In this month's edition of Hot New Tables: Open Farm Community, Cure, La Ventana, and more
We’re stoked to see enclaves like Dempsey get new kids on the block (it’s about damn time!), but areas like Keong Saik, Telok Ayer, and new mall Capitol Piazza seem to remain popular spots to find new restaurants in Singapore. Get ready to hit up these 10 places for some super fine grub.
Open Farm Community
Sitting on 35,000 square feet of lush greenery that was once a golf driving range, Open Farm Community boasts a sprawling garden filled with herb and vegetable produce, worm and ant farms, two lawn bowling lanes, ping pong tables, and a farmers’ market. This super exciting, ingenious concept features a seasonal menu (curated by chef Ryan Clift from Tippling Club), which changes according to the local harvest. Find out more here.
Open Farm Community, 130E Minden Road, Singapore 248819, p. 6471 0306. Open Mon-Fri 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-10pm.
Cure
This 40-seater on Keong Saik Road is run by chef-owner Andrew Walsh, who’s just spent three and a half years spearheading nearby establishments Esquina and The Study. Following a bistronomy concept, Cure offers creations that showcase the season’s best produce. In June, one could expect items like asparagus and fresh peas, while in July, it might be about rhubarb and strawberries. It’ll be a fun surprise to look at the five to seven-course menu, which changes monthly.
Cure, 21 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089128, p. 6221 2189. Open Mon-Sat 6:30pm-late, Thu-Fri 12pm-late.
La Ventana
‘Wow’ is a word that you’re going to be uttering throughout your La Ventana experience; from the swish interiors – a tasteful mix of large, sleek furnishings and cute, eclectic accessories – to the trendy outdoor area (fairylights galore!). And that’s not even the swanky grub; which is divvied into a ‘tapas menu’ and a ‘mains menu’. Find out what we thought about the food here.
La Ventana, #01-01, 16A Dempsey Road, Singapore 247695, p. 6479 0100. Open Tue-Sun 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm. Closed Mon.
Alma by Juan Amador
Three Michelin starred chef Juan Amador (yes, the same man behind Amador in Mannheim, Germany) has launched a new restaurant at Goodwood Park Hotel. With offerings like pigeon with mango and purple curry, foie gras ice cream with mango gazpacho, and monk fish cheek, trust us when we say you’re in for a real treat.
Alma by Juan Amador, Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road, Singapore 228221, p. 6735 9937. Open Mon-Sat 5:30pm-10:30pm. Closed Sun.
Bottura
If the name of the restaurant sounds familiar, that’s because there is, indeed, some association with celebrity chef Massimo Bottura, the man behind three-Michelin-starred restaurant Osteria Francescana. In fact, owner Luca Bottura is the cousin of the famous Italian restauranteur! The rustic, Italian comfort food on the menu of over 100 items recalls Luca’s Northern Italian heritage. Read our restaurant review for the full deets.
Bottura, #02-472/473/474 Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Avenue, Singapore, 038983, p 6238 7527. Open daily 10am-10pm.
Equilibrium
Brought to you by the same folks behind Supply & Demand, this Italian restaurant serves up a range of cicheti (small plates) – some of which will look familiar, the garlic truffle fries (also found at Supply & Demand) being one of them – antipasti, pasta, and pizza. But what’s really interesting is the dessert menu; try items like the Deli Dolce, which looks like a charcuterie plate but it’s really a selection of sweets like chocolate “salami” and raspberry and green apple “prosciutto”.
Equilibrium, #01-86 Capitol Piazza, 15 Stamford Road, Singapore 178906, p. 6384 4069. Open daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-12am.
CreatureS
Shining the spotlight on east-meets-west fare, CreatureS puts out reinterpreted favourites of familiar dishes that are bound to remind everyone of home. Expect creations like pumpkin soup with you tiao and Italian yong tau foo with feta cheese. Love brunch? Drop by for the traditional laksa as well as the crabmeat croissant, which comes complete with poached eggs and cheese.
CreatureS, 120 Desker Road, Singapore 209639, p. 6291 6996. Open Mon, Wed-Thu 10:30am-10:30pm, Fri 10:30am-11:30pm, Sat 9:30am-11:30pm, Sun 9:30am-10:30pm. Closed Tue.
Boruto
Dimly-lit and furnished with huge sake barrels from floor to ceiling, Boruto reminds us of Tokyo’s upper-class tachinomi (standing) bars, except there are seats here, of course. Founded by Patrick Tan, owner of one of the best robatayaki restaurants in Singapore, Tamashii Robataya, this new sake bar has already garnered a steady following, most of whom are Japanese expats. Wondering what’s good? We’ve got you covered.
Boruto, #01-01 Golden Castle Building, 80 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058710, p. 6532 0418. Open Mon-Sat 4:30pm-12am. Closed Sun.
Park Bench Deli
Lunch in the CBD just got a lot more interesting with the arrival of cool new sandwich joint, Park Bench Deli (aka PBD). Helmed by chef Ming Tan of Lolla, chef Andrei Soen of The Cajun Kings, and management guru Aamir Ghani, this Telok Ayer outlet offers elevated renditions of the humble sandwich. We sampled the offerings so click on to see our recommendations.
Park Bench Deli, 179 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068627. Open Mon-Fri 9am-3pm.
Tendon Ginza Itsuki
When a restaurant has just two options on the menu, you know they do it well. Featuring just the special tendon (chicken, prawn, and vegetable tempura rice bowl, $13.90) and a vegetable tendon (vegetable tempura rice bowl, $12.90), you really can’t go wrong with either. This quaint 24-capacity nook in the CBD has a line wrapping around the corner before it even opens so go early if you hate queues! Read our restaurant review here.
Tendon Ginza Itsuki, 101 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088522, p. 62216678. Open daily 11:30am-2:30am, 5:30pm-10pm.