Looking for a new place to eat at this month? Here are some places worth checking out in Singapore this August:
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All-day dining restaurant House of MU in Mohamed Sultan Road is helmed by chef Tyrell Joon, who has worked at the Les Amis group for many years. The menu includes family-style dishes using gastronomic techniques he learnt in French kitchens.
The Mushroom Soup ($9++) is made from slowly simmering button mushrooms for hours, before adding cream, butter and milk to achieve a refined, light texture. The scallops in the Pan-seared Scallops with cauliflower puree and fresh apple ($19++) are cooked sous vide.
The MU-nster Platter ($138++, for three to four diners) is a generous selection of meats cooked in the Josper oven.
The platter, available in other sizes, includes prime cuts of beef steak, grilled chicken, roast lamb, pork tenderloin and herb sausages – all cooked over a combination of Japanese Bincho charcoal and apple wood logs for a smoky flavour.
11 Mohamed Sultan Road
Cookie Mixx at Ion Orchard has a “you create, we bake” concept which allows customers to create their own cookies, which are then baked on the spot.
The cookies are handmade using premium ingredients and with reduced sugar, no added preservatives and colouring. Danish butter, unbleached flour, Belgium cocoa powder and chocolate chunks, and dried fruit and nuts from the United States are used.
There are eight types of cookies ($6.90 for 100g) and the Belgium Chocolate Chunk is its bestseller. The other flavours are Earl Grey Tea, Cranberry & Oats, Triple Chocolate Chips, Milo Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter Chips, Espresso Almond and Raisins & Multi-grains.
Customers can choose from flavours such as vanilla, Belgium chocolate, espresso Milo and peanut butter crunch, and add toppings which include M&Ms, organic chia seeds, German oat flakes, US dried berries or cherries and macadamia.
The baking process takes about 30 minutes and customers will receive a text message when their orders are ready.
Pre-orders can be made at its website. Collect at the store or opt for delivery.
Customisation starts at $21, with 300g of cookie base and a topping.
#B4-70 Ion Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn
The Seoul Garden Group, a halal-certified Korean restaurant chain that owns brand names such as Seoul Garden Buffet and Seoul Garden Hot Pot, has opened a new Korean-Western cafe at Century Square mall in Tampines.
Two Hana’s signatures include Kimchi Mac and Cheese ($9 nett), a crossover of classic macaroni and cheese spiced up with kimchi chunks, coated in crispy breadcrumbs and deep-fried; and Korean Cauliflower Fritters ($8), crispy cauliflower tempura glazed with special housemade sweet and spicy sauce.
Among the mains are Crisp-Battered Pacific Cod and Doenjang Mash ($14), Striploin Bap ($13) and Korean Seafood Ciopinno ($12), with fresh mussels, clams and prawns in creamy tomato soup, which you can soak up with tofu or Two Hana soft rolls filled with kimchi and cheese.
#01-21 Century Square, 2 Tampines Central 5
A takeaway brand called Liang Sandwich Bar opened its first outlet at VivoCity earlier in July.
Taiwanese musician Jay Chou and Chinese movie star Meng Li are the brand ambassadors. The chain has more than 12,000 outlets in China, South Korea, Japan, the United States and Canada.
Its speciality is the Liang Smoked Chicken Sandwich ($5.90, above), which is billed as “Jay Chou’s favourite”. Smoked chicken breast, shredded lettuce, egg crepe and a choice of the special Liang sauceare wrapped in a crispy and fluffy scallion pancake.
The Singapore outlet offers Taiwanese food infused with local flavours.
Its primary focus is scallion pancakes, or “hand-grabbed pancakes”, with fillings such as smoked chicken breast, ham and cheese and special sauces.
Other sandwiches include Chicken Bolognese and Chicken Patty ($5.50 each); Black Pepper Vegan Patty, Tuna Mayo and Chicken Floss ($4.90 each); and Cheese & Egg, Chicken Ham & Egg and Mushroom & Egg ($3.90 each).
#B2-K22 VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk
This latest addition by Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe is its first hotpot buffet restaurant.
Diners get to customise their own pot, with more than 50 items to choose from and a sauce bar that features over 15 condiments.
Hotpot ingredients include shabu shabu beef, smoked duck, prawn, housemade Teochew pork ball and konjac.
There are four choices of broths: signature papaya soup (above left), a chicken broth infused with papaya; Korean army stew; tomato soup (above right); and housemade fragrant spicy soup, which offers fiery mala goodness.
A la carte dishes include Asian staples such as fried rice ($6.80++ – $8.80++) and dry and soup instant noodles ($6.80++ – $8.80++).
Prices for the 90-minute Chill Gen Unlimited Hot Pot Buffet are $18.80++ (Sundays to Thursdays and public holidays; Fridays, Saturdays and eve of public holidays, till 5pm) and $24.80++ (Fridays, Saturdays and eve of public holidays, after 5pm).
#02-11 Cineleisure Orchard, 8 Grange Road
Owned and managed by Japanese restaurant chain Sushi Tei, Hokkaido-Ya is a fast, casual, self-service restaurant serving Hokkaido-inspired dishes and Japanese favourites.
Signatures include Truffle Salmon Don ($10.90), Bara Chirashi Don ($13.90), Hokkaido Butter Corn Hotate Ramen ($12.90) and a range of white curry dishes.
A must-try is the Hokkaido White Curry, a variation of Japanese curry.
Inspired by the island’s snowcovered landscape in winter, the mild curry consists of a mix of cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, onion and garlic powder cooked with milk. Customers can pair it with rice and tori karaage chicken ($10.90), Shirobuta pork katsu ($12.90, above), fried ebi prawn ($11.90) or udon ($1).
The Hokkaido Butter Corn Ramen features imported Hokkaido ramen in two variations: house-marinated chasyu ($12.90) or scallop ($12.90), with a choice of paitan (white pork-based broth), miso or spicy miso broth – topped with a soft-centred egg, bean sprouts, sweet corn and a pat of butter.
#02-153 VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk
PS.Cafe has launched Jypsy, which offers contemporary casual Japanese cuisine.
The menu at the 65-seat restaurant is designed to be shared and starts with grilled Robata Sticks, Sushi Rolls and Sashimi.
The grilled robata sticks, such as the teriyaki-glazed Pork Belly ($12++, above), are single-serve grilled bites that come with a selection of chef’s housemade sauces.
Signature dishes are Smoked Mackerel Sushi Roll ($14++), with truffle ponzu mayonnaise, and Jypsy Bluefin Tuna Sashimi ($24++), with bluefin tuna, shichimi furikake and avruga caviar.
Hot and cold small plates include Nest of Fries ($11++) – an ode to the kakiage dish of tempura chopped vegetables and also Jypsy’s take on PS.Cafe’s iconic truffle fries.
All Day Bowls include udon goreng ($19++), wok-fried thin udon noodles with Jypsy chilli sambal and teriyaki pork belly skewer; and Smokey Unagi Fried Rice ($22++), with grilled unagi.
For dessert, diners can expect Japanese-inspired ones such as the Watermelon Granita ($9++), with calamansi jelly; and Yuzu Tofu Cheesecake ($10++).
38 Martin Road
The Colonial Club takes diners on a gastronomic journey through Singapore’s rich culinary heritage.
Patrons at the restaurant, which can accommodate 70 to 80 people, will find a mix of heritage cuisines, which include Hainanese-style Western offerings, Nonya dishes and local favourites with British colonial influence.
One of its signatures is the Straits Nonya Laksa with Soft Shell Crab ($18.90++). For this dish, the chefs visited Melaka to pick up tips from local chefs working in famous eateries.
There is also the Signature Colonial Club Nasi Lemak ($15.90++, above) – the restaurant’s version has fragrant blue pea rice and short-rib rendang.
The Colonial Style Oxtail Stew with Toasted Baguette ($15.90++) is a classic dish that takes many hours to cook and features potatoes and carrot in a thick and rich gravy.
Do not miss the Colonial Style Hainanese Chicken Chop ($15.90++), which features pan-fried, cracker-crusted chicken thigh drenched in an in-house tomato Worcestershire sauce.
#03-33 Departure Hall, Changi Airport Terminal 3, 65 Airport Boulevard
Justin Quek is one of the earliest celebrity chefs from Singapore, with restaurants all over the world in his 30-year-career.
He closed Sky on 57 at Marina Bay Sands in June last year, but has returned to the location a year later with two concepts.
Chinoiserie is his fine-dining restaurant that is classically him – a mix of classic French and Asian cooking techniques.
The all-day diner is on the Marina Bay promenade and that view can melt the most jaded heart.
And while you’re soaking up the scenery and reminding yourself how much you love Singapore, you can feast on a locally inspired menu.
The prices aren’t cheap, but the quality makes it worth it.
The one dish we insist you try is Chef Justin’s Signature Wok Fried Live Maine Lobster Hokkien Noodle ($38).
It has a deep umami that entices. The noodles are not soggy even though soaked in sauce, and the best bit is the generous amount of lard.
The Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao ($25, above) is a good example of Chef Quek’s East-West blend. This is his signature item from a few restaurants and he brings it to JustIN’s slim dim sum menu.
The creaminess of the foie gras does well in a dumpling, although it doesn’t yield as much juice as the usual pork stuffing.
Many established Singapore restaurants have drool-worthy versions of satay, and while the Charcoal-Grilled New Zealand Lamb Leg Satay ($18, above) is delicious, it is more nostalgic than innovative.
The meat is more tender than it looks, aromatic and dense with flavour.
That was what we thought about the Wok Fried Kampot Black Pepper Beef ($30) too.
There is nothing thrilling about it but it is comforting and delicious.
There are so many versions of the ondeh-ondeh cake that it is beginning to get boring, but don’t miss the House-Made Ondeh Ondeh Cake ($9, above) here.
There is enough of that coconuty taste, with the creaminess of the kaya layers.
It is also so light that you’ll probably finish that sliver of cake in moments.
Little India may be better known as the home of a plethora of Indian flatbreads, whether you are looking for naan, chapati or prata.
So we were surprised to find delicious sourdough bread made in a wood-fired oven in a cafe hidden among the neat alleyways of Rowell Road.
Perhaps the name of the cafe, Sideways, comes from how you have to pull the metal door sideways to enter the narrow space, formerly occupied by Broadcast HQ, which comprised a cafe, bar, record store and dance floor.
Either way, the rustic sourdough bread, which has a beautiful rise and crust ($4+ for four slices), is the highlight of the Mediterranean-themed and small plates menu at Sideways, which is run by the same people behind Sarnies, a cafe in Telok Ayer, and The Hangar in Arab Street.
While those are mainly coffee-centric cafes, the focus of the 30-seat bistro, which opened earlier in July, is the food.
The owners use a variety of rosewood for the fire, which imparts a distinct fragrance and smoky flavour to the bread and dishes, many of which pass through the oven.
This includes the generous hunk of bone marrow ($12+), which comes sprinkled with garlicky breadcrumbs.
You can taste the char from the fire in the creamy marrow, which pairs perfectly with slices of sourdough that it comes with.
It is all a little salty, but washes down perfectly with an Aperol spritz ($14+) off the small cocktail menu.
There is also a selection of main dishes that are fired up on the spot, but you can fill up on just the dips.
The standouts are the mint and feta dip ($9+), which is fresh and light, and almost pesto-like with the pine nuts that are blitzed in as well. The smoked eggplant and peppers dip ($7+), on the other hand, has an almost chutney-like spice to it, perhaps a nod to the Little India neighbourhood.
The black bean hummus ($8), however, is a little too watery for my liking, though the capers studded in the mixture add a lovely, salty hit.
With the quirky soundtrack (when I am there, an Argentine ska band called Los Fabulosos Cadillacs is playing on the stereo), the environmentally friendly metal straws, graffitied walls and the owners sorting out bills and staff schedules at the next table, it feels like an authentic neighbourhood restaurant.
Text: Ronald Kow and Anjali Raguraman/Straits Times and Yeoh Wee Teck/The New Paper