You will never ever ever run out of things to eat at your old favourites. Promise!
It’s as obvious as daylight, we take our food seriously. May is here already, waiting to feed us a frenzy of incredible things to do, cocktails to drink and new dishes at our old haunts to go ga-ga over.
Middle Eastern magic at The Ottomani
When our favourite Middle Eastern supper club fires up a brand new menu, you’ve got to go back for an encore or two. Head chef Beau Churchill has curated a bold and exotic set menu that takes you on a trip from Morocco to Turkey in a morsel. And to think he’s done it all with local and sustainable ingredients using a charcoal grill and a wood-fired earth pit oven. We warn you – it’s impossible to get through this email without ‘gramming these artful plates. We started off with bites – durumzade (a $10 add-on), a kebab of sorts with a dollop of grain-fed beef tartare topped with vintage caviar is exceptional at whetting your appetite.
Love a good foie gras? We recommend choosing Crust to Crust, which hits all the right spots. It’s indulgent with a rich foie gras mousse laid on a crispy toasted brioche and almost entirely freckled with pistachio (oh the nuttiness) and edible flowers. We almost didn’t have the heart to break into this work of art. Next on the menu is the main that are generous in portions and come with four veggie sides, which works great as it’s meant to be shared by a party of two. Chicken aside, there’s something for every meat preference – the Tiberias snapper paired with shatta hot sauce gets our seal of approval, as does the intense kurobuta pork collar that somehow fuses flavours of Turkish coffee, Sichuan pepper and zhoug, a Yemini coriander sauce. Safe to say we’ll be bringing fam/friends/friends of friends here…
The Ottomani, 48 Peck Seah St, #01-01A, Singapore 079317
Binge on bistro-style cuisine at Porta
You know we’ll be going back to Porta when bistro food cravings hit. Chef Alex Phan’s refreshed menu at Park Hotel Clarke Quay’s Porta doesn’t shy away from global flavours and influences. And we like that! A tight yet diverse menu that tempts you to order almost everything, it’s surprisingly affordable and entirely satiating. That spicy salmon tartare topped with crispy Vietnamese rice paper flanked nori, pears and marinated in spicy sugar cane vinegar hit all the right spots as did the oh-so-tender and smoky sous vide pork belly with barbecue sauce and charred leek tied together with pineapple sauce.
Got roast on your mind? Pora does one crispy roasted chicken leg sitting on a bed of potatoes, mushrooms and bacon bits in red wine sauce. Weekday lunch sets go for $18++ for two courses and $22++ for three courses while they also have a neat brunch menu from 8am – 4pm every day.
Porta, Park Hotel Clarke Quay 1 Unity St, Singapore 237983
Get curried away at Indian Express
Need some spice? Drop by Indian Express – Michelin-starred Song of India’s second concept space. It might be one of many Indian restaurants on Race Course Rd, but it sure stands out with its brand new menu and chef. Trained under Michelin-starred chef Manjunath Mural, executive chef Umed Singh’s plates packs all kinds of punches at entirely wallet-friendly prices. Meat eaters, go all in with the tandoori mix grill platter ($19) that’s topped with a big fat lamb chop, fish, chicken tikka and kebabs and a bowl of lip-smacking mint chutney.
TBH, we’re not big on butter chicken but Indian Express’ smoky version has us going back for seconds. The coconut fish curry with a cashew paste and prawn masala with tomatoes will take you on a culinary trip to the Indian west coast (Konkan). Dip a garlic naan or a laccha paratha or two. If you’re going with a vegetarian friend, be sure to order to homely okra masala, palak paneer (pureed spinach with cottage cheese chunks) and double down on Indian street food.
Indian Express, 38 Racecourse Road Singapore 218555
Drunchen Sundaze at Lavo
Yasss, please! High up on Marina Bay Sands, Lavo throws one helluva Sunday Funday Champagne buffet brunch. It’s non-stop bubbly o’clock where your flute gets topped up even before you finish it… along with mimosas, bloody Marys, Singapore slings, red and white wine and Peroni beers. And the Italian American spread is as impressive as the view and the vibe.
You’ve got to hit up the neverending seafood bar, the subtle salmon oreganata, the perfectly roasted beef tenderloin, charred octopus and tuna tartare with black olive vinaigrette canapes among others. Don’t you dare miss the foie gras with apple chutney on puff pastry, cheesy pasta and Lavo’s signature meatballs made from imperial wagyu and Italian sausage. Totally worth rolling out of bed on Sunday…
Lavo Italian Restaurant & Rooftop Bar, $158++, 10 Bayfront Ave, tower 1, Singapore 018956
Hang out with Jeremmy & Friends
Le Binchotan’s Supper Special is back… and how! This time, chef Jeremmy Chiam has roped in a few friends – ArChan Chan of Level 33, Sam Chablani formerly of Fat Lulu’s and Folklore’s Damian D’Silva. For one weekend in April, May & June, each guest chef will whip up a big plate and a small plate and Jeremmy will present three big plates and three small plates. Last weekend, we were positively floored by chef ArChan’s stir-fried clams with a divine XO sauce that’s made from scratch. It’s served with glistening pan-fried mantou made from dry spent grain that soaks up the sauce perfectly and a grilled shishito peppers small plate.
Come May, Sam Chablani will be cooking his glorious and meaty #noburnnotaste platter and a small plate of crispy (kinda healthy) veggie chips from 9 – 11 May. From 6 – 8 June, MasterChef Singapore judge and Folklore’s Damian D’Silva will bring his unique style to the Supper Special with tau cheo marinated steamed fish topped with pork lard, shallots, garlic and Bentong ginger paired with a light and tangy pork belly with cucumber salsa small plate.
Le Binchotan’s Jeremmy will be serving his supper faves alongside his guest chefs and every Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 9.30 – 11.30pm. Expect to see his widely popular Hokkien mee (omg!), prawn noodle soup with a four-hour simmered broth and Hakata-style ramen, beef short rib dumplings made with an Angus beef short ribs braised for 16 hours among others. Book those tix while you have the chance…
Le Binchotan Supper Special 2019, various dates, $35++, Le Binchotan 115 Amoy Street, #01-04 Entrance via Gemmill Lane Singapore 069935
Assemble the boozy brunch gang at Manhattan Bar
Prepare to spend your Sunday a la crazy rich Asians style at Manhattan Bar. The adult-only Sunday cocktail brunch just got bigger and better with new live stations, five new cocktails and revamped hot plates. First up, give the classic G&T your own spin with garnishes, house-made tinctures and spices of your choice. Not sure where to start? Ask one of the friendly bartenders to whip up something out of this world. After sipping on indulgent boozy milkshakes (don’t skip this!) step inside the rickhouse for crepes Suzette cooked a la minute. But the highlight has to be the new menu of Asian-inspired cocktails.
Try the kopi-cano, a caffeine kick of Dark Matter coffee aeropressed with Campari and Mancino Rosso, and the mango-rice, a cool spin on the popular Thai dessert that was so good, we had to order a second round. With revamped hot plates like foie gras bar, saint Jacque scallop, BBQ pork belly and lavender blinis along with current food stations filled with hand-rolled bagels and house-made cream cheese schmear; fresh seafood and a carvery of cajun slow roasted lamb and roasted mustard-crusted wagyu beef, this is one delish and boozy treat not to be missed.
Manhattan Bar’s, Adults-Only Sunday Cocktail Brunch, every Sunday, 12pm-3pm; $158 per person with free-flow cocktails, wines and beers; $195 per person with free-flow cocktails, wines, beers and Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne; 1 Cuscaden Road, Level 2 Regent Singapore, Singapore 249715
Lunch dates at Chi Kinjo
If the sound of Mod-Japanese cuisine makes you wide-eyed, you’ll want to add this to your list. A newish kid on the block, Chi Kinjo is a modern sushi highball den on Stanley Street that now does lunch. High up on their specials is a breadless sandwich. Chef Lamley Chua turned upsized and experimented with basic onigiri to serve a surprisingly filling lunch special.
The sushi sandwiches come in four flavours – Asian prawn cocktail, phoenix roll, sake sunrise and maguro mayo – at $8 a pair and $12 for four with dipping sauces and salad. Big on bento? Gee, you’re going to love Chi Kinjo’s box that comes with a chunky hamburg steak or ginger pork with XO sauce. And we will definitely be going back for the rice filled Chirashi box that’s generously topped with marinated sashimi, bits of mango, avo and yuzu sauce.
Chi Kinjo, 29 Stanley St, Singapore 068738
Luncheons with friends at JYPSY by P.S Cafe
It totally nails the relaxed Japanese vibe with serious produce and we’ve been fans since it opened doors in 2018. Have you read our review yet? We hear they’re launching a brand new lunch menu with playful sharing plates and dishes that include chirashi bowls, katsu sandos and tajima beef fried rice. We will be tasting it soon but it’s safe to say it’s gonna be good.
JYPSY; 11.30am – 4pm, No.38 Martin Road, Singapore 239072