Hot New Tables Jan 2013

8 New Restaurants in Singapore

Wednesday, 2 Jan 2013

New year, new food.

Expect a stunning slew of restos like Asia-Mexican fusion Pistola (by Min Chan, founder of Club Street Social) opening the first quarter of 2013, but if you’re little miss eager pants, some of these new restaurants have just opened – so in between Christmas break and Chinese New Year festivities, we guarantee you’ll never be hungry in Singapore with this handy list.

In a hurry? Here’s this month’s tip sheet at a glance:
The Halia at Raffles Hotel
La Barra
Sabio by the Sea
HANSANG Korean Restaurant & Market
SushiAirways Sushibar
Buona Terra
Ki-sho
BORNGA

Looking for more hot new tables? Check out our picks for March 2012, June 2012, July 2012, August 2012, September 2012, October 2012, November 2012, & December 2012.

The Halia at Raffles Hotel
A fan of the Halia at Botanic Gardens but don’t like the hard-to-spot locale? Rejoice – this home-grown establishment has opened doors at the iconic Raffles Hotel!

Menu-wise, the urban-casual eatery showcases contemporary European cuisine with Asian inspirations at pocket-friendly prices and two plate sizes – “small plates” and “big plates”.

Must-orders include the Celeriac Lasagne, a surprising vegetarian combination of mushrooms, thyme, baby spinach, lemon and Madeira cream, layered between celeriac sheets; the Javanese Spice Maori Lakes Rack of Lamb, a tender lamb rack marinated in chef’s secret Javanese spice mix, and the signature Halia Chilli Crab Spaghettini, a heaping dish of spaghettini cooked with crabmeat and a spicy egg-based gravy.

Tip: the al fresco bar is still a little-known secret so head there for cocktail hour and skip the overbearing crowds of more central bars!

The Halia at Raffles Hotel, #01-22/23, 1 Beach Road, Raffles Hotel, Singapore 189673, p. 9639 1148. Open Mon-Fri 1130am-10pm, Sat, Sun & PH 10am-10pm.

La Barra
Hola, La Barra! This newbie is a modern re-interpretation of the classic roadside stands and food kiosks of Colombia, providing authentic Colombian street fare and exclusive beverages imported directly from Colombia.

Diners can create their own Arepa – widely considered to be one of the national dishes of Colombia. Made from ground pre-cooked cornmeal, the Arepa is 100% gluten free, and can be filled with shredded beef, chicken, avocado, beans and cheese.

The outlet also offers a variety of Empanadas – the sine qua non of street snacks served in typical cafés and street kiosks in Colombia. Similar in shape to the savoury curry puffs, these corn based Empanadas are filled with an assortment of fresh ingredients that are distinctively Colombian. House-made Aji and Green Sauces provide an essential accompaniment to all of La Barra’s snacks.

La Barra,1 Vista Exchange Green, #02-21 The Star Vista, Singapore 138617, p. 6694 2495. Open Tue-Thu 4-11pm, Fri-Sun 12-11pm.

Sabio by the Sea
Move over, Robertson Quay – there’s a new quay in town. Haven’t visited Quayside Isle yet? Make a reservation at Sabio by the Sea, a grill restaurant and tapas bar inspired by the original Sabio on Duxton Hill.

The food’s all about the sea so expect plenty of grilled meat and fish prepared in charcoal ovens specially flown in from Spain. There’s also a selection of Spanish tapas (both hot and cold) like the Traditional potato and onion omelette, Manchego cheese croquettes, and Pan-fried calamari.

More on the Spanish front: 5 different types of Paella, including Paella Negra (mixed seafood in black ink squid), Fideua (Noodles with squid ink, squid, prawn, and sea bass), and a lesser-seen Vegetarian Paella.

Weekend warriors will also enjoy the all day weekend brunch dining.

Sabio by the Sea, 31 Ocean Way, #01-02, Singapore 098395 (Next to W Hotel Singapore), p. 6690 7568. Open Mon-Thu 12-10pm, Fri 12pm-12am, Sat 10am-12am, Sun 10am-10pm.

HANSANG Korean Restaurant & Market
Got Korean fever? Head to HANSANG Korean Restaurant & Market at The Grandstand, the chain’s third outlet in Singapore. The spacious 200-seater restaurant HANSANG’s central kitchen, 10 VIP rooms, and a Korean Supermarket (LotteMart) within its premises.

Find over 100 authentic Korean dishes including the famed charcoal BBQ. Best part? You won’t emerge smelling like your dinner – HANSANG has installed a sophisticated smoke suction machine from Korea which extracts the smoke from the bottom so you get the sizzle without the smoke.

Bukit Timah residents: there’s also a takeaway counter serving roast chicken and bulgogi hamburgers for meals on the fly.

HANSANG Korean Restaurant & Market, 200 Turf Club Road, #02-14 Main Grandstand, Singapore 307506, p. 6463 6508. Open 1130am-10pm daily.

SushiAirways Sushibar
Well here’s a novel idea that, while kitschy, had us at takeoff.

Helmed by Executive Chef EC Wong (former Head Chef at Grand Hyatt Singapore), SushiAirways is a cozy 30-seater diner decked out to resemble a legendary 1930s Douglas DC-3, an American fixed-wing propeller-driven chrome plated aircraft. Yes, there are actually aircraft meal carts and overhead storage compartments. There’s aircraft lighting and rounded panoramic aircraft-like windows. There are even stewardesses!

Food of the day: Japanese. There are two menus: set lunch (from $15) and a la carte dinner. Seafood is flown in fresh four times a week and highlights include the smooth Ankimo, monk fish liver served with ponzu sauce. Can’t make up your mind? There’s also an Omakase degustation menu.

SushiAirways Sushibar, 20A Baghdad Street, Singapore 199659, p. 6291 1151. Open daily 12-230pm (lunch), 230-6pm (tea), and 6-1030pm (dinner).

Buona Terra
There’s a definite trend toward more casual eateries, but Buona Terra has taken the road less travelled.

Nestled among the row of colonial buildings along Scotts Road, Buona Terra is a luxuriously furnished enclave ideal for intimate gatherings or for some romancing (hint: Valentine’s Day).

Highlights of the modern Italian cuisine here include the ‘Tagliatelle’ di Seppia con Sedano, Melone e Mandorle, a sous-vide Cuttlefish tossed in Celery, melon, and almond, which lend a refreshing crunch to the baby-soft cuttlefish texture; the Fagottino di Asparagi e Robiola 3 Latti – Crispy Asparagus Dumpling with Robiola 3 Milk Cheese, and the Tagliolini al Granchio e Caviale, homemade Tagliolini Pasta with Crab Meat, Lemon and Italian Oscietra Caviar.

Opt for the 8-course Degustation Menu at $138++/person.

Buona Terra, 29 Scotts Road, Singapore 228224, p. 6733 0209. Open Mon-Sat 630-1030pm.

Ki-sho
Right next door to Buona Terra sits Ki-sho, a quiet two-storey escapade showcasing the finest of Kyoto’s cuisine.

Ki-sho is helmed by the renowned Chef Hamamoto, who brings with him a wealth of experience and creativity amassed from his apprenticeship days in Kyoto’s top culinary restaurants and Singapore’s best Japanese restaurant.

It’s an intimate venue space; there’s a 10-seater sushi bar counter, 2 private rooms (8- and 12- seaters), and an 8-seater sake room. There are only 3 types of seasonal omakase set menus here ($230++, $280++, or $320++/person), but you’re guaranteed skilful preparation of only the season’s best.

PS. Take a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship of the restaurant: every detail in Ki-sho was meticulously hand- built by a team of commissioned Japanese artisans, from the bespoke furniture to the hand-laid wooden flooring and delicate gold leaf wallpaper.

Ki-sho, 29 Scotts Road, Singapore 228224, p. 6733 5251. Open Mon-Sat 630-1030pm.

BORNGA
With 33 restaurants in Korea, 9 in China, 2 in Indonesia, 1 in the US, and fullblown Korean fever in Singapore, it was only natural that BORNGA decided to set up shop here.

The highlight at this popular Korean BBQ chain? The signature Woo Samgyup, thinly-sliced beef seasoned in a secret marinade and served with Woo Samgyup sauce, which is imported from Korea to BORNGA restaurants internationally for assurance on consistency

Other must-tries include the Samgyupsal, grilled pork belly chosen for just the right proportion of fat and meat, and Chadol Duenjang Jjigae, a Korean beef stew made with a rich soybean paste.

BORNGA, #02-24, The Star Vista, 1 Vista Exchange Green Singapore 138617, p. 6694 4696. Open 1130am-10pm daily.