Where To Eat & Drink: Four Seasons' Floral Afternoon Tea, 'Bread Sushi' & 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.
What to check out now: Four Seasons Singapore's whimsical botanical-themed afternoon tea experience, modern Californian fine-dining restaurant Rosemead, an inventive bread-focused take on sushi at Small's, and more.
Four Seasons Singapore is offering a beautiful floral experience at Garden@One-Ninety that's both a visual feast and one for the palate; it's an ode to Nicolai Bergmann, celebrity florist and also the hotel's Floral Art Director, who's best known for his Scandinavian-meets-Japanese creations.
You'll be in for a treat with savouries and sweets crafted by executive pastry chef Audrey Yee, all of which are elevated with a botanical touch. The earthy Truffle and Portobello Mushroom sandwich, for instance, gets a mintiness from a sprig of marigold leaf, while the Red Prawn Roll with Avruga Caviar, Smoked Salmon on Mini Brioche and other finger sandwiches all come topped with edible blooms.
The sweets are equally fab too. The Elderflower-Lemon Panna Cotta is one of our favourites, as well as a delicate Osmanthus Peach-Puff. And as a nod to the Lunar New Year, there's the Pu-Er tea-infused mandarin crémeux in the shape of a Mandarin orange. The quintessential scones are served warm and fluffy here, alongside clotted cream, a subtly tangy lemon curd, and a divine housemade strawberry jam.
Jazz up your experience with a curation of craft cocktails ($24++), like the zesty and refreshing Hamani with Roku Gin, peach liqueur, and elderflower tonic.
From now till March 27, 2022, Sat and Sun (2pm to 5pm). From $48++ per person with a choice of Pink Rose and Marigold Tea, coffee and tea, to $68++ per person with the addition of a choice of a craft cocktail.
Garden@One-Ninety is at Four Seasons Singapore, 190 Orchard Blvd, Singapore 248646. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Those who've patronised the now-shuttered Black Swan might be in for a surprise with what now stands in its place — farm-to-table American grill restaurant restaurant Rosemead, helmed by co-owner and chef, David Tang and general manager James Moon.
Instead of the former dark Art Deco interiors, the space now bears light tones, contemporary-meets-rustic-chic elements, and an open kitchen that evokes laidback charm. The menu is an ode to chef Tang's memories of California, and local and sustainable produce is championed here. We're told menu items change daily but here are some of the highlights. To start, don't miss out on the House Rolls & Shitake Cultured Butter ($19++) that's crisp and lightly glazed on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The refreshing Mangrove Crab Tartine with Avocado and Yuzu Citrus ($33++) will whet your appetite before you, well, dive into the huge succulent Roasted Hand-dive Scallops ($98++ for three) in a moreish herb butter sauce.
Don't miss out on the Roasted Whole Spanish Turbot ($280++), a best-seller that's drizzled with lemon verjus. What you'll get: Soft firm flesh, crisp skin, and a wobbly gelatinous layer in between. If you're in the mood for beef, the Slow-cooked Wagyu Short Rib Black Truffle & Bone Marrow ($85++) topped with black truffle boasts buttery melt-in-your-mouth fat. The Wood-fired Lamb Shoulder ($120++) also got a thumbs up from our fellow diners with its charred bits and succulent flesh.
Even those who aren't veggie fans might just fall for the Embered Kent Pumpkin with Squash Seed and Mexican Mole ($29++) — the addictive mole sauce with chocolate and squash seeds delivers a smokey and nutty flavour. Accompany your meal with Rosemead's wines, sourced from around the world with a focus on small American producers, or the signature cocktails, like the Trigona Honey Bellini ($28++).
Rosemead is at 19 Cecil Street, Singapore 049704. Visit its website for reservations or more information. For now, it's only open for dinner.
Small's, helmed by Masterchef Singapore judge Bjorn Shen, might be best known for its pizza omakase but you can expect a new doughy treat to come from its kitchen this January.
The private dining space will be launching what it bills a 'doughmakase" experience, or a tasting menu comprising three snacks, eight to 10 "bread-sushi", one hotpot, and two sweets. You can expect the menu to change daily based on ingredients available and the chef's creativity.
What's bread sushi, you ask? According to Small's, it features "raw, cooked and cured seafood on bread instead of sushi rice." The bread served will also be given textures and tastes with different cooking methods, from low-temperature baking to grilling with binchotan and deep-frying, then paired with the most suitable fish or seafood.
And you can expect a flavour bomb with each piece — for the opening menu, he'll be serving up lightly seared engawa (flounder fin) lightly seared, with stir-fried green papaya salad atop a freshly
charcoal grilled bread, and topped with a shaving of frozen ankimo (monkfish liver) — sounds quite a mouthful if you ask us.
The bread sushi experience will be open for reservations from Jan 18, 2022. Small's is at 115 King George’s Ave, #02-02, Singapore 208561. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
There's a hot new wing joint in town: Wicked Wings, a new virtual halal-certified brand that gives its chicken wings a scrumptious Asian slant. You'll get a choice of 11 flavours and each order will get you the option of six pieces of chicken mid-joints and drumettes or eight pieces of boneless chicken breast strips, alongside sides (think fries, cheese sticks, and calamari) and drinks.
Some of its must-try flavours include the original Stay Crispy ($9.90), the SC Power ($11.50) that delivers a dose of Sichuan Spice, Sweet Sensations ($11.50) for kecap manis fans and Floss Flex ($12.50), which is coated with honey mayo chicken floss.
From Jan 10 to 16, 2022, catch the exclusive launch offer of $20 for two orders of chicken wings or strips, available via pick-up (selected PastaMania outlets) and island-wide delivery on GrabFood, Foodpanda and Deliveroo. The promotion is applicable to all flavours.