Where To Eat & Drink: A New Dim Sum Spot At Serangoon Gardens, Braci's Spring Menu & More
Our round-up of great dining spots to check out, fab drinks and the latest in food news this week
By Michelle Lee SM -
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.
To have on your foodie radar this week: The former Fat Belly steakhouse is now FBG and has rolled out a new menu, one-Michelin-star Italian resto Braci serves up the flavours of Spring, and dim sum cafe Ju Signatures has opened at Serangoon Gardens.
Formerly known as Fat Belly, the steakhouse at Serene Centre has been rebranded FBG, together with a new menu concocted by head chef Spencer Lau.
For starters, try the oozy Fried Camembert ($17++), made twice as nice with aromatic truffle honey, and pickled jalapeno for a bit of kick. You'll also enjoy the tender Roasted Hokkaido Scallops ($18++), with a light creamy housemade Hollandaise sauce and chickpea salsa.
The charcoal-grilled steaks are the main event here. Of the ones we sampled, our favourite's the juicy tender Rioplatense Argentinian Grass-Fed Ribeye ($48++), which comes with a light char and delicious smoky flavour. There's also the 2GR Full-Blood Wagyu Denver MS-6/7 ($62++) from renowned Australian heritage beef producer 2GR++, as well as the Jack's Creek F1 Wagyu Deckle MS-4/5 ($58++) from New South Wales, a fatty cut with rich beefy flavour. Sauces are available, but they're best enjoyed with just coarse sea salt.
Don't skip the veggies - the Fried Brussels Sprouts ($14) are a star on their own. Tossed with housemade garum caramel and a medley toasted pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and fried shallots, they're smokey, sweet, umami, and altogether delicious — we asked for seconds.
There are two new desserts on the menu: the velvety New York-style House-Baked Cheese Cake ($16++) with passionfruit coulis and strawberry compote, as well as the tofu-made Burnt Chocolate Mousse ($16++) brightened with yuzu sorbet. But hands down our fave is the signature Stan's Tiramisu ($14++).
FBG is at 10 Jalan Serene, #01-04 Serene Centre, Singapore 258748. Visit its website for more information.
Spring has arrived at one Michelin-starred contemporary Italian restaurant Braci. Chef De Cuisine Matteo Ponti is the man behind the open kitchen of the cosy indoor dining space, and we sampled his eight-course degustation menu, available for lunch and dinner from Mon to Sat.
The menu's a tour of the season's best produce — think mild faintly sweet baby corn from Japan, lightly charred and spiced with a ‘Nduja mayonnaise, and crisp sakura ebi. And a refreshing 'tagliatelle' inspired by a dish from chef Matteo's childhood. Bouncy ribbons of slow-cooked cuttlefish are chilled and dressed with tomato consommé infused with red shiso and basil oil.
The Morel mushroom stars in the Canaderlo in Camicia. Stuffed with a savoury filling of bread and morel trimmings, Parmigiano milk, among others, it sits in a comforting earthy roasted Tartary buckwheat consomme with crisp puffed buckwheat. For mains, Spaghettone Khorasan is a low-gluten reinterpretation of the classic cacio e pepe, topped with parmigiano rind, fermented black lime dashi and thin slices of lightly seared live Hokkaido scallop.
Cooked sous-vide and finished in the Josper grill, the thin slices of prized Iberico Presa are delicately marbled and tender. They're accompanied by Japanese eggplant topped with an umami mix of Vesuvio tomatoes, Taggiasche olives, mustard seeds, salsa rossa, umeboshi jus, and a prickly pear gel.
Dessert arrives in the form of the Fragola Oabika, a sculptural confection of Mara des Bois strawberry sorbet, blonde chocolate mousse, honey-like oabika (a cocoa fruit juice concentrate) and peppery notes from green pepper. We also had sweets like the Mon Cherie, cherry-shaped bonbons fashioned with preserved cherries, 74 per cent Millot chocolate and a Ratafia cherry liquor glaze.
Coffee lovers, the tiramisu tart is an absolute treat, doling out a potent coffee hit with espresso ganache, marsala jelly, and a luscious mascarpone marshmallow crown.
The eight-course degustation menu is at $258++ per person. Braci is at 52 Boat Quay, #05-01/ #06-01, Singapore 049841.
Modern dim sum cafe Ju Signatures has opened within the Serangoon Gardens enclave. Get your cameras ready, because executive dim sum chef Wong Kok Shyong, formerly group dim sum chef of Peony Jade, serves up morsels that are also visual delights.
The ubiquitous har gow gets a twist with the Ju Treasures Trio ($7.80++), with a classic, a beetroot-tinted one that includes crab meat, as well as one stained with blue pea flower that includes garoupa, although the shrimp does overwhelm the fish. The Wok-fried Chilli Crab in Mantou Tureen ($8.80++) presents a novel take on the local dish, with a chilli crab sauce that isn't overly spicy. The fried mantou bowl is crisp but just a little too dense (we're told this better holds the sauce).
The photogenic Yuan Yang Love Swans with Golden ‘Lychee’ Ball ($10.80++) is another highlight, with a 'black swan' concealing salted egg yolk lava and a mochi filling, while the 'golden swan' is filled with a chicken and mushroom filling.
Novelty aside, definitely order the classics, like the Crisp-fried Prawn Roll with Banana (3 pcs for $5.20++), and Brown Crisp Prawn Dumplings (3 pcs for $5.80++) come with crisp, airy shells. We also liked the Lavalicious Orh-Nee Salted Egg Sesame Ball, and Crisp-fried Pork and Chives Dumpling, both part of the Quintessential Four ($10.80++).
Looking for a sugar hit? Sink your teeth into a flaky and luscious Baked Orh Nee Tart with Gingko Nut that's served with a Chilled Soursop Delight ($9.80++), a concoction of soupsop, popping pearls and fruit chunks.
Ju Signatures officially opens on June 14, 2022. It's located at 4 Maju Avenue, Singapore 556682. Visit its website for more information.
Throughout the month of June, you can sink your teeth into a new San Francisco-style sourdough crust at Pizza Hut. Handmade fresh on the daily, it also utilises a longer prep and proofing process to yield a light and airy pizza base that's crisp on the outside.
The new crust creation is available with both dine-in and delivery bundles. Dine-in bundles start from $18.90++ for two, which gets you one Regular San Francisco Sourdough Pizza (Classic), paired with two portions of Soup of the Day and two soft drinks.
If you prefer deliver, deals start from $9.90 for one Regular San Francisco Sourdough Pizza (Favourite/Classic) for only $9.90, and $14.90 for one Large San Francisco Sourdough Pizza (Favourite/Classic) for $14.90.