April Food News & New Menus in Singapore: Hot Off The Hob

Foodies: read on for the latest news in restaurants including new menus, food deals, new chefs, relocations and refurbs

This month we check out refurbished FOC Pim Pam for their Spanish fare, Northern Italian restaurant Perbacco (which recently relocated to Ann Siang House), and we bring you the lowdown on new menus at Le Binchotan, Artichoke, Potato Head Folk and Nouri. We tell you how to score free pizza at Da Paolo, healthy meals via Grain’s delivery service, get tix to the secretive white than white Diner en Blanc, and give you all the deets on the Singapore Cocktail Festival as well as the Durian Fiesta. 

RESTAURANT NEWS

Ann Siang House – Perbacco, Cult & The Guild

Newly opened Ann Siang House (formerly The Club) has hotel rooms and a host of new F&B spots too. Namely, Blue Label Pizza, Perbacco (relocated from Craig Road), and dual concept- CULT coffee bar (by day) / The Guild (contemporary eating house by night). Perbacco, on the ground floor of Ann Siang House (where The Disgruntled Chef used to be), serves comforting traditional Italian dishes predominantly from the North. To start: don’t miss the deliciously creamy Burrata served with beef carpaccio ($22) and crusty bread. Pasta is homemade, from a Seafood Tagliatelle Carbonara ($25) to a highly recommended Taglioni with Truffle and Sea Urchin ($28). There are only four mains — two meats of US Striploin ($38), grilled Lamb T-Bone ($34), and two seafood dishes, Sous Vide Seabass ($38) and Grilled Squid ($30). For dessert, it would be rude not to indulge in the Panna Cotta with carmelized hazelnuts ($14).

Cult/The Guild and Perbacco, Ann Siang House. 28 Ann Siang Road, Unit #01-02, Tel: (+65) 6224 1069, www.annsianghouse.com

FOC Pim Pam: New outdoor patio and new dishes

FOC Pim Pam on Orchard Road has been refreshed with a new outdoor tapas and drinks area, a new colour scheme, and some new dishes, plus it’s now home to Southeast Asia’s largest collection of sherry, available by the bottle and glass! New to the world of this drink? Try their flight of 4 or 8 Spanish sherries poured in tasting portions for a taster of the huge variety on offer. On the revamped menu: Cherry Gazpacho ($14), Fresh Burrata with crispy Ibérico Ham ($22), umami Paella with Ibérico Secreto and seasonal mushrooms ($33), plus old faves like their famous Patatas Bravas ($10) of deep-fried potato millefeuille (brava), aioli, and salsa brava. You’ll also find mains like Short Ribs, Barramundi and Half Suckling Pig. End on a sweet note with the refreshing Lemon Lemoncello sorbet ($12) fashioned as a lemon, or the irresistible crispy churros ($6 for 2) with chocolate sauce or white chocolate-coated (pictured).

FOC Pim Pam, 442 Orchard Road #01-29 Singapore 238879, Tel: (+65) 6100 4242, www.focpimpam.com

Free Pizza at Da Paolo Gastronomia

Get yourself down to Da Paolo where, if you buy a bottle of wine (from $33) or a bucket of beers ($39), you can chow down on free pizza! Deal on weekdays 5pm – 8pm. For your nearest Da Paolo location check here!

Le Binchotan: New dishes

You may have walked past Le Binchotan without knowing; it’s hidden in a back alley near Club Street behind foodie mecca Amoy Street with décor reminiscent of a timber bunker, making it a great spot for a romantic tête-à-tête (there are no windows so it is very discreet). Chef-owner Jeremy Chiam has designed a French-Japanese menu here. He uses French techniques and the centuries-old method of Japanese grilling over binchotan, so dishes have a range of smokiness to them (without any of the burnt char taste). Uni and Caviar ($25) is an appetizer-shot serving of Japanese corn mousse with a layer of sturgeon caviar, and  wild-caught bafun uni with house-made Shoyu pearls. Favourite dishes include the Edible Charcoal ($23) — charcoal black cigar-like spring rolls filled with shredded slow-cooked Angus beef short ribs in saikyo miso and port wine served with a delicious garlic yoghurt. Don’t miss the signature dish of Sakura Ebi Capellini ($27) of al dente Capellini with salty sweet plump Sakura ebi, and to finish the heady dessert of Smoked Chocolate ($15). Here the smokiness really comes through: 64% dark chocolate from Valrhona is cold-smoked with apple wood, then the chocolate tart is cooked and smoked again before serving with a yoghurt sherbet to cut the sweetness.

Le Binchotan, 115 Amoy Street, #01-04 Entrance via, Gemmill Ln, 069935, Tel: (+65) 6224 1045, www.facebook.com/lebinchotan

Grain: Healthy Meal Delivery

Grain is all about delivering healthy(ish) meals straight to your door. Chefs take inspiration from ingredients around the world – a Middle Eastern grain may be paired with a Japanese green, or a local favourite may be re-worked to include superfoods, seeds and more veg for a balanced meal.  It’s all about mixing and matching flavours and textures. The menu changes weekly to keep things interesting. You might order Thunder Matcha Tea Rice ($9.95) with hanjuku egg, french beans and sunflower seeds or Pan Seared Norwegian Salmon on pasta ($14.50) or Roasted Thai Chicken with greens and sweet potatoes ($12.95). Cold-pressed juices and desserts are available too. Grain is launching a subscription plan, Grain Up, that is currently in its pre-release phase. For a monthly fee, subscribers will enjoy unlimited free delivery and savings up to 25%, depending on which plan they choose. If you are interested email the team at [email protected].

www.grain.com.sg

Nouri’s New Chef Tasting menus

Chef Ivan Brehm’s “Crossroads” cooking takes on the biggest menu change since its launch last year. New dishes with a focus on chilli and spice include Wild Rice Stem, which uses a vegetable that is similar in texture and taste to asparagus and bamboo shoot, then cooked in brown butter and served with spiced buttermilk gratin and cultured cabbage. Other notable dishes are the Saffron Fish with Iranian saffron gel, fennel rouille, and pickled rosehip, and the Chicken Debal (pictured) based on the Peranakan and Portuguese connection, comprising butter poached chicken breast, debal curry, achar pickles and rice cracker. The Chef’s tasting menu is $145++/$175++ for 5/7 courses (dinner only).

Nouri, 72 Amoy Street, Singapore 069 891, Tel: (+65)  6221 4148, www.nouri.com.sg

Potato Head Folk: New Burgers & Pop Culture-Inspired Cocktails

There’s lots to cheer about at Potato Head Singapore with their revamped island- and pop culture-inspired menu. With names like “My Daddy Cool” and “Kopi and The Sunshine Gang,” all of the cocktails from the Tropical Soul menu are innovative and delicious. Who doesn’t love a “Local Storm” when it’s bursting with light and creamy malt whiskey along with banana and gula melaka flavours? All syrups and purees are carefully made in-house, and don’t even get us started about the beautiful glassware. Stop by and try them all (preferably on Wednesday, when there’s a Ladies Night deal with free-flow Prosecco from 8-11pm for $25!), and while you’re there make sure to order up the first in the new Tribute burger series. It’s called the Under Pressure Burger and it will have you bopping to Queen and Bowie all night long: slow cooked sous vide black Angus beef, shaved fennel, tangy lemon, homemade ketchup, creamy brie de beaux, truffle aioli all topped with a tomato in a toasted brioche bun. The only pressure you will feel after eating this burger is whether or not to order another one.

Potato Head Singapore, 36 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089143, Tel: (+65) 6327 1939, www.facebook.com/PotatoHeadSingapore

Dinner on the Beach at Tanjong Beach Club

Tanjong Beach Club has launched beachfront dining this April, right in time for Mother’s Day celebrations. Score big if you book this beach table for a birthday or anniversary dinner (from $96 pp) — it’s a great spot to feel the sand beneath your feet as you admire the sunset over the sea. Although beachside, it’s still upscale dining with food from Tanjong Beach Club’s kitchen; expect white linen, silverware, flaming tiki torches, a gourmet coastal dinner and the sound of the waves lapping the beach.

Tanjong Beach Club, 120 Tanjong Beach Walk, Sentosa Island, Singapore 098942, Tel: (+65) 9750 5323, www.tanjongbeachclub.com/reservations

EVENTS

Durian Fiesta AT Goodwood Park Hotel – 30 March to 22 July 2018

Smell that? The Durians are back for the 35th year at Goodwood Park Hotel’s annual Durian Fiesta. Look forward to 12 premium creations that feature D24 and ‘Mao Shan Wang’ durians – including the new D24 White Chocolate Raspberry Dome; D24 Orange Choc-a-Bloc; D24 Coffee Glaze and D24 Fried Kataifi.

Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228221, Tel: (+65) 6737 7411, www.goodwoodparkhotel.com

Le Diner en Blanc – May 2018

Get your whites drycleaned ‘cos Le Diner en Blanc is back this year. This secret whiter-than-white dinner party (which hasn’t been without its contentions in the past) is back for the 6th edition on Saturday, 12 May 2018 at a secret location. Want to get on the guest list? Sign up here!

Singapore Cocktail Festival 4 – 13 May 2018

Singapore Cocktail Festival returns with a spirited 10-day calendar at Empress Lawn, the Festival Village. Singapore’s best bars from the Asia’s and World’s 50 Best Bars list will gather in the form of bar pop-ups. Look forward to the Artisanal Spirits Tasting Room, informative Festival Workshops and the adrenaline-pumping Asia Bar Battle. There will also be a music line-up by Ce La Vi Singapore, as well as complimentary beauty and wellness treats. 

Singapore Cocktail Festival continues around the city if you get your Cocktail Passport to enjoy exclusive deals, from discounted cocktails to special cocktail and food pairing menus, across 45 of the best bars and restaurants in Singapore. Alternatively, hop onto one of the Bar Tours and explore some of the Little Red Dot’s best bars, with a line-up of world-class bar stops.

www.singaporecocktailfestival.com

Read more:
Foodie News Flash for all the latest new restaurant openings in Singapore!