What To Eat & Drink: Baristart Opens In Orchard, Lau Pa Sat Has Over 20 New Stalls & More

Always on the hunt for new dining spots? We bring you sound bites on where to eat, including new restaurant and eatery openings, the best places for your after-work tipple, and what’s new in the food scene.

What's new: Yan Restaurant has a new Autumn menu of sumptuous, nourishing dishes, Baristart has opened the doors to its third outlet located in the heart of town, ice cream cafe Tom's Palette boasts a refurbished look, and more.

Tom's Palette reopens with a brand-new look

After a hiatus, long-standing ice cream cafe Tom's Palette has reopened with refreshed interiors. The airy 40-seater space draws inspiration from an artist's studio, and is dressed in teak accents as well as eye-catching artwork by local artists.

Take your pick from a whopping 36 flavours at any one time, with nine mainstays, and 27 flavours on daily rotation. Signature favourites include Granny's Favourite (Chocolate Malt gelato melded with Cookie Dough and Chocolate Chip), as well as Salted Caramel Cheesecake and Rum & Raisin. But those with adventurous tastebuds can go for the likes of a refreshing and well-balanced Pi Pa Gao, savoury Nasi Lemak and Soya Bean You Tiao. There's also the White Chocolate Nori with distinct hits of savoury nori. All flavours start from $5.20 per cup (up to two flavours per cup).

We also particularly dig the boozy Guinness Chocolate Stout, a rich indulgent Italian Dark Chocolate (it's dairy and egg-free), and the Angmoh Carrot Cake with a yummy cinnamon fragrance. A new flavour is the Maple Pecan, made with organic maple syrup, and comes studded with crunchy pecan chunks. If you're there with a group or can't quite decide, get the Tom's Palette ($29.80), a platter of six scoops of ice cream rotated daily.

To go with your ice cream, the cafe offers crisp Belgian waffles (from $7.50++) cooked a la minute. The icing (or rather, syrup) on top? Free-flow gula melaka, or you can get maple syrup at $1.70++ (30ml).

Tom's Palette is at 51 Middle Rd, #01-01, Singapore 188959. Opens Tues to Sun (12pm to 10pm). Closed on Mondays. Visit its website for more information.

Yan debuts a new autumn menu

As we head into the last quarter of the year, Yan has rolled out an Autumn menu comprising a slew of nourishing dishes across set menus and new a la carte options.

Don't let the name of the Mini Buddha Jumps Over the Wall ($78++) fool you — the restaurant serves up a sizeable individual pot chock full of premium ingredients including sea cucumber, pig's tendons, shiitake mushroom, ginseng and a meaty three-head abalone. The abalone will be brought back to the kitchen though, and turned into a toothsome braised dish with the oceanic morsel cooked till tender.

A standout is the Steamed Eel ($20++ per 100g) that's been thoughtfully deboned and boasts soft flesh with a thick wobbly gelatinous layer. Minced garlic and the zesty fragrance of mandarin peel lift the savoury dish. This has to be ordered one day in advance.

There's also a meaty Crispy Whole Quail ($38++) — though a tad dry — and pan-fried venison ($12++) that offers a pleasantly chewy texture and comes coated in an umami sticky marinade with a hint of peppery punch.

The six-course set menu is at $138++ per person (min. two persons to dine). The Autumn menu is available from Sep 1 to Oct 31, 2023. Yan is at #05-02 National Gallery, 1 St Andrew's Road, Singapore 178957.

Baristart has opened at Wisma Atria

Baristart has opened its first store in town; it has two other outlets at Sentosa and Tras Street. Nestled within the one-year-old OCBC Wisma Atria branch on level four, it boasts a spacious interior doused in cream and wood hues that's great for whiling away an afternoon.

You can expect the same menu signatures here. Our fave of the lot is the Tonkatsu sandwich, which offers a crisp sando with a thick, juicy and succulent slab of breaded Hokkaido pork loin. Savoury notes from tonkatsu sauce and mustard butter add to the oomph. There are also the Wafu Pasta ($19.80), salads, and snacks like chicken karaage.

Don't go without getting yourself one (or two) of its famed cream puffs ($7 each), available in Hokkaido Cream and Coffee Cream options. The palm-sized morsels have a crisp airy choux pastry exterior that envelops a smooth and thick custard crafted with rich Hokkaido milk. Crisps and sugary bits on top add extra texture.

Stay for a cuppa, too. We pretty much enjoyed our iced latte, which was smooth and velvety, and doled out a decent coffee kick.

Baristart Coffee Singapore, OCBC Wisma Atria Branch, #04-01 Wisma Atria, 435 Orchard Road, Singapore 238877.

Lau Pa Sat welcomes over 20 new hawker gems

Iconic culinary landmark Lau Pa Sat has welcomed over 20 new hawker names to its stable. Tantalise your tastebuds with Michelin-recommended eateries such as Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow, which serves up both black and white versions of the smokey noodle dish, and Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, a Muslim-owned business doling out Indonesian-style nasi lemak in various iterations.

You can also well-established names such as Ri Ri Hong Mala Xiang Guo and Kallang Airport Wanton Noodle, or try out newly minted brands like Lu Bian Grilled Fish, which serves popular Asian-style grilled fish.

For Western and flame-grilled fare, stop by Flames. Think small plates and sharing platters of seafood that range from mussels and king prawns to lobsters, as well as build-your-own bowls. Oh, and you get to pair them with a curation of authentic Italian wines, too.

Don't forget to take part in Lau Pa Sat's exciting games and lucky draws to score attractive prizes from now till Oct 10, 2023.

Lau Pa Sat is at 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582. Visit its website for more information.