Today I was on Commercial Drive to check out Sing Sing’s second and newest location. For those unfamiliar this is Freehouse Collective’s restaurant/bar popular for bringing together pho and pizza on one menu. Be aware, neither of which is truly authentic, but having the ability to have them together, alongside pasta and other Asian items like dumplings and baos is a world wind treat.
I am also a fan of their decor, Commerical Drive carries on where Main Street left off. A golden wood interior with splashes of the tropics from faux green plants. Both of which matches their tiger logo/mascot. An orange and black stripped tiger that seems to be bent over backwards onto itself, in what looks like an uncomfortable yoga position.
Coincidentally, I was in my white and green dress with orange tigers printed on. This perfectly matched their theme. So much so that the manager gave me one of their pins, making me an honorary Sing Sing employee. I was thrilled and immediately pinned it to my lapel.
I was sure to strike a pose with my new pin, along side their branded, individually wrapped chopsticks. And in their washrooms with its more robust tiger-jungle theme.
We had the option of sitting on their patio that ran the length of their corner building. However, I opted for indoor seating, knowing full well I wanted a bowl of pho. Given the heat, it is definitely not the ideal weather for a hot bowl of soup, however when in Rome.
We started with some drinks. My guest ordered a non-alcoholic mocktail that red like a green juice, although it I did not have the consistency of it. Green apple, celery, fennel, cucumber, lemon, honey, cinnamon, and ginger. It was clarified light with the consistency of soda.
The mocktail that caught my eye was their take on bubble tea, a passion fruit number that included tapioca pearls.
However, I had to get their featured drink, created in collaboration with Absolut vodka. Chi Chi On Fire with Absolut Vodka, coconut, mint, lime, sparkling water, housemade pineapple jalapeño liqueur. It is like a more minty and creamy piña colada soda, sweetened. It also comes with an extra shot for an extra punch.
This is a seasonal cocktail created to celebrate pride, and it comes with a chance to win a trip for two. If you order this drink between now and August 4th, 2024 and either/or post a story or reel on Instagram, tagging both Freehouse Collective (@freehouse.co) and Absolut Vodka (@absolutvodka), you are entered into the draw.
The prize is a trip to San Francisco for the Outside Lands Festival, headlined by Post Malone and featuring Kaytranada. The package includes flights, hotel, and a single day festival tickets for August 11, 2024. You have to be following Freehouse Collective on Instagram and tag a travel buddy, whom you’d like to go on this excursion with, for an additional entry.
Naturally, I wanted to win, so I did it all for a change too.
As for the food, seeing as my guest, has never been to either Sing Sing locations before, we decided to order one item from each of their distinct categories, in order to give her a good feel of the place. It isn’t a lengthly menu, but it has good number of options. We skipped appetizers, but there was a broad mix of small plates, including calamari, carpaccio, steamed buns, dumplings from Dicky’s Dumps, and the popular Freehouse Collective fries with rosemary and Parmesan.
For pho, your broth options are between beef, chicken, and veggie. I got the beef, which I believed would be the most flavourful. The Pho Bò is rare steak, beef brisket, and meatballs. Thick cuts of meat to match the thick rice noodles. This is not authentic or traditional, but I did like their use of noodles and meats to make this their own. And like regular pho it does get one tonal after the first few initial bites, luckily like with all other pho, you get hoisin and chilli sauce on the side to perk things up with. And usually I don’t reach for either, but I did find myself finishing both, washing the dish clean in the broth.
The Five Spice Bolognese is spaghettini, grana padano, and thai basil. The noodles themselves are dry and seem undressed. It is the meaty mix that has all the flavour. The five spice is not heavy handed, but blends well into the tomato-based bolognese. The cheese is a nice topping and a good addition with its saltiness.
I really enjoyed their Bulgogi Baguette, although did not find that the side of fries really matched it. This was like a banh mi with pickled vegetables and Korean-style bbq meat. Beef striploin, spicy pickled carrots, kimchi mayo, cilantro, and jalapeño. We opted to make it a dip by adding a bowl of pho broth, and I suggest that you do as well. Tasty as is with the cream sauce and thick cuts of meat, the jus takes each bite to the next level. A messy mix, but the most delicious sandwiches usually are.
For pizza we went with the Speziato with Calabrian chili, soppressata, mozzarella, tomato pesto, and honey. It eats lean with its fluffy dough, despite the pools of grease. Plenty of salt and spice, tempered by the sticky sweet honey drizzle. The least exciting of what we had above, and in retrospect we should have kept things fusion, which they do well and what we have enjoyed from them thus far.
As a whole, everything we had all went well together as a mix and match meal. Not one dish could stand alone, outside of the banh mi, but together they made for a great eating adventure. A great addition to Commercial Drive for drinks and as a late night snacking hot spot.
Sing Sing Commercial
1191 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3X3
(604) 265-6865
freehouse.co/locations/sing-sing-commercial
