Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts

HRVST Vegan Restaurant and Bar

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Healthy vegan food. Never have I in my wildest dreams would have imagined signing up for something like this and eventually coming out from the other end of the tunnel, convinced that this is a much needed subculture movement.

HRVST restaurant and bar located on the 5th floor of the OUE downtown gallery shares its space with Kilter Avenue, a gym that's driven by movement. In the big picture , the restaurant is a holistic extension of the healthy lifestyle concept - touting vegan food and beverages to both gym users and the general public alike.

Nami: Dainty set-lunches that champion the Art of Dashi

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It's easy to build a killer menu from a bunch of gastronomical accessories and premium ingredients. But to build a restaurant's menu on the backbone of Japanese cuisine - dashi - is anything but derivative. Nami in Shangri-La Singapore does so with guns ablazing, and in doing so, challenges culinary boundaries of the eating out folk.

Botanico: Bon viveurs, we've got a game-changer on our hands

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Wine-lusters looking to up their game when it comes to food and wine pairings can now look to Botanico's revised wine program for sure-win epicurean dreams. Not that there's anything wrong with a medley of cheeses and cold cuts, but when occasion calls for a little bit of spice, Botanico steps up to the plate; literally, with Chef Sujatha Asokan visiting the spice pots often in an effort to match up to the burgeoning vino activities in the lush space.

[KL] Knowhere Bangsar opens with some excellent boozing options

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Dining options may come and go in the Bangsar precinct, and with the spectrum of international cuisine offered, diners are spoilt for choice. It's the same in the boozing scope of things. However, a new kid on the block might just pique your curiosity. In fact, the azure of luminescent lights will cajole you into the debauchery of the drinking den. For which I implore you to take the plunge.

Zafferano presents New Dishes by Chef Emanuele Faggi

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If there is anything more alluring about dining at Zafferano, is the fact that the new Head Chef Emanuele Faggi possesses the same charisma, in and out of the kitchen - both to bedazzle your tastebuds and to charm your socks off when he out working the dining room.

The young budding talent is a Tuscan native, who interned at the famed L'Albereta Resort led by legendary late Chef Gualtiero Marchesi. Following that, his culinary journeys whisked him away to 2-Michelin starred Cracco Ristorante where he honed his skills for five years under the wings of Chef Carlo Cracco. One precious value that is heavily emulated through the meal is the conscious effort to reduce food wastage, with various food discards or "trash" reappearing on dishes such as carrot skin powder and onion skin powder repurposed as flavouring agents. Meaningful, and I might add, brilliant all at once.

[Friday Date-Night]: Rosso Vino

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Located along the banks of Robertson Quay, Rosso Vino prides itself as being one of the best Italian restaurants in the island. Being relatively new to Italian cuisine, we were thrilled to be invited to try out some of the classics on their menu.

To start, we had the Bruschetta Rosso Vino and Carpaccio Di Manzo. The Bruschetta Rosso Vino is a trio of Smoked Salmon, Diced Tomato and Mozzarella and Anchovies Bruschetta. As someone who usually strays away from tomatoes due to its distinct taste and smell, the diced tomato was surprisingly refreshing and easy to swallow. I never thought I would say this, but that was delightful and pretty addictive. Contrastingly, the smoked salmon piece was not outstanding and the mozzarella one was way too salty for my liking. Perhaps a better ove would be to order the Brushcetta Rosa, where you can better indulge in the Diced Tomato Bruschetta, which really helps to whet your appetite for the upcoming feast.

The Carpaccio Di Manzo had unbelievable thin slices of beef tenderloin served with parmesan cheese and mixed salad. The beef was so thin and moist that they broke apart easily while the cheese added a nice subtle touch of saltiness to the beef.


For our mains, we ordered the recommended Cavatelli Ragu di Maiale in Salsa Di Pomodoro and Branzino alla Toscana. The homemade pasta's name was a handful, but the reason behind its popularity was clear. The Cavatelli pasta itself was firm, with a slight bite to it, yet easy to chew through; quite the perfect al dente if I would say so myself. The addition of red wine imparts a light oaky fullness to the sauce. Each pasta piece enrobed in the rich sauce made for a very pleasant experience.

As one who is particularly averse to fishiness, I was amazed at how subdued the dish of Branzino all Toscano was. The fish was moist and flaky fresh and the tomato based stew providing relief from the fishy qualities. What's left was a really fragrant, juicy and fat fillet of white meat, it's sweetness further enhanced by the layered tomato stew.

Pair your mains with a glass of wine or rose, both giving additional dimension to the dishes ordered and adding brownie points to the romantic night out.


Rosso Vino
15 Merbau Road
S(239032)
Reservations: CHOPE

Operating Hours:
Mon - Sun: 3pm - 1am

Words and photos by Belinda Yong who wishes that every time of the day is food o'clock. She loves trying new cuisines and creations, and prays hard for a higher metabolism.

Ding Dong releases 18 new dishes that incite wanderlust in Southeast Asia

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I've always had a soft spot for Ding Dong (read my previous extolments here) and its representing unbuttoned Asian-trendy-comfort-food virtues. In a commitment phobic world, it's always refreshing to see a restaurant so enterprising in the spirit of introducing an ever-changing spectrum of Southeast Asian dishes and flavours to its diners, yet still retaining a contemporary edge that's party-ready (it's always tempting to hit the cocktails and bubbly hard). This season, Ding Dong puts on its thinking cap once more and derives a spread of eclectic offerings that will have you at the edge of your seat.

Mikuni's "Doyo no Ushi no Hi" or Summer Unagi Festival Menu hopes to boost your vitality

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A time-warp happened within the first few seconds of being seated in the darkened inner sanctums of Mikuni. Flashbacks to my last "Doyo no Ushi no Hi" menu in 2016 under the tutelage of Chef Moon Kyung Soo and that glistening coat of sticky glaze on charcoal grilled eel. I coo-ed. It was superb. However, a lot of things have changed over the last two years. One of the most major - Executive Chef Keisuke Uno taking over the reigns and breathing new life into the extensive menu of kaiseki, sushi and sashimi, teppanyaki and robatayi offerings. Another would the addition of outlet manager and sommelier Ryuta Yamada to the team. Fortunately, I was extremely blessed to be able to experience his prowess in wine and sake through a rather intriguing wine and sake pairing that was purposed to sing in harmony with the Summertime Unagi Treat.

Lewin Terrace takes matcha beyond the mug with [Oh! Matcha Dessert Buffet]

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Following the highly popular Ichigo Delight Strawberry Buffet, Lewin Terrace introduces another cult favourite dessert choice, Matcha. Going at just $38++ per pax, diners can enjoy unlimited servings of premium matcha desserts that are reimagined into different shapes and forms.

Alma by Juan Amador sprouts from a series of cosmic events

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Publications company owned? The Birds of America reprints on the walls? Chef Haikal who previously helmed the Water Library in Bangkok? The first ever four-hand kitchen collaboration with Chef Dan Barker of Upstairs at Mikkeller? Wait. How does three-Michelin-starred German chef Juan Amador even come into the picture?

Dining at Alma was as much a palate titillating experience as it was enlightening - the stories that unfolded over lunch extending to all facets of business. And despite the mind boggling series of cosmic events that have resulted in this manifestation of this Michelin-starred restaurant located with direct access to the car park of Goodwood Park Hotel (a bonus when hosting VVIPs ), I was intent on displacing the romanticism of the stories overheard and focusing on the food itself.

Yellow Pot: Six Senses Duxton's Modern Chinese Outpost

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Enter Yellow Pot, nestled in the lobby of the new boutique hotel Six Senses Duxton. The menu is straightforward Chinese, with no special emphasis on particular provincial cuisine - yet it's parroting of modish ingredients and ethical sustainability practises brings it into the 21st century. As you would expect of any Six Senses project, the decor is dynamic - an eclectic little enclave that's bedecked in lavish tones of black, gold and yellow; it's marbled table tops, the pedestal for 3 yellow pots of varied height - yes, you guessed it, the fountainhead. Soundtrack is techno vibe-d, and oddity for a six senses property, and much less a Chinese restaurant.

Full of Luck Restaurant: Gone with the Fortune Cat

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It's 2pm on a Saturday. Full of Luck restaurant in Holland Village is far from doing a roaring trade. Perhaps it's due to the lack of knowledge that the restaurant has opened its doors once again, after recently pulling up the hoardings to mask renovation works. Gone are the heavy doors, sensible automated doors put in place; the second floor ditching its kitschy hipster image in favour of a more serious Chinese restaurant. Change isn't just physical, the menu has been overhauled with more traditional dishes reinstated and the voguish Baos displaced together with the expulsion of the word 'club' from its name.

Otto's Deli Fresh: Premium steaks to be washed down with fine wines

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Otto's Deli Fresh is an all-day restaurant inspired by the vision of Chef Otto Weibel, who has won multiple awards in International cooking competitions and has had vast experience working in various prestigious hotels.

This time around, Chef Otto has taken to introducing a whole new range of premium steaks at head-turning attractive prices. All done to perfection to please the discerning palates of meat-lovers.

Did it make the cut though? Read on to find out.

The Salted Plum joins the leagues of the Dirtyyy Late Night Eats.

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Last year, Five Ten's achingly hip temple to home cooked fare basking in Taiwanese pedigree, set the pace for Singapore's new restaurants. Even after its reincarnation as The Salted Plum along the uproarious Circular road, it's still in a league of its own.

Fat Belly - Affordable luxuries at this speakeasy steakhouse

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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.

The Guild Singapore: Hong Kong's independent craft brewery and it's 'conscious' kitchen

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Like The Library, before The Guild, there's a certain exclusivity and 'hidden gem' factor in stumbling upon The Guild - a polished marble round bar housing a centralised beer dispenser of 20 taps (19 bars, 1 Gin and Tonic), dark wood accents and kitschy heritage tiles. Beers and comfort food, it isn't quite a groundbreaking combo, but upon closer inspection, you'll be surprised to find out that the newly minted The Guild Singapore peddles the duo with so much originality and spunk that its akin to being on a carousel. For your palate at least, and thank goodness it's nowhere near as pompous as its previous occupant.

Shaburi and Kintan: In the mood for a meat fix?

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It's been almost 2 years since my last visit to the much lauded shabu shabu establishment Shaburi and Kintan in JEM mall and judging from the crowds that have amassed in the premises at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, the folks of Jurong East have taken to the concept very well. The place is filled to the rafters with enthusiastic diners filling up at the new and improved greens section of the side-dish buffet. On top of that, main menus for the Shaburi have seen drastic improvements with the inclusion of a larger variety of meat choices such as chicken and seafood shabu.

Panamericana: Authentic taste of the Americas with a generous spirit shuffle

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When it comes to the options for watering holes, it's stiff competition in Sentosa. I mean, island life, if there was "The Kennedy Package" (cue Linus from 'How I Met your Mother') for Piña Coladas, I would be first in line.

The shiniest joint (and no doubt, the swankiest) to join the list is Bar-grill Panamericana in Sentosa Gold Club - it's a 6000 square feet destination that houses a brick-encased asador in the heart of the dining room, and there couldn't be a sales tactic more enticing than seeing whole meats grilled in plain view.

SPRMRKT relocates to Cluny Court

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Founded some 6 years ago at McCallum Street, homegrown brand SPRMRKT was the role model for a slew of other dining establishments that chose to adhere to a multi-concept experience in their space.

Last month, the brand relocated to the charming Bukit Timah neighbourhood at Cluny Court. A befitting spot given its proximity to World heritage site - Botanical gardens and its affiliation with inspiring daily life, coincidentally the long-time philosophy of SPRMRKT.

Writer Belinda Yong takes us through some of the dishes specially created by Chef-Owner Joseph Yeo who is well known for accenting his fare with a hodgepodge of Southeast Asian flavours.

8-Hands for Candlenut's 8 years

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Nestled away in the lush greenery of Dempsey Hill, Candlenut's redefines elegant dining and brings Peranakan cuisine to a while new gastronomic level. By infusing Straits-Chinese food with contemporary flavours, Candlenuts earned its well-deserved recognition as the world's first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant.

To make its 8th anniversary celebration, with the theme "8 years 8 Hands", Chef Malcom Lee invited three of his chef friends, Willin Low of Wild Rocket, Wayne Liew of KEK Seafood and Andrei Soen of Park Bench Deli to share their creations at the lavish eight-hands cocktail party.