New Restaurants in Singapore this July: Foodie News Flash

If you are constantly looking for foodie recommendations, the search stops here with all the hottest new restaurant openings in town

Looking for date night inspo or a fun new restaurant to book for a ladies’ night out? The Butcher’s Wife is the new gluten-free hot spot in town; big queues have been spotted at HK import Tsui Wah (翠華); while Tapas 26 (formerly La Ventana) is the new tapas spot in Dempsey; Little Creatures beckons with craft beer; there’s a stylish MSG-free Chinese spot at Six Senses Duxton; plus two new Korean-Western concepts by Seoul Garden Group; and look out for a pop-up resto heralding young Singaporean chefs at 田Magic Square.

EDITOR’S PICK!
Yellow Pot – Modern Chinese

Chinese food and clean eating probably aren’t two terms that generally go together. If you’re gluten-free or vegetarian you’re usually in for a tough time when your friends crave classic Cantonese chow…until now! Yellow Pot, all decked out in golden yellows and blacks, is the demure Chinese restaurant that’s part of the very shiny and new Six Senses Duxton. Designed by Anouska Hempel, the hotel epitomises eccentric style with its golden fans and lacquered screen doors and of course yellow pots of various sizes. The menu by chef Sebastian Goh follows the Eat With Six Senses programme, clearly indicating vegetarian or allergy-free dishes and absolutely no additives and flavourings like MSG are used. That means painstakingly making broths and sauces, given most bottled oyster sauces and condiments contain MSG these days. That also means if you have allergies and health concerns you can be pretty confident that Yellow Pot knows what’s in each and every dish. The chilled starter of organic vine-ripened tomatoes ($8) is a little on the sweet side as the peeled tomatoes are soaked in a plum juice, liquorice root, mint leaves and rock sugar for days. Can’t-miss dishes include the sharing appetizer of Seared Pork Cheek in cumin, and chili ($12) with fresh green mango; Roast Duck ($32/half) marinated in fermented, spiced beancurd so that the meat is perfectly succulent and tender while its skin is all crackling shards; and the Organic Wok-seared Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin with crushed Tellicherry peppercorns ($36), a true powerhouse of flavours. End your meal with a bowl of Stir-fried Mee Sua with tiger prawns, Hokkaido scallops, bean sprouts, and chives ($18), and you’ll feel satiated but not bloated. You may even have room for some Chilli Chocolate Sorbet ($5) or Lemongrass & Calamansi Jelly ($8).

Yellow Pot, 83 Duxton Road, Six Senses Duxton, Singapore 089540, Tel: (+65) 6419 1428, www.sixsenses.com/hotels/duxton/dining

EDITOR’S PICK!
The Butcher’s Wife – Gluten-Free Comfort Food

Gone is Open Door Policy and in its place, The Butcher’s Wife, another gluten-free restaurant from Spa Esprit Group’s Cynthia Chua with a fun vibe and tasty elevated comfort fare!. Chef Partner Diego Jacquet from ZOILO (London) and boCHINche, together with Head Chef, Diego Carlos Quispe, have designed a modern European menu that is 100% gluten-free. Kale & Gorgonzola “Buñuelos” with saffron aioli ($14) makes a hearty starter, or there’s the Our Green Peas “Hummus” $19 (made with peas instead of chickpeas) served with grilled lamb sausage. Another interesting dish is Chilled Almond Soup with crab, apples and coriander ($17). Among our table’s favourite dishes were the Grilled Octopus ($28), with celeriac foam, capers, tuna mayo and salsa verde, and the die-die must try Gluten-free pasta made with chestnut flour.Chestnut Pappardelle ($25) is served with a tomatoey braised ossobuco ragu, topped with walnuts and parmesan – so delicious! For meat eaters there’s The Butcher Wife’s Beef Burger ($29), or the 300g Grilled Ribeye Steak ($57) with triple cooked chips and béarnaise sauce. Vegetarian diners have plenty of choice, too — Sprouting Broccoli & Tardivo Salad ($17), Carrot & Quinoa Tartare ($18), and Grilled Asparagus, with 63 degree egg, mushroom cream, burn onions and smoked ricotta ($25). Desserts weren’t as alluring as the starters and mains, but we’re sure those who are gluten-free will be happy they no longer have just one choice when it comes to a sweet ending. Choose from Pineapple Carpaccio with coconut sorbet and curry crumble ($14), Strawberry Pavlova ($14) and Chocolate Pave ($15).

The Butcher’s Wife, 19 Yong Siak Street, (Yong Siak View), Singapore 168650, Tel: (+65) 6221 9307, www.thebutcherswifesg.com

Tsui Wah – Hong Kong-style Cha Chaan Teng

Tsui Wah (翠華), the Hong Kong-style “Cha Chaan Teng” (港式茶餐廳), opens its first Southeast Asia outlet in Singapore in Clarke Quay. Unlike many of the 60 outlets in Hong Kong, Macau and the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), this Tsui Wah won’t be a 24-hour supper spot – it will be open 11am to 11pm daily instead. Signature items like the Milk Tea ($3), Crispy Bun with Condensed Milk ($4), and Tsui Wah’s Lamb Chop Curry with Steamed Rice ($29) plus other HK classics will be on offer. Look out for the Curry Series; the recipe for which dates back to the ’60s.

Tsui Wah, 3A River Valley Road, Clarke Quay, #01-03, Singapore 179020, www.facebook.com/TsuiwahSingapore

Tapas 26 – Spanish Tapas in Dempsey

La Ventana closed down in Dempsey and the owners set up Tapas 26 (where the Disgruntled Chef used to be) instead. Many of the fine-dining Spanish dishes remain including all the signatures like Crispy suckling pig with chestnut puree, caramelised pineapple and vermouth syrup. New to the menu is a selection of casual style tapas dishes. Especially good is the salty sweet Jamon Iberico with crunchy bread and tomatoes (2 pieces $12), plus other more casual bites like Truffle and Cheese croquettes, Fried Baby Squid with Onions and Sherry wine ($14), and Cannelloni with Beef, Pork and Truffle Cream ($12) and of course Patatas Bravas. If you fancy something a little more fine dining, Tapas 26 has mains like Iberian Presa with Crispy Rice and Toasted Coffee ($44), and Lobster Stew ($84). For something sweet to end the meal, don’t miss the Crema Catalana with caramel ice cream ($12). If you’re in the hood for lunch Tapas 26 have a new set lunch ($48++) available from Tuesday to Friday, consisting of 3 courses (a choice of the restaurant’s fine dining dishes, plus coffee).

Tapas 26, 26B Dempsey Road, Singapore 247693, Tel: (+65) 64790100, www.facebook.com/Tapas26SG

Little Creatures — Craft Brewery

Beer lovers probably already know that the Little Creatures shop has come to town! Little Creatures, a Perth brewery known for their full-bodied Pale Ale, has been available in Singers for a while but this is their second overseas shop (their first being Hong Kong). Little Creatures is based just off of Club Street and offers six beers on tap ($12-17)—their flagship Pale Ale, Original Pils, Bright Ale, IPA, Rogers’ and White Rabbit White Ale. Plus there will be rotating taps with special house brews. Foodwise, expect casual mains like Pizzas ($23-27), Fish and Chips ($26), meats like Pork Belly ($27) and Ribeye Eye Steak ($30), Steamed Mussels ($29), and sharing platters of Charcuterie or Cheese ($36). Good to know: you can also go on a tour of their Little Creatures brewery and beer tasting here in Singapore just like their branch in Fremantle.

Little Creatures, Mohamed Ali Lane, 36 Club Street, Singapore 069469, Tel: (+65) 6239 0350, littlecreatures.sg

田Magic Square – Young Singaporean Chef Pop-Up

田Magic Square is a pop-up kitchen encouraging young Singaporean chefs to get creative in the kitchen. The initiative was set up by local restaurateur Ken Loon, who owns Naked Finn and Nekkid. Over the course of the next year, three local chefs under the age of 30 – Desmond Shen (25), Marcus Leow (26) and Abel Su (29) – will run the kitchen serving up Singaporean gastronomy in the form of a preset 9-course dinner-only menu at $78++ person. Dishes will change monthly – you may get Bilimbi with lightly poached Mozambique lobster, Rempah with deep-fried largehead hairtail fish, or Cincalok with grilled pork belly amongst your nine courses. The 1,000 square feet space set in the lush green Portsdown Road area will only be open for 12 months and is designed as a cosy studio apartment, with an open kitchen, an 18-seater communal dining table for family-style dining, and a living area for drinks.

田Magic Square, 5B Portsdown Road, Singapore 139311, Tel: (+65) 8181 0102, www.magicsquare.sg

Two Hana and Seoul in a Sandwich — Korean-Western

Halal-certified Korean restaurant chain Seoul Garden Group launches two new Korean-Western concepts at the newly renovated Century Square Mall: Two Hana (a café) and Seoul in a Sandwich (sandwich kiosk).

Two Hana is a trendy Korean Western café with Instagrammable offerings like Kimchi Mac and Cheese, Korean Cauliflower Fritters with special house-made sweet and spicy sauce, and Spicy Yangnyeom Drumlets, for starters. Mains include Striploin Bap, a rice bowl topped with seared striploin slices, kimchi, namul, caramelised onions and a 63-degree-egg or the Crisp-Battered Pacific Cod and Doenjang Mash. For dessert waffles rule, from Strawberry Crispy Waffles with Honey Citron Ice Cream, to Chocolate Banana Waffles with Chocolate Ice Cream, and Doenjang Caramel Apple Waffles.

At the Seoul In A Sandwich kiosk,sandwiches use Western breads with fillings that are all Korean inspired, from the Kimchi Grilled Cheese Toast with cheddar and mozzarella, kimchi and mayo butter toast to Seoul Street Toast, with onion cabbage omelette, chicken ham, sliced cheese and mayo; though our eyes are on the Bulgogi Cheese Steak (pictured) filled with sauteed peppers, grilled bulgogi beef and cheddar mozzarella mix, all in a buttered baguette.

Two Hana, 2 Tampines Central 5, #01-21, Singapore 529509, Tel: (+65) 6260 4321, www.facebook.com/TwoHanaSG
Seoul In A Sandwich, 2 Tampines Central 5 #B1-23 Century Square Singapore 529509, www.facebook.com/SeoulinaSandwichSG/

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