New Restaurants in Singapore this April: Foodie News Flash

 We’ve got intel on the hottest new restaurants opening in Singapore

With news of Singapore’s very own Odette claiming No. 1 at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 Awards and six other Singaporean restaurants (including Burnt Ends at #10, Jaan at #32, and Nouri at #39) making the list, it’s clear the foodie scene in Singapore is one to watch! This month there’s lots of new spots to check out including a speakeasy-style restaurant hidden behind a fridge door, a pretty patisserie cafe, a soufflé-specialising French resto, a Singapore bookshop-cum-cafe and more…

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EDITOR’S PICK!
Voyage Patisserie — Intricate French Desserts & Cakes

Minimalist, clean-cut cafe Voyage Patisserie is new to the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood, occupying a shophouse with ample seating for dine in. The main draw here is the pretty plated dessert selection but there are savoury dishes, too like Croque Madame and Quiche Lorraine. A signature dessert here is the rose shaped pink cake Cynthia ($9), featuring genoise sponge with rose chantilly cream, lychee and raspberry compote while the above cake is the Louis XV ($9), of bitter chocolate mousse, praline feuilletine and Hazelnut Dacquois. There are a selection of desserts made à la minute like the Apple Mille-Feuille ($14) which spins mille-feuile in reverse by showcasing layers of Baked Granny Smith Apple with a side of Caramelised Pastry, Salted Caramel and a delicious homemade Tahitian Vanilla Ice-Cream. We love that this spot waits ready for you till the early hours, so if you are out for tze char dinner you can head here for posh desserts afterwards (open till 12am from Fridays to Sundays).

Voyage Patisserie, 249 Outram Road, Tel: (+65) 6223 2490, www.facebook.com/VoyagePatisserieSG

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EDITOR’S PICK!
V Dining — Clever Mod-European Fine Dining

Brought to us by Swiss household and kitchen appliance brand V-ZUG, V Dining is a stylish new fine-dining spot that boasts Chef Ryan Clift as the Culinary Director, while Chef Lee Jing Peng of Tippling Club is at the helm. It’s also the first ever fine dining Modern-European restaurant by V-ZUG. The compact space is all masculine dark colours with a slick open kitchen counter and floor to ceiling windows overlooking Scotts Road. Instead of à la carte there is a choice of set menus; for lunch this ranges from two-courses ($48++) to five-courses ($90). While dinner sees a four-course menu at $138++, and a six-course menu at $168++. The food is precise, well thought out and interesting with memorable creative elements. Dishes that stood out for us were the Wagyu beef tartare (lead image of story), with poached sakurai ebi and garlic aioli, and the Kingfish cured in shio kombu –a black Japanese algae seaweed – served in a neat square with pickled vegetables, avocado, wasabi puree and lemon sorbet – a refreshing delight of contrasting colours and textures. For the soup dish, noodles are fashioned out of raw scallop, cleverly adding a protein structure to the tonkatsu broth that’s soft yet has a satisfying bite. There are a generous amount of snacks and petit fours thrown into each set, so come hungry!

V Dining, 6 Scotts Road, #03-13, Singapore 229209, Tel: (+65) 6950 4868, www.v-dining.com

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EDITOR’S PICK!
The Dragon Chamber — Secret Society Restaurant and Bar

Enter The Dragon Chamber through the fridge! Oh yes, this speakeasy-style restaurant is hidden behind its storefront kopitiam of the same name. Head straight for the drinks fridge, where a secret passageway will lead you to the main restaurant of The Dragon Chamber. A dark underground vibe awaits of Chinatown gambling dens and secret society hangouts. The walls are pop of colour with artworks from artists such as Sabotage, Mister Tucks and Riandy Karuniawan. It’s Chinese cuisine with surprise fusion or theatrical elements thrown in here. Cheeseburger Eggrolls ($14) make a fun American-Chinese bar bite, or get the chopsticks clacking for the Firecracker Chicken and Maple Fritters ($16/28 for 2/4 pax) — a gloriously spicy dish of popcorn-style chicken with chilli and Sichuan peppercorns juxtaposed against a small dish of fried fritters doused in maple syrup – spicy and sweet in one delicious bite. Yes there’s Chicken Chow Mein and Sweet and Sour Fish, or the more glam Lobster fried with fiery Sichuan spice (from $88 for three pax), but if you’re up for something different, how about Crocodile Penis Soup ($30), Roasted Pig Tail with lettuce wraps ($28), and Crocodile Foot braised in herbal sauce ($45)? By the way, their kopitiam shop isn’t just a front – they do a pretty good bowl of Wan Ton Mee with Char Siew for a decent $5.50 (only available outside at the kopitiam, not in the secret mafioso restaurant). Just don’t go telling everyone!

The Dragon Chamber, 2 Circular Rd, 049358, Tel: (+65) 6805 8181, www.facebook.com/TheDragonChamber

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Soufflé — Singapore’s First Soufflé Spot

Soufflé is a first-of-its-kind restaurant concept in Singapore specialising in freshly-baked soufflés and traditional casseroles in a classic Parisienne-style bistro. It’s located in Duxton Hill and is by the same restaurant group that brought us L’Entrecôte (The Steak Frites Bistro), Forlino, and Sabio Tapas Bar. You’ll find both savoury and sweet soufflé options on the menu light and airy clouds of eclectic flavours – from Laksa Souffle ($26), to Comté Cheese ($22) and Lobster Souffle ($28). The sweet options include Grand Marnier et Oranges Confites ($20), Valrhona Chocolat Noir et Sauce Chocolat ($18) and the less common Soufflé Glacé Fruits Confits ($16) which is an iced soufflé, studded with candied fruit. If you aren’t a soufflé lover there are other French dishes from Boeuf Bourguignon to Duck Rillettes and Charcuterie.

Soufflé,5 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089591, www.dhm.com.sg/souffle 

Relish by Wild Rocket — Sister Resto to Relish Opens

Chef Willin Low has opened a new spot at Frasers Tower in the CBD. We are partial to stopping by the Cluny Court Relish for a super affordable breakfast set and coffee at $8.90, so we can’t wait to check this new outlet out. On the menu; Asian flavours made upmarket; Thai pomelo salad with tiger prawns & frozen coconut dressing ($18); and 48-hour beef short rib with rendang & achar ($32).

Relish by Wild Rocket, 182 Cecil Street #02-12/13 @Oasis of Frasers Tower Singapore 069547, Tel: (+65) 6904 5458, www.wildrocket.com.sg/relish.html

The Masons Table – European Brasserie

The Masons Table (by the same people behind JAXS Bistro and Victus Catering) has opened the doors of the mysterious Masonic Lodge, offering casual European lunches and dinners. On the menu: Confit duck leg ($26) and Striploin with fries ($28) as well as pizzas (from $20), midday sandwiches (from $16) and salads like the Caesar salad ($16).

The Masons Table, 23A Coleman Street, Tel: (+65) 9127 5030, www.themasonstable.com

Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop — Singapore Books + Coffee

Launched in collaboration with Huggs Coffee, the Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop is where you find that “happy mix of books and coffee brews.” This bookshop is one of the first to offer only Singapore books. These are books written about Singapore, books written by Singaporean authors, or books published by Singaporean publishers. If you are keen to rub shoulders with a published author, know that local authors and artists are allocated a special table to write or draw, so this is the spot to get that book signed! Order up a speciality coffee by Huggs Coffee, or a local-style coffee, as well as pastries, cakes and lunch sets of Salmon and Brown Rice, or Meatball Bolognese Pasta.

Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop, 45 Maxwell Road, #01-01, Singapore, www.facebook.com/epigrambooks

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In other foodie news:

• One-Michelin-starred Cheek by Jowl has closed, and in its place is the casual Cheek Bistro (same space, same team led by Chef-owner Rishi Naleendra and his wife Manuela Toniolo) serving up a la carte dishes instead of sets.
  21 Boon Tat Street, Singapore 069620, Tel: (+65) 6221 1911, www.cheekbistro.com
• Siglap’s Comida Mexicana, formerly known as Margaritas is a long time neighbourhood Mexican restaurant helmed by Female Chef of the Year finalist, Vivian Wee. The style is Mexican home cooking with dishes, dips and salsas cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients imported directly from Mexico and the US. New dishes not to miss include their Crab Avocado Quesadillas with Garlic Butter Sauce, Pork Carnitas and their Salted Caramel Piña Colada Bread Pudding! ¡Qué rico!
  404 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428998, Tel: (+65) 6440 8030, www.comidamex.com.sg
• Art, the Italian dining destination by Chef-Restaurateur Beppe De Vito of ilLido Group, will be relocating from its current address at 55 Market Street on 26 April 2019 due to major renovation works in the building. Art’s new location is TBD.
• Shangri-La Group’s first standalone dining establishment, Shang Social launches at Jewel Changi Airport this April serving three distinctive Chinese cuisines – Cantonese, Huaiyang, and Sichuan.
• Mega-popular American chain Shake Shack finally debuts in Singapore (and in Southeast Asia!) at Jewel Changi Airport on 17 April 2019 with their 100% all-natural Angus beef burgers, hot dogs, shakes and crinkle cut fries.
• After 23 years at Circular Road, Mag’s Wine Kitchen, serving modern bistro dishes, recently joined a host of new restaurants on Keong Saik Road.
• Little Creatures has just launched its Antipodean-style Sunday sessions from 3pm-11pm. There are board games for the kiddos and for the parents, live entertainment and a DJ plus Roast Platter for four ($65) and $8++ brew specials available all arvo long.
• Deliveroo has launched its biggest and most innovative Editions site — Deliveroo Food Market. There’s a 40-seater dine-in space with fully-automated ordering computers where you can order up from 11 food concepts including Bonchon, Blu Kouzina, NamNam and Flying Squirrel.