Last weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to Hopscotch, Gillman Barracks, to celebrate their incredible 1o-year anniversary. Tucked away in the Gillman Barracks enclave, Hopscotch has long been known for its creative cocktails and tasty bites. Hopscotch’s 8th edition menu brings back its most iconic drinks from the past decade, along with A Decade in Time—a dazzling 10th anniversary commemorative cocktail that captures a decade of stories in a single sip.
This tasting was such a treat. I got to try an amazing spread that showcased how far they’ve come over the past decade.
Let’s Talk About Hopscotch’s Food
Every dish I had was packed with flavour and personality. Here are some of the highlights:
- Raw Oysters: These were flown in from Hyogo, Japan, and they were just chef’s kiss—creamy, springy, and sweet, served with sea grapes, ginger flower, and sesame scallion mignonette. Super fresh! They have various oyster platter offers, so go over and check them out!
- Summer Asian Salad: A crunchy, refreshing bowl of mesclun greens, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, radish, feta cheese, and the best part – lotus crisps. All drizzled with a sesame-hoisin vinaigrette. It was a great start to our meal with different textures.
- Honey Soy Brussels Sprouts: OK, these were dangerously addictive. As one of the dishes under Sharing Plates, it definitely sparked conversations at the table about how good this was. Crispy Brussels sprouts coated in a sticky honey-soy glaze with black garlic and pine nuts. So much texture and flavour in one bite. This was easily our favourite out of all we had, and we’re definitely coming back for more!
- Chilli Crab Pizza (Signature): Think chilli crab in pizza form, with blue swimmer crab, soft shell crab, tomatoes, chilli crab sauce, and crunchy mantou croutons. Each bite packed a punch with the amount of quality ingredients, and I cannot wait to return to try the other pizzas. Their pizzas feature a Roman Pinsa base, known for its oval shape and unique flavour, which is made from soy, rice, and wheat flour. Its crust is the perfect canvas for pizzas inspired by iconic Singaporean flavours—other interesting toppings you can choose from: Chicken Satay, Oriental Duck, and more.
- Black Garlic Ribeye Steak: A 250g slab of tender Australian ribeye served with bone marrow butter (yes please!), black garlic mash, caramelised onions, and sesame roasted Brussels sprouts. Finished with a rich brandy sauce. So satisfying. I must say, the bone marrow and black garlic were something else—not something I can forget.
Cocktails That Tell a Story
And now for the drinks – Hopscotch absolutely knows how to get creative behind the bar. Each cocktail was like its own little experience:
- A Decade in Time: This one was extra special. Served in an hourglass glass inside an infinity mirror light display, it was a tribute to Hopscotch’s journey over the past 10 years. There was even a QR code to scan and follow their story while sipping. The cocktail was sweet, sour and smooth – one of my favourites.
Ingredients: apple flower & kumquat gin, sakura Mancino Vermouth, soursop, calamansi, blue pea vanilla, Hops tincture, chocolate & mint tincture - White Sands: I chose this as it was the only edible cocktail available on the menu, and it did not disappoint. A dry-ice blended cocktail that felt like a beach vacation in a glass. Coconut, lychee, sake—and that sorbet-like texture made it super fun to drink. Imagine lazing under the sun at one of Greece’s beautiful coasts, devouring this refreshing alcoholic dessert? Yes, please.
Ingredients: Vodka, Nigori Sake, Malibu, Kwai Feh, coconut purée, fresh citrus, white chocolate lair, lychee spheres. - Mid-Autumn Delight: Inspired by the Mid-Autumn Festival and much-loved local favourite mango pomelo sago dessert, this was sweet and citrusy with yuzu and calpis. It even came with a handcrafted mango and yuzu snow-skin mooncake, which turned out to be our dessert to end the night. Adorable and delicious.
Ingredients: Gin, vanilla syrup, calpis, mango purée, yuzu, fresh citrus, homemade mango yuzu lotus snow skin mooncake - Wish Upon a Lantern: A whimsical cocktail inspired by Chinese New Year lantern wishes. Performance-wise, this had to be our highlight. You can write down your wishes on the paper wrapped around your lamp, which is then lit up before your eyes in hopes that the written wishes come true immediately as you see them burn up into the night sky. It was lighthearted and fun – and honestly, after a few sips, I totally believed alcohol solves everything.
Ingredients: Gin, Kyoho Murasaki grape liqueur, mangosteen juice, Thai basil and palm sugar cordial, lime, kewra water
Apart from the fantastic performances and stories each cocktail contained, all the cocktails tasted well-rounded and easy to drink, and we had nothing bad to say about them. Kudos to you, Hopscotch!
More Than Just Food & Cocktails
What made the experience even better was the vibe. Hopscotch isn’t just about good eats and drinks – they’ve got live music to keep the energy up and a foosball table if you’re up for a friendly match. It’s the kind of place where you can hang out all night, catch up with friends, and soak in the chill yet lively atmosphere. There you go, another reason why we stayed so late.
A Night to Remember
I’m so grateful to Hopscotch for such a memorable experience. Every bite and sip was crafted with so much thought and heart. You can really feel their passion for blending local culture with creativity. If you haven’t been, this is your sign to go. And if you have, it might be time for a revisit – because they’re still serving up magic, 10 years on. Happy Anniversary, Hopscotch – here’s to many more!
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