Hot Off The Hob: New Menus and Food News in Singapore

Foodies, we’ve got your back with all the latest in food news from new menus, to new Chefs and the latest restaurant refurbs.

For more food talk read our Foodie News Flash column of new restaurant openings!

Lucha Loco, easily one of our fave places to chow down on Mexican elotes and tacos, has had a revamp with an extended alfresco backyard garden. The menu sees new cocktails like the Tamarind Margarita, new tacos and totopos (we love the new pineapple Piña Habanero Salsa). For some extra excitement, get ready for their new “Taco Libre” campaign (until November 4^th) where guest Chefs will design a new taco and compete for the title of “Ultimate Taco Champion”. The line up of guest Chefs is the local foodie Oscars: starring Bjorn Shen, Sam Aisbett, Ryan Clift, Rishi Naleendra, Dave Pynt and Andy Walsh. A winner will be unveiled at the finale event in November where a panel of celebrity judges will crown the winning chef! Though of course the ultimate winners will be us taco-eaters.

Lucha Loco, 15 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089598, Tel: (+65) 62663938, www.luchaloco.com

VIOS by Blu Kouzina is an offshoot from the popular Dempsey based Greek restaurant Blu Kouzina. Their mighty tasty nutritious grain bowls (from $12.99) are topped with homemade Mediterranean taste-bombs like houmous, tzaziki and babaganoush, beef meatballs, lamb kebabs, plus veggies. VIOS by Blu Kouzina is only available to East Coasters and it’s exclusively via Deliveroo, (there is no actual restaurant, it is part of Deliveroo Editions which features delivery-only centralized kitchens with chefs preparing food for lots of different restaurants). Plump for the delicious Guardian with Organic Spinach, Quinoa, Homemade Dips, Seared Broccoli and Carrots with Spicy Harissa Sauce for a healthy power lunch.

VIOS by Blu Kouzina

Brooklyn Brewery comes to Singapore! KPO Café Bar is where Brooklyn Brewery will be on tap (plus it won’t be long before other venues will have this too). Brooklyn Brewery, currently the most successful brewery in New York City, has interesting creations, from longstanding favourites (amber-gold floral caramel 5.2% Alcohol Perennials Brooklyn Lager, to East IPA a clean balanced IPA 6.9% Alcohol) to limited seasonal batches of craft beer like their Brooklyn Summer Ale. Look out for specials like their Brooklyn Oktoberfest, in honour of Germany’s special festival and the Black Chocolate Stout. Prices will vary around $15-18 a pint and $12-14 for a bottle.

www.brooklynbrewery.com

Cake Avenue has just launched their new dessert menu designed by Head Pastry Chef E.T. Yew, and themed around American Diner food. The catch is that these dessert creations ($8.90 to $15.90 ) look anything but desserts! They are designed to look like classic savoury American diner foods such as hamburgers, corndogs, nachos and alphabet soup. Diner Sliders and Fries (S$15.90) is made up of two dark chocolate ice cream burgers, sandwiched between vanilla butter cake buns with a side of ‘vanilla cake’ fries, citrusy passion fruit puree ‘mustard’ and a tangy raspberry puree ‘ketchup’. Halal certified.

Cake Avenue, 33 Lorong Kilat, #01-01/02, Kilat Centre, Singapore 598132 (off from Beauty World MRT Station), www.cakeavenue.com

Babuxiaomi has arrived at Tanjong Pagar Centre offering traditional Yunnan style rice vermicelli (rice noodles are all imported from Yunnan) in hot broth and bone soup ($8 – $10). Lunch sets ($12.80/13.80) include a main like the Sichuan Mala Beef Tender Mixian, a side like Cold Fungus Salad and a drink like the Barley Chestnut Water or Lemon Red Tea.
Babuxiaomi, 7 Wallich Street, #B2-30 Tanjong Pagar Centre, Singapore 078884

Chef Ryan Clift has just opened his first Bali dining concept GROW and GROW UP restaurant and roof top cocktail bar. The concept is farm-to-table bistro – Chef Clift works directly with local farmers, growers and producers to achieve this. Think breakfasts of Chocolate Quinoa Porridge and Red Beet Crêpes and dinner of Pork Belly with pumpkin puree and masala juice followed by Roast Mango with coconut sorbet and fresh coriander.

GROW and GROW UP, Jalan Raya Petitenget No. 8L Seminyak, Kerobokan Kelod, Badung, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Tel (+62) 361 894 7908, www.growbali.com 

Godiva Café in the basement of Ion is the first Godiva Café in South East Asia. There are chocolate boxes aplenty, a chocolate counter for all your truffle and luxe chocolate dreams as well as mid autumn mooncake gift boxes (from $40) plus soft serve (chocolate and vanilla flavours) and icecream cups ($9). Newly released ice cream cup flavours includes the Pear Dark Chocolate – a fruity pear puree sorbet with swirls of chocolate icecream and the Vanilla Cocoa (with cocoa nibs). If you are more of a cake person, there is a selection of cakes from Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake ($12) to Godiva Opera Cake ($12) with ganache, coffee syrup, 58% dark chocolate and Jaconde sponge.
Godiva, 2 Orchard Turn, ION Orchard, B1 – 05 Singapore 238801, www.godiva.com.sg

Recently refurbished, with its Neo-Palladian architecture, La Brasserie at The Fullerton Bay Hotel does French classics from Traditional Onion Soup ($19), to Suprême de Canard Confit ($39) and a selection of Galettes ($23/$28 with a cider).
Weekend brunch has a dedicated supervised kids’ corner including face painting and balloon sculpting, while for the adults there’s a DIY Bloody Mary station – a staggering collection of condiments, spices and sauces to go in your smoked, lemongrass or chilli Vodka. The food buffet spans fresh crustacean on ice, Slow-Roasted Prime Rib, Crispy Crackling Pig, charcuterie and cheese and a room for desserts plus made-to-order dishes (from Duck Confit to Prawn Laksa) served to your table. Saturday prices: ($68/$99/$138 for soft drinks/Bloody Marys and wine, beer/plus Veuve Clicquot) plus Sundays have the addition of free flow Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. ($168).

La Brasserie at The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326, Tel: (+65) 6597 5288, www.fullertonhotels.com

For Acai bowls in the city, Parallel is your place – a takeaway kiosk in the basement of One Raffles Place. Parallel’s Acai Bowls come in two sizes, regular ($8.90) or large ($12.90), in flavours; Superstar, Antioxidant, or Amino. All start with a base of blended açaí with various other goodies on top. For the Amino bowl it’s strawberries, blueberries, goji, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia. There are no added sweeteners which is probably a first for Acai cafes (hurray!), though you can request Australian organic raw honey (for free) if you prefer and nut butter too ($1 extra). Pick up a cup of speciality coffee from $4.50, from Common Man Coffee Roasters (also on site) on your way back to the office.
Parallel @ ORP, 1 Raffles Place, #B1-34, Tel: (+65) 9750 8997, www.facebook.com/parallelsingapore

Grab Jamie Oliver’s new cook book – 5 Ingredients Quick & Easy Food ($59) at Jamie’s Italian and order up some of the recipe book dishes while you’re at it.
From 28 August – 10 September, Jamie’s Italian will be showcasing a series of different hearty dishes from the new cook book, 5 Ingredients Quick & Easy Food. Tuck into the hot-smoked salmon with homemade taglierini, asparagus and creamy sauce, or the pan-seared scallop served with pea and mashed mint. Plus kiddos always love the kids’ meals here, often packed with hidden veggies!

1 Harbourfront Walk, #01-165/166/167, VivoCity, Singapore 098585, Tel: (+65) 6733 5500
583 Orchard Rd,  #01-01/04, Forum Shopping Mall, Singapore 238884, Tel; (+65) 6655 7676