Awarded the Michelin Plate from 2016 to 2018 and listed in the Michelin Guide from 2018 to 2019 under the Fine Cantonese Food category, Chinese restaurant Char is celebrating its ninth year with a new line-up of dishes.

Those new to the restaurant should undoubtedly go for its char siew and roast meats. Beautifully charred and caramelised with a proprietary marinade that leans on the sweeter side, the original Signature Char Siew (from $27++ for 300g) is fatty and hits the spot. You can also go for the Double Roast ($38) which includes succulent crispy roast pork. The new Mala Char Siew ($20++ per portion), 13 different spices, adds a spicy kick that doesn’t overwhelm.

Another winner is the Pig’s Stomach with Anxin Chicken Soup ($32, serves four) — thick, slightly creamy, and laced with fragrant white peppercorns. Inside, tender pig’s stomach slices and a free-range chicken leg. Don’t miss the Tornado Butter Egg Prawns ($22++), with wispy egg floss over crunchy, succulent prawns. For a dose of carbs, the Crabmeat Fried Rice ($19.80++) is worth ordering, too. Fragrant and savoury, a generous topping of tobiko adds delightful pops of texture with each mouthful.

There are some novel creations, like the Spicy Sichuan Chicken with ice cream ($18.80++) on the side to temper the heat. There’s no real need for the ice cream though. The chicken is juicy with just the right amount of spicy fragrance.

Char Restaurants is at 363 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208994. Visit its website for reservations or for more information.

For an omakase affair that doesn’t leave you stuffed and sluggish after lunch, swing by Noka by Tippling Club for its speedy seven-course menu available from Tuesdays to Fridays. Surreptitiously perched on Funan’s rooftop (you can only access it via the lift at Lobby A), it’s a laidback space that affords views of the edible garden outside.

Our lunch kickstarted with a tangy starter of snow crab and earthy shungiku (chrysantheum greens) wrapped in beancurd skin, a smokey seared scallop and vinegar jelly. This was followed by the two courses of sashimi served together: delicate hirame (flounder) and a sweet, firm, and creamy amaebi (sweet shrimp). A hot dish, the Gindara Saikyo Miso, presented remarkably buttery black cod marinated with miso, sugar and mirin). A reduction made from fried cod bones, and a blend of nori with wild rice bring more umami to the dish.

For a playful take on Japanese fare, there’s the Unagi Rice Cracker with tender eel, cucumber, sushi rice, and a sushi rice cracker that adds crunch. They’re all served atop a piece of nori so you can wrap it all up yourself. Next up, Negitoro Monaka with minced bluefin tuna, diced wasabi and avocado atop sushi rice, stuffed into an airy monaka (rice cracker) shell, topped with black tobiko. The course ends with seasonal fruit, such as Japanese strawberries or persimmon.

Noka by Tippling Club is at #07-38 Funan (Lift Lobby A only), 109, North Bridge Road, Singapore 179097. Visit its website for reservations and more information.

First rolled out as a month-long promotion in Aug 2022, Estate’s popular Estate’s Lobster, Crab & Seafood Buffet has made a welcomed return as a weekly affair available for dinner every Thursday.

Lobsters and crab dishes cooked in a bevy of styles are the main focus of the spread. Make a beeline for the Raw and Seafood Bar heaped with fresh crustaceans on ice like snow crab legs and Maine lobster, alongside freshly shucked oysters, scallops, and tiger prawns.

The stellar seafood line-up also sees international dishes as well as those that draw on heritage Singaporean flavours. Dig into popular local favourites like Singapore Chilli Crab, Black Pepper Crab, and Kam Heong-style Crab. Or dive into the likes of Lobster Thermidor and a rich hearty Crab and Lobster Bisque. For pasta lovers, the creamy Lobster Tagliatelle with chunks of fresh lobster is a must-try.

Estate’s signature spread of Singapore- and Asian-inspired plates are also on the menu, such as the Signature Black Truffle Roasted Duck and Asian-style skewers.

Lobster, Crab & Seafood Delights at Estate is priced from $158++ per person. Every Thurs, dinner (6.30pm to 10pm). Additional $50++ for free-flow of wine, beer and soft drinks, and an additional $80++ for the inclusion of champagne.

Estate is at Level 5, Hilton Singapore Orchard, 333 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238867. Click here for reservations.

Okashi Gaku, best known for its viral cake-in-a-can concept, has rolled out more vending machines across the island so you can crack open without having to journey to what was its only location at Suntec City. Now, it has also installed vending machines at Bugis+, Plaza Singapura, Thomson Plaza, and Vivocity.

For those not clued in, each vending machine is stocked with various types of cakes packaged in a drink can. Imported straight from Japan, flavours range from strawberry shortcake ($11.80) with Hokkaido strawberries to the Fuwa cans ($8.80 – $9.80),  which borrow their name from the Japanese word for ‘fluffy’. Your choice of flavours includes Strawberry, Mango & Passionfruit, and the Singapore-exclusive Matcha, Mango & Chocolate and Tiramisu.

Here are the new vending machine locations:

• At Bugis+, on Level 2, in front of Sephora.
• At Plaza Singapura, on Level 3 opposite Cotton On Kids.
• At Thomson Plaza, on Level 2, in front of Tsukada Nojo
• At Vivo City, on Level 2, inside Una Una