Flying Monkey: Pizza Fabbrica goes Pan-Indian (next-door!)

'We don't serve pork or beef here as we prefer to be sensitive to the Muslim community which has a strong presence in the district.'.. oh boy, so much for diversity, I muttered under my breathe.

Flying Monkey along Bussorah Street in Kampong Glam is the latest addition to the slew of watering holes in the area. It is also restaurateur Sumeet Singla's second store front in Singapore, a venture he decidedly took on after a rather successful run with Pizza Fabbrica next door. Interestingly, this project sheds its family-based holistic image with an eye-catching wall to wall display of alcohol, amplified with the presence of a row of tiny barrels with barrel-aged tipples festering. Behind the stick, Head Bartender Kannan (previously of Cufflink Club, Long Chim and most recently Long Play) does a swell job of bringing age old Indian cultures into the now. His cocktail program paying homage to the Indian heritage through means of story-telling, ingredients and infusions.

The Chophouse (Vivocity): where the Pork Chop reigns supreme.

Drenched in natural light, open spaces and a gorgeous long table on the al-fresco patio, you can get a sense that communal dining is encouraged here. The notion of feasting, boosted by a plethora of meaty delights and impending gluttony, highly likely under such jovial circumstance. Casual and unpretentious, you might just want to get a pint of Paulaner Weisse ($11) to start, the generous folks at The Chophouse runs happy hour all day long, so that's definitely worth a mention.

Get started on the Fillet Mignon Salad ($17) only because you're probably gunning for the pork chop upon entrance yet still want to make a move on the beef, so here's your best bet for satiety on both protein fronts. Pan-fried fillet mignon, plump and red in the middle is plonked down on a cushy bed of argula, romanie lettuce, shredded fennel, baby spinach, roasted peppers and cherry tomatoes salad, dressed in a luscious coat of aioli to ensure you dive into your daily dose of greens. I would recommend you wash it down with a glass of their house-wine, the Malbec ($12) from Alamos, Argentina is a mild-mannered spiced up red that will kick-start the palate for what will eventually spiral into an afternoon of debauchery.

Montreux Jazz Cafe: Introduces the Weekend Jazz Brunch

Rise and Shine! Brunch in Singapore is bigger than ever. You can barely set foot out of your front door during the weekend (or miss out on social media) without stumbling across a mugshot of avocados on toast or finding the waft of buttery waffles in the air. A spin-off from the popular jazz brunches in New York and London, Montreux Jazz Cafe in Orchard introduces their new weekend brunch experience, highlighted by a slew of Singapore's brightest jazz talents serenading patrons with their soothing vocals as you throw back the champagne (ferociously). To start off your weekend in style, this is the place you gotta be.

The Disgruntled Brasserie: Bellyaching meals guaranteed

This buzzy all-dayer has the smooth and swanky feel of a private member's club, but the food of your favourite British auntie, albeit swooshed up a nosh in terms of presentation. The menu features an array of dishes, ranging from small plates to larger full sized portions to encourage flexibility and communal dining; and that is precisely what you witness when dining at The Disgruntled Brasserie - large groups or passably comfy setups of quartets bent over a plethora of dishes, passing it along in a convivial atmosphere.

Botanico: Contemporary season-focused fare below lush foliage.

New kid on the block worth you throwing out the dollar bills for is Botanico. Make sure you grab a seat on the outer patio while you're at it, fully air-conditioned and blessed with an concave type structure pushed up against a slight hill, you'll be assured a cool and almost chilly type atmosphere even as you embrace the last drops of sunshine from the day as it dissolves it's imprints on your skin. Fairy lights, wooden paneling and navy blue sofa couches. I love it. It's cheerful as hell.

LeVeL33: Saturday Lunch with a View

LeVeL33 - penthouse dining with the world's highest urban craft brewery at your disposal - makes a great first impression. Design-wise, the attention to detail is marvellous, with a personalised lift that takes you from the ground floor of the Marine Bay Financial Centre Tower 1 in a jiffy (no time for hanky panky in there!), walk past the cushioned sofa area past a broad semi-open kitchen, shiny marble counters which houses the bar and an epic view of the city skyline on your left side, all while gliding thru the rest of the natural lit space. It's a gorgeous place to while away a weekend afternoon over craft beer, vino or even a spicy Bloody Mary.

The newly launched Saturday brunch menu served from 11 30am to 3 30pm rolls out a globally inspired lunch for patrons looking to enjoy the high life. Spearheaded by L33's Executive Chef Tegerdine, don't expect to be finding bacon and egg rolls or the generic eggs benedict here.

Lucky Bar: Asian Inspired Libations in the heart of Holland Village

Seasoned observers who have visited the dining room of Full of Luck Club's sprawling 2nd storey complex would have noticed the little space in the back with the words 借酒消愁 splashed on it's grey washed walls. This is to become Lucky Bar which has recently rolled out proper operations as the neighbourhood cocktail bar or watering hole, a role that's in dire need of filling since it's haydays as a expat region shrouded in cheap beer towers and shisha smoke. This may just be the perfect solution to anyone looking for a late night hang in Holland Village without the guilty calories of a chocolate mud pie or ice cream sundae. 

Borrowing the tricks of a successful genre, Lucky Bar offers an Asian-inspired cocktail program deployed with the additional arsenal of a full fledged Cantonese kitchen to provide the creative muscle in the food department.

Jim Beam Double Oak: a new premium expression of Kentucky Bourbon launches globally

A much better bottle at the table coupled with a cleaner design for Jim Beam has just appeared at the table. Jim Beam recently launched their newest and permanent addition to the family, the Jim Beam Double Oak. Representing a new take on Kentucky Straight Bourbon, the whiskey is matured not once, but twice in two American oak barrels. And since the law demands that the spirit, bourbon be aged in a new barrel, that's a hell lot of wood to be going around in production.

The standard Kentucky Straight Bourbon is transferred into a second charred oak barrel for further aging. The contact process allowing the tannis, lactones, vanillin from the wood to be infused into the spirit for a more intense flavor. Right off the bat, you can tell the stark difference, the golden amber shades on the double oak representing the rich toasty caramel and vanilla notes that it had inherited through the long drawn process.

Hansul Korean Dining Bar: Contemporary Korean dining that opens till 6am!

Singapore's Korean Food scene has never been better. And we all know with the Koreans being the funnest bunch you can possibly befriend, the best way to end a riotous night out is at a Korean barbecue joint for soju, beer and meats grilled at the table. Self satisfied gluttony ensues and hopefully this ends off with a detour to the nearest karaoke bar to put your bathroom singing skills to good use.

Many places fit the bill but there's one new kid on the block that has caught my eye recently. Serving the most compelling sides and stews to accompany the gentle wisps of smoke rising from your sticks sunbathing on the hwaro charcoal grill.