| FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019 | THE STRAITS TIMES | happenings life D5

FOOD WHEN: Till Aug 31, 11.30am - 3pm, 6pm - midnight (Mon - Fri); 6pm - Tan Hsueh Yun Food Editor recommends PROMOTIONS midnight (Sat) PRICE: $18++ - $28++ TEL: 6224-1045 INFO: E-mail FLAVOURFUL BREAD Fish Mart Sakuraya’s [email protected] At about midnight, when I finally got $32 Anniversary Set home, I cut into a sourdough Fish Mart Sakuraya celebrates its Culinary Heritage Buffet At baguette I had bought hours before. There was no reason to expect 32 years in Singapore with a $32 Ellenborough Market Cafe Food Picks much. It had been sitting in the car Anniversary Sashimi Set. For National The lunch and dinner buffets celebrate Singapore’s culinary and in the office for much of the day. Day, the supermarket-cum- The crust crackled. I took a bite. heritage, with highlights such as fruit restaurant is selling the SG54 Maki Then another. Until the slice was , Teochew style , ($5.40) and, at its West Coast Plaza all gone. Hainanese and roast chicken rice, outlet on Aug 9, a Japanese robot will The bread was from Slow Bakes, a serve free coffee to customers. roast pork belly and char siew and chill cafe at the lobby of Oasia Hotel in WHERE (MRT): 02-01 The Seletar Nonya . Others include salted Novena. It serves primo loaves and Mall, 33 Sengkang West Avenue egg slipper lobster, fried carrot cake, buns. While the bun fillings might (Sengkang, Fernvale LRT); B1-50 West stir-fried , bee seem commonplace – curry, coconut, Coast Plaza, 154 West Coast Road hoon, Peranakan classics and cheese and , among others (Clementi); 01-32 Anchorpoint, desserts such as D-I-Y ice kacang – it is sourdough that envelops them. 370 Alexandra Road (Queenstown); and durian pengat. Chewy, flavourful bread makes a good B1-84D Parkway Parade, 80 Marine WHERE: Level 1 Swissotel Merchant change from the soft, sweet buns that Parade Road (Eunos/Dakota) Court, 20 Merchant Road MRT: Clarke are everywhere. WHEN: Dining: 11.30am - 10pm; Quay WHEN: Till Aug 31; lunch: noon - If it is available when you go, snag a Coconut Bun ($2.80). I told the supermarket: from 10.30am (Seletar 2.30pm, dinner: 6.30 - 10pm friendly Taiwanese woman who Mall from 11am) PRICE: $5.40 - $32 PRICE: Lunch: $52++, dinner: runs the place that it is my favourite TEL: 6214-3736 (Seletar Mall)/ $68++ a person; half-price for child (six - 12 years old) TEL: 6239-1847/ bun because it reminds me of 6773-6973 (West Coast Plaza)/ childhood. But this is unlike the buns 6474-2495 (Anchorpoint)/ 1848 INFO: E-mail dining.merchant [email protected] I had as a kid. 6345-4714 (Parkway Parade) Aside from the bread, which has INFO: www.sakuraya.com.sg Crab-ulous Buffet, National Day much more personality, the generous filling is not coloured a violent orange. Weekend Special At Azur Fat Chap Makan Trail It is the colour of dark caramel and Crowne Plaza Changi Airport’s Azur Fat Chap goes on a Makan Trail across just sweet enough. Have it with the is serving its Crab-ulous Dinner Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia as cafe’s ultra-smooth cappuccino Buffet, a spread of crabs cooked in the three nations celebrate their ($6.50) for an instant perk-me-up. local flavours such as , independence this month. Its Bullet-shaped curry buns ($2.80 salted egg yolk crab, ginger onion Fuss-Free Lunch offers dishes such each) are filled with spicy potatoes crab, pan-seared crab cake, that pack an unexpected punch. as Really Indomie Goreng ($12.90++), deep-fried soft-shell crab and crab I have become used to insipid curry with seafood and chicken satay; meat salad with compressed buns with undercooked spices, so this Sayur ($12.90++), with watermelon. For the National Day is an excellent surprise. The Cheese goes into the topping so, in addition butter? No. It was perfect on its own, Slow Bakes’ sambal egg and beef ; and Weekend, the buffet will also be Poro ($2.80), with a rough hewn to sweet, there is a wisp of bitter. tasting of the time taken and care (clockwise Wonton Mee ($14.90++), with chicken available for brunch. covering, sort of like a polo bun, is In my kitchen after a slice of given. from top) bak kut teh soup. The all-day a la carte WHERE: Level 2 Crowne Plaza Changi filled with cheddar. I thought of how Sourdough Baguette ($4), I was Magic at midnight? Magic all Earl Grey Bun, menu consists of snacks to share Airport, 75 Airport Boulevard the cheese would have had no tempted to cut myself another slice. day, I would say. Curry Bun, such as Har Cheong Gai Lollipop MRT: Changi Airport WHEN/PRICE: Till personality at all in a sweet bun. Instead, I turned to the handsome WHERE: Slow Bakes, 01-05 Oasia Coconut Bun, ($10++ - $18++) and Not Really Ramly Aug 31, dinner (6 - 10pm): $78++ an Deserving an honourable mention Country Sourdough ($8) loaf instead Hotel, 8 Sinaran Drive MRT: Novena Matcha Cream Burger ($25++). is the Matcha Cream Croissant ($3). and sliced a big piece off the end. TEL: 6397-2289 OPEN: 7am to adult, $39++ a child; Aug 9 - 12; Croissant and Good powdered Japanese Butter? Kaya? Marmite peanut 8.30pm daily Cheese Poro. WHERE: 01-643 Suntec City East brunch: noon - 3.30pm; dinner: Wing, 3 Temasek Boulevard 6 - 10pm: $54 nett an adult (child MRT: Promenade/Esplanade half-price) TEL: Call 6823-5354 WHEN: Till Aug 31; Fuss-Free Lunch: or WhatsApp 9336-3125 INFO: E-mail BAK CHOR PHOTOS: 11.30am - 2.30pm (Mon - Fri); all-day [email protected] menu: 11am - 11pm (Mon - Thu & Sat), MEE WITH ROKETTO THE WORKS 11 - 1am (Fri), 11am - 10pm (Sun) IZAKAYA, “Singapore Stars” From While nursing a PRICE: Selected dishes: $10++ - SUMMER HILL, Tiong Bahru Bakery fierce craving for TAN HSUEH YUN $25++ TEL: 6836-5994 INFO: E-mail Tiong Bahru Bakery’s Singapore Stars bak chor mee [email protected] pastry in red and white – made to recently, I went celebrate the nation’s 54th birthday – through a list Monster Curry’s Doraemon comprises coconut sponge cake of favourite Campaign Special Menu with coconut lime mousse and a places In conjunction with the opening of a strawberry and raspberry confit. in my head. Doraemon movie, Monster Curry is WHERE: Tiong Bahru Bakery outlets, Crawford Street? Nah, launching a menu celebrating the go to tiongbahrubakery.com for parking’s mad. Japanese cartoon character. outlet locations WHEN: Aug 7 - 12 Verdun Road? The Special Combo Curry ($28.80, for PRICE: $8.90++ (dine-in), $8.90+ Parking’s mad. two people) has pork katsu, fried fish, (takeaway) jumbo fried ebi, tori and Hong Lim Food Centre? Parking’s mad, mad, mad. toppings. Drinks include I ended up in a Bukit Batok coffee shop, at Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee. The original is at Hong Lim SINGAPOREAN FAVOURITES rojak, hae ko is made into an ice The Blue Calpis Soda and Okinawa MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL and this stall was born out of a family feud. WITH A TWIST cream for this dish. The rojak has a Shiquasa Soda ($5.80 each Parking was decidedly not mad, so I did not expect a Can you go to a restaurant three base of aburaage, the Japanese with Doraemon coaster). Blueberry With Vintage Hua Diao Wine From Hua TIng queue, but there was a constant one about 10-deep all times a day? I think I could go to version of taupok. On it is piled WHERE: For list of outlets, go to through lunch. Relish at least that number of times. prawns, pineapple, jicama, mango For those who enjoy alcohol in monstercurry.com.sg/outlets I ordered Minced Meat Noodle (above, $4, $5 or $6) with For lunch, where I would order rice and bonito flakes. That pungent, WHEN: Till Sept 30, 11am - 10pm mooncakes, Orchard Hotel my usual mee kia and the strands were slightly thicker or noodles; at teatime for a cup of punchy ice cream melts into the PRICE: Food: $11.80 - $28.80, drinks: Singapore’s Hua Ting Restaurant has, than at other places. It was a small thing, but the noodles coffee and a slice of cake; then after rojak, its flavour bringing the salad $5.80 INFO: monstercurry.com.sg among its snowskin flavours, the were less springy than I would have liked. work, for izakaya food. ingredients to life. Take that, dog lilac-hued Blueberry with Vintage Hua Never mind, I thought to myself, the chilli is really punchy The restaurant at Frasers Tower days of summer. Diao Wine and orange-hued White and the bowl is loaded with goodies – wontons, slices of transforms into Roketto Izakaya An old favourite is back – Curry NATIONAL DAY Lotus Paste with Champagne lean pork, a pile of minced pork, slices of stewed from 6 to 11pm from Tuesdays to Chicken Shepherd’s Pie ($15.80), Ganache. Other snowskin options mushroom, cubes of crisp lard and, best of all, a generous Saturdays, serving small plates that Sarawak-style curry with chicken Saturday High Tea Buffet At include Hawthorn with Melon Seeds piece of aromatic dried sole. are a twist on Singapore food. thigh and potatoes, and lashings of Hilton’s D9 Cakery and Mini Salted Egg Yolk Custard (all The the fish imparts was worth the trip there. I am pleased to report that Har cheese to neutralise the heat. Hilton Singapore’s celebration of $70+ for box of eight pieces). Baked My friend and I also ordered a Teo Chew Dumpling Soup Jeong Tin Gai ($12) is now I would also order Fish Collagen National Day with Saturday High Tea mooncakes ($70+ to $76+ for a box of ($4, $5 or $6) to share, and if you do not want to deal permanently on the menu. Frog legs Broth ($5), rich and thick, with Buffet, a spread of Singapore- four pieces) include the Low Sugar with thicker-than-usual noodles, or noodles at all, are marinated in pungent prawn housemade fish cake and a slick of inspired desserts by executive pastry White Lotus Paste with Macadamia order this. It is just loaded with all the accompaniments, paste then deep-fried. Under the garlic oil. Like everything else on the chef Cindy Khoo, is complemented by Nuts (single, double or without yolk). sitting in a light but flavourful pork broth. A mighty armour is my current food menu, the flavour is bold and more than 40 local favourites and WHERE: Lobby Kiosk, Orchard Hotel, large curl of dried sole made me unaccountably happy. obsession, oh-so-finely textured unapologetic. So very Singaporean. international delights with seven live 442 Orchard Road MRT: Orchard Happy enough to go back to Bukit Batok. frog meat. Much better than the WHERE: Roketto Izakaya, Relish at stations. Items include roasted WHEN: Till Sept 13, noon - 8pm WHERE: Ah Kow Mushroom Minced Pork Mee, usual chicken. Frasers Tower, 02-12/13 Frasers Block 359 Bukit Batok Street 31 MRT: Bukit Gombak Another clever twist on a local Tower, 182 Cecil Street MRT: Tanjong meats, , pan-fried carrot PRICE: $70+ - $76+ TEL: 6739-6577/ OPEN: 7am to 3pm (Mondays to Thursdays), 7am to 3pm favourite is Aburaage Rojak Salad Pagar TEL: 6904-5458 OPEN: 6 to cake, dim sum and seafood. 6739-6666 INFO: E-mail (Sundays), closed on Fridays and Saturdays (above, $15). Prawn paste of a 11pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays) mooncake.ohs@millennium WHERE: Lobby Level Hilton Singapore, different sort takes centre stage INFO: www.facebook.com/ 581 Orchard Road MRT: Orchard hotels.com here. Usually used as a dressing for RelishFrasers WHEN: Saturdays (tomorrow - Oct 26), noon - 3pm PRICE: $48++ a person Andaz’s Baked Collection (add $35++ for free-flow wine & beer), Andaz Singapore’s Baked Mooncake $24++ a child (five - 12 years old) Collection comes in a lacquered TANTALISING TEL: 6730-3392 INFO: E-mail wooden box with two mooncakes, When I buy rosemary, thyme or dill for [email protected] which are available in two classic cooking, I often marvel at the price flavours – Low-sugar White Lotus supermarkets charge for a couple Local Flavours, European Paste with Yolk Blend and Low-sugar sprigs of aromatics. There must be Techniques At Tablescape Lotus Paste with Melon Seeds. some way to work extravagantly flavourful local herbs into more of Grand Park City Hall’s executive chef WHERE: Buy online at my cooking. My pocket would hurt Armando Aristarco brings together andazshop.oddle.me WHEN: Till less, if nothing else. the local flavours he loves and his Sept 13 PRICE: $150 nett (25 per cent discount for purchases made by Summer Hill, a casual own techniques in Tablescape’s French-inflected restaurant in Aug 31) INFO: E-mail five-course menu for National Day. Sunset Way, is offering just what I am [email protected] For example, the Chilli Crab Mousse talking about, for this month. The fuses Singapore chilli-crab cooking Fried Flower Fritter ($19) is supposed methods with European techniques WHISKY EVENT to be a National Day special, but I and ingredients; and ABC Minestrone hope it stays on the menu. features the household classic ABC BenRiach Whisky Dinner It looks like a kakiage, a Japanese soup. Dessert is Pandan Souffle. At TungLok Signatures tempura tower usually studded with vegetables and seafood. WHERE: Level 3 Grand Park City Hall, Chips, crispy roast pork belly and Summer Hill’s chef Anthony Yeoh 10 Coleman Street MRT: City Hall deep-fried fish skin with salted egg WHEN: Tomorrow - Aug 11, noon - uses banana flowers soaked in yolk will be served at the reception, buttermilk, hummingbird flower 2.30pm, 6 - 10.30pm PRICE: $48++ a paired with BenRiach Heart of person TEL: 6432-5566 INFO: E-mail petals and turmeric, kaffir lime and Speyside. The six-course menu starts moringa leaves. Baby prawns [email protected] with live prawn prepared two ways, contribute even more crunch. sauteed with ham and baked All of this is held together with a Halia Cocktail, Beef Cheek French-style in crispy yam flower. tempura batter flavoured with garam Rendang At Le Binchotan Other highlights are double-boiled masala. It tastes good as is, but spoon Indulge in a new cocktail: Halia abalone with seafood and pan-fried over some torch ginger and lemon ($20++), a gin-based cocktail inspired Spanish iberico pork. Featured salsa verde, thickened with take on Hainanese pork chop, with served alongside to make a complete by teh halia – pandan-infused whiskies are BenRiach 10, 12 (Sherry candlenuts, and that is one aromatic, juicy, beautifully pink meat. Good meal. vermouth and a dash of campari are Wood), 21 and 25 years. heady appetiser. though it is, I cannot help but hanker WHERE: Summer Hill, 01-62, Block 106 stirred with fresh ginger syrup. WHERE: 02-18 Orchard Rendezvous The other special, Hainanese Fried after a more bracing ketchup-based Clementi Street 12 MRT: Clementi Also on the National Day menu are Hotel, 1 Tanglin Road MRT: Orchard Veal Chop ($75, serves two), uses sauce, with canned peas, onions and TEL: 6251-5337 OPEN: Noon to 3pm, 5 Beef Cheek Rendang ($28++) and WHEN: Aug 28, 7pm PRICE: $168++ a Dutch -fed veal instead of pork. undercooked potato wedges. to 10pm (Tuesdays to Thursdays), French Toast with corn and ruby person ($134.40++ for payments by The panko-crusted chop sits atop a Roasted baby potatoes and a 11.30am to 4pm, 5 to 10.30pm (Fridays chocolate ($18++). Citi Credit Cards) TEL: 6319-4038 hot tomato and caramelised onion vegetable melange of baby carrots, to Sundays), closed on Mondays vinaigrette. This is a very high-end green beans, turnips and peas are INFO: www.summerhill.sg WHERE: 01-04, 115 Amoy Street INFO: E-mail asianmasters@ (via Gemmill Lane) MRT: Telok Ayer sph.com.sg