It feels like a culinary travel sketchbook when one dines at Charly T’s, a new chic casual restaurant located at Singapore’s downtown.

By Melanie Lee

What a lucky fellow Charly T is. Apparently, this well-travelled enigma got so inspired with the food he encountered amidst his extensive travels that he decided to set up a restaurant as a tribute to all his wonderful food journeys. The result? An enticing cultural smorgasbord of comfort food from over ten different countries and a strong, hearty bite from the travel bug.

At the root of it all lies the rotisserie chicken – Charly T’s favourite dish that he learnt how to prepare while growing up in Hamburg. Of course, now, it has been adapted with “secret spices” over the years as he encountered new ingredients and flavours around the globe. There are seven different sauces to choose from – original (with three degrees of spiciness), Kansas City BBQ, Kampong Amber with Roasted Peanuts, Ginger & Lemon Japanese Soy, Creamy Roasted Sesame, Chimichurri (parsley, red wine vinegar and red pepper) and Chermoula (with cilantro, garlic and cayenne pepper) and all go yummily well with the poultry. The juicy, flavourful chicken also comes in the form of salads, sticks, skewers and wraps, my favourite being the Casablanca Chicken Wrap with chopped cilantro, onion, jalapeno hummus and iceberg lettuce, a dish whipped up from his time of working in a restaurant in Morocco.

However, the multicultural touch goes beyond the chicken and you can have an open faced Spanish omelette for breakfast with chorizos, salsa and potatoes – a fond memory from a Spanish inn he stayed at while travelling around Europe. For tea, getting the fluffily scrumptious Gunpowder Tea & Pistachio muffin is a must – after all, it’s a special recipe he had honed for his jazz-loving friends in Morocco, which they devoured after all-night jamming sessions. From Germany, there’s Rote Grutze (summer berry pudding), which he discovered while exploring cafes in the Alster Lake district and Bircher Muesli from a Zurich chef friend. And hailing from the US, you get  Charly T’s savoury waffles with hickory smoked bacon and jack cheese, a dish he fell in love with when he was lured by American jazz to Kansas City. Drinks are just as cosmopolitan and you can expect interesting concoctions like Charly T’s Spicy Bloody Mary, as well as Gunpowder Tea Mojito. At this point, don’t you just feel like singing “It’s a small world after all”?

Above all, dining here is a refreshingly personal affair. With its travel-inspired interiors featuring elements from the cultures of the many places Charly T has visited, it’s as if he has invited you for a cozy, hearty meal at his place and is sharing his exciting travel adventures through his food. This intimate sharing of his life can even be seen through the way he sells his special sauces and unique gift items brought back from his travels for customers. Who knows, you just might meet Charly T when you dine there and be regaled with more interesting stories!

Charly T’s
20 Handy Road
Level 1 NOMU
Singapore 229326
Tel: +65 6336 7789
Web: www.charlyts.com

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