Where To Eat & Drink: A New Moroccan Tapas Bar, Eggslut Serves Up Pineapple-Themed Offerings & More
Our round-up of great dining spots to check out, fab drinks and the latest in food news this week
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.
The latest spots for your next dining adventure: Modern steakhouse Meadesmoore has refreshed its menu, Moroccan tapas and cocktail bar Tajine is now open and more.
Modern steakhouse Meadesmoore, headed by executive chef Victor Loy, has drummed up a new menu. As before, it focuses on familiar favourites played up with unexpected elements and pairings.
New dishes include the Beef & Crab Tartare ($28), the restaurant's homage to surf and turf, with crab salad on tender hand-chopped beef in a briny anchovy essence. Ikura, lemon juice and sherry jelly lift the dish up. An unusual pairing is the Tendon & Escargot ($24). The garlicky escargots are roasted till tender in green garlic butter, and then there are the familiar flavours of slow-braised beef tendon all served atop crisp toasted buttered brioche.
Diners dithering over whether to go for a well-marbled or lean steak, go for the Meadesmoore's Cut MS 8/9 ($200++), a hefty slab that encompasses three cuts: the underblade, loin and ribeye cap. Our favourite's the loin, with just the right balance of marbling, and a rich beefy flavour. The underblade (chuck shoulder of the cow) is lean but tender, and the ribeye cap will appeal to those who love a fatty cut, but was just a tad too rich for us.
For sides, there's Black Kumato ($18) tomatoes, Butterhead ($16) lettuce tossed with herbs and a honey lemon vinaigrette on earthy housemade macadamia tahini, and the crowd-favourite Mac & Cheese ($24) that has thankfully remained on the menu.
If you have room still, keep it going with dessert. Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy S’mores ($20), a chocolate sea salt cookie sandwich with a tangy berry compote and coconut sorbet smothered in marshmallow mousse. A shot of vodka is flambeed tableside and then poured over the dessert.
Meadesmoore is at 21A Boon Tat St, Singapore 069620. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
It's hard to miss Tajine when you stroll along Mohamed Sultan Road, where the newly opened Moroccan tapas and cocktail bar is situated — the gorgeous space beckons with terracotta-hued walls, faux palm trees, rich arabesque decor and warm glowing lights.
The menu is centred around authentic Moroccan fare inflected with contemporary flair, as well as communal plates, such as the Mixed Platter. This offers a selection of three or six ($36 or $58) vegetable salads and dips. Think options like Zaalouk (grilled eggplant seasoned with paprika and parsley), Bessara (a creamy fava bean hummus), and a particularly memorable Gar'a M'asla, a sweet butternut pumpkin puree with orange blossom and cinnamon. These are perfectly enjoyed with freshly baked pita ($8 for two) or batbout ($8 for five).
For a hearty prelude to your mains, there's also the Kefta ($19 for three), juicy and smokey hand-shaped black Angus minced beef that's grilled over a wood fire. Or dive into Poulet Pastillas, with flaky filo pastry enveloping organic free-range chicken with turmeric, roasted almonds and orange blossom. Bits of dried fruit lend bursts of sweetness to the savoury dish.
You can expect the quintessential tajine, a traditional stew slow-cooked in a conical earthenware pot, which gave the restaurant its name. Apart from the more commonly served chicken, Tajine dishes up wild-caught Atlantic monkfish ($88) that's firm and meaty. The stew? Delicious and perfect for scooping up with some pita.
If you're there with a group, miss not the Mechoui ($12 per 100g), with a hefty hunk of slow-braised lamb shoulder on top of fragrant and fluffy basmati rice pilaf with nuts and dried fruits. The lamb is tender, but best eaten with the cumin and salt seasonings at each table, which add more punch. This dish has to be pre-ordered 24 hours ahead.
Make your night all the merrier with its stable of creative cocktails (all $24). The Pinky Promise is worth ordering, a bright gin concoction with botanical and citrus notes of rosemary, elderflower, pomelo and pink grapefruit.
Tajine is at 18 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238967. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Drunken Farmer will now be known as Common Man NightShift, an after-dark extension of Common Man Coffee Roaster, which serves up cafe grub during the day.
Along with the rebranding, it is dishing up an all-new menu of Italian-inspired nosh with Japanese and Middle Eastern slants. There are delish Mediterreanen-style starters like a creamy Labneh ($12) and Green Hummus ($12), given a local spin with laksa leaves and coriander. Both are served with pillowy sourdough flatbread fresh from the oven.
You'll want to order the Duck & Foie Gras Pie ($38) made using sister brand Tiong Bahru Bakery's flaky croissant dough that envelops a rich luscious mix of foie gras and duck. There's also Cacio E Pepe Udon Pasta ($24), which doles out the Italian classic with springy housemade udon noodles.
The concept's signature 12” Sourdough Pizzas remain on the menu, but with refreshed options like the Umami Magic ($22). It's topped with oyster and shimeiji mushrooms, ricotta and mozzarella, runny poached egg, and a lashing of ma la chilli crisps for a welcome kick. If dessert pizza is your thing, you might enjoy Sweet Dreams of Stracciatella ($26), a sweet-savoury concoction of mortadella, mozzarella and creamy stracciatella drizzled with honey and pistachio paste.
Round up your meal with the Okinawa Black Sugar Tiramisu ($16) offers an unusual take on the classic Italian dessert. Savoiardi is dipped in hojicha and served with an Okinawa
black sugar and soy sauce caramel, presenting a concoction that's sweet, and creamy with an umami hit.
Night Shift's wine list is extensive too, with over 80 labels of natural wines. They are served by the glass (from $13 to $16), and bottles are priced from $60, all ethically sourced from small-batch producers.
Common Man Night Shift opens Tues till Sun. Closed on Mondays. Visit its website for a list of outlets.
It's all summer vibes at Eggslut, which has rolled out a new Aloha menu that's available now for a limited time only.
Consider the Aloha Grilled Pineapple Sandwich ($14) a cross between the Fairfax and its bacon sandwich, with applewood smoked bacon, and creamy cage-free scrambled eggs. There's also the inclusion of sweet zesty grilled pineapple and creamy buffalo mozzarella cheese (in place of the usual cheddar). You can also make it an Aloha Grilled Pineapple Sub-salad ($14), or for a more substantial meal, the Aloha Grilled Pineapple Sandwich with Beef Patty Add On ($18.50).
The brand's signature Slut gets an update too, with the Aloha Sweet Potato Slut ($11). Instead of just potato puree, it now comes with sweet potato puree, accompanied by pine nut-topped coddled egg and baguette slices laced with olive oil for a blend of earthy, toasty and nutty flavours.
Wash it down with one (or all three) of its new Craft Soda Cocktails ($9 each) made with a Grey Goose vodka base and featuring craft sodas created by craft brewery, Brewlander, exclusively for Eggslut. Choose from the Elderflower & Lemon, Passion Fruit & Green Tea and Green Grape & Rosemary cocktails.
All limited-time offerings are available from 20 April at Eggslut Scotts Square and Eggslut Suntec City. Visit its website for more information.