Orchard Central: Japanese Food Trail
Labels:
advertorial,
food tasting,
japanese,
large groups,
orchard,
orchard central,
ramen,
shabu shabu,
will return
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Not the first time I'm expounding its merits but Orchard Central is a treasure trove of brilliant activities, cool stores peddling niche goods and food meccas worth boasting about. When it comes to dining in OC, we're completely spoilt for choice, whether it be fusion-Thai at Som Tam or rambunctious casual izakaya style dining at Sumiya; there's loads of ways to fill the stomach. I didn't want to get all excited but the prospects of embarking on a purely Japanese centric food trail around Orchard Central was enough for me to let our a rip-roar cheer. Delving into the heights of Orchard central and sifting through the various Japanese offerings from shabu shabu to home styled grilled items and finally ramen, we bring you the best of OC. Think of this as your definitive check list for your next visit. I assure you, my recommendations are true.
Such is the density of Japanese restaurants on the 8th floor of OC that, of an evening, the various smells adrift from boiling stock pots, grilled pork bellies and the different cook stations on the buffet line can be intoxicating. For shabu shabu, head on over to Shabu Sai, a casual Japanese sukiyai/shabu shabu establishment that does good food and remarkably good value (especially considering you can eat to your hearts content and that sauce counter tho.).
[Singapore Cocktail Week 2016] Top 10 Cocktails you must try: Part 1
Labels:
cocktails,
events,
sgcocktailweek
·
Here's our pick of the lot. Needless to say, this 8 day mothership of cocktail-focused gatherings featuring international and local bartenders helming the bars with their wacky creations will lead to an alcoholic chase like non other. However, we would strongly suggest these beverages for the everyday enthusiast, you bet your bottom dollar they will be worth your while.
1) Juliet's Secret (Manhattan Bar)
Senior bartender Cedric Mendoza translates family tradition through his submission for round two of the Diageo World class competition based on the fruit and plant theme with the Juliet's Secret. A rum based concoction, combining sublime Ron Zacapa 23 with Pedro Ximenez, homemade Pistachio Orgeat syrup and fresh lime juice. Brimmed on all sides with a trio of dehydrated tomatoes, mushroom and pineapple dust; this refreshing drink with a creamy edge transmutes itself depending on which way you sip from the glass.
2) Monkey Business (La Maison Du Whisky)
Trust the whisky fanatics at LMDW to work their magic with a bottle of Monkey Shoulder. Combining Gin, Sloe Gin, simple syrup, lemon juice a pinch of salt and lavender. The Monkey Business contains no soda of any sort, deploying an egg white instead to supply a frothy tingle.
3) Boston Tea Party (Jim Meehan, PDT)
Complex, balanced and dangerous. Layers and layers of new sensations arise as the sencha green tea and Bittermens boston bitters rise above the base spirits of Banks 5 Island Rum and dry vermouth - creating a symphony of colors, if only for a brief moment before residing to its alcoholic roots. Stunning. Watch out for PDT (Please Don't Tell) resident bartender, Jim Meehan guest shift at The Cufflink Club later tonight, 15th March.
4) Ratu Pa Lo (Long Chim)
A single cocktail from their SGCW menu effectively makes this new revamped bar at Long Chim one to seek out. The alcohol force is strong in this one, so let the good times roll. Rum, gin and five spiced syrup are smoothed with velvety froth, the fresh mandarin infused with egg white conjuring up memories of mango lassi.
5) Rye Dynasty (Gibson Bar)
Ever wondered what a negroni taste like at the end of a drunken night? This drink would be most certain to wake up even the sleepiest drunk. A twist on the classic drink sends the tongue careening into new frontiers, Rye Whisky meets Creme de cassic, cocchi Americano and bitters in a stiff cocktail adventure. Best one for a night cap.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our list to be published nearing the end of the working week or follow us on Instagram @thedrinkseekers to catch a glimpse of the action.
Portico Prime: 'Portico Favourites' New High Tea Set
Here it is, a high tea stand exuding grandeur and finesse from all angles; even from the makeshift Velcro strips stuck to the edges, converting a humble wine rack into a garden-esque display of petite sweet treats and savory bites. All is innocent and expectations kept to a minimum, until you chomp down on the dainty Eclair of Singapore-style chili crab meat and there is an explosion of flavors.
[Singapore Cocktail Week special]: The Vagabond Bar
Labels:
bar,
barfood,
cocktails,
girls night out,
hidden finds,
jalan sultan,
must go,
romantic,
sgcocktailweek,
will return
·
Singapore Cocktail Week kicks off to a roaring start this weekend with a great many events, workshops and guest bartender shifts to please both the novice drinkers and industry peeps alike. Amidst a flurry of activities and slurred words to ensue, there is Vagabond Hotel, tucked away in the seemingly forgotten part of Jalan Sultan. This ostentatious boutique hotel needs no introductions, it's seductive yet clearly artsy direction scoring points on my staycation chart, earning it a place in the Top 5 Trendiest staycations in the City list. Similarly, the resident bar veers away from the textbook, hotel lobby bar. No tiki cocktails nor cliched alcoholic punches are insight here. Instead, the bartenders dig deep, procuring brands that are hard to find and beyond the comprehension of most common tastebuds, till a sip of the forbidden potion reveals that inner snob in most of us.
Specially for cocktail week this year, Vagabond bar has churned out a grand 5 cocktails for at a reasonable $14++ only. With the usual suspects stripped off from the regular cocktail menu and a few exciting additions to make up the coveted list, you'll be assured a exciting if not gustatory experience at the bar, honed by ostentatious mad men vibes and a 'monkey on your back'. Unfortunately, only holders of the wrist-bands will reap the rewards, so if you haven't laid hands on the set of 8 bands, you had better jump on the bandwagon soon!
Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen: Signature Volcano Ramen and a [GIVEAWAY]
Labels:
affordable,
giveaway,
japanese,
japanese curry,
large groups,
liang court,
ramen,
setlunch,
will return
·
"Order the Kazan Ramen," the PR mistress beckons via text. Impervious to her pleas, I browse through the menu, setting my sights on the chashu karamiso ramen at first, only to be distracted by a mere glimpse of the next page - a firewall display of smoking chimneys and black claypots of bubbling ramen. "OOoooo" Could it be? Did she mean these? - at this juncture, there was no turning back; the impressive poster stealing our hearts and guts instantly.
The signature Kazan Ramen served in stonepots to maintain its sizzling hot consistency may seem like a gimmick to some but I can assure you that in some ways, this method of service does have its merits. For starters, the stone bowls are preheated to a whopping 300 degree celsius and ingredients neatly arranged within; once at the table, the waiter will then proceed to pour in half the soup and slap on the funnelled lid, VOILA! volcano eruption! or essentially steam generated from the fiesty interaction. Let it cook for a minute and you're ready to eat.
Truly Test Kitchen: Gen-Y hawker daredevils
Labels:
all-day-breakfast,
curry,
curry rice,
hawker,
hidden finds,
large groups,
lunch,
macpherson,
must go,
taiseng,
will return
·
This review is going to be short and sweet. Mainly because most of you who have dined there have called it as it is. Truly Test Kitchen, set up by the two tenacious owners of Truly Curry Rice formally located at Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre have since moved to 'greener pastures',which in retrospect appear to be devastatingly dreary circumstances - stranded right in the middle of Taiseng industrial estate. Located on the level 7 of Jun Jie industrial building, chills run through my spine as we rode up the passenger lifts with a peculiar long pole straddling the entrance way to prevent delivery men from their hooligan ways. Let's be honest, to say that Truly Test Kitchen serves up 'budget cuisine' wouldn't be doing it justice since I've had personal experience working in the central kitchens of Taiseng before, my only form of sustenance in the afternoons being $2 economy rice from nearby staff canteens, which proved to be beyond satisfactory on your meagre breaks. Then again, what the owners have done right is to harvest customers from both sides of the spectrum. Using attractive pricing to lock down the 'locals' and using their hipster image, touting a gansta name and riding on waves of social media to draw in the unsuspecting victims who want a slice of the provincial pie. For that, I salut the steadfast efforts of the two Gen-Y hawker daredevils.
Gemmills: Hole-in-the-wall wine bar
Labels:
bar,
barfood,
desserts,
good eats around tanjong pagar,
hidden finds,
romantic,
tanjong pagar,
tart,
telok ayer,
will return,
winebar,
wines
·
I've kept a secret for way too long. A hidden find,waiting like a wild child to pounce on the hearts of the free spirited and the closet introverts. Newly opened Gemmills, a drinking hole celebrating the best of affordable wines and dapper bar grub has inched its way into my heart, stealing snippets of my sorrow away as its' mischievous red trickles down my parched throat.
With wildly successful backing under its wings, (think Maggie Joan's and its wonderfully rogue cuisine); its easy to see how the new bar venture runs in the same tangent, exuding a kind of 'too-cool-for-school' vibe with patrons eagerly cradling glass vessels of ruby red or sweet crystal over jaunty conversation.
Gemmills, inspired by its namesake John Gemmill; who apparently was a successful auctioneer and banker in the 1840s donated the Gemmill fountain, a drinking fountain, and first of its kind in Singapore - in a bid to quench the parched throats of the public with nothing but the gift of sky juice. Likewise, the new all-day dining concept pushes in the same direction, except with more frivolity and a slightly exclusive conception.
The Armoury Gastrobar: The burger game here. game-changer.
Labels:
beer,
big groups,
bugis,
burgers,
cityhall,
craft beers,
dinner,
downtown,
esplanade,
gastropub,
happy hour,
pasta,
pubfood,
will return
·
A new face in the South Beach Quarters has surfaced, breaking through its former rigid armoury historical roots to reveal a contemporary gastro-bar reinforced with classic pub grub such as burgers and hearty meat pastas given a more creative approach. In the space, with its curious mishmash of upscale and casual decor, your first concern should be the beers. Sporting a rather sexy wall fitted with 15 taps, the bar pours a variety of American craft beers and ciders on tap; my advice would be head down during happy hours from 5-8pm to enjoy 1-1 beers, that way, your Deschutes Freshly Squeezed IPA will only set you back at 9++ per US pint.
Mikuni Special: Hina Matsuri or Dolls' Festival
Labels:
cityhall,
expensive,
fairmont hotel,
japanese,
must go,
romantic,
setlunch,
special occasion
·
Hina Matsuri, otherwise known as Doll's Day or Girls' Day is a Japanese festival that allows for a rather strange patronage to dolls. Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display sets of collectors ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period. From what I gathered from the very animated Chef Moon Kyung Soo of Mikuni (whose excellent culinary antics I was exposed to earlier last year), Doll's day traditionally celebrated on the 3rd March is a day for parents to bestow their well wishes for their daughters coming of age. Starting with a glass of shirozake, a cloudy non-alcoholic sake made from fermented rice... the notion of blessings accompanied, very apt and likewise, very sweet.
Available from the 1 to 10 March, Chef Moon's specially curated lunch bento (priced at $120++) will be available only for lunch service. A deceivingly tiny trio of drawers hiding treasures in every layer, flanked by an entire platter of light-as-air tempura. One can't help but wonder if the meal sets out to challenge ones ability to eat daintily. The pre-requisite skills of nimble chopstick handling crucial in preventing wastage of even the tiniest grain.
Wildfire Burgers @ 313Somerset: I only see black
Labels:
affordable,
alfresco,
beer,
burgers,
craft beers,
family friendly,
fried chicken,
hollerout,
large groups,
orchard,
orchard 313,
will return
·
Honest to God, I arrived at the foot of Wildfire; my uneasy stomach full of trepidation. So I've heard a mixture of things, both good and bad, but armed with a tale to tell of bone-dry patties and irrelevant sunny-side ups, I prayed that my last visit was just an anomaly of poor performance. Squinting past the slightly whoreish neon lights guarding the entrance to the mall, there I stood with rebellious intention. So, winner of the 'Asia Burger Challenge 2015' - 'Hit me with your best shot!' - and they sure did fire away.
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