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.
This week, hit up the newly opened &Joy Japanese Food Street with affordable hotpot and teppanyaki, PizzaExpress’ truffle series, Parkroyal Collection Pickering’s buffet with a nostalgic twist, and more.
What was previously Shokutsu Ten Japanese Food Street at Nex shopping mall is now &Joy Japanese Food Street. Home to eight dining establishments including Ichiban Boshi and Kuriya Japanese Market, it’s unveiled four new concepts: Yakiniku-Go, Gokoku Japanese bakery, and Ramen Kiou, and Shabu-Go!
The last is a new concept that’s just arrived in Singapore, doling out affordable Japanese-style hotpot (from $9.90 for a Chicken Set) that’s perfect for dining solo or in a pair. The stars here are the broths (additional $2 to $4), one of which is the Refreshing Yuzu Dashi, which lends a light yuzu-meets-savoury flavour to any ingredients tossed in.
Osaka-born Ramen Kiou is where ramen fans will want to check out — the signature Torotama KIOU Ramen ($14.50) with a creamy broth and smoky char siu is a must-try. But if grilled meats are more your thing, then head to Yakiniku-Go, which boasts smoke-free electric grills and a variety of beef cuts, including the outlet-exclusive Nakaochi Karubi (beef rib finger, from $7.90) and the new 3 Kinds Miyazaki A5Wagyu Set ( $32.80 for 100g).
Or watch chefs cook up a storm at teppanyaki dining outfit Yaki Yaki BO. We particularly enjoyed the new Konjac Ikayaki ($7.90) that uses konjac for a tasty vegetarian take on grilled squid as well as the juicy Wagyu Beef Hamburg ($7.90). Before you leave, pop by Gokoku Japanese Bakery from Kobe, Japan, for its range of soft breads, buns, and Japanese-inspired sandwiches made using high-quality ingredients and grains.
&Joy Japanese Food Street is at 23 Serangoon Central,#B1-78 Nex, Singapore 556083.
If Asian dishes are your go-to at buffets then Parkroyal Collection Pickering’s Lime Restaurant’s new Taste of Nostalgia buffet menu will be right up your alley —it’s dishing out nostalgic local nosh that spans from traditional Peranakan dishes to classic dim sum favourites to tempt your tastebuds. Think the likes of Nonya Chap Chye with Bean Curd Skin and Glass Noodles, Assam Prawns, Chilli Crab Bun, as well as the well-loved Deep Fried Sweet Potato Ball.
For lunch, there’s seafood on ice, alongside Pickering Laksa Vongole, while dinner will have you feasting on Rosemary Lamb Chops. Save enough room for desserts like durian pengat to end off your meal.
From now till November 25, 2021, available for lunch or dinner daily. Prices starts from $58++ (adult) and $29++ (child) for lunch, and from $68++ (adult) and $34++ (child) for dinner. Lime Restaurant is at Parkroyal Collection Pickering. For more information, visit its website.
Newly-minted Two Michelin-starred JAAN by Kirk Westaway has rolled out a new autumnal Reinventing British Menu that focuses on the best produce of the season.
You’ll get started with its quartet of delicate snacks inspired by British classics, like the inventive Cucumber Meringue and the made-to-order Buckwheat Waffle with soft cream cheese and Kristal Caviar.
These are followed by plates of a Salt Baked White Beetroot, a cold dish served with Kristal caviar, and Hens Egg, a fresh spin on the British classic of egg and soldiers that’s elevated with barbequed celeriac and black truffle.
Seafood lovers will enjoy the likes of Scottish Lobster with Hipsy Cabbage and Brown Butter, and Cornish Seabass with King Crab and Sweet Leeks, while the last course will serve up a Welsh pork loin that’s braised in savoury pork stock with roasted onions and garlic before getting chargrilled.
The six-course Reinventing British Menu is at $318++. Four-course and five-course lunch menus are available at $138++ and $178++ respectively. JAAN by Kirk Westaway is at Level 70, Swissôtel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178882. Visit its website for more information.
From chips to pasta and pizzas, there’s no denying Singaporeans’ love for truffle-infused foods.
With that in mind, PizzaExpress has launched a new series that’s centred around truffle, from the Romana Truffle Pizza with Trio of Mushrooms ($32) layered with truffle paste and oil, to the Truffle & Mushrooms Farfelle in Truffle Cream Sauce ($26) with shaved black truffles. Then there’s, of course, the ubiquitous shoestring Truffle Fries ($9).
Available for dine-in and takeaway at all three PizzaExpress outlets. Islandwide delivery is available via its order page as well as GrabFood, FoodPanda and Deliveroo.
Following its success last year, The Japan Rail Fair organised by Japan Rail Cafe is back for its second year with free and ticketed live programs over three days (Oct 16-17 and 23, 2021), where you can travel vicariously through its virtual tours.
There are two main ticketed live stream programmes, starting with ‘Let’s Enjoy The Countryside by JR East Hachinohe Train Depot’. Lively train conductors and drivers will take you across the Hachinohe countryside, and it includes delivery of specially-imported “Hassen” sake (part of VIP Tour Package, $40 per person).
Or you can join the ‘A Train Conductor’s Life in Fukushima’, where you can share the driver’s seat with a JR East train conductor. This comes with a goody bag of memorabilia (part of VIP Tour Package, $30 per person).
Other fun activities include a shochu tour, picking autumn produce with Akita Inu dogs, exploring JR EAST Hotels and visiting a mikan village.
If you’re dining in at Japan Rail Cafe, you can get to tuck into a special selection of ekiben (railway bento, from $16.50), available from now til Oct 31. And all participants can take part in a lucky draw too — the first prize is a pair of tickets to Tokyo via All Nippon Airways (ANA).
Visit Japan Rail Fare’s website and Facebook page to participate. Updates are available here.