Six-Seat Eatery In Kovan Serving Ramen & Laksa Till 6am Is S’pore’s ‘Midnight Diner’
Nico Tan, 52, lost his trading biz and restaurant in China during the pandemic. He then drove a cab before an eye problem forced him to quit. Now, he cooks at a tiny izakaya-style diner where regulars huddle over comforting Japanese-Singaporean dishes like bak chor mee-inspired ramen, booze and banter.
It's 2am on a Sunday, and Jalan Pelikat, a residential estate in Kovan is sound asleep. But behind the tinted door of Bandit’s Joint on the ground floor of the unassuming Promenade@Pelikat, a condo with shops beneath in Kovan, the night is still young.
Inside you'll be greeted with a buzzy izakaya-style restaurant where gregarious Nico Tan, 52, serves Japanese-local fusion fare like ramen, donburi, laksa and congee with a side of banter. Sitting around the wooden counter of the year-old six-seater eatery (with four more alfresco seats), diners chow down on rice bowls and nibbles while chatting with one another. It’s all very cosy and everybody seems to know everybody. And that’s exactly what Nico wanted when he envisioned this hole-in-the-wall joint.
“I like a joint where I can hang out with buddies over drinks. My joy is drinking and bullshi**ng with everyone,” he tells 8days.sg. It’s named Bandit’s Joint as he and his investors (Nico doesn’t own a stake in the business) are “all naughty boys”.
Think Singapore’s version of Midnight Diner, the Japanese series on a late-night diner in Tokyo starring a mysterious chef and various customers who share their life stories.
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
Opens from 6pm to 6am
What’s unusual about this eatery is that it opens till 6am. Yes, you read that right. Despite its ulu location among private houses, you’ll be surprised that there are customers popping in at 3am to satisfy their supper craving, even on weekdays.
“We’re like a midnight diner. We’ve cultivated this timing so people know they can still find food here at this hour,” shares Nico.
“The late-night customers are mostly the younger generation, while families come for dinner. Most find out about us through Google reviews, so we get customers from all over, not just folks living in the neighbourhood.” Due to the limited seating, reservations via WhatsApp are a must.
Why not close earlier, we ask. “There are a lot of things to do. I need to prepare for the next day, and I am constantly engineering new dishes, so might as well stay open. If I close earlier, it means I am wasted,” he quips. Nico joins regulars for a few drinks when he has pockets of free time.
Prepare to wait for your food at this one-man show joint
There is also a pragmatic reason for the late-night hours: Customers are more chill as they are “not in a rush”.
“Then I can manage better. I am a slow cook and can only focus on one dish at a time,” admits the one-man show.
The wait could be around 30 minutes when there are a couple of diners to one and a half hours when it’s full house with 10 customers, including the four alfresco seats. A regular who hangs out here five days a week tells us that diners chat with one another or play card games while waiting for their food.
Says Nico: “Customers have been very understanding. I always let people know how long the wait is, because they might leave you a negative review if they have to wait. Not everyone will think your food is worth waiting for.”
If you don’t like the grub, it’s on the house
In fact, if you’re not happy with the food, Nico won’t take your money. He tells all his new customers this when he serves them. “But of course, I won’t charge you for that particular dish only, not the entire meal,” he laughs.
“But so far no one has complained about the food. Even if it is not nice, they will say it is okay.”
It’s no wonder at the time of writing, Bandit’s Joint has more than 60 reviews with a 5-star rating, not bad for an ‘if you know, you know’ kind of place.
From electronics trader to cook
Prior to starting Bandit’s Joint, Nico, who is divorced, ran his own electronics trading business in Hong Kong and China for 18 years. He also ran a fusion izakaya in Shenzhen on the side for two years. Though Nico didn’t cook there, the dishes were made with recipes he picked up from various chefs whom he met over his years of hanging out at various izakayas.
When the pandemic hit, Nico returned to Singapore to look after his elderly mum, and over time, he lost his businesses. “We thought Covid would be like Sars and last for a few months. We tried to sustain the izakaya for two years but lost everything,” he shares. He declines to reveal how much he lost in both businesses.
Though it was a major setback, he takes it in his stride, saying: “Being in the challenging dynamic business world out there, I’ve faced bigger losses. I stayed positive and kept going.”
“I never imagined I would become a cook”
With “nothing to do during Covid”, Nico signed up for a taxi driver's vocational licence course and worked as a cabbie for three years but was forced to give up driving when he had an “eye issue”. So when his friend roped him in to start Bandit’s Joint in January 2024, he took up the offer.
He had a lot of experience running the Shenzhen izakaya and he offers similar dishes at Bandit’s Joint. One problem though, Nico didn’t enjoy cooking - initially.
“I never imagined I would become a cook. I was just facing reality [after losing his job as a cabbie]. But I began to find passion in it and my past electronics innovation and manufacturing experience came into play [when it came to creating recipes]. It’s all very interesting to me. The only downside is the dish washing at the end of the night. I call it the Songkran!” laughs Nico, referring to Thailand’s water festival famous for its water ‘fights’.
There were days when there was no business
Compared to his salary as an electronics trader, he estimates he earns “around 70 percent less” now. Despite this, he did not consider returning to electronics trading as he had “lost the pursuit”.
“Technology keeps changing. There are constantly new updates and you need to keep up with innovations. Furthermore, most of my associates are out of business. Most of their factories closed during Covid,” shares Nico.
“But I enjoy what I am doing now. Otherwise, you won’t be able to survive at Pelikat. It is very quiet here. At 9pm, there is bo lang (deserted). We opened here because we are cheapskates, our rent is only $2.3K a month.”
When Bandit’s Joint first opened, there would be days where there were no customers. This went on for around three months and Nico reckons the joint only made $2K to $3K each month then.
“It was really scary. Now we average around 10 customers a day, but the fear is always there,” he shares candidly. It doesn’t help that the customer traffic is very inconsistent, and he is still unable to predict their peak hours despite being in business for a year.
“You just have to be persistent. I don’t know how to do social media marketing, and I don’t have the resources to promote the business. It was word of mouth and Google reviews that brought customers here. I am very thankful.”
The menu
Bandit’s Joint offers 13 Japanese fusion noodle dishes including its signature aburi pork belly tonkotsu ramen ($13), cold broth udon with pork belly ($13), mutton curry udon (dry) $14, and tori paitan $12. Meanwhile, local fare like seafood laksa, which he also offered at his Shenzhen izakaya, and congee are priced from $10.
Sides and nibbles range from $5 for cream crab croquette to $24 for grilled shima hokke, a type of salted mackerel. There is also a small selection of western grub like pizza and pasta from $11, and booze like draught beer, highball, whiskey, sake and shochu.
Aburi Pork Belly Tonkotsu Ramen, $13
The tonkotsu (pork bone soup) ramen, which comes with eight slices of torched pork belly, has been given a local twist with the addition of pork balls, tau pok, fried shallots, and served in a retro rooster bowl. The springy noodles have a satisfying bite and are crowned with a runny onsen egg and stir-fried cabbage. The savoury broth, though not as rich and creamy as what you get at ramen joints, is pleasantly peppery and boasts a subtle smokiness. The pork belly is delish when paired with Nico’s umami dipping sauce, a concoction of raw shallots, soy sauce and shallot oil, or what he calls “magic oil”. Shiok, like a luxe version of soupy bak chor mee.
Seafood Laksa, $14 (8 DAYS Pick!)
This elevated laksa comes brimming with clams, mussels, prawns, fish cake, tau pok, thick beehoon, and a golden-brown sheet of crispy fried tau kee on the side. Cooked using a supplier-bought spice blend spiked with hae bee and Japanese sakura ebi, the mildly spicy gravy is robust with just enough coconut milk for aroma. The dehydrated laksa leaves and fried ebi toppings are a game changer, enhancing the gravy’s depth and flavour when stirred in.
Katsu Donburi, $13
If you’re hankering after rice, we recommend the hearty and satisfying katsu don which features a thick, sizable pork cutlet (around 380g) atop fluffy Japanese rice. The well-seasoned crumbed pork collar is crispy on the outside, juicy and tender within, going perfectly well with the sweet onions, egg and sweet-savoury sauce over it.
Sliced Pork & Tuang Pork Ball Congee, $11 (8 DAYS Pick!)
Made with Japaneserice cooked in pork broth, this comforting Cantonese-style porridge is loaded with well-marinated pork slices and ‘boing boing’ (or in Nico speak, tuang) sole fish-studded pork balls. It is not quite as velvety as Cantonese jook but it is very flavourful and fragrant thanks to the drizzle of heady shallot oil and freshly ground pepper. Perfect supper food after a night of boozing, or breakfast if you’re an early bird.
Grilled Shima Hokke, $24
Another highlight is the grilled shima hokke, a type of mackerel. Cured in shochu and salted, the naturally fatty fish is grilled then torched to infuse a smoky aroma into the hokke. The result is moist and flaky flesh that is slightly salty and fishy. We imagine this would be great with some sake.
Bottom line
Though a little out of the way, Bandit’s Joint is a delightful late-night gem with its unique mix of Japanese-Singaporean fusion fare. We prefer the elevated hawker dishes here with a Japanese slant, especially the decadent seafood laksa and congee, which are simple but well-executed. But the icing on the cake is the good company. The atmosphere is inviting, and humorous Nico always guarantees a good time. Be sure to make a reservation before heading down.
The details
Bandit’s Joint is at #01-16 The Promenade@Pelikat, 183 Jln Pelikat, S573463. Open daily except Mon, 6pm to 6am. Closed on Jan 28. For reservations, WhatsApp 9348 8138. More info via Instagram.
Photos: Dillon TanNo part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
Shopping
