C6 life happenings | THE STRAITS TIMES | FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020 | Wong Ah Yoke Senior Food Correspondent recommends Picks Food CHICKEN RICE AT MONGA Taiwanese fried chicken chain Monga’s new outlet at SingPost Centre gets a thumbs up from me for several reasons. It is the first to offer dine-in, unlike the other two takeaway counters at Jem and Ion Orchard malls. And it has an exclusive Monga Crispy Chicken Rice Box (above, $6.90) that comprises two pieces of fried chicken, acar, fragrant rice and hot chilli sauce. The rice and chilli are CANTONESE DISHES WITH used in the Chinese dishes. shirobuta as well as sea urchin tofu 76 Nanyang Drive; 02-36 Chinatown based on Hainanese chicken rice JAPANESE TWIST These include a chilled sea urchin and pan-fried amadai. Point, 133 New Bridge Road; recipes and are good. Japanese ingredients are popular tofu ($22) appetiser. At the Thomson Plaza and Hotel 02-02, The Metropolis Tower 1, I love, too, that the set comes with because of their quality and chefs are The main, pan-fried shirobuta pork Miramar outlets, there is also dim sum 9 North Buona Vista Drive; and a piece of chicken thigh and a taking notice. But they are used (above, $28), is excellent. It comes such as steamed xiao long bao with 036-084 Changi Airport Terminal 2, drumstick, instead of the breast meat mostly in Western restaurants. with three sauces – chef’s special A5 wagyu ($8.80) and steamed 60 Airport Boulevard MRT: Various used for Monga’s traditional Crispy Peach Garden is one of the rare mala sauce, black pepper sauce and dumpling with Japanese geoduck WHEN: Till April 30 for lunch and Fried Chicken. Cantonese eateries here to put out a mushroom sauce. The meat is good clam ($7.80). dinner TEL: 6535-7833 (OCBC Or, for the same price, you can opt promotion menu centred on Japan on its own and, in fact, I prefer it plain. WHERE: Peach Garden restaurants Centre), 6736-3833 (Hotel Miramar), for Monga Nuggets, which are six produce. A huge, plump oyster on top of the at 33-01 OCBC Centre, 65 Chulia 6451-3233 (Thomson Plaza), small pieces of juicy thigh meat to go Called Oishi Flavours Of Japan, fish noodles is good enough reason Street; Level 3 Hotel Miramar, 6219-9398 (NTU Block N2.1), with the rice and chilli. it is available until April 30 at all the to try the poached surimi-men. 401 Havelock Road; 01-88 Thomson 6702-0603 (Chinatown Point), WHERE: Monga SingPost Centre, seven Peach Garden outlets. Unfortunately, the noodle soup is Plaza, 301 Upper Thomson Road; 6334-7833 (The Metropolis) and 01-131 SingPost Centre, 10 Eunos Available a la carte and in set available only as part of a set priced 02-01B Block N2.1, Nanyang 6386-3033 (Changi Airport T2) Road 8 MRT: Paya Lebar menus, Japanese ingredients are at $68 a person. But you also get the Technological University, INFO: www.peachgarden.com.sg OPEN: 11am to 9.30pm daily FRENCH CLASSICS PHOTOS: MAI BY NOT TO BE MISSED DASHI MASTER French eatery So France’s expanded MARUSAYA, dinner menu now offers more serious MONGA bistro cooking, with classic dishes SINGAPORE, that remind me of visits to Paris. PEACH GARDEN, Duck confit (right, $32) is a dish I WONG AH YOKE haven’t eaten in a while and it brings back good memories with its tender salted meat under a golden roasted skin. It comes with roasted Grenaille potatoes. Oeufs Meurette ($22) is an ugly delicious dish that is seldom found here. The Burgundian dish comprises poached eggs in a red wine sauce made with beef and chicken stocks and veal jus. It comes with lardons and pearl onions and is eaten with sourdough bread. You won’t find any French onion soup, though. Apparently, that is more popular outside France than in its country of origin. So make some noise JAPANESE SET THAT IS from Japanese markets. if you are a fan and maybe it will be in VALUE FOR MONEY At my lunch, I started with firefly the next menu. The newly launched Sushi & Dashi squid and crab sesame tofu with ikura WHERE: So France, 01-51/56 Duo Omakase at Mai by Dashi Master in dashi. Sashimi was chutoro and Gallery, 7 Fraser Street MRT: Bugis Marusaya offers about the kinmedai while sushi, which was OPEN: 8am to 9pm (Mondays to best-value meal you can get in served piece by piece, included tai, Thursdays), 8am to 10pm (Fridays), a fine Japanese restaurant. otoro and sawara. 9am to 9pm (Saturdays), 9am to 6pm Priced at $88 a person, it is And one of the cooked dishes was (Sundays) TEL: 6909-6449 available for lunch and dinner, wagyu with bamboo shoot and bell though I find it a bit too heavy for pepper in salted rice malt. lunch. WHERE: Mai by Dashi Master You get seasonal appetisers, Marusaya, 46 Bukit Pasoh Road sashimi, Japanese omelette, cooked MRT: Outram Park OPEN: Noon to dishes, seven pieces of sushi, miso 2.30pm, 6 to 11pm (Mondays to soup and dessert. Items change Saturdays) PRICE: $88 a person according to what is available TEL: 6327-8414 FOOD with Sakura Shrimp and Dried Mulled Hainanese chicken chop, wok-fried Tuesday and get another one Roe Powder. carrot cake “Hong Kong” style and free. The deal is available only PROMOTIONS WHERE: Keyaki, Pan Pacific Singapore, beef stew. Minimum of two to dine for delivery orders purchased 7 Raffles Boulevard MRT: Promenade and for dine-in only. directly from Pizza Hut. Options WHEN: Till April 25: 11am - 2.30pm; WHERE: J65, Level 1 Tanglin include Meat Galore from Ramadan Iftar Buffet 6.30 - 10.30pm PRICE: $180 - $200 Singapore by Shangri-La, the Classic Menu, Simply Cheese Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium’s TEL: 6826-8240 1A Cuscaden Road MRT: Orchard from the Favourites Menu and Ramadan buffet will feature both INFO: www.panpacific.com WHEN: Every Sat, noon - 3pm Seafood Deluxe from the local and international favourites, PRICE: $49++ TEL: 6831-4374 Specialty Menu. including roasted whole baby lamb, Asean All-Star Dishes INFO: www.hoteljen.com WHEN: Every Tue PRICE: From $10++ grilled Asian spiced squid fillet and Ramadan Menu INFO: www.pizzahut.com.sg the signature Singapore laksa. Celebrity chef Mohamad Razali, Japanese Wagyu Buffet WHERE: Holiday Inn Singapore winner of the Juara Memasak Enjoy unlimited portions of WINE/WHISKY EVENTS Enjoy all-new dining, shopping Atrium Restaurant, 317 Outram Road All-Star cooking competition, has wagyu beef at Tajimaya, a yakiniku MRT: Tiong Bahru WHEN: April 23 - curated a special menu showcasing charcoal grill restaurant where Ishinomaki Izakaya’s May 23 PRICE: Mon - Thu: $90++ flavours from Asean. The dishes diners grill their own food. Other and leisure perks with your Nomihoudai Promotion an adult, $25++ a child; include Ayam Balado Chicken in free-flow dishes include Iberico Choose either the 90- or Fri & Sat: $100++ an adult, Tomato Chilli Sauce with Cashew pork, tiger prawns and sashimi. ST subscription 120-minute course and enjoy $25++ a child TEL: 3138-2530 Nuts from Brunei and Or Lam WHERE: Tajimaya Yakiniku, free-flow alcohol, inclusive of INFO: E-mail atriumrestaurant. Slow-braised Beef Brisket with 01-102/103 VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Orion beer, Suntory malt and [email protected] Pureed Eggplants from Laos. Simply download the ‘SPH Rewards’ app from Walk MRT: HarbourFront shochu imo. Free flow is also WHERE: Carousel, Royal Plaza on the iTunes or Google Play store, and log in to WHEN: Lunch: noon - 3pm (Mon - Fri), available for non-alcoholic drinks, Spring Blossoms At Keyaki Scotts, 25 Scotts Road MRT: Orchard noon - 6pm (Sat & Sun); dinner: 6 - discover your world of ST+ benets! like Coke, kyoho (grape) or momo Launched to celebrate spring, WHEN: April 24 - May 23: noon - 2pm, 10pm daily PRICE: $49.90++ - peach coolers. two kaiseki menus feature 6.30 - 9.30pm PRICE: From $58 $59.90++ TEL: 6377-0070 WHERE: Ishinomaki Izakaya, seasonal ingredients. Highlights TEL: 6219-3780 INFO: tajimaya.com.sg 50 Tras Street MRT: Tanjong Pagar include the Sakura Dai, cherry INFO: www.carouselbuffet.com.sg WHEN: 11.30am - 3pm, 6 - 10pm daily blossom sea bream, Grilled Soy One-for-one Pizzas From PRICE: $35++ - $55++ Miso Marinated Australian Wagyu Saturday High Tea For Two Pizza Hut TEL: 6221-6264 Beef and Sakura Soba Noodles The buffet spread features Order a pizza online every INFO: ishinomaki.com.sg.