Where To Eat & Drink: Trolls-Themed Afternoon Tea, The Coconut Club Reopens & 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 chow down on this week: The Coconut Club's newly reopened space and menu, a 'vibe dining' omakase experience at Sushi Ichizuke, a Trolls-themed afternoon tea at Anti:Dote and more.
The Coconut Club reopens with new menu items as well as its famed nasi lemak sets
After briefly shuttering its Ann Siang Hill outlet, The Coconut Club will be reopening tomorrow (May 28) in a three-storey conservation shophouse on Beach Road.
The Coconut Club’s signature Nasi Lemak Sets remain on the menu through lunch and dinner, and you can take your pick from Ayam Goreng Berempah ($18.80++), Ikan Bakar ($18.80++) or Otah ($10.80++). But it's also introduced more communal sharing plates, like the Iga Bakar ($45++), a charcoal-grilled twice-cooked Australian beef short rib served with a secret sauce, freshly pounded sambal hijau and sambal balado, as well as the Ketam Masak Lemak Cili Api ($108++), a decadent crab curry made with silky, spicy turmeric coconut milk (available by pre-order only).
If you're dropping by for breakfast or tea, the classic Charcoal Grilled Kaya Toast ($6.80++) has been elevated with a binchotan grill, housemade kaya and salted French butter. There's also the Otah Katsu Sando ($7.80++) and a Hae Bee Hiam Tuna Sandwich ($10.80++). For a sweet treat, try the Pandan Sago Gula Melaka, Chendol or the Coconut Sorbet - the sorbet's a collab with local gelato makers, Birds of Paradise.
Might as well get a tipple while you're at it - the resto has launched its first formal drinks program, with sips like Coconut Club Mai Tai ($21++), Plum Hibiscus Margarita ($19++) and Pineapple Old Fashioned ($21++)
The Coconut Club is at 269 Beach Road, Singapore. Visit its website for more information.
The Zouk Group has rolled out a Vibe Dining Omakase Experience at its omakase concept, Sushi Ichizuke. What's a vibe dining experience, you ask?
You'll be tucking into omakase with vibrant beats from Zouk's playlist, while savouring exquisite morsels by executive chef Daisuke Suzuki that shine the spotlight on seasonal produce flown in regularly from Tokyo's Toyosu market. There are two private dining spaces, but we're all for parking ourselves at the 16-seater counter space to watch chef Suzuki, who's honed his skills at Michelin-starred establishments in Japan and Hong Kong, work on his craft.
Watch out for the kinmedai (golden eye snapper) sashimi, a gorgeously oily fish from the Chiba prefecture that's balanced with smokiness from the sear of the binchotan. The uni, served fresh in its shell, is a lovely balance of creamy texture and sweet, delicate flavours.
When it comes to sushi, pay attention to the rice (or shari), seasoned with a special 12-year-old red vinegar that's umami and mildly sweet. We sank our teeth into rich buttery toro, uni, and the shiro ebi or white shrimp, simply seasoned with salt and lime for a soft and almost-creamy yet refreshing bite.
To go with your meal, sake sommelier Genta Yamashita offers selections from renowned distilleries such as Suigei, Hakurakusei and Isojiman.
Sushi Ichizuke is at 3E River Valley Road #02-02, Clarke Quay, The Cannery, Singapore 179024.
If you're not ready to call it a night, make your way to the adjoining Here Kitty Kitty, a Japanese-style speakeasy that's also helmed by The Zouk Group. All dim lighting with neon signs, intimate corners and vibrant murals, it recalls Japan’s Golden Gai nightlife district.
Behind the bar is mixologist Gary Mandobon, who gives traditional cocktails a Japanese twist. If you prefer something sweet, order the Watermelon Sugar, a signature cocktail from sister outpost Hello Kitty Kitty Las Vegas. Watermelon cubes are muddled with Don Julio Blanco Tequila and Cointreau, and a citrus salt on the rim of the glass plays up the flavours.
The Haku Hai ($24++) serves up a marriage of earthy, punchy and sweet flavours thanks to calpis, matcha and lemon with Haku vodka. For something bold and smokey to cap off the night, get the Mad Cat ($26++) with Wild Turkey Rye, Amaro Averna, Campari, and orange bitters.
For bites, there's Chef Angus Chow's “Japas” — small bites that are a marriage of Spanish and Japanese culinary techniques and ingredients - think uni and ikura tartlets ($68++ for two), Spanish chicken karaage ($15++), and a Chef Angus Wagyu Sando with breaded A4 Miyazaki striploin.
Here Kitty Kitty is at 3E River Valley Road #02-01, Clarke Quay, The Cannery, Singapore 179024. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Fairmont Singapore has teamed up Parco (a licensee of Dreamworks' Trolls) to present the adorable characters as whimsical treats with the new themed afternoon tea at Anti:Dote afternoon tea lounge and cocktail bar.
Kickstart the experience with the Trolls Mocktail ($18++), a refreshing concoction of housemade mint-infused lemonade with cotton candy. Then dig into savouries like Smoked Ocean Trout with Crispy Seaweed and Trout Roe, Mixed Fungus Mille Feuille, and Rainbow Bread with Hummus, Sugar Pea and Crispy Onion Hair, all sitting pretty on Anti:dote's signature chest of drawers display.
Make your way through sweet delights like Trolls Popping Pot with Cocoa Crémeux and Chocolate Crunch, a “Poppy” Speckled Rose Cupcake and Muscat Cupcake with Ribena Blackcurrant Caviar, as well as Sea Salt Caramel Macarons.
You can also add on with a choice of one or two amuse bouche, which includes bites like Superfood Sushi with Noukou Egg or Rainbow Dumplings with Black Bean Tofu and X.O. Sakura Ebi.
DreamWorks Trolls – A Tea Experience at Anti:Dote is at $72++ per person; $80++ per person for a choice of Amuse Bouche or S$88++ for two Amuse Bouche. Available at 12pm or 3pm High Tea sessions daily.
Anti:dote is at 80 Bras Basah Road, Level 1, Fairmont, Singapore 189560. Call 6431 6156 or e-mail dining.singapore@fairmont.com or visit its website for reservations or more information.
Wine lounge Graft8 offers guided wine tastings, BYO Nights, ladies' nights and more
Whether you're a wine aficionado or are curious about wine, Sheraton Towers Singapore has a new spot to hit up.
The hotel lobby bar-turned-newly-minted wine lounge Graft8 (pronounced ‘graft bar’) by wine merchant Grand Vin is now open, where you'll be acquainted with a list of over a hundred types of wines assembled by Sommelier Trainer Manda Oei — think Cristal cuvée from Champagne Louis Roederer, and wine from Burgundian house Domaine Faiveley and Napa cult favourite Hundred Acre. And they're available both by the bottle and by the glass.
Discover new wines on Tasting Thursdays held each week, which feature guided tastings (via a recorded Zoom session or with a sommelier in person) across verticals, regions, and varietals. Tickets start from $18++ for a tasting flight of four glasses of different wines, and you can enjoy 15 per cent off your food bill, limited to 10 patrons per session.
There are the BYO Nights (Mon and Tues) where you can buy a bottle and bring one corkage-free, and the Ladies LV Nights every Wednesday, where a group of five ladies can enjoy a complimentary 500 ml bottle of Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc 2018. On Fridays and Saturdays, you'll get to play blind tasting games.
Graft8 is at Sheraton Towers Singapore, Lobby, 39 Scotts Road, Singapore 228230. For reservations, call 8533 6634 or e-mail reservations@graftbar.com.sg. Visit Graft8's website for more information.