Fast-moving drinks at Puffy Bois

EVERYTHING in pizza-and-cocktail joint Puffy Bois is designed for efficiency. A narrow neon-lit staircase off Bali Lane leads to an attic with tables, a long counter and ample standing room. There is neither a physical menu nor a QR code to scan – just a board with a deliberately limited selection of five pizzas, nine cocktails and a handful of wines, beers and champagnes.

Service, too, is speedy. Said co-founder Sam Ng: “The goal is to get people a drink in under three minutes, so that we can spend more time chatting.”

Yet, quick-to-serve drinks can still be complex, as is the case for the bar’s signature, Ok Go.

Drawing from co-founder Zul Zaba’s childhood memories, this nostalgic milk punch takes inspiration from the popular dessert, coconut sticky rice.

Its preparation involves several intricate steps: gin is fat-washed with coconut oil; milk tea is made in-house and clarified; and jackfruit ice-cream soda is crafted from scratch.

But all of this is done in advance. Pre-mixed batches are prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer. When the cocktail is ordered, it can be assembled on the spot with the contents of just two bottles – the base mix of milk tea and gin, and carbonated jackfruit soda.

Long in the making

Similarly, much preparation occurred before the bar opened in 2023.

Ng and Zaba met in 2018 during their previous roles as a liquor brand ambassador and distributor, respectively. They quickly bonded over a shared love of cycling, music and food and drink.

Having worked in overseas bars such as Melbourne’s Black Pearl and New York’s Employees Only, Ng thinks the drinking culture in Singapore is still in its infancy.

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“There are a lot of fantastic bars here, but nowhere really felt like a neighbourhood drinking spot,” he said. “The goal for us is to be a counterpoint to the more flashy offerings in Singapore.”

To reinforce the casual vibe, they decided to pair cocktails with pizza – a classic comfort food – and not offer cutlery, so customers simply pick up the slices to eat.

From mid-2021 to 2022, they tested their concept with pizza pop-ups under the Monkey Shoulder brand, for which Ng used to be a brand ambassador, as well as in bars and restaurants such as Tippling Club and Caffe Fernet.

The pop-ups were a success, but the pair wanted to ensure they could work together for the long term. So, they ran a hawker stall in Hong Lim Market from September 2022 to January 2023, selling sourdough naans, which share similarities with pizza.

That also worked out, culminating in the opening of Puffy Bois.

Changing it up

The cocktail range is kept succinct and approachable, but leaves room for variation with the customisable sour cocktail What What, which Ng intends to keep on future menus.

It is built on a house blend of four citrus fruits – lemon, lime, pink grapefruit and calamansi – mixed with syrup made from sugar, spent peels and husks.

On top of this base, customers can get adventurous with their choice of spirit, style of serve – long or short – as well as garnishes and modifiers, from citrus slices to bitters and liquors.

The bar’s pizza selection was refreshed in August, but its cocktail menu has been running since April. A new slate of drinks is in the works and may be released in January; the components will change, but the format will stay: five special mixes and four classic cocktails.

Ok Go 25 ml virgin coconut oil fat-washed gin 25 ml fino sherry 30 ml clarified milk tea 50 ml jackfruit ice-cream soda Garnished with toasted coconut