked their ceviche and taramasalata too.