A brainchild of one-Michelin-starred Japanese-French restaurant Whitegrass and teahouse Hvala, the recently opened Boyutei has rolled out an afternoon tea affair with an assortment of eleven items curated by Whitegrass’ head chef Takuya Yamashita.

Elegantly presented in traditional Japanese jubako (tiered boxes), start with the soft grilled unagi on an airy piece of toast. Then make your way through the likes of a Narazuke Cream Cheese with crunchy pickles nestled in an airy monaka wafer, battered ebi katsu, a refreshing somen with crunchy sakura ebi, as well as a dense moist olive financier.

For sweets, sink your teeth into a fluffy and aromatic hojicha financier and a luscious tiramisu balanced with earthy matcha powder. There’s also a matcha warabi mochi, although the sweet tooth in me would have liked a drizzling of kuromitsu syrup. To end, there’s the rich decadent goma nama chocolate coated in black sesame powder.

Each set comes with a choice of hot brews (choose from Chinese or Japanese teas) curated by Hvala. While not part of the high tea set, we definitely recommend the iced lattes – the  gen mai cha latte we had was smooth and creamy with a toasty aroma and crisp rice puffs.

$69++ per set for two persons. And for all weekdays in Sep 2022 (3pm to 5pm), you can also add on with a free-flow of natural sparkling wine ($30++, UP $38++), or sake at $15++ (u.p. $18++) per glass or $70++ (u.p. $88++) per bottle.

Boyutei is at 28 Ann Siang Road, #01-02, Singapore 069708.

If you’ve been to The Masses, you’ll be familiar with chef Dylan Ong’s brand of Franco-Asian food. Now, he also helms the kitchen at contemporary Japanese joint Iko, marrying his French culinary background with his love for Japanese cuisine — and he does it with finesse and a dash of fun.

Feast on Oysters ($21++ for three), given an icy – almost brain freeze-inducing – treatment with an invigorating wasabi lychee granita and a splash of sake. Other snacks to prime your belly: The Lil Basket ($20++) stuffed with Hokkaido snow crab, zesty lime gel, and avo mousse, as well as mini seaweed cones of salmon or negitoro ($18++ each) are equally worth ordering.

For small plates, the Hay Smoked Hamachi with its smokey aroma and punchy ponzu butter sauce is a delight to eat, with a mix of sesame seeds bringing a nutty profile. Or dig into the quirkily named Dope You Up Bowl ($42++), a luxurious bowl of ume shiso rice crowned with A4 wagyu, Bafun uni, a lightly cured egg yolk, as well as wagyu fat emulsion that amps up the richness. The refreshing High Sess Somen ($38++) is as luxurious as it sounds, topped with caviar, Bafun uni, Hokkaido snow crab and a sprinkling of edible blooms in an umami clam stock.

For mains, don’t miss the buttery Black Miso Cod ($36++). Baked in the oven and finished on the binchotan grill, it goes well with the pumpkin puree and velvety clam stock. Also good is the Hay Smoked Guinea Fowl (from $32++), served on a bed of 10 seasonal vegetables and drizzled with homemade sake ume sauce.

If you’re up for sake that’s easy to drink and pairs well with the dishes, try the sweet and smooth Mizubasho Junmai Ginjo (from $88++ for 720ml) with a gentle finish.

Iko is at 65 Neil Road. Visit its website for more information.

Most Singaporeans will be well-acquainted with White Rabbit, the iconic milk candy of our childhood. And now, the brand has dropped a new upgraded of its ice cream in a 70g cup, a collab with Bright Dairy & Food Co. Ltd and Shanghai Guan Sheng Yuan Food Ltd that promises to be softer and more luscious.

It’s also teamed up with Chin Mee Chin (CMC) to unveil a pop-up at the local cafe from Aug 26 to Sep 11, 2022, with a limited-time set menu. For $9.50, you can tuck into the cafe’s signature kaya toast and eggs, a drink of your choice, and a cup of the new White Rabbit ice cream. And fans can get their hands on exclusive merch at the cafe during this period too, including mugs, pillows, umbrellas, and canvas bags.

At the same time, Hao Food Sg (White Rabbit’s official distributor in Singapore) has also rolled out a social media contest – decode the clues on Hao Food Sg’s Instagram page, hunt down White Rabbit’s hiding spots and stand to win attractive prizes. The grand prize? A White Rabbit Hunt Staycation at Lloyd’s Inn worth $500. Happy hunting!

And if you can’t make it to CMC, the ice cream ($5.50 per cup) will launch exclusively at Fairprice online on Aug 28, and subsequently at select Fairprice and Fairprice Xpress supermarkets as well as Take App on Sep 8, 2022. To make it twice as nice, the brand has a buy-one-get-one-free launch promotion till Sep 21, 2022, while stocks last.

Chin Mee Chin is at 204 East Coast Road, Singapore 428903.

A familiar name in the local dining scene is Da Paolo, and one of the best spots for a leisurely meal is its Dempsey flagship, an inviting multi-concept space that whizzes you away on an Italian getaway.

It’s a lovely space to sip on its new range of Italian-inspired cocktails like the refreshing Bridge Of Sighs ($24++) with prosecco and blood orange, a Bellini-style Sinking City ($22++), or the sweet Cocco Bello ($24++) concocted with coconut rum, sweet vermouth, dates, and chocolate.

If you’re looking to fill your belly, you can count on Da Paolo to dole out consistently good food. For cheese pizza lovers, the ever-popular wood-fired Naples-style Eight Cheese Pizza ($37++) is a must, with cheeses like mozzarella, smoked cheese, pecorino, and on occasion, a unique Choco Blue — a blue cheese fermented in chocolate liqueur. A dab of smoked Medjool date cream and truffle honey adds sweetness to balance all that richness.

Or dive into an indulgent Slipper Lobster Risotto ($35++) with chunks of succulent lobster flesh swimming in a rich reduced lobster bisque that’s been simmered for hours. We also enjoyed the hearty and comforting Eggplant Parmigiana ($29++), a relatively new dinner menu addition, starring lightly battered eggplant slices, and Da Paolo’s housemade tomato sauce.

Don’t miss dessert, like the Classic Tiramisu with an infusion of marsala wine, as well as its range of delectable artisanal gelato (get the Hazelnut, you can thank us later) at $8 a scoop.

Da Paolo Dempsey Restaurant & Bar is at #01-13 Dempsey Road, Blk 8, Singapore 247696. Visit Da Paolo’s website for more information.

It’s hairy crab season, and if you enjoy the sweet flesh of kegani (Japanese hairy crab), Ken Japanese Restaurant has a limited-time-only lunch set to get your fix sorted.

The hairy crab is presented in four ways, from a zesty salad generously laden with the crustacean, to a steamed beancurd skin with tender crab flesh that’s comforting and silky — though I would have liked the perhaps the inclusion of ikura for a little burst of brininess.

Fried spring rolls, served warm and crisp, are generously packed with sweet crab flesh and shreds of vegetables. The main event is a kaisendon that’s heaped with kegani, delicate uni and ikura. The richness of it all is brightened with the accompanying ginger and wasabi that add a kick.

The restaurant also serves up other lunch sets such as the Ken’s Bento ($28++), Special Sushi Set ($58++), Unagi Don ($28++/half, $39++/regular), Negitoro Uni Ikura Don ($78++) and kaiseki-style omakase from a six-course Lunch Omakase ($88++) or nine-course Special Lunch Omakase ($168++).

The hairy crab lunch set is at $88++, and is available till the end of Sep 2022. Ken Japanese Restaurant is at 1 Goldhill Plaza, #01-17, Singapore 308899.