Celebrity chef Gaggan Anand’s casual offshoot restaurant Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh first made its debut in Bangkok, and has now unveiled its first overseas outpost — a tie-up with local hospitality group The Proper Concepts Collective — on our shores.

The concept is centred around a Mexican-Indian love story, displaying the marriage of two cultures through plates of progressive fare and a vibrant space inspired by the cities of Oaxaca and Jaipur. There are also instances of Singaporean flavour — like a neon sign of a chilli-spitting Merlion.

To start, there’s a complimentary bowl of addictive paper-thin Mixed Chips with four delicious housemade dips ($8++ per bowl and $4++ per dip thereafter). You’ll find Anand’s famed “Yogurt Explosion” now presented as the Papdi Chaat ($18++), a plate of four spherified yoghurt, chutney and pomegranate atop spiced crackers. Eat in one bite for a burst of bright, earthy and refreshing flavours. We’d skip the mole sauce with crispy lotus root but go for the Cold Curry Ceviche ($20++), which seeks to reinvent the way curry is usually eaten. Served chilled, it sees cured scallops and crispy corn in the classic South American leche de tigre marinade laced with fragrant chilli and curry leaf oil. 

What’s memorable is the Patrani Fish Tamal ($30++), a beautifully tender barramundi fillet slathered with spiced masala and roasted in a banana leaf wrap. There are tacos too, like the Maria & Singh Fish Tacos ($18++ for 2pcs), with a tender barramundi fillet duo in different marinades on perilla leaves. While the green ‘Singh’ version shines with bright punchy flavours, the red ‘Maria’ piece with Mexican chillis is a little lacklustre. They’re also served with two accompanying shots.

Gaggan’s Crab Curry, another signature, is delightful with generous chunks of the crustacean in tamarind and coconut curry. If carbs are on the agenda, there’s a choice of briyani — the Surf & Turf briyani ($28++) with fluffy, fragrant rice, mixed seasonal seafood (we got bouncy prawns, scallops and mussels) and tender beef tongue is worth ordering.

For dessert, the Mango Yuzu Snowball ($24++), a Gaggan classic, offers a refreshing end to the meal with a blob of flash-frozen mango puree, cream, yuzu and a sprinkling of white chocolate. Don’t miss out on the cocktails ($22++ each) too, shaken by award-winning beverage director Boo Jing Heng, like an Old Fashioned given a spin with banana and rhubarb, as well as a Pineapple Cilantro Sling and the Anise Agave Margarita.

Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh opens on Oct 24, 2022, at 43 Craig Road, Singapore 089681.Visit its website for reservations and more information.

Omakase experiences are known to be lengthy affairs, but at omakase sushi concept Shinsora, you can indulge and be back at the office before any eyebrows are raised.

Helmed by award-winning sushi chef Sky Tai Koon Siang, the cosy 10-seater has launched a new lunch menu with two omakase options: A nine-piece “express” menu ($90++) or the 15-piece menu ($200++) for a more leisurely experience. The pace of your meal can also be adjusted to your preference.

The shari (sushi rice) uses Sasanishiki rice which offers more bite, and is flavoured with Yohei Aka-zu, a red vinegar from Japan’s famed vinegar brewery house, Yokoi.

While ingredients are based on the season’s best offerings, highlights on the 15-piece menu we sampled included Awabi (abalone) sitting in a rich liver sauce made with sake, dashi, daikon and kombu, as well as malossol Kaluga hybrid caviar dolloped upon a fresh slice of hasu imo (yam stem).

Buttery Nagasaki chutoro brightened with wasabi, melt-in-the-mouth Japanese barracuda that’s torched lightly for crisped skin, plump and slightly sweet Iwate scallops, as well as moist tender saba given a nutty aroma with sesame seeds also made for an enjoyable meal, too.

And if that’s not enough, you can make it a heartier affair with additional handrolls, from negitoro ($30++), maguro ($45++), and aburi otoro ($45++) to either bafun or shiro uni (seasonal price, currently at $45++).

Lunch is available Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays only, from 12pm (one seating). 331 North Bridge Road Unit 01-04 Odeon Towers, 188720. The entrance can be accessed via Standing Sushi Bar. Visit its website for reservations or more information.

Bakery-bistro by day, and an omakase restaurant that presents Euro-Asian flavours when dusk hits, Sonder is chef Joe Leong’s first independent establishment – he’s the son of famed (and now retired) celeb chefs Sam and Forest Leong, and has also cut his teeth at the likes of 2amDessertbar and Swissotel The Stamford and Fairmont Singapore.

From 12pm to 5pm, the bakery churns out freshly baked bread, viennoiserie and sweet treats like tarts and cakes. For something more substantial, go for the Yellow Pumpkin Soup ($15++), Beef Pastrami Sourdough Sandwich ($20++) or the Whole Pork Knuckle by Grandpa Prin ($45++) that’s good for two to three persons. Set lunches are priced at $35++ (two courses) and $45++ (three courses), with the inclusion of fresh bread, specialty butter and a choice of coffee or tea.

If you’re there for dinner, there are three menus to sample:  The Petit Menu ($88++ for four courses), Classic Menu ($138++ for six courses) and the Gourmand Menu ($188++ for eight courses).

Borrowing from local Singaporean flavours, he adds his own contemporary flair to the dishes. The Risotto with Roulade of Chicken and Spring Onion Pesto is  a riff on the Hainanese chicken rice, while the King Tiger Prawn with Scallop Linguine and Lobster Bisque Espuma pays homage to local prawn noodles. There’s also a Thai moo ping-inspired Kurobuta Pork Collar with a coconut glaze, served with burnt apple. This nods to chef Leong’s Thai-Chinese heritage.

You can expect the dinner menu to be refreshed every two to three months, and menus can be customised for events and private dinner parties, too.

Sonder is at 217 Henderson Road, #01-03, Singapore 159555. Opens from 12pm to 5pm; 6pm to 10pm. Closed on Sun and Mon. Visit its website for more information and reservations.

The Keong Saik enclave is now home to Col, a new restaurant and bar helmed by chef-owner Colin Buchan and his wife Sophie Fitsall. Nestled on the ground floor of co-working space The Working Capitol, its industrial furnishings and relaxed atmosphere draw on the duo’s time in London, and from the bars and neighbourhood restaurants found in the capital city.

You’ll be treated to a European-influenced menu that spotlights seasonal ingredients and flavors, smoky wood-fired meat and seafood, as well as handcrafted pasta. The opening autumnal menu starts with sharing plates like the Nduja arancini with a smoky muhammara dip ($18++), grilled hand-dived scallops with seaweed butter and grapefruit marmalade ($24++), and Irish oysters served with calabrese peppers, preserved lemon mignonette (six for $48++).

The journey continues with mains that run the gamut from hand-rolled tagliatelle with Scottish mussels and chilli butter ($34++) to roasted snapper in a vin jaune sauce ($38++) as well as a hearty aged beef burger with mustard, raclette, and bacon ($27++).

From the grill, you’ll get Sanchoku Wagyu OP Rib (500g for $148++) and Black Opal Wagyu Entrecôte (300g for $98++), brushed with wagyu beef fat and kissed with smoke from Japanese coal or binchotan. There are also prawns with harissa butter, and choices of vegetables.

Get a glass or two to accompany your meal – the wine list is curated by Benjamin Hasko, one of two Master Sommeliers based in Singapore, and categorised into three: classic, natural and new wave wines. Or sip on classic craft cocktails with a Col twist like the Nero Negroni, Coconut Highball, and chef-owner Colin’s favourite, Bobby Burns, the bar’s interpretation of an espresso martini.

COL is located at 1 Keong Saik Rd., #01-05 The Working Capitol Building, Singapore 089109. Visit its website for reservations or more information.