Here's to all the F&B operators out there.

The drinks (and food) scene in Singapore is at once one of the best things about the country and at the same time one of the roughest. I'd argue that it's one of the only vibrant things about the country, as I'm sure most locals will attest, and yet somehow the country seems to take that for granted. Now, I'm sure everyone - anywhere in the world - will wholeheartedly agree that running an F&B is anything but easy. You've got to draw people to you, regularly switch up the menu no matter the cuisine or category of offering, keep folks entertained, the hours are long, the work is pretty high stress (if you don't have a perfect score across all levels of Overcooked you can't even begin to tell me otherwise), finding and keeping committed staff is as easy as holding on to a fish - and of course it does not help that the costs continue to run ever higher. 

It's a kick in the nuts every single day to put it delicately. If there were ever any business that was the most difficult, I'd say running an F&B is amongst the highest echelons. And yet, these tough-as-nails folks, ever optimistic and bright-eyed, simply lunge themselves at it, knowing exactly how hard it is. With this business, there's no such thing as dipping your toes till you're comfortable. It's off the deep end right from the start - and heck, it doesn't ever get easier, these folks just get better at dealing with it.

The amazing folks over at Orh Gao Taproom. 

"Cooks are nice people. Anyone who cooks, anyone who writes a cookbook, in my view, I'm going to assume they're on the side of the angels. You know, cooking is a nurturing thing. It speaks well of a person already, in my view, if they care about food enough to learn how to cook it well, or even try to cook it well." said the late great Anthony Bourdain.

And I'm going to just assume he's talking about those who run food and drink places more broadly. Because it's hard! No one goes in without some desire to make others happy, which is implicit in doing well in this business.

What then is entirely unfortunate is that there are rent-seeking landlords out there that see those who do well as an opportunity to cash in on the good and hard work these folks do, toiling day and night trying to run a good establishment, never resting on their laurels because good service yesterday is only as good as the good service they've done today. And that to me is one of the greatest legal ills that exist today (just because you can, does it mean you should?) - that someone can constrict the vibrance and lifeblood of society for their own selfish gain. To be explicitly clear, there are some of these landlords that literally see someone doing a good job and they think "Well, I want some of that", and they can enforce that, all whilst sitting pretty without lifting a finger. Okay, that's not totally true - they do have to type out their demands and send it by way of Whatsapp.

Call it capitalism, call it working hard enough to own property, so it's just exercising your right; call it a dog-eat-dog world, call it moral luck to inheriting a bunch of money to buy up land - sure, it's well within the rules of the game, but I think it's entirely shortsighted. Many of these landlords are killing their golden goose; the literal businesses whose singular goal is to make the area vibrant and attractive for folks to come to in order to succeed. And often times once these landlords have leeched every last drop of blood in an area, that area simply becomes a deadzone that no one thinks of anymore - good job!

It's a plague that's sweeping the Singapore food and drinks scene, and with each passing week we have become almost accustomed to hearing of yet another rent-related closure (although some might also point towards the lack of sufficient customer spending, albeit for me it still comes back down to making ends meet, which inevitably boils down to higher rents) - it's now become a sad yet unsurprising bit of news that we've come to expect each week. "Who's closing down this time? Ah right, sigh... We should definitely head down once more before they close." More broadly it feels like the scene has become dimmer by the week. It's a lit matchstick trying everything it can to keep its flame alight in a rain storm.

And if all might seem impossible to do anything about - I would hold that that would be untrue. Ultimately the folks who govern a country carry the unique ability to shape the rules and regulations by which all other folks - landlords and establishment operators included - are able to interact with one another. It is the power they're given above all other folks, because of their position and their sworn responsibility to make the country a great place to live. Therefore I'd hardly say that nothing can be done. Policies on rent control; what a permissible yet reasonable range for rent escalation is; how the tender process works; how much commercial property someone gets to own; the amount of leverage a person or entity gets to take own to purchase a commercial unit - these are just some very common practices other countries use to protect business operators. You could turn a blind eye and say "Well, it's the free market, it's natural" - look around us, nothing about our world is natural.

Why these folks with the power don't do something about the landlords is not something I can get into, but it is worth considering if the two are but one and the same. 

And so a couple of months prior, it was shared that Orh Gao Taproom was due for a rent revision - uh oh - which would've brought their operating cost up substantially. Thankfully, the folks running the taproom were able to swallow the rent increase, and it was said that it would be business as usual. Yet a couple of weeks later it seemed that things were not settled - even though they had met the offer, it appeared that the landlord nevertheless had other plans and so the final outcome was still that of eviction. You can't win if the house don't want you to win.

With that, the countdown began. The last day of September 2024 would be marked as Orh Gao's last day of operations (at least at their current location). A quick look at their Instagram announcement of the sad news would remind you - if you weren't already aware - of how beloved the place is/was.

It wasn't just a few months that I joined in on the celebration for Orh Gao's 5th Anniversary in March, and as we close in on the end of September, the outlook could not be anymore vastly different. Whilst I'm not any the wiser about their plans - I'd wager that they'd find a way to come back. But that is anything but guaranteed.

So why does it all matter?

I'll quote some of what I had pieced together for the review of their celebration beer, Grape Expectations, a grape ale, which was brewed by Rocky Ridge Brewing for the taproom's 5th Anniversary.

It was just March that we toasted the institution's 5th Anniversary with a wonderful Grape Ale.

"Orh Gao's celebrating it's 5th anniversary and so there was simply no excuse to not join in the celebrations. It might've been 5 years but it may as well have been 50 because not only was the turnout in celebrating the occasion great, but it was also filled with folks who love the iconic Singaporean taproom - friends, fans, partners, ex-staff members; everyone turned up in droves despite the rainy weather to give cheers to the craft beer haven that many have called the stopover before home.

Orh Gao has been such a massive supporter of the craft beer scene, always open to showcasing emerging or legendary, local or foreign, IPA or stout, craft beer brands alike. To its fans it's always a place to hang out and relax, have some nice upscaled Singaporean food, and either have a chat with a friend or even just mind one's own business - and if you're ever caught without company that you're looking for, the folks at the bar are always happy to talk to you.

There's always this sense of authenticity and if you're a follower of their Instagram, you'll quickly see that Orh Gao makes no apologies for itself - always embracing its outgoing, fun, edgy and lively personality (as is custom at its anniversary parties, all are welcome to chug a pint of craft beers with their tops off - you've just gotta be there).

It never feels like just any craft beer bar, it always feels like a personality of its own - one that will just as much always embrace you. The taproom is itself the friend you always wish you had at the bar. " 

And so with all that said, it's time for one last hurrah - Orh Gao Taproom has enlisted the help of local brewing starlet Alive Brewing, to produce a final beer to bid farewell to the establishment at least in its current form. It's a Nitro Oatmeal Stout named OG Zai Jian Stout, OG referring to "Orh Gao" and Zai Jian, meaning "Farewell" in Chinese.

It is a fitting parting pint for the sombre occasion - Orh Gao after all is a local reference to how folks at local hawkers would order a pint of stout. In the Hokkien dialect it is taken to mean "Black Dog", which is itself an extension of the original nickname Ang Ji Gao or "Red Tongued Dog", which was the local emblem used for a very popular and globally distributed stout of Irish origins.

And so with all that said, I checked myself in to the Orh Gao Taproom, ordered my pint of OG Zai Jian Stout, gave my cheers to every facet of the taproom that I've always liked (as pictured above) - after all it feels much in the vein of paying my respects to the institution - and then I got down to slowly sipping away at it.

I do truly hope the great folks behind the Orh Gao Taproom will be back - regardless, I wish them all the very best success!

For those who would like to raise a glass to Orh Gao Taproom, they're hosting a final hurrah this weekend from the 27th - 29th September 2024, where they'll bring back some of their menu classics, and you'll get to sip on their Zai Jian Nitro Oatmeal Stout, and if you'll indulge in an Orh Gao tradition, you can finish a pint of their Zai Jian Stout topless and get a free farewell t-shirt on the house! Do give them your support! It might well be the last time! Do head over to their Instagram for updates!

Beer Review: OG Zai Jian Nitro Oatmeal Stout, Orh Gao Taproom x Alive Brewing

Tasting Notes 

Colour: Espresso

Aroma: It's soft yet aromatically creamy, wafts of milk sugars reminiscent of sweet milk leftover from a bowl of frosted cereal. It's rather confectionary in quality, also giving coffee candy and milk coffee, with those coffee notes coming off rather creamy and milky too. More on White Rabbit milk candy and coffee cream. It's altogether very mellow, sweet, creamy and alluring.

Taste: More of that creaminess - it's giving coffee cream, espresso mousse, with a light roasty char of fresh Italian espresso. This is above all a classic Stout - no adjuncts, it's not an Imperial, no funny business. And so all the attention here should be paid to its textures. Medium-bodied, velvety, yet at the same time it's not at all heavy. It keeps its lightness, very approachable and sessionable above all, yet feels fuller and richer in flavour. It's not gelat or heavy, with a cohesiveness and roundedness, and a moderate richness. A good firm body, again coloured in with that distinct roastiness of charred coffee beans. It's very precise with a good concentration at its core - a shot of espresso at the center of all that bittersweet cream.

Finish: Still very much soft and velvety into the finish. It's plush and creamy, with a hint of bitterness of those roasted coffee beans, here it gets alittle more into spent coffee grounds. There's a nice balance to be had - a touch of espresso bitterness meets soft and light sweet cream. That light creamy vibe lingers.

My Thoughts 

What can I say? This is the most "Stout" Stout - it's classic, it's executed perfectly here, it hits the spot. These days we've got all manners of Stouts - pastry ones, Imperials, and every combo in between - and while I do enjoy those, I can never get away from calling the classic Nitro stout my all time favourite. It's simple, balanced and so damn tasty. I sometimes lament that we might tend to overlook the Stout for its more maximalist successors, yet it's always worth revisiting where it all started and remembering just why it remains a worldwide all-time classic. 

This ticks every checkbox of a benchmark Stout - it's aromatic on the nose, balanced on the body between espresso bitterness and sweet cream, it's sessionable and not heavy nor gelat, neither is it thin, it's got the right richness to give it depth and velvety plushness on the body, yet at its core has a distinct precise note of concentrated espresso that's wrapped around by the cream, the bitterness peaks into the finish as it should, and finishes out cleanly with just a smidge of cream lingering. It's everything you want in a Stout. Now that might seem easy - yet I contest that whole culinary schools dedicate months to perfecting the art of making the ideal scrambled egg - perfecting the classic Stout is no different to me.

And so it seems, rather begrudgingly on my part, that this is perhaps the most fitting farewell to a Singaporean craft beer institution. A classic Orh Gao for the one and only Orh Gao.

Orh Gao Taproom has been host to many a visiting breweries, served as the debut platform for local beer heroes that have come and gone, not to mention provided a place for folks from all walks of life from weekend comedy nights to singers, and those wanting to showcase their wares - and through it all has been a warm and cozy home to all who wander through its doors. I've had many great conversations and nights here (and day drinking sessions), shared laughter and discussed big life plans with a pint in hand. 

Whatever is to come, I hope it isn't Zai Jian (farewell), but Yi Hui Er Jian (see you soon). Or for those versed in Chinese might be quick to point out - Zai Jian is just as well often taken to mean "see you again". I sure hope so!

And so here's a pint to you Orh Gao Taproom! I can think of no better than a classic Stout made by a quintessential Singaporean brewer as a tribute to an institution of the Singapore craft beer scene. Wishing the folks behind Orh Gao the very best in finding a new home, and all their future endeavours!

For those who would like to raise a glass to Orh Gao Taproom, they're hosting a final hurrah this weekend from the 27th - 29th September, where they'll bring back some of their menu classics, and you'll get to sip on their Zai Jian Nitro Oatmeal Stout, and if you'll indulge in an Orh Gao tradition, you can finish a pint of their Zai Jian Stout topless and get a free farewell t-shirt on the house! Do give them your support! It might well be the last time!

Do head over to their Instagram for updates!  

Kanpai!

@111hotpot