Odem, Singapore’s first craft makgeolli bar is here

The Singaporean addiction to K-pop and Korean television dramas continues unabated, a condition that reaches its cultural peak in the large number of Korean restaurants across the island. Odem, a new Bijou Makgeolli bar and restaurant designed by London-based Nice Projects and also behind the design of Singapore’s Claudine restaurant, is determined to stand out from the crowd.

Odem: the first artisan makkoli bar and restaurant in Singapore

Located in New Bahru – an old high school building converted into a hub for lifestyle and creativity – the 32-seat restaurant literally offers an intoxicating collection of traditional Korean fermented rice liquor paired with cheerful Korean cuisine .

Simone McEwan and Sacha Leong, founders of Nice Projects, said the design brief was to “create a versatile space where the outdoor terrace foliage and sunlight cater to a midday crowd but transform into a vibrant and stylish, but yet casual bar.’Night.’

The key to unlocking the bifurcated design is the series of semi-charred wood panels that run along the walls. “When I inquired about Makgeolli wineries, we came across charred wood as a material,” says Leong. “We realized we could use the pattern to evoke a distinctive, warm, cinematic feel.” “The goal was to capture a sense of place through a reinterpretation of Korean design and craftsmanship.”

Once the visual anchor was in place, Leong and McEwan layered textures—strips of red linoleum paired with granite tabletops, painted joinery, metal ceilings, fabric pendant lamps from Seoul-based AGO Lighting, and sleek, red-stained wooden chairs designed in collaboration with the Korean design studio Studio Word.

The bar is clad in handcrafted ceramic tiles, which the designers say allude to Onggi, the black clay pots traditionally used to ferment makgeolli.