Hot New Tables October 2012
10 New Restaurants in Singapore
Wednesday, 26 Sep 2012
What’s new on the culinary front? Plenty, it seems.
Bruno Menard is at it again, this time re-working traditional French cuisine; the folk behind bespoke cocktail bar, Bar Stories, have just launched their first full-fledged restaurant; there’s a new wonderchef on Ann Siang Road; we hear from some New Zealand giants, and our favourite black sheep has just found a new home in Cluny Court. Phew!
Here’s this month’s cheat sheet at a glance:
Fern & Kiwi
Bar Bar Black Sheep @ Cluny Court
Lolla
Osteria L’Operetta
La Cantine
Morganfield’s
Table Manners
Skinny Pizza @ Plaza Singapura
The Cajun Kings
Paulaner Singapore Clarke Quay
For the juicy details, make sure to click through the slideshow!
Looking for more hot new tables? Check out our picks for March, June, July, August, and September.
Fern & Kiwi
Calling all new Zealanders: Fern & Kiwi, the international offshoot of successful New Zealand restaurant chain Lone Star, just threw open their doors early September!
In order to create an authentic Kiwi dining experience, the team, led by world-renowned Chef Mathew Metcalfe, imports their ingredients straight from New Zealand – grass-fed prime beef, free range venison, award winning lamb, the freshest seafood – and even the legendary Agria potato.
Recommended dishes include Pure South Striploin of Venison served on slow roasted herbed tomatoes & char grilled asparagus and a port wine Jus; Line Caught South Island Blue Cod Fish & Chips, with a Steinlarger beer batter, Agria Hand Cut Fries, Fern & Kiwi’s Home made Tartare and lemon wedges, and New Zealand Whitebait Sliders served in freshly toasted Brioche Buns with Homemade Tartare sauce, Micro Rocket fresh lemon.
Premium New Zealand pinot noir and sauvignon blanc labels are also served on tap.
Fern & Kiwi, 3C River Valley Road, #01-02/03 The Cannery, Clarke Quay, Singapore 179024, p. 6336 2271, open daily 4pm-late
Bar Bar Black Sheep @ Cluny Court
This black sheep definitely knows its way around town.
This ever-popular, unpretentious pub/restaurant has just opened its fourth outlet at Cluny Court. Serving Thai, Indian, and Western food under one roof, this little restaurant has come a long way from its Cherry Avenue roots.
Choose to sit indoors (tons swankier than Cherry Avenue’s indoor seating) or dine alfresco in their private courtyard. They’re also having $5 opening specials on any draught glass during the month of October 2012, so pop over to their facebook page to claim the offer.
Bar Bar Black Sheep @ Cluny Court, 501 Bukit Timah Road, #01-05C, Cluny Court, Singapore 259760, p. 6763 4757
Lolla
We thought Ann Siang Hill was out of tricks, but it seems like they’ve brought in the big guns.
First up, Lolla is really small, like 13-seater small. If you’re rounding up the foodie friends, they do have a private dining room in the basement that seats 20. However, they don’t take reservations and they’re currently open only for dinner, so come prepared to wait your turn.
The upside – you’ll be very handsomely rewarded. Restaurant specials include sea urchin pudding, made with squid ink custard and sea urchin (yes you read that right); Tuna belly “chutoro” tartare, and beef tongue escalopes.
Our sources tell us that dessert in the form of (pleasantly surprising) doughnuts with lemon curd is a must.
Another thing we really appreciate – these guys are all about uncomplicated food and fab produce. They use fresh bread from Maison Kayser, coffee beans from the one and only Papa Palheta, grass-fed beef from Cape Grim in Tassie, and cheese from Ceneri, a family-run cheese refiner in France. Hats off to Lolla for truly doing their homework.
We have yet to pop down there but we spoke to Ming, the head chef, briefly over the phone and we think he’s a charmer. If you catch him in action in the open kitchen, sneak a moment to say the Honeycombers sent you!
Lolla, 22 Ann Siang Road, Singapore 069702, p. 6423 1228, open Mon-Sat 5pm-12mn
Osteria L’Operetta
Pizza cravings along sixth avenue? Satisfy them at Osteria L’Operetta.
The L’Operetta group is known for their wood-fired, Neopolitan crust (think fluffy base with a slight chew, not cracker-crisp), and this cozy Sixth Avenue outlet is the stuff that pizza junkies dream of.
Here’s why: they offer takeaway service, so if you’re craving pizza for lunch, give them a call and swing by to pick up your gourmet pizza. No parking headaches, no seating issues. Sixth Avenue folk – that’s no more excuses!
You can also choose to dine in at the restaurant, and if you do make a pitstop, you can’t miss the retail space where you can pick up cheese and antipasti.
Osteria L’Operetta, 20 Sixth Avenue, Singapore 276479, p. 6465 0074, open Tue-Sun 12-3pm & 6-11pm
La Cantine
Bruno Menard, please teach us your multitasking skills.
Barely two months after opening &MADE, this 3 Michelin star chef has opened La Cantine, which promises a fresh take on the traditional French brasserie.
Recommended signatures include La Tomate Farcie, a momotaro tomato filled with zucchini chutney and olive oil, served with yuzu-kosho tarragon sorbet, parmesan cheese and arugula; La Bavette, a beef flank with caramelized onion, “Royan” raviolio gratin, and &MADE barbecue sauce, and as always, make sure to end your meal with the Caramel Hot Lava Cake.
La Cantine also serves a selection of burgers from &MADE during lunch – the “B” Burger(dry-aged beef, onion confit, caper, garlic sauce & Comté cheese), the Beef Cheek Burger (beef cheek, caper, red onions, cornichon, eggs & butterhead lettuce), and the 3 Little Pigs (bacon, pork fillet & chorizo patty, shiitake mushrooms, shibazuke pickles, yuzu-kosho mayonnaise).
La Cantine, #01-01 Asia Square, Tower 1, 8 Marina View, Singapore 018960, p. 6690 7567, open Mon-Fri 12-230pm & 6-10pm
Morganfield’s
Good ol’ American dining has now hit the West – Morganfield’s, an updated American diner which serves up a heavy dose of Southern hospitality alongside American barbecue.
Their menu boasts a strong focus on pork-focused dishes like Hot Rib Sandwich – hot chunks of pork ribs pulled off the bone and tossed in a special BBQ sauce sandwiched in a warm buttered bun – and a selection of classic diner faves, including Chilli Cheese Fries, Tequila Spiked Chicken, Smokehouse Bacon Cheeseburger, and Cheese Steak Sandwich.
But the real highlight? Sticky Bones – authentic, old-fashioned prime pork rib slow-cooked and smoked to tender mouthwatering perfection, then basted with a sweet and tangy hickory flavored barbeque sauce with a hint of cider.
Got littlies? Here’s a deal you won’t want to miss. Check out the Kids Eat for Free programme, which is available on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. Kids below 8 years or 120cm in height get to enjoy a free meal for every adult’s main meal (a maximum of two kids’ meals can be redeemed per table).
Morganfield’s, 1 Vista Exchange Green, Unit #02-23 The Star Vista, Singapore 138617, p. 6694 3635, open Sun-Thu 11am-1030pm, Fri-Sat & PH eve 11am-12mn
Table Manners
So you guys know we like Bar Stories, right? Vintage furniture and cocktails – that’s got Honeycombers written all over it.
Well the creative team behind Café Fables and Bar Stories have made the leap and started a full-fledged restaurant, and trust us on this – this won’t be the last of their creative business ventures.
We think Table Manners is highly conceptual – in a good way. The restaurant serves Western fare, coffee and tea by Papa Palheta and Tea Forte respectively, and (hurray for us) a selection of cocktails by Bar Stories. Good news, fellow alkies – the cocktails here are significantly cheaper and just as good as the ones at Bar Stories.
But like we said, it gets conceptual. Diners get to design their own meal by choosing from different categories. You pay according to what you pick, e.g. two dishes from the “fibre” category and two dishes from the “protein” category will cost you a total of $19.
Like Bar Stories, expect furnishings to be a focus. Table Manners will stock exclusively designed chairs and napkins, alongside eco-friendly Japanese disposable tableware.
Our only gripe – why Changi, guys? Thankfully they have expansion plans in their future.
Table Manners, 5 Changi Business Park Central 1, #01-68/69, Singapore 486038, p. 6604 7669, open Mon-Sun 11am-12mn
Skinny Pizza @ Plaza Singapura
Yep, we’re sure you’re already familiar with these guys, but Skinny Pizza just got bigger – their newest branch at Plaza Singapura will be opening come October 2012.
Along with the launch of this new outlet, Skinny Pizza is also adding six new flavours to their menu – all in line with their global domination plans, no doubt. The six flavours will be available at all outlets.
The flavours include:
3-30Sep 2012 Mexican Chilli Beef and Three-Bean Vegetarian Chilli
1-31 Oct 2012 Vitello Tonnato (premium poached veal fillet, smothered in a home-made tuna mayonnaise sauce and garnished with red onion, gerkins, chopped parsley and fresh rocket—all served on a delicious squid ink base) and Beef Carpaccio
1-30 Nov 2012 Smoked Duck & Lentil and Jamón Pan Con Tomate ($26)
(thin slices of the finest Jamón Ibérico, served with crushed tomato, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil, topped off with fresh rocket and parmesan cheese shavings)
Skinny Pizza Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, #03-79/83, Singapore 238839
The Cajun Kings
Throw Mum’s words out – at the Cajun Kings it’s all about playing with your food.
Don your bib, pick up that (wooden) hammer, and get cracking at your seafood! The name of the game here is – you guessed it – Cajun and Creole style seafood. Inspired by New Orleans, the restaurant’s signature is seafood boil – blue lobsters, Scottish brown crabs, Dungeness crabs, and red sea prawns – but there’s plenty of indulgent treats for everyone. Choose from sweet potato fries and fried calamari to buttermilk frogs’ legs.
And while you’re in the neighbourhood (kinda like the Greenwood of Serangoon), pop by Wimbly Lu for some seriously good chocolate.
The Cajun Kings, 15-1 Jalan Riang, Singapore 358987, p. 6284 4426, open Sun & Tue-Thu 3-10pm, Fri-Sat 3-11pm. Closed Mondays.
Paulaner Singapore Clarke Quay
It’s almost like celebrating Oktoberfest all year round at Paulaner Singapore Clarke Quay.
On top of freshly tapped Paulaner beer, the restaurant also has a full menu of authentic Bavarian dishes like the Bavarian pretzel (oversized, of course), Roasted pork knuckle with potato dumplings and a cabbage salad, and
Kaiser-Schmarrn, a roughly shredded caramelized pancake served with apple and plum compote.
Not so big on the German food? Paulaner also does international faves and current food trends.
But whatever you do, drink up! All the beers offered at Paulaner Singapore Clarke Quay are brewed according to the 1516 Bavarian Purity Law not using any other ingredients than water, malt, hops and yeast.
Paulaner Singapore Clarke Quay, 3B River Valley Road, #01-12, Clarke Quay, Singapore 179021, p. 6338 0480, open daily 12nn till late
