Showing posts with label intimate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label intimate. Show all posts
Fat Belly - Affordable luxuries at this speakeasy steakhouse
Labels:
affordable,
botanic gardens,
date night,
intimate,
restaurants,
serene center,
steak,
wines
·
Not all steakhouses are created equal. Some come with the added luxuries of Japanese pure-bred wagyu and the accompanying bill that one would describe to be a 'highway robbery', and then some like Fat Belly, offer up standard, comforting steaks (usually secondary cuts) at affordable prices. Located in Serene Center, the 'speakeasy' steakhouse takes shape only at dusk when the spotlight is shifted from the gleaming ice cream case that houses the goodies for Sugarhaus, to the glowing embers of the binchotan.
UNA: Spanish fare under a fairy-lit canopy
Labels:
buona vista,
calamari,
cocktails,
hidden finds,
intimate,
large groups,
must go,
paella,
restaurants,
rochester park,
romantic,
spanish,
special occasion,
will return,
wines
·
Like Botanico, UNA's kitchen brigade is run by Executive Chef Antonio Oveido who favours the authentic seafood themed gourmet finds from the South of Spain and tries to blend that with heartier cuisine from the North which avoids fussing and tweaking. The result - an innovative and contemporary menu that exudes the regular wholesome fervour of Spanish fare but founded by modern cooking techniques.
UNA is anything but low-key, it's dreamy landscape complete with shower curtains of fairy lights and banquet like soft cascades of fabric from wooden beams affecting a certain sort of formality. Step through a plush garden, as represented by most other establishments in the Rochester Park vicinity and be transported to a different dimension. Between it's white-washed patio area and grandeur of colonial bungalow, the whole experience of being seated can be a bit overwhelming.
boCHINche Brunch: a home-run of bold Argentinian flavors
Labels:
amoy street,
argentinian,
brunch,
hidden finds,
intimate,
must go,
steak,
sunday brunch,
telok ayer,
will return
·
It's right before the break of dawn that I start to think about breakfast. Weekend brunch if you'd like to be specific. One that my mind drifts back to ever so often was my experience at boCHINche while it was still tucked away in the lush enclaves of Martin Road (read my experience here) - the classic Proveleta is a predictable order, oldie but gratifying nonetheless.
For those of you who don't already know, boCHINche had made a move to the dynamic precinct of Amoy street about half a year ago, sporting a more sleek and intimate outlook amidst several other changes. The weekend brunch menu, too seeing some revisions yet retaining some of the old classics. Take the Empanadas for example; days of the thick crusted 'curry pok' have changed and the pastry recipe has been swapped out for a flakier variant with a slight puff like consistency. Spinach, goat cheese, raisins and pine nuts ($6) is a product of those pre-dinner daydreams and is really good in my opinion leading up to the main brunch affair.
Le Binchotan: French-Japanese tapas with a mean cocktail bar @ Amoy Street
Perched behind closed doors... Yes... that seems to be the trend nowadays. The presence of open-air brasseries with doors flung wide open, a thing of ancient history. Yet another dining concept to join the ranks is Le Binchotan, BurgerJointsg's not-so-simple girl next door. Here, Chef Atsuhiko Hagiwara from Ginza Tokyo restaurant En.Terrible together with Singapore Head Chef Jeremmy Chiam churn out a sophisticated bar menu with a Japanese touch and a special homage paid to the technique of smoking meats and seafood over bincho-tan (white charcoal).
By lunch, the dark den offers a much-needed respite from the hard-knocked life awaiting most executives on the outside. Lunch sets range from $38+ for 3 courses to an affordable $48+ for 4 courses with the added luxury of having one of the city's more talented bartenders Sugar Ray Ruban (previously of Cufflink Club and Vasco) mix you a stiff one to while away the remaining dreary afternoon.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
