It was pretty much a shame that Rascals at PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex had since shuttered — a spot that we really quite like when we made our visit just several months ago when they had first opened their doors; a gastrobar that serves up contemporary Asian cuisine. Since its closure, the space has now been taken over by yet another gastrobar — this time being Overworked Gastrobar which seems to have inherited much of whatever that Rascals had left behind when they had vacated the space; there has been little changes to both the facade of the shop unit (with the exception of the change of signages) and the furniture and fittings within, which gives the space that slightly raw look that it used to have with its previous tenant. Being a gastrobar that serves up Western and Asian fusion fare, the menu at Overworked Gastrobar is segmented into sections such as Starters, Overworked Burgers (featuring a homemade brioche bun), Breakfast, Entree, Light Bites (i.e. finger food that goes with booze), Signature Potato Rosti, Protein Poke Bowl and Dessert (i.e. a variety of Gelato on Homemade Waffle). The beverages menu at Overworked Gastrobar includes non-alcoholic options such as alcohol-free wine, house-made concoctions, floral tea, and kombucha from Wild Boocha; they also do serve coffee using beans roasted by local cafe, State of Affairs, which is located at 183 Longhaus at Upper Thomson Road. The alcoholic beverages menu would comprise of various types of wine, beer and hard liquor.

Being an item on the menu that is listed with two thumbs up, the Johnny Nutmetto was an item that we found ourselves going for since it is pretty much a strong recommendation on the menu. The Johnny Nutmetto is a Cold Seafood Pasta which consists of elements such as Cold Angel Hair Pasta, Asari Clams, Vannamei Prawn, Seabass Slices and a Chef’s Secret Nutmetto Relish. Served with the plate also chilled, the Johnny Nutmetto is a dish that is quite unlike any other that we have had thus far — the Cold Angel Hair Pasta is tossed with the Chef’s Secret Nutmetto Relish here; the relish being a tangy, nutty mix that probably involved tomatoes(?) and peanut sauce(?) that gives off a flavour profile that is almost similar to that of sauces typically found in Hong Kong-style chee cheong funs that comes with the “trio sauce”. The relish, which also gives the dish and Western-Asian fusion, comes slightly spicy — it isn’t that sort that gives a fiery kick, but certain enough to tingle the taste buds and should work fine even for those with lower tolerance to spiciness; something which we found to be particularly fitting with the seafood elements of the pasta. The Cold Angel Hair Pasta here is done to a slightly softer consistency than what we are used to — carried a good chew that somehow fits the context here where it is done as a cold pasta. Thought that the portion of seafood is pretty reasonable, with a good portion of Asari Clams, Vannamei Prawn and Seabass Slices thrown into the mix so every twirl with the fork ends up with some seafood laced within. A rather appetising dish that could also work as a starter to share with a larger group of diners as well.

Having tried other dishes such as the Plaster Cheesy Ham Rosti at Overworked Gastrobar, we did find their Western and Asian fusion fare to be somewhat playful and inventive — the Plaster Cheesy Ham Rosti being their own fusion take where Rosti meets Plaster Prata, which sees a sunny side-up plastered on the Rosti. Overall, the fusion fare here can be pretentious to some; that being said, they do seem to make sense while at it — probably shows a lot on their R&D process whilst coming up with the dishes. Coffee needs quite a bit of work however; the use of beans roasted by State of Affairs for their coffee offerings is something which deserves some cred — that being said, we do wish that they could probably invest in a better machine and having a proper barista in order to make the best use of the beans that they have got. Overworked Gastrobar was a tad empty when we had visited them on a Friday evening; that is despite all the posts that seemed to be making its rounds of social media of the late — a little bit of a sad sight for a spot meant for after-work drinks. That being said, this makes for a great space for catch-ups over some drinks and fun fusion fare to go along till it starts to get buzzy with a crowd — somewhere which we would not mind revisiting if in the area.