| FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2019 | THE STRAITS TIMES | happenings life D5

Hedy Khoo STFood Online Editor recommends

OMAKASE ODEN AT THE PUBLIC IZAKAYA BY HACHI For an izakaya experience with a difference, try the

Food Picks Omakase Oden Set (right, $30++) at The Public Izakaya by Hachi in Tras Street. The set, suitable for two to three to share, comprises 10 items selected by the chef. There is also an $18++ set with six items. I am not a fan of boiled foods and used to think of oden as a Japanese version of yong tau foo. But this set changed my mind. The broth is boiled from scratch using daikon and Japanese soya sauce. It then absorbs the flavours of the different foods cooked in it. Start with the lighter tasting items, like hanpen, a triangular white fish cake. Light, airy and sponge-like, it soaks up the taste of the broth beautifully. The chunks of daikon may appear unexciting, but their texture is tender and, again, you can taste the flavour of the broth. THE WORLD’S 50 BEST The konnyaku, ordered from Ishikawa in Japan, looks like RESTAURANTS 2019 a large Hakka abacus seed. It is marinated in soya sauce, MASTERCLASSES mirin, sake and sugar before cooking, and is surprisingly In the lead-up to The World’s 50 flavourful with a springy and chewy bite. Best Restaurants awards The Cabbage Pork is prepared in-house. The filling of ceremony at Marina Bay Sands on minced pork, mushroom and onion is marinated with black Tuesday, there will be a series of pepper, then wrapped in hakusai (cabbage) into a roll. The talks and masterclasses held from filling reminds me of Chinese dumpling filling, while the tomorrow to Wednesday. cabbage lends an incredible sweetness. To best enjoy this, Masterclasses on Sunday will add a tiny bit of yellow mustard that is served as a feature live cooking and tastings condiment. with well-known international The oden counter has 16 seats, but oden is also served at chefs. the tables of the 200-seater restaurant. It is best to make Chef Rasmus Kofoed of reservations and avoid going on Fridays, when the outlet is Geranium in Copenhagen will usually packed. explain his food philosophy via a WHERE: 01-09 100 AM, 100 Tras Street MRT: Tanjong Pagar menu of wild and organic seafood OPEN: Omakase Oden is available from 5.30pm to dishes. midnight (last order at 11pm) daily TEL: 6604-9622 Delve into Peruvian cuisine with husband-and-wife chef duo Virgilio Martinez and Pia Leon of Central in Lima. Get up close with chef Gaggan Anand (above), whose renowned restaurant in Bangkok, Gaggan, is PHOTOS: HEDY KHOO, TURKISH CUISINE AT lamb shank is slow-roasted for more closing in June next year. The THE WORLD’S 50 ARKADAS CAFE than three hours in the oven and is masterclass is an opportunity to BEST RESTAURANTS For a sweet Turkish dessert at this fork-tender. observe up-close the restaurant, go for the Kunefe The kitchen is now helmed by chef Kolkata-born chef, who has ($12.90+), which is like a crispy version Sinan Karabulut, 24, who arrived from charmed diners and critics with his of putu mayam (string hoppers) with Turkey two months ago. progressive style of Indian cuisine. more ingredients. The first time I tried his Patlican WHERE: Exhibition Hall A, Sands The main ingredient is tel kadayif Kizartmasi, it was a disappointment, Expo & Convention Centre, (shredded wheat), which is cooked in with the eggplant scarcely browned 10 Bayfront Avenue MRT: Bayfront clarified butter and syrup and has a and the yogurt thin and watery. But OPEN: 9.45 to 11.15am filling of mozzarella cheese. It is by the second time, it was (masterclass with chef Kofoed); served with French whipping cream. well-executed, with the vegetables noon to 1.30pm (masterclass with The restaurant uses tel kadayif browned to perfection and a chefs Martinez and Leon); 2.15 to from Greece and Italian mozzarella palatable proportion of yogurt to 3.45pm (masterclass with chef cheese. lemon juice. Anand) INFO: Tickets for A new dish introduced last month is It would be ideal if he could be more masterclass are $150 each from Patlican Kizartmasi ($10.50+), an consistent in his cooking and go MarinaBaySands.com/W50B appetiser of roasted green chillies lighter on the salt. and eggplant served with yogurt, WHERE: 01-02 Sandcrawler, stewed tomatoes and lemon juice. 1 Fusionopolis View This is best eaten with the MRT: one-north OPEN: 11am to 10pm housemade pita bread. daily, closed on public holidays For mains, go for Grilled Seabass TEL: 6466-9918 ($17.90+) or Lamb Shank ($21+). The INFO: www.arkadascafe.com.sg PORK RIB, PRAWN NOODLES aromatic with dried prawn and onion. WITH OFFAL AT CHUAN HENG Madam Wong prepares the chilli For pork rib noodle fans who do not paste from scratch using fresh red mind paying more for off-menu items chillies. with offal, Chuan Heng is the place to Another item to try is Pork Rib, Pig go. Tail and Prawn Noodle Soup (above, in The stall is in a rundown-looking background, $7). The broth is rich with industrial estate canteen at Block meaty flavours and the ribs are 3014B, in a hard-to-find corner of Ubi tender. Road 1. The only grouse I have is that a Stall owner and chef Wong Ai Joh, piece of pig tail had bristles sticking 61, used to sell pork rib and prawn out of the skin. noodles at Block 85 Bedok North Lovers of pork lard will be pleased Avenue 4 before moving to Ubi to know that Madam Wong fries it 12 years ago. every morning to serve with her Go for the Dry Noodle with mee pok, noodles. small intestines, pig stomach and WHERE: Block 3014B, 01-04, prawns (above, in foreground, $8). Ubi Road 1 MRT: MacPherson Add another $2 for pork ribs if you like. OPEN: 7am to 3.30pm (weekdays); The noodles are tossed in a chilli 7am to 2.30pm (Saturdays), paste that has a fiery kick and is closed on Sundays

FOOD Bistro, 01-19/20 Robertson Walk, and West. Items include Sticky Sweet with items such as Hiyayakko chilled Yishun Park Hawker Japanese liquor. Restaurants such as 11 Unity Street MRT: Fort Canning & Sour Pineapple Baby Back Ribs, Thai tofu with lily bulb and tiger shrimp, Centre $1 Carnival Kajiken, Nirai-Kanai, Yatagarasu and PROMOTIONS WHEN: 5 - 7pm daily, with booking Peach Sriracha Baby Back Ribs, barbecued yakitori boneless quails, Participating stalls at Yishun Park Kamoshita will be serving dishes from PRICE: $19.90++ a person Chipotle & Jack Daniel’s Bourbon hotate mentaiyaki grilled scallop, Hawker Centre will offer “generous their menus. Food and sake TEL: 6235-5466 INFO: E-mail Baby Back Ribs and Hoisin Glazed braised spicy beef short rib kakuni, sampling portions” of their signature purchases can be made via New Menu At Curious Palette [email protected] or go to Baby Back Ribs ($38 each). salmon teriyaki sandwich, summer dishes at $1 each and patrons can e-payment with the event wristband. Cafe-restaurant Curious Palette has www.wineconnection.com.sg WHERE: Crossroads Cafe, Singapore apple bread pudding and make a purchase-with-purchase of WHERE: Hall 406, Level 4 Suntec unveiled a new menu that includes an Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, chrysanthemum honey madeleines. durians such as Mao Shao Wang, Red Singapore Convention & Exhibition all-day selection of starters and Metre-long Sausage At Brotzeit 320 Orchard Road MRT: Orchard WHERE: Level 1 Swissotel Merchant Prawn and D24 at $1 each. Centre, 1 Raffles Boulevard sweets (9am to 10pm), brunch (9am to Brotzeit has introduced a metre-long WHEN: July 1 - Aug 31, 7am - midnight Court, 20 Merchant Road WHERE: 51 Yishun Avenue 11 MRT: Esplanade/Promenade 3pm), lunch (noon to 10pm) and sausage and other new dishes in its (till 1am on Fri & Sat) PRICE: $38++ MRT: Clarke Quay WHEN: Till Aug 31, MRT: Yishun WHEN: June 29, 11am - WHEN: Tomorrow, 1 - 6pm (doors dinner (6 to 10pm). Highlights include summer menu. The Wurstel TEL: 6831-4605 INFO: E-mail 3 - 5pm PRICE: $42++ a person (at 5pm PRICE: $1 INFO: yishunparkhc.sg close at 4.30pm) PRICE: $40 from burnt leek ($10.90++); sugarloaf Ringelspiel mit Brezn (sausage tower mhrs.sindt.fb.reservations@ least two people) TEL: 6239-1847/ www.sistic.com.sg or Orihara Shoten cabbage seaweed butter ($12.90++); with pretzel) comes with a choice of marriotthotels.com 2848 INFO: E-mail Teafolia’s Imperial Lychee Drink Liquor Shop & Sake Bar (01-02 skate katsu sando ($17.90++); prawn, the pork farmer’s sausage ($36++), dining.merchantcourt@ Series Robertson Walk, 11 Unity Street) mentaiko belacan pasta ($18.90++); smoked chicken cheese ($32++) or Teppan Kappou Kenji’s swissotel.com Teafolia has launched its Imperial TEL: 6224-0445 Dorper lamb saddle, curry butter half of each ($34++). Other dishes Summer Omakase Lychee drinks, prepared with the INFO: facebook.com/SakeFestivalSG “concubine smile” lychee. They yogurt ($26.50++); Kuhlbarra include sausage salad ($10++ as Teppan Kappou Kenji is serving Lobsters & Crabs At Carousel include Lychee Peachee ($5.80) – Chef Beppe De Vito’s barramundi ($24.50++); and kaya, appetiser, $19++ as main), sausage seasonal produce from Hokkaido and Fight the Monday blues with the Let’s with chunks of fresh fruit – and the Cuisine And Veneto Wines coffee butter ($9.50++). platter ($39++), Thuringer snail Miyazaki in Japan or the restaurant’s Get Crackin’ lobster and crab buffet at citrus-based Zesty Lychee ($5.90). The five-course menu includes WHERE: 64 Prinsep Street sausage ($19++) and spicy chicken or Summer Omakase. The Chef’s Tasting Royal Plaza on Scotts’ Carousel. WHERE (MRT)/TEL: 01-K1 Bedok Mall Hokkaido scallop with artichokes, MRT: Bencoolen WHEN: Wed - Mon, pork curry sausage ($19++ each). Menu (eight to nine courses) Highlights include seafood on ice, hot (Bedok)/6386-1670; 01-154 sweet peas and grapefruit caramel; 9am - 10pm PRICE: $9.50++ - WHERE (MRT)/TEL: 01-149/151 comprises sashimi and highlights steamed snow crabs, salted egg Northpoint City South Wing (Yishun)/ red wine risotto with veal cheek, $29.90++ TEL: 6238-1068 VivoCity (HarbourFront)/6272-8815; such as vichyssoise made with slipper lobster with curry leaves, 6257-1636; 01-29/30, 20 Tampines mushrooms and Asiago cheese; and INFO: facebook.com/CuriousPalette 01-27 313@Somerset Discovery Walk edamame, sea urchin, crab and water Maine lobster in black pepper sauce, Central 1 (Tampines)/6786-6355 grilled duck. Dishes will be paired with (Somerset)/6834-4038; 01-17 Raffles shield plant (junsai/ brasenia lobster laksa, Hong Kong-style WHEN: 11am - 10pm (Tampines till wines from Veneto, Italy, such as the All-You-Can-Eat Tapas schreberi) as well as kamameshi, or City (City Hall)/6883-1534; 126 East lobster and seafood cheese baked 10.30pm on Saturdays) PRICE: $4.90 - 2017 Sant’Antonio Bianca Scaia At Wine Connection Coast Road (Eunos)/6348-2040; kettle rice, with wagyu beef. rice, lobster Hokkien mee, chilli crab $6.90 INFO: facebook.com/teafoliasg Garganega Chardonnay; 2016 Manara Enjoy two hours of Mediterranean 01-04 Westgate (Jurong East)/ WHERE: 01-01, 99 Tanjong Pagar Road with mantou, steamed baby lobster Valpolicella Ripasso, DOC, Classico flavours when you can try traditional 6465-9874 WHEN: From Wed, call to MRT: Tanjong Pagar WHEN: 11.30am - with garlic soya sauce, deep-fried Superiore, Le Morete; and 2012 tapas such as Churros de Patatas inquire outlet’s hours PRICE: $10++ - 2.30pm, 6 - 10.30pm daily soft-shell crab with sour pomelo dip, SAKE/WINE EVENTS Manara Amarone Della Valpolicella, Bravas, potato churros served with $39++ INFO: brotzeit.co PRICE: $150++ a person and lobster and seafood porridge. DOCG, Classico, Postera. tomato sauce and garlic mayonnaise; TEL: 9152-3118 INFO: E-mail WHERE: Lobby Level, Royal Plaza on Sake Festival WHERE: Aura, 05-03/06-02 National Pan con Tomate, bruschetta topped Baby Back Ribs At Singapore [email protected] Scotts, 25 Scotts Road MRT: Orchard Organised by Orihara Shoten, Sake Gallery, 1 St Andrews Road with tomato salsa, herbs and cheese; Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel WHEN: Mondays (till Aug 19), 6.30 - Festival Singapore will feature more MRT: City Hall WHEN: June 28, 7pm Pimientos del Padron, Spanish Meat lovers will be in for a treat at the Summer In Kyoto Afternoon Tea 9.30pm PRICE: $88++ an adult, than 50 breweries, brands and PRICE: $175++ a person ($140++ peppers stuffed with mozzarella and hotel’s Crossroads Cafe, with baked At Swissotel Merchant Court $49++ a child TEL: 6219-3780 food-and-beverage companies. The for HSBC cardholders) lightly fried; and more. and charbroiled baby back ribs Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore’s INFO: E-mail ticket price includes tastings of more TEL: 6319-4038 INFO: E-mail WHERE: Wine Connection Tapas Bar & boasting flavours inspired by the East Crossroads Bar offers Kyoto flavours, [email protected] than 460 types of sake and other [email protected]