The latest restaurants in Singapore we loved – and where you should eat next
We’ve been feasting on French, popping tacos like there’s no tomorrow and exploring a Michelin-starred chef’s new foray. Our #hotnewtables for August are in…
Merci Marcel Club Street
So we’ve been stalking Merci Marcel’s new Club St branch since it was still mid-renovation to see if it would match the magic of the Tiong Bahru original, and owners Antoine Rouland and Marie-Charlotte Ley did not disappoint. Style-wise, it’s all about the blue velvet, the curves on a particular black-and-white artwork, and perching pavement-side for some people-watching on Club Street. You know you love it. As for the menu, you won’t be double-dipping too much into the same dishes you already know and love (but yes, the ravioles de Royans made the lineup, thank goodness). New standouts include an epic octopus tentacle on potato rouille with chorizo oil (pictured top), and the crazy comfort food factor of the duck parmentier façon Marcel: duck rillette with twice cooked potato. A revolving wine of the day and artisanal cheese plates will be bringing us back on the regular…
Merci Marcel, 7 – 9 Club Street, Singapore 069403
Claypots Full Circle
We’ve been wanting to grab a table at Claypots Full Circle ever since we walked past an intriguing riddle scrawled on its doors before they flung open on Amoy Street earlier this year. If you joined our recent gin-fuelled bar hop, you’ll have enjoyed cocktails and bar bites here with us, but believe us… this epic meal was worth the wait. Claypots Full Circle pays homage to its sister restaurants in Melbourne, but the Mediterranean-meets-Asian sharing platters are something else here. Sous chef Soo Kok Ann is a master with the wok, and his charred seafood on the star dish – the St Kilda Shellfish Stir-Fry – has amazing intensity. Other highlights? The Moroccan claypot is a comforting medley of mussels, clams and tender veggies over smoky couscous (and the only claypot dish here, in fact). It’s an original menu made for the Singapore food scene, but one dish that made the leap from Melbourne to Amoy St with good reason? The garlic prawn. Yes, that’s singular because this is one mother of a prawn, bathing in the most amazing garlicky, sambal oelek infused oil. Forget the sharing concept, this one’s all ours.
Claypots Full Circle; 103 Amoy St, Singapore 069923
PERKS! UOB cardholders score 10% off with a minimum spend of $50. See below for more info; offer valid until 30 June, 2019.
Papi’s Tacos
We ate at Papi’s Tacos the day after it opened its doors and have been thinking about our next hit ever since. The new baby of the Employees Only crew, you’ll feel that familiar hustle and vibe that’s all about the fun. This is a compact joint on Seah St, where the best seats in the house are right at the counter so you can check out Papi himself (aka Executive Chef Mauricio Espinoza) doing this thing. We’re talking plump fish tacos, fresh AF salsa and frozen margaritas to knock your socks off. Get our full review of Papi’s Tacos and head on over for your fix.
Papi’s Tacos; 39 Seah St, Singapore 188395
House of MU
Vegetarians, look away. We need to talk about the epic meat platter at House of MU. Chef Tyrell Joon, previously of Michelin-starred faves Les Amis, Au Jardin and Iggy’s is going for a casual vibe and turning his skills toward quality comfort foods, and if juicy, Josper-grilled cuts are just your thing, his MUnster sharing platter is the business. Think black angus steak with bearnaise and black pepper sauce, charred chicken, pork tenderloin, and roasted veggies. As it’s served, the rosemary garnish is torched for a herbaceous hit. Nice touch.
More must-trys? The super smooth cream of mushroom soup, and the pasta a la minute: we went for linguine vongole that brought us back to bingeing on this dish in Italy. Not to be outdone by the grilled meats,the dessert platter, loaded with peanut butter popsicles, macarons and raspberry granita, is way too much fun as well. You’ll find House of Mu on the Mohamed Sultan Rd dining strip – the dining space doubles as a showroom for beautiful teak furniture, which is the other passion of the restaurant’s owners – and yes, if you like the dining table you can take it home.
House of MU; 11 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 239010
Forty Hands East Coast
Hallelujah for the Katong crowd: Tiong Bahru fave Forty Hands opened its doors on East Coast Road a little while back, bringing more kickass coffee and brunch to the neighbourhood. Now, we get a dinner service too. The ‘after dark’ menu has just rolled out, and it’s a compact offering, but well chosen to cater to the carnivores (hangar steak and roast spring chicken), vegetarians (broccoli pappardelle) and fish and chips fans. 40 Hands isn’t taking dinner bookings yet, but before word gets out (whoops) you shouldn’t have a problem getting a table. Now, can we all petition for dinner to extend past 9.30?
Forty Hands, 226 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428923
Bonus: Sweet dining deals with UOB
Foodies, you’re going to want in on this: UOB Cards has lined up some exclusive deals with Hot New Tables around Singapore, and all you need to do is flash your card the next time you feast at partner restaurants. (Don’t worry, we’ll keep you in the loop when one of our Hot New Tables has a special perk for cardholders!) You can score up to 20% off, special treats such as oysters on the house and even more good stuff. Head on over to UOB Dining Advisor for more restaurants to tick off your list, reviews and insider guides to the best bars and menus in the city – we’ve shared some of the best of Honeycombers over there too, so you’ll feel right at home. And of course, you’ll find all the dining deals you can snap up over at The Dining Advisor.
The above information is sponsored by UOB; as always, Honeycombers’ Hot New Tables is curated by our editorial team and reviews are based on our experiences as both paying customers and hosted guests.
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