Where To Eat & Drink: Hokkaido Hairy Crab, The Kampong Bakery's Asian-inspired Bakes & 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 sink your teeth into this week: Hokkaido hairy crabs and snow crabs at Kuriya Japanese Market, crisp unagi at specialty eel restaurant Xi Man, Asian-inspired bakes from The Kampong Bakery, and more.
Hokkaido hairy crab, snow Ccab and kanpachi seasonal specials at Kuriya Japanese Market
Well-known and prized for their firm flesh and bold, sweet flavour, you can now get a taste of Hokkaido's hairy crabs (aka kegani) from Kuriya Japanese Market, which is reeling us in with its A World of Winter Fair from now till Feb 28, 2022. And what's even better? It will be offering the crustacean at a discounted price of $14.90 per 100g (U.P $18.90 per 100g).
As a dine-in option only at its Great World outlet, you can choose your preferred hairy crab then have the chef char-grill it ($88 per piece or $158 for two) in front of you.
Crab lovers will also want to get their hands on the snow crab (zuwaigani) offerings, served two ways - as the Zuwaigani Hana Sushi ($9.80) topped with salmon roe, and the Zuwaigani Kaisen Box ($15.80), that sees a medley of snow crab meat, scallop, salmon, yellowtail, tuna with egg cubes and salmon roe. It'll also be available as a frozen item ($19.80/250g).
Another seasonal special is the kanpanchi or amberjack, which you can savour in the form of dishes like the Yuzu Kanpachi Nigiri ($5.80), Aburi Tomato Kanpachi sushi($6.20), as sashimi ($7.80) and carpaccio ($8.80).
Citi cardholders will get a $5 Voucher with a minimum spend of $10 on any of these Winter Fair items. The Hokkaido hairy crabs will be available at selected outlets (Causeway Point, Chinatown Point, Guoco Tower, Great World, Nex, Northpoint City, Jurong Point, Tiong Bahru Plaza and Waterway Point.
Talk about a taste of nostalgia. New online bakery The Kampong Bakery serves up modern bakes that are treated with traditional Asian and local touches.
There's a laksa-infused babka topped with salted egg yolk ($28 for an assorted bake box of five), for instance, as well as a rojak bomboloni (from $23 for a box of four) that nods to the popular local dish with light ginger flower creme, hei ko caramel (shrimp paste used in Chinese-style rojak), and peanut brittle.
For something a little zestier, there's the Amchoor Tart with green mango and lemon curd, tamarind, amchoor powder (dried green mango powder often used in Indian dishes) and lime, also available as part of its bake box.
Visit The Kampong Bakery's Instagram page or its order page for more.
Ebi Bar has a new afternoon tea menu with free-flow coffee from Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee
Mod-Singaporean noodle bar Ebi Bar has teamed up with coffee house Tiong Hoe Specialty to roll out a new afternoon tea menu named “High-Coffee” ($21.90++ per person for a minimum of two persons) that'll be available for four days this month.
Savoury options include Ebi Bar's crowd-favourite Hokkien noodles, alongside laksa, kueh pie tee and the new mala shrimp dumplings. There are also sweet delights of tapioca cake with roasted coconut, chocolate cake and affogato. Each set will come with a free-flow of coffee from Tiong Hoe as well as tea. Or booze it up with a free-flow alcoholic option that includes prosecco, red and white wines, and beers at an additional $24.80++ per person. The high tea set is available on Dec 4 and 5, as well as 11 and 12, from 2pm to 3.30pm or 3.30pm to 5pm.
And speaking of the noodle bar's Hokkien mee (from $12.90++), fans will be glad to know it's now available as a menu mainstay for dine-in, takeaway and delivery.
Ebi Bar is at #B1-21 Cuppage Plaza, 5 Koek Road, Singapore 228796. Visit its Instagram/Facebook pages or call/WhatsApp 8922-1284 for reservations.
Can't get enough of succulent freshwater eels? There's a new unagi spot in town at Penang Road: Xi Man.
Chef Ryosuke Deguchi helms the kitchen, and was under the tutelage of a a chef of a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Kyoto, who is now also a partner of the restaurant.
Fresh eels imported from Miyazaki, Japan are used here, and prepared using the Kansai-style, which omits steaming (employed during the more common Kanto method). Instead, the eel is first grilled, brushed with tare sauce, then grilled again for a light char and crispier texture.
On the menu, you can expect to sink your teeth into the likes of Grilled Eel and Rice (half: $40++; full: $78++); Unseasoned Grilled Eel($70++), Roasted Eel Wrapped in Rolled Omelette($24++),and Vinegared Eel and Cucumber($12). There's also the option of a three-course set meal (half: $58++; full:$95++).
Xi Man is at 9 Penang Road, #01-02, Singapore 238459. Visit its Instagram and Facebook pages for more information.
Doling out personalised and interactive experiences in intimate settings, private dining or home dining has been all the rage, especially over the last couple of years. And some can be notoriously hard to book.
Travel experience platform Pelago by Singapore Airlines has made it easier for gourmands, and has curated a range of private dining experiences, from an omakase meal to fusion cuisines as well as Pan-Asian, Korean and Peranakan dishes that can be booked via its platform. There's a seven-course meal of fusion plates by The Rivervale Pig, dry aged steaks by An Ox Box, Pan-Asian cuisine at Fatt Leong and comfort dishes courtesy of No. 11 Private Dining.
And from now till Dec 12, book any activity on Pelago and you can bag a chance to take part in a one-time only pasta-making workshop to make what's billed the rarest pasta in the world – Su Filindeu. This is helmed by Benfatto95, a private dining establishment and pasta maker. Find out more about the contest here.
Prices start from $78 per person. Enjoy 10 per cent off your first purchase with the code 'PELAGOWELCOME10'. Terms and conditions apply. Visit Pelago's website for more information.