Buah Keluak Fried Rice from Candlenut ($28)
Who says Michelin-starred fare has to be fussy? One-starred Candlenut - the world’s first Peranakan restaurant to be consecrated by Michelin - has uprooted to a lofty new space within the Como Dempsey complex, but in keeping with head chef Malcolm Lee’s down-to-earth attitude, the food stays as earnest as ever, seen in new creations such as the Buah Keluak Fried Rice. Don’t let the dish’s blackened appearance turn you off: each mouthful packs in multi-dimensional layers of robust flavour, from the chocolatey tang of the buah keluak, to piquant hints from the chilli flakes, and the crackling crispy edges of a sunny side up served atop. 17A Dempsey Rd. Tel: 1800 304 2288
Who says Michelin-starred fare has to be fussy? One-starred Candlenut - the world’s first Peranakan restaurant to be consecrated by Michelin - has uprooted to a lofty new space within the Como Dempsey complex, but in keeping with head chef Malcolm Lee’s down-to-earth attitude, the food stays as earnest as ever, seen in new creations such as the Buah Keluak Fried Rice. Don’t let the dish’s blackened appearance turn you off: each mouthful packs in multi-dimensional layers of robust flavour, from the chocolatey tang of the buah keluak, to piquant hints from the chilli flakes, and the crackling crispy edges of a sunny side up served atop. 17A Dempsey Rd. Tel: 1800 304 2288
Soya Sauce Chicken Noodles from Hawker Chan ($12 for half a chicken)
Chan Hon Meng, the hawker behind one of Singapore’s Michelin-starred street food stall’s has partnered with Hersing Culinary (the same folks behind the regional expansion of Hong Kong dim sum chain, Tim Ho Wan), to launch a quick service restaurant, Hawker Chan, just a street away from Chan’s original Chinatown Complex Food Centre digs. Unlike the hawker stall, Hawker Chan is staffed by a team of line cooks and stays open even when Chan is off or travelling, the 80-seater restaurant serves up the same, affordable Hong Kong-style soya sauce-braised chicken with your choice or noodles, flat rice noodles or rice in much more presentable plates and in fully air-conditioned surrounds. Come prepared to queue. 78 Smith Street
Chan Hon Meng, the hawker behind one of Singapore’s Michelin-starred street food stall’s has partnered with Hersing Culinary (the same folks behind the regional expansion of Hong Kong dim sum chain, Tim Ho Wan), to launch a quick service restaurant, Hawker Chan, just a street away from Chan’s original Chinatown Complex Food Centre digs. Unlike the hawker stall, Hawker Chan is staffed by a team of line cooks and stays open even when Chan is off or travelling, the 80-seater restaurant serves up the same, affordable Hong Kong-style soya sauce-braised chicken with your choice or noodles, flat rice noodles or rice in much more presentable plates and in fully air-conditioned surrounds. Come prepared to queue. 78 Smith Street
Seaweed Omelette from Putien ($9.90)
An omelette as a recommended dish to have this month? If it’s from one-Michelin-starred restaurant Putien, be rest assured that this is no ordinary version. It’s made with first harvest seaweed – or young ‘baby’ seaweed from Wheat Island that’s only available in the first seven days of its life cycle. This is prized produce from the isolated island 50 kilometres out from Putian City where the seawaters are pristine. It's also shipped fresh unlike other types that are first dried. The result? A seaweed that is softer and far more delicate than the usual harvest. Its briny quality truly shines when it flavours fluffy beaten eggs, then cooked over a strong fire and eaten with a hot steaming bowl of plain rice. 127 Kitchener Road. Tel: 6295 6358.
An omelette as a recommended dish to have this month? If it’s from one-Michelin-starred restaurant Putien, be rest assured that this is no ordinary version. It’s made with first harvest seaweed – or young ‘baby’ seaweed from Wheat Island that’s only available in the first seven days of its life cycle. This is prized produce from the isolated island 50 kilometres out from Putian City where the seawaters are pristine. It's also shipped fresh unlike other types that are first dried. The result? A seaweed that is softer and far more delicate than the usual harvest. Its briny quality truly shines when it flavours fluffy beaten eggs, then cooked over a strong fire and eaten with a hot steaming bowl of plain rice. 127 Kitchener Road. Tel: 6295 6358.
Red Bean Dessert with Aged Orange Peel from Kam’s Roast Goose ($5.80)
They’re known for their roast meats but did you know that the people behind one-Michelin-starred Hong Kong roast meat specialists Kam’s Roast Goose also serve up a mean dessert? At their month-old Singapore outlet, Kam’s Roast - the restaurant’s first overseas expansion - the red bean soup is a must-order and the perfect way to end a satisfying meal on a sweet note. The Cantonese classic sweet soup is brewed with 12-year aged tangerine peel for an extra flavour dimension, in accordance with a recipe from current owner Hardy Kam’s grandfather, the founder of Hong Kong’s legendary Yung Kee restaurant. 9 Scotts Road #01-04. Tel: 6836 7788
They’re known for their roast meats but did you know that the people behind one-Michelin-starred Hong Kong roast meat specialists Kam’s Roast Goose also serve up a mean dessert? At their month-old Singapore outlet, Kam’s Roast - the restaurant’s first overseas expansion - the red bean soup is a must-order and the perfect way to end a satisfying meal on a sweet note. The Cantonese classic sweet soup is brewed with 12-year aged tangerine peel for an extra flavour dimension, in accordance with a recipe from current owner Hardy Kam’s grandfather, the founder of Hong Kong’s legendary Yung Kee restaurant. 9 Scotts Road #01-04. Tel: 6836 7788
Corn with Prawn Head Butter and Burnt Cocoa from Thirteen Duxton Hill ($22)
Ever since it quietly opened atop Duxton Hill in November, breezy modern Australian eatery Thirteen Duxton has been quickly getting the thumbs up among in-the-know industry folk. The food-loving couple who run the show are both co-founders of Melbourne’s celebrated Lume restaurant: John-Paul Fiechtner spent time at top-tier establishments such as Le Chateaubriand in Paris, and Hong Kong’s Bo Innovation, while the very affable sommelier and maître’d Sally Humble is an alumnus of Vue de Monde restaurant and was a head sommelier managing wine lists in Melbourne restaurants such as Cutler & Co, Circa, and the Prince. Their daily menu of 13 dishes changes according to what chef Fiechtner hauls back from the local markets every morning. From the list, don’t miss the lightly grilled baby corn swathed in a luscious prawn head butter and topped with burnt cocoa to bring out that subtle, smoky flavours on the plate. 13 Duxton Hill. Tel: 9054 1435
Ever since it quietly opened atop Duxton Hill in November, breezy modern Australian eatery Thirteen Duxton has been quickly getting the thumbs up among in-the-know industry folk. The food-loving couple who run the show are both co-founders of Melbourne’s celebrated Lume restaurant: John-Paul Fiechtner spent time at top-tier establishments such as Le Chateaubriand in Paris, and Hong Kong’s Bo Innovation, while the very affable sommelier and maître’d Sally Humble is an alumnus of Vue de Monde restaurant and was a head sommelier managing wine lists in Melbourne restaurants such as Cutler & Co, Circa, and the Prince. Their daily menu of 13 dishes changes according to what chef Fiechtner hauls back from the local markets every morning. From the list, don’t miss the lightly grilled baby corn swathed in a luscious prawn head butter and topped with burnt cocoa to bring out that subtle, smoky flavours on the plate. 13 Duxton Hill. Tel: 9054 1435
Spiced Yellowtail with Roasted Squash Cream and Italian Sausage from Gattopardo ($34)
Popular Italian haunt Gattopardo has undergone a makeover, swapping its previously white linen-clad tables with more homely wooden tables on the ground floor (soon to be repeated on the upper floor dining room). The menu meanwhile retains the same seafood centricity, heightened with a touch of head chef Lino Sauro’s fun, spirited Sicilian heritage. From our list of favourites, a standout is the Ricciola, or Spiced Yellowtail with Roasted Squash Cream and Italian Sausage - an Italian surf and turf combining beautifully fatty yellowtail with Italian salsiccia sausage on a bed of gorgeously golden pumpkin puree. 34 Tras Street. Tel: 9325 8843
Popular Italian haunt Gattopardo has undergone a makeover, swapping its previously white linen-clad tables with more homely wooden tables on the ground floor (soon to be repeated on the upper floor dining room). The menu meanwhile retains the same seafood centricity, heightened with a touch of head chef Lino Sauro’s fun, spirited Sicilian heritage. From our list of favourites, a standout is the Ricciola, or Spiced Yellowtail with Roasted Squash Cream and Italian Sausage - an Italian surf and turf combining beautifully fatty yellowtail with Italian salsiccia sausage on a bed of gorgeously golden pumpkin puree. 34 Tras Street. Tel: 9325 8843
Toothfish Ceviche from Esquina ($26)
Michelin Guide listed Spanish restaurant Esquina turns five this month and chef Carlos Montobbio is teaming up with five different chefs including the likes of Julien Royer from two-Michelin-starred Odette and Nacho Baucells – chef de cuisine from three-michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca for one off collaborative menus. While these events will be spread out over the next five months, chef Carlos has managed to squeeze in time for a new creation: the toothfish ceviche. Here, the cod is cured in a mixture of lime juice, rhubarb jus, and pureed aji amarillo – a yellow pepper that's one of Peru’s main ingredients. This piquant mix is served with dollops of creamed avocado, crispy slices of sweet potato and toasted corn for a pleasing crunch. 16 Jiak Chuan Road. Tel: 6222 1616. Book here.
Michelin Guide listed Spanish restaurant Esquina turns five this month and chef Carlos Montobbio is teaming up with five different chefs including the likes of Julien Royer from two-Michelin-starred Odette and Nacho Baucells – chef de cuisine from three-michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca for one off collaborative menus. While these events will be spread out over the next five months, chef Carlos has managed to squeeze in time for a new creation: the toothfish ceviche. Here, the cod is cured in a mixture of lime juice, rhubarb jus, and pureed aji amarillo – a yellow pepper that's one of Peru’s main ingredients. This piquant mix is served with dollops of creamed avocado, crispy slices of sweet potato and toasted corn for a pleasing crunch. 16 Jiak Chuan Road. Tel: 6222 1616. Book here.
Mangalica pork collar from Kite (Kite Experience Menu $90)
Where has chef Dannel Krishnan of Kite been hiding? His dishes are well thought out and the flavours of his multi-course menus meld and flow with the seamlessness of a gentle stream. Ask him, and it turns out, he was at one-michelin-starred restaurant Bacchanalia before heading Kite. It seems being behind the stoves of a well-regarded establishment has taught him much as nothing was amiss when we popped in. One course that particularly stood out was the mangalica pork collar served over a you tiao veloute and steeped in a spiced bak kut teh broth. The dish is as deeply comforting as it is creative in its conception helped along visually by the sprinkling of chrysanthemum petals as garnish.
The key to such quality is his respect for produce and interpreting them for the Asian palate. This modus operando is seen in other courses like the ubin red snapper “kinilaw” – the Filipino take on ceviche where red snapper farmed locally is first prepared using the Japanese method of ikejime that preserves the taste and texture of the fish then cured in a zesty mix of coconut calamansi vinegar, chilli and galangal. #01-01, 53 Craig Road. Tel: 6221 5965.
Where has chef Dannel Krishnan of Kite been hiding? His dishes are well thought out and the flavours of his multi-course menus meld and flow with the seamlessness of a gentle stream. Ask him, and it turns out, he was at one-michelin-starred restaurant Bacchanalia before heading Kite. It seems being behind the stoves of a well-regarded establishment has taught him much as nothing was amiss when we popped in. One course that particularly stood out was the mangalica pork collar served over a you tiao veloute and steeped in a spiced bak kut teh broth. The dish is as deeply comforting as it is creative in its conception helped along visually by the sprinkling of chrysanthemum petals as garnish.
The key to such quality is his respect for produce and interpreting them for the Asian palate. This modus operando is seen in other courses like the ubin red snapper “kinilaw” – the Filipino take on ceviche where red snapper farmed locally is first prepared using the Japanese method of ikejime that preserves the taste and texture of the fish then cured in a zesty mix of coconut calamansi vinegar, chilli and galangal. #01-01, 53 Craig Road. Tel: 6221 5965.
Golden Crispy BBQ Pork Belly from Lucky 8 ($13.80)
Despite the increasing obsession with Instagram, true foodies - particularly those well versed with Asian dining - will tell you: never judge a dish by its appearance. You’ll be reminded of the truth in this as you bite into the roast pork belly, a signature of newly opened Chinese restaurant, Lucky 8. The layers of fat on the pork belly cubes are not as thick as those you may find in other Chinese joints, and its crackling is light, crispy and flavourful - without being an oil sponge. Hong Kong-based executive chef Tse Kit, has more than 26 years of experience in Cantonese cooking, including stints in the Marriott Hotel, Capella Hotel and as the founding chef of Hong Kong’s Jin Man Ting restaurant. 1 Scotts Road, Shaw Center, #03-07/11. Tel: 6836 3070
Despite the increasing obsession with Instagram, true foodies - particularly those well versed with Asian dining - will tell you: never judge a dish by its appearance. You’ll be reminded of the truth in this as you bite into the roast pork belly, a signature of newly opened Chinese restaurant, Lucky 8. The layers of fat on the pork belly cubes are not as thick as those you may find in other Chinese joints, and its crackling is light, crispy and flavourful - without being an oil sponge. Hong Kong-based executive chef Tse Kit, has more than 26 years of experience in Cantonese cooking, including stints in the Marriott Hotel, Capella Hotel and as the founding chef of Hong Kong’s Jin Man Ting restaurant. 1 Scotts Road, Shaw Center, #03-07/11. Tel: 6836 3070
Laksa Risotto from Upper Place ($27)
Laksa risotto isn’t an original creation but chef Gregory Lau’s rendition at three-month-old Upper Place gives things a luxe spin with the addition of Boston Lobster and Hokkaido Scallops topped off with coconut foam for a touch of subtle sweetness and a swipe of sambal along the plate’s rims for you to add at will for your preferred level of heat. Don’t miss other mod-Sin creations such as the slow-cooked pork belly tacos and a short rib congee mixed with veal sweetbreads. Wangz Hotel Rooftop, 231 Outram Road. Tel: 6595 1388
Laksa risotto isn’t an original creation but chef Gregory Lau’s rendition at three-month-old Upper Place gives things a luxe spin with the addition of Boston Lobster and Hokkaido Scallops topped off with coconut foam for a touch of subtle sweetness and a swipe of sambal along the plate’s rims for you to add at will for your preferred level of heat. Don’t miss other mod-Sin creations such as the slow-cooked pork belly tacos and a short rib congee mixed with veal sweetbreads. Wangz Hotel Rooftop, 231 Outram Road. Tel: 6595 1388
House-Smoked Mussels on Toast from Plentyfull ($24)
Millenia Walk’s march to appeal to gourmands might well to be bearing fruit as month-old bistro Plentyfull ticks all the right boxes: mushrooms from a local producer, heirloom vegetables and food made entirely from scratch. The house-smoked mussels on toast ($24) is particularly memorable for its smokey depth. Here, yoghurt infused with charred spring onions is slathered on toasted ciabatta topped with live blue mussels which have been shucked and then smoked. The entire creation is offset with the tomatoes seasoned with a kimchi paste for a spicy-sour kick. #01-79/80 Millenia Walk. Tel: 6493 2997.
Millenia Walk’s march to appeal to gourmands might well to be bearing fruit as month-old bistro Plentyfull ticks all the right boxes: mushrooms from a local producer, heirloom vegetables and food made entirely from scratch. The house-smoked mussels on toast ($24) is particularly memorable for its smokey depth. Here, yoghurt infused with charred spring onions is slathered on toasted ciabatta topped with live blue mussels which have been shucked and then smoked. The entire creation is offset with the tomatoes seasoned with a kimchi paste for a spicy-sour kick. #01-79/80 Millenia Walk. Tel: 6493 2997.
Haemul Tang from Ho Rang I ($62)
Korean restaurants in Singapore are a dime a dozen but those that serve honest, authentic food are hard to find. That’s because they’re often family-run establishments tucked in the corner of a neighbourhood. Horangi is one such. The restaurant is often packed with Koreans tucking in to steamy stews and grilled meats – which means it’s as real as it gets. The Haemul Tang is a signature featuring plump Hokkaido scallops, prawns, mussels, clams and a whole blue flower crab simmered in a gently spicy stock base made in-house. It’s the perfect dish to have during the December monsoon season, with a portion that’s just enough for two. 165 Thomson Rd. Tel: 6251 0123.
Korean restaurants in Singapore are a dime a dozen but those that serve honest, authentic food are hard to find. That’s because they’re often family-run establishments tucked in the corner of a neighbourhood. Horangi is one such. The restaurant is often packed with Koreans tucking in to steamy stews and grilled meats – which means it’s as real as it gets. The Haemul Tang is a signature featuring plump Hokkaido scallops, prawns, mussels, clams and a whole blue flower crab simmered in a gently spicy stock base made in-house. It’s the perfect dish to have during the December monsoon season, with a portion that’s just enough for two. 165 Thomson Rd. Tel: 6251 0123.
