| FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018 | THE STRAITS TIMES | happenings life D5

FOOD Rebecca Lynne Tan Food Correspondent recommends PROMOTIONS

Soi Thai Soi Nice Seletar Mall Half-Price Dish If your total bill is at least $30, you can enjoy the claypot vermicelli with prawns at Soi Thai Soi Nice Seletar Food Picks for half the usual price. WHERE: 01-29/30 The Seletar Mall, 33 Sengkang West Avenue MRT: Sengkang (Fernvale LRT) WHEN: Mon - Fri: 11.30am - 3.30pm, 5.30pm - 10pm; Sat, Sun & public holiday: 11am - 10pm PRICE: $8.95++ (usual price $17.90++) TEL: 6581-2190/9295-6488 INFO: E-mail enquiry@ PHOTO: PUNJAB GRILL soithaisoinice.com.sg THE BACKSTREET BENGS Hung Kang Suckling DEEPAVALI COLLABORATION Pig-Abalone Birthday Set Chefs of three restaurants in The highlights of Hung Kang Teochew Amoy Street – Jeremmy Chiam of Restaurant’s Birthday Set are Punjab Grill’s Special Menus Le Binchotan, Eugene See of Birds barbecued whole suckling pig and And Sweet Boxes of a Feather and Miller Mai of braised baby abalone with seasonal Punjab Grill has launched its Ding Dong – are putting on a greens. Besides longevity buns and Deepavali Special menus and sweet six-hands collaboration dinner. boxes (above). The five-course noodles, other dishes include braised The first dinner took place on vegetarian/non-vegetarian menu shark’s fin soup with crabmeat and Wednesday, but there are two includes appetisers, main courses fish maw, steamed pomfret Teochew- more sessions on Oct 30 and 31, and dessert. The sweet boxes come style and, for dessert, sweet yam each limited to 60 people. in two sizes – an 18-piece Executive paste with pumpkin and ginkgo nuts. The three Singapore-born Mithai box and a Jannat box WHERE: 28 North Canal Road chefs, who refer to themselves as MRT: Clarke Quay/Raffles Place combining specially created the Backstreet Bengs – they often WHEN: 11am - 3pm, 6 - 10.30pm daily sweets with dry fruit. The hang out together in the back PRICE: $498 (+ GST & miscellaneous hand-crafted sweets include alley behind their restaurants – charges) for 10 people alphanso mango and white choco have themed their dinner around TEL: 6533-5300 magical delight, sugar-free dates dishes inspired by their childhood INFO: teochewhungkang.com.sg and figs sweets, macadamia nuts and saffron swirl roll stuffed with and Chinatown. Shabestan’s 5th Anniversary rose petals marmalade. Diners will be treated to a Shabestan is turning five and the WHERE: B1-01A The Shoppes at six-course meal – two dishes at Persian fine-dining restaurant is Marina Bay Sands (South Podium), each restaurant. Items include celebrating with a Persian fair. 2 Bayfront Avenue MRT: Bayfront a Sichuan-style chwee kueh from New dishes from Iran-born executive WHEN/PRICE: Deepavali menu: Nov 6 Birds of a Feather; and uni okayu chef Hamid Hosseini will be among (11.30am - 3pm, 6.30 - 11pm): $120++ a served with charcoal at those on the buffet line as well as person; sweet boxes: $68+ - $108+ Le Binchotan. At Ding Dong, carving stations, along with belly (while stocks last) TEL: 6688-7395 expect a chee cheong fun dancing performances and Middle INFO: punjabgrill.com.sg (above) made with scallop and Eastern music. prawn that has been pressed into WHERE: 01-13 The Pier @ Robertson, Shahi Maharani’s Royal a sheet and filled with blue 80 Mohamed Sultan Road Collection swimmer crab meat. MRT: Clarke Quay WHEN: Oct 31, 7 - Shahi Maharani’s Royal Collection in WHERE: All three restaurants are 10pm PRICE: $98++ a person (add the form of three tiers of sweet located at 115 Amoy Street – $15++ for three hours’ free-flow wine boxes has a new flavour this year – Le Binchotan, 01-04, entrance is in & beer) TEL: 6836-1270 Blueberry Roll, an almond roll Gemmill Lane; Birds of a Feather, INFO: eclectiqueconcepts.com stuffed with jammy textured dried 01-01; Ding Dong, 01-02 MRT: Telok blueberries. The restaurant will serve Ayer WHEN: Oct 30 and 31, 7pm A Taste Of Jerusalem a festive Deepavali Eve lunch buffet PRICE: $90++ a person Experience the new wave of Israeli and a Deepavali Day buffet dinner. TEL: 6224-1045 (Le Binchotan); food at Wild Honey Mandarin Gallery WHERE: 03-21B Raffles City 6221-7449 (Birds of a Feather); with Yossi Elad, founder and Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge 6557-0189 (Ding Dong) executive chef of Machneyuda Road MRT: City Hall WHEN/ INFO: For reservations, e-mail (Jerusalem) and The Palomar PRICE: Festive lunch: Nov 5 (noon - [email protected]. (London). The menu is set to feature 2.30pm): $38++ a person; dinner: An itinerary will be sent by e-mail 10 standout dishes, including Yossi’s Nov 6 (6.30 - 10.30pm): to attendees a day before the riff on the popular shakshuka – The $68++ a person; Royal Collection event. Groups will be split into Shakshukit – a deconstructed spiced (Oct 22 - Nov 7 pick-up): $48+ - three and diners will walk from kebab with tahini, schug and harissa; $88+ TEL: 6235-8840 The Backstreet Bengs comprise (from left) Miller Mai of Ding Dong, Jeremmy Chiam of Le restaurant to restaurant Sabich, an Israeli breakfast staple INFO: E-mail enquiries@ Binchotan and Eugene See of Birds of a Feather. to enjoy the courses with crispy fried eggplant; and shahimaharani.com or Musakhan, with shredded chicken, go to www.shahimaharani.com sirloin, chilli and sumac onions. Some of Wild Honey’s signature dishes will complement the Jerusalem menu. WINE/WHISKY EVENTS WHERE: Wild Honey, 03-01 Mandarin Gallery, 333A Orchard Road Bordeaux And Burgundy At MRT: Somerset/Orchard WHEN: Nov 2 Ginett - 7, 9am - 9pm PRICE: $20++ - $35++ a Wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy dish TEL: 6235-3900 INFO: E-mail will be featured in a five-course [email protected] dinner at Ginett, hosted by Bordeaux-born French wine expert HALLOWEEN Jacques Varet and Ginett executive chef Herve Frerard, a Burgundy native. Dishes include Burgundy Sub-Lime Treats At Parkroyal snails in filo pastry and a On Pickering espuma, Dover sole fillet and French The Sub-Lime buffet at Lime Bresse Chicken. Wines include 2016 Restaurant offers scary-licious treats Chablis Domaine Millet and 2012 and spooky concoctions such as Bat Listrac Medoc, Chateau Fourcas Wings (braised Guinness Stout Hosten. chicken wings), Einstein’s Brains (foie HANDMADE SOBA IN TANJONG PAGAR TERRIFIC THAI AT BLUE JASMINE WHERE: Level 1 Hotel G Singapore, gras with raspberry sauce), Broken At Icon Village in Tanjong Pagar, there is a tiny shop For some delicious Thai food, try Blue Jasmine at 200 Middle Road MRT: Bencoolen/ Ribs (pork ribs in BBQ sauce) and with less than 20 seats that serves freshly made soba. Park Hotel Farrer Park. The halal-certified restaurant is Rochor WHEN: Thu - Oct 27, 7pm Devil’s Tongue (Sichuan duck tongue). This place is a gem. great for get-togethers and serves everything from PRICE: $95++ a person Drinks include Tea of Oblivion It is called Tokyo Soba and is an offshoot of Yomoda noodle and rice dishes to and stir-fries. TEL: 6809-7989 INFO: E-mail (strawberry consomme) and Soba, which has three outlets in Japan. The soba here is Try the cha-om or acacia leaf omelette ($12), which has [email protected] Witches Brew (chendol). made in-house every morning from scratch with imported a robust, tangy and spicy housemade nam prik kapi WHERE: Lobby level Parkroyal on Dana Estates Wine Dinner buckwheat flour from Japan. Its subtly flavoured blend of dipping sauce made with fermented shrimp that I cannot Pickering, 3 Upper Pickering Street kaeshi used in the dipping sauce for the noodles is also get enough of; as well as the yellow river prawn ($26) MRT: Chinatown WHEN: Thu - Oct 28, Giron has added Dana Estates to its portfolio, with exclusive made in Japan for the Singapore outlet. I love that the – an aromatic and appetising yellow curry made with 6.30 - 10.30pm PRICE: $88++ an soba has bite and texture too. ingredients such as , galangal and lemongrass, adult, $44++ a child (aged four - 12) distribution in Singapore. The Napa Valley winery will be hosting a wine A plate of plain handmade soba – have it hot or cold – served with perfectly cooked plump shelled prawns and TEL: 6809-8899 INFO: E-mail costs just $7.50, which is excellent value, considering the julienned betel leaves. [email protected] dinner with a set menu at Aura, where diners get to sample some use of imported ingredients as well as the laboriousness The holy basil and chilli-jam stir-fried with a choice of of making it by hand. squid, chicken or beef ($24 to 28) is also delicious – Have A Yoku Moku Cigare Dana Estates wines. On the menu are dishes such as jumbo crab, My only gripe is that the cold noodles could be colder, savoury with good flavours and wok hei (breath of wok). Yoku Moku’s signature butter cookies but it is not something that would stop me from heading WHERE: Blue Jasmine, Level 5 Park Hotel Farrer Park, come in a Halloween pack and Kagoshima wagyu beef and wild grouper. Featured wines include back. 10 Farrer Park Station Road MRT: Farrer Park the assortment tin comprises You can also opt for noodles with toppings such as OPEN: 11.30am to 10pm daily; buffet dinner the signature butter Petit Cigare Onda Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, prawn tempura, kakiage, pork belly or pork katsu. from 6.30 to 10pm (Fridays and Saturdays) (eight pieces), Petit Cigare au Vaso Sauvignon Blanc 2012 and WHERE: Tokyo Soba, 01-16 Icon Village, 12 Gopeng Street TEL: 6824-8851 INFO: Go to www.parkhotelgroup.com/ Chocolat (eight pieces) and Double Lotus Vineyard Cabernet MRT: Tanjong Pagar OPEN: 11am to 11pm daily. It is closed en/farrerpark/blue-jasmine or Chocolat au Lait (16 pieces) cookies. Sauvignon 2008. between 3 and 5pm on weekdays and is open all day on e-mail [email protected] WHERE (MRT): B4-39 Ion Orchard, WHERE: Aura Sky Lounge, weekends TEL: 6410-9353 2 Orchard Turn (Orchard); B1-50 05-03/06-02 National Gallery Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road 252 North Bridge Road (City Hall) MRT: City Hall WHEN: Oct 30, 6.30pm WHEN: 10am - 10pm daily PRICE: $150++ a person (includes PRICE: Assortment tin: $52 nett; Billecart-Salmon Brut welcome MAD ABOUT MATCHA Matcha latte bag/box of 10/14 pieces of Cigares: champagne & wine-pairing) I love everything matcha and am always on the hunt for (far left) and $16/ $25 TEL: 8787-7189/7190 TEL: 6866-1977 INFO: E-mail a good matcha latte. houjicha latte INFO: E-mail contact@ [email protected] Earlier this week, I tried three variants – a matcha latte, (left) at The yokumoku.com.sg genmaicha (roast rice and green tea) latte and Matcha Project. Glendronach Whisky Dinner houjicha (roast green tea) latte – at The Matcha Project, PHOTOS: BLUE The Eyes Have It At Tiong Bahru At Oso Ristorante a hole-in-the-wall cafe that specialises in both matcha JASMINE, REBECCA Bakery Oso Ristorante’s five-course menu and coffee. I sipped, I stopped and I smiled. The tea lattes LYNNE TAN, Tiong Bahru Bakery has introduced of signature creations includes ($5.50 each) here are wonderful. SPA ESPRIT GROUP, the Only Have Eyes For Boo, an dishes such as pan-fried scallops, The cafe is located in a corner in the basement of WILTIAN ANG all-chocolate muffin, which is made by smoked salmon, glazed duck breast The Sail, in the linkway between Raffles Place MRT station hand and comes in the form of an and roasted venison loin, paired with and Marina Bay Financial Centre. There are only six eyeball filled with coconut puree. the whiskies of The Glendronach, counter seats here, so think of it as more of a grab-and-go WHERE (MRT): 56 Eng Hoon Street including Grandeur Aged 24 Years sort of kiosk. (Tiong Bahru); 43 Jalan Merah Saga Batch 9. Mr Douglas Cook, global This is a haven for matcha fans. Matcha here is sourced (Holland Village); Tangs Orchard Scotch whisky business from Kyoto. Have a matcha shot (from $5), whisked to (Orchard); B1-11 Raffles City Shopping development director, will share order with a chasen or bamboo whisk. Elegant and just Centre (City Hall) WHEN: Oct 31 - Nov his insights about the distillery. lively enough in flavour. 4, various opening times PRICE: $8 WHERE: Level 27 Oasia Hotel I like that the matcha latte here is bold and spirited, Coffee Co. at the end of next month. But don’t worry, it will nett ($8++ at Raffles City dine-in) Downtown, 100 Peck Seah Street while the milder genmaicha latte is soft, with a lovely still serve matcha latte. TEL: 6220-3430 (Tiong Bahru), MRT: Tanjong Pagar WHEN: Nov 2, aroma and roundness. Opt for the houjicha latte if you like WHERE: The Matcha Project, B1-08C The Sail, 6877-4868 (Holland Village), 7pm PRICE: $158++ a person, something more savoury. None of them need sugar by the 2 Marina Boulevard MRT: Raffles Place 6735-3787 (Orchard), $126.40++ for HSBC cardholders way. OPEN: 8am to 5.30pm, weekdays; closed on weekends 6333-4160 (Raffles City) TEL: 6319-4038 INFO: E-mail The cafe has plans to change its name to Volks INFO: E-mail [email protected] INFO: tiongbahrubakery.com [email protected]