As we march towards the hot and humid summer, savour the last taste of the balmy Spring at Fukui, where Head Chef Nick Pa’an presents several multi-course sushi menus curated on a weekly basis. For Spring, feast on a wide variety of seafood and produce. From the sea, you'd have young conger eels, firefly squid, Hokkaido hairy crab, and from the land, some crisp bamboo sprouts and white strawberries.

We had the 9-course dinner ($288/pax). Typically, you would have a sushi course, unless you're pregnant like me, or if you can't take raw food. For some sushi items, Chef introduces the addition of bincho-tan into his open kitchen to sear rich seafood and i guess that kind of cooks the seafood. However, if you want a fully cooked menu, here is what you can expect.

 

First, a really sour appetizer of vinegared seaweed, vinegar jelly, and ponzu with the creamy firefly squid. While the sourness may have removed some fishiness of the squid, i thought there was a tad too much acidity. This was followed by a Wara-smoked Japanese Butterfish. The Japan imported rice straw lent a woody fragrance to the oily fish. There was also a light spice from the onion and daikon sprouts. 

For the Hot Dish, we had a cooked Japanese Abalone with a nori sauce. I thought this was a tad fishy with all the flavors of the sea, plus the added salinity from the Ice Plant made it the fishiness even more pronounced. Take my taste buds with a pinch of salt now because i don't quite enjoy seafood currently. Jr didn't seem to have much issue with this dish. 

The Grilled Japanese Star butterfish was to my liking however (surprise surprise). The rich Amera tomatoes balanced any oiliness with a full-bodied sweetness. More savory notes were added with a sheet of crunchy tatami iwashi.

Meet my nemesis, the sea cucumber. Ok i don't hate it, i just don't see the appeal of it. The texture was really good in this one though and Jr happily ate them for me. The braised daikon and bamboo shoots were sufficient for me. I liked that the bamboo shoot only had a milk flavor and was crunchy.

I really enjoyed the tempura course, which featured a thinly battered monkfish, Japanese sweet corn, asparagus and Japanese sweet potato. No dipping sauce was required for this at all. And ooh that sweet potato tempura was so fluffy and creamy.

Since i couldn't have the regular Chirashi, Chef made me a premium don with a variety of seafood- Blackthroat seaperch, Kinmedai, Kuruma Ebi (Japanese tiger prawn), Zuwaigani crab spring roll, Amaebi, Kaki Yubeshi (persimmon with yuzu) and Tatemaki (Japanese pancake- egg and black sugar), plus a tempura egg yolk. The rice is rather special- it is seasoned using Okinawan black vinegar and black sugar. It's a decent bowl, but i'd very much prefer a chirashi don.  

To round off the savoury menu, an Amberjack collar soup with maitake was served. This is a clear soup that showcases the natural flavors of the amberjack and it was light and earthy and extremely comforting. 

For dessert, we had a selection of seasonal fruits- Awayuki Ichigo with a lovely cherry blossom-pink blush, naval orange and musk melon. 

Some hits and misses on this menu but again, it could be my pregnancy taste buds plus i'm sure sashimi and sushi would be better. I guess we just have to come back after baby is out of the oven. 

Lunch sets start from $138++ to $168++ for seven courses. For lunch and dinner, Sushi Omakase* starts from $188++ to $258++ for five courses, and Omakase menus start from $288++ for nine courses to $388++ for ten courses. Binchotan sushi is only available for dinner seatings. 

Fukui

25 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238969

Mon- Sat: 12 - 3pm, 6 - 10.30pm 

Tel: +65 6509 0909

Given a choice, i'll always choose to travel rather than go on a staycation. When travelling, the highlight is your new surroundings and novel experiences. On staycations in Singapore, the highlight is mainly just your room (provided you find a nice place). Exhibitions, plays, food, malls and shopping could be done on a regular basis and there's no need to spend the extra buck doing that from a hotel room. Well unless there's something special experience provided at your place of accommodation. 

This is exactly what Studio M has in mind to keep guests entertained. They have collaborated with Chef Janice Wong to present staycationers with a sensory experience where you will make your own chocolate bar and enjoy the fine chocolates made from Thai cocoa beans.

During my Chocolate Temptation Staycation, i was guided through the process of making chocolate from bean to bar in one of the decorated loft in the hotel. While I wasn't able to go through the entire process of chocolate making in 1 hour, it was sufficient to keep me occupied for a bit. For your customized bar of chocolate, you could choose from milk or dark chocolate and also tweak the sweetness to your liking. 

The focus of the process was conching, where the cocoa nibs, cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder (if making milk chocolate) are ground into a smooth paste. Expect some arm work to ensure that the conching is done smoothly at the start but once the paste is less clumpy, it could be left to the machine to do its job for the next 24-48 hours. The cream mixture would then be sent to Janice Wong's chocolate store for tempering and made into a chocolate block, which would be delivered to you after your stay. 

MoboMoga welcomes all you modern boys and modern girls (the name actually means that) at its dark and eclectic sake-bar/izakaya with a speakeasy vibe. Located along the main Mohamed Sultan road side of UE square, you would probably miss this sake bar if you do not spot the red lantern hanging outside. Duck in through the door within a door (note it's the smaller one) and scoot onto a seat around the bar counter for your Japan experience in Singapore (since we can't travel). 

You may feel a little out of place, just like you would at a local Japanese bar where no one speaks English. We were told by friends that we should ask the pretty Japanese service staff for recommendations for food and sake and we dutifully heeded the advice. It would otherwise be daunting to pick something from the vast collection of sakes here.   

Not fans of innards, we skipped the recommended sweet shrimp shiokara ($12) and low temperature cooked chicken liver ($14) and went straight for the izakaya defining tsukune ($12), which sadly lacked the crunch of the cartilage. Instead, you get some nutty bites (probably from some form of nuts like gingko or peanut). The grilled chicken meatball is doused with a sweet tare and topped with a whole creamy egg yolk.

BBQ on sticks, all the convenience, none of the hassle. Yakitori Yatagarasu obviously is doing things right by their skewers, having expanded their business during these strange times. Both outlets are situated along Circular Road, just a few stores apart, offering a selection of yakitori and pork belly-wrapped sticks, alongside some appetizers, fried food, and some carbs. I loved the cosy interior and we sat at the counter where we could see chef work his magic.

It was brainless to go with the starter set ($29/pax), which includes chef's choice of 4 chicken skewers, 2 pork skewers, with a salad (cabbage, onion, or coriander), plus an alcoholic drink (except sake). 

Glad to have this refreshing cabbage salad to go with the savory sticks. Jr went for coriander which IMO is one of the most disgusting veg to eat on its own. Like isn't it a garnish? As much as he liked coriander, i guess his love for it isn't sufficient for him to finish the plate of salad. 

Yakitori are priced at $2.50 with the exception of tsukune ($4). We were served the tender fillet which was flavored by teeny drops of yuzu kosho. 

Of course the chicken thigh was better due to its higher fat content.  

Now something i've never tried in my life is the chicken tail (aka chicken backside). What have i been missing out my whole life?! This part is perfect for grilling because the fat makes it crispy and there's a tender knob of meat hidden as well. I happily gave the gizzard away because i'm not a fan of such chewy textures. As for the soft bone, well i ate whatever meat there's on it. Unfortunately, all diners have to order the set together, so i'm stuck with these parts. I'd probably order my choice of items in the future but i'm also glad i got to try the chicken butt because of this. 

We enjoyed the juicy crunch of the lettuce wrapped in pork belly. The pork belly items are priced from $3.50.

The long beans wrapped in pork belly also exploded when we bit into them. 

Of course we had to order more. Sitting in front of the grill was of no help when it comes to restraining calories. Loved the mix of king oyster mushrooms with pork belly. Asparagus works too. If we had more space, i'd have gone for the more interesting items like pork belly wrapped curry rice or okonomiyaki.

The shiso leaf pork belly was another of my favorites due to the refreshing flavor.

We also had an order of the fried oysters, which were plump and juicy. 

Yakitori Yatagarasu is worth a repeat visit for a casual dinner. Good food, good prices, and attentive service. Also, frozen towels are a thing, perfect for refreshing your fingers while dining. 

Yatagarasu

66 and 72 Circular Road Singapore 049426

Tel: +65 6221 7785

Mon - Sat: 6 – 10.30pm

Vegans and Vegetarians rejoice! Homegrown restaurant Violet Oon has launched an extended menu of plant-based and gluten-free specialties at its Clarke Quay outlet Violet Oon Singapore Satay Bar & Grill, where you can enjoy smoke-kissed dishes alongside your meat loving friends. 

Expect big flavors with the use of regional spices, rempahs, house-made sauces, and the smoky sear of the grill. 

For starters, the Eggplant Goreng Dip with Emping Crackers ($17) was irresistible with the light bitterness of the belinjau nut crackers, balanced with the savoury coriander-infused eggplant purée. We got hold of some green chili sambal and boy it was a killer combination. 

The Grilled Cauliflower Sambal Tumis ($19) packs a smoky punch but I must warn that moreish sambal sauce requires a refreshing cocktail to extinguish the heat. Thankfully the cocktails at Violet Oon are perfect for that. Go for the Assam cocktail, it's my favorite of the lot.

Meatless Meatball Rendang ($18) was a soft mix of walnut, cheese and Impossible meat dumpling, braised in a spiced creamy coconut cream sauce. Honestly no one would have known that this was meat free. Certainly one of my favorite dishes on the menu. 

On to mushrooms, a crowd favorite is the Kunyit Lemak King Oyster Mushroom ($24), which sees a full-bodied grilled meat oyster mushrooms coated in an earthy turmeric-infused coconut sauce. 

Lumo, or light in Esperanto (an artificial language), is a new addition to the expat clutter in Boat Quay. Thankfully, it sets itself apart some really good drinks by the bar team complemented by the approachable modern European dishes by Head Chef Martin Wong. Lumo aims to not only bring together diners, but also support the F&B community through collaborations with local brewers, coffee roasters and neighbors too (RVLT curates the natural wine list at Lumo). 

LUMO’s cocktail concept revolves around the essentials of life; so the launch cocktail menu focuses on Breakfast, the first and best meal of the day. The drinks are categorized into Brew, Milk, Fruit, ABC, Impossible™ Salad, Toast, Treat. If you're wondering how Impossible™ Salad would taste like in a drink, check out the Patty Royale, a cross between a Vesper and a Dirty Martini and is guaranteed to knock you out. An Impossible™ distillate is made with vodka and a fat wash using oil from the meat-free patty. The cocktail’s savoury profile is accentuated further with macerated fermented cherry tomatoes, buna shimeiji mushrooms, and shisho leaves soaked in vermouth, and a garnish of olives filled with vegan cheese. 

I started with an easy MILK cocktail, the Salt Honey Fizz, made with orange flower, fino sherry, sea salt, caramelized honey, plant milk, Tried and true vodka. On the nose, a familiar tang of sourdough, and on the palate, soothing cereal milk and a light citrus. It's way too easy to drink, and probably dangerous when you gulp this like you do out of a carton. 

The Brown Derby, is more my kind of thing. Rebel Yell Bourbon with zesty notes of shadow citrus and grapefruit bitters prove to be a great perk-me-up after a long dreadful day at work. Josiah made me another same-same-but-different cocktail which is stronger and my day was complete.

Sans the millenials, do you guys remember the start of the cafe wave in Singapore and how brunch was all about English Breakfasts and Eggs Benedict before it's about Smashed Avo on Toast or Soufflé pancakes? As i cut into my Instagram-perfect Eggs Benedict at The English House by Marco Pierre White and that sunset orange trickled down those pearly whites, i was reminded how the Eggs Benedict will always be an oldie but goodie. Is this what old people do? Reminisce? 

Anyhow, The English House is now serving traditional English breakfast items daily (except for Mondays) in their gorgeous colonial house. Daytime is the best time to get a good look inside the restored conservation building filled with quirky English curios and pop art, and also a touch of local kopitiam/old medical hall furniture. 

Breakfast starts with a basket of complimentary freshly baked sourdough with French butter and your choice of coffee, tea or juice. Proper yes sire.

Since i got you thinking about the Eggs Benedict ($20), here it is, the perfectly round eggs with a curtain of bright and lemony, rich and smooth hollandaise. Trust me when i say this is one of the best Egg Benedict out there currently. Of course the English got it right. The round Japanese egg sits on top of some juicy shredded Wiltshire ham, which provides a lovely saltiness to the dish. As the yolk explodes, the viscous liquid is soaked up by the pillowy muffin. DAYUMS. This reminded me why Eggs Benny is an evergreen brunch dish.

How about brunching like the French this Sunday? Think alfresco dining on French classics, right next to the riverside. Les Bouchons Rive Gauche at Robertson Quay will provide that experience with their new 'Bouchons Riviera Brunch' menu that is designed by Head Chef Mickael Cornac. With 30 newly created all-time brunch favourites a selection of their signatures, you'd be spoilt for choice. 

Start with something refreshing, like the Riviera Wellness Bowl ($18) which is packed with granola, honey yoghurt, goji berries, banana, strawberries and chia seeds. The strawberries have been cooked in balsamic vinegar for an extra tang. Order this to share as a starter, or for desserts even. 

Other starters include the classic Eggs Mimosa ($14) and the Escargots De Bourgogne ($16). The eggs mimosa may sound very simple but if you only tried making it yourself, you'd know that it's a lot of work to cream those yolks. The Burgundy snails were shelled and cooked in a refreshing pesto, which made them perfectly easy to eat with the crusty warm bread buns. 

History has it that the concept of Sunday brunch came about as a means to overcome a British author’s own hangover from the night before about 120 years ago. As a homage to this, the ‘Bouchons Riviera Brunch’ menu features the Gueule de Bois ($24) or more commonly referred to as the Bouchons Hangover Cure. But hang on, it's served with “Impossible” meatballs, scrambled eggs with truffle oil, sautéed porcini mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes and asparagus on a toasted sourdough bread. Talk about hearty and healthy hangover food! The portions are massive btw!

There's a rotating Bouchons Sunday Roast ($32) served with mushroom sauce and roasted baby potatoes and the roast changes weekly. We had roast lamb which has been marinated with capers, anchovies, mint and paprika. I didn't quite enjoy the powdery lamb but the mushroom sauce was a perfect earthy creaminess. I would drink the sauce as a soup.

A safer bet would the Bouchons' signature steak frites! The Grilled Black Angus Rib Eye Steak ($39.80) is served with vigneron butter, mixed salad and free flow homemade french fries! The tender red meat was perfect with the butter but you can also flavor your meat with their their house-made condiments such as bearnaise and mayonnaise. I loved the intense potato flavor and the crispy edges of the fries. 

For desserts, if you still have space that is, the Chocolate Brownie "Fait Maison" ($10) cannot be missed. A 66% Valrhona chocolate is used to give it a rich intensity. I liked that it wasn't too sweet. 

French crepes with choice of sugar, Nutella, banana or honey ($8) are also available. 

Complementing its food menu, diners can experience brunch with a cocktail or champagne from the exclusive boutique collection of Champagne Jean Vesselle. 

I'd recommend steak for Sunday brunch at Les Bouchons anytime, but pick a good day with cooler weather though!

Les Bouchons Rive Gauche

60 Robertson Quay, #01-02, Singapore 238252

Tel: +65 6733 4414

Sunday Brunch: 11.30am - 3.30pm 

The best way to experience Singapore is through its food imho. Honestly there's nothing much to do in Singapore other than to eat really. Park Regis Singapore is currently offering guests their #sginsiders trail which takes them on a walking heritage food tour around Chinatown from now till Oct 2019. Put on your walking shoes and make sure you hit the ground running hungry. Every Saturday at 9.30am, the walking tour brings guests to four famous homegrown food spots, all within a short walk from Park Regis. 

The tour starts off at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre, where we had the local Singaporean breakfast set of kaya toast and a cup of ‘kopi or teh’ (local coffee or tea). While kaya toast isn't anything special to locals (we get Yakun toast everywhere), the experience was quite nostalgic. Seriously when was the last time you actually had toast at the hawker center? Also, we got to try the Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff (#02-36). This stall has been around for decades and they've been hand making their crunchy puffs for decades now. Expect crunchy flaky puffs stuffed with a variety of fillings such as chicken, sardine and otah. 

I was super excited about the second stop, which is the 83-year-old Cantonese pastry shop, Tong Heng! Before egg tarts were made trendy by foreign imports from Hong Kong i.e. Honolulu and Tai Cheong, Tong Heng was already serving their famous diamond-shaped egg tarts. The egg to tart ratio is extremely high and i'm always amazed at how that thin crust could hold up the wobbly custard. Escape the hot Singapore weather and enjoy the piping hot and crispy egg tart in Tong Heng's air-conditioned space. Yes you can dine-in at Tong Heng now! Other than egg tarts, there are also other traditional bakes like char siew sor, wives' biscuit etc. 

Date nights are for checking out restaurants we haven't been to. Fact is i have an extremely long list of restaurants to try. I decided on Italian and Braci was saved somewhere with a comment that it is pretty swell. I didn't realize it is a one Michelin-star restaurant until after i made the reservation. 

The location is in one of the shophouses along touristy Boat Quay. If you don't look up, you'd probably miss the little door to leads you to the restaurant. An elevator transports you 5 floors up, to a cozy dining space dominated by an peaceful open kitchen space. It's a vast difference from the chaos downstairs. You don't hear much from the chefs but you do smell a lot of mouth-watering perfumes from the Josper oven and shichirin grill. 

Various tasting menus are available, alongside the a la carte dishes. Even though they were some dishes that i wanted to try, like the Foie Gras Semifreddo ($28), we couldn't decide on the other choices, and so we decided to be surprised with their Surprise four-course menu ($100/pax).

There was a time when we thought about fine Italian dining, the ilLido name would come up. I mean, that was before the booming food scene (i'm obviously not a young millenial). I remember dining at ilLido was a special affair- I parted with my hard-earned tuition money for a date at ilLido. How times have changed! Anyhow, now you don't have to break the bank and could enjoy the same great Italian fares at Amò, the smart-casual Italian eatery and bar by established restaurateur-chef Beppe De Vito of the ilLido Group. 

I very much preferred the casual-chic setting of Amò and also the central location at Hong Kong Street. We started our meal with a crispy calamari with sumac and sun-dried tomato aioli ($19). The sauce is what makes the dish, along with the crunchy batter.

Burrata is always a good idea, and the one here is accompanied by an eggplant salad, walnuts and bottarga ($28).

We all know that Potato Head has mad burgers and cocktails and we are truly glad that they have dedicated a standalone joint Three Buns Quayside to serving these finger-licking good comfort food. 95% of what you're gonna be savoring are handmade by the team helmed by Chef Adam Penney.

The menu is a mix of old favorites from Potato Head folks (hello Baby Huey) and new menu items unique to the Quayside location. Expect the highest-quality grass-fed Australian patty made from two prime cuts of beef, house-made sauces, and premium cheeses from US, UK, and Greece, sandwiched between their lovely butter brioche buns. 

If you’re looking for a hit of local flavour, check out the Red Man Burger ($28) – this isn’t on the regular menu yet, but you can tell that this is a burger that’s put together very intentionally. This is a twist on beef rendang, using beef cheek that’s prepared sous vide, accompanied by a specially prepared burger bun made from coconut oil and milk. This was easily our favorite burger! Just look at that juicy meat that falls apart!

You can tell how good a burger joint is by how well they do the classics and Three Buns doesn't fail. The Smokin’ B-Boy ($23), a bacon cheeseburger, is perfectly balanced with its juicy patty, savory bacon, crunchy fried and caramelized onions. Their no-frills cheeseburger Da Cheese Master ($15) works if you're a hard-core ketchup lover.

The Bun DMC ($16) is another one that’s unique to this location, moving away from the typical pickle to a home-made watermelon relish, as well as a mix of fried onions and onion puree. These ingredients worked quite well together, but the watermelon relish didn’t stand out as much as I thought it would (which was a pity). 

For a meat-free option, the Truffello ($15) was very aromatic, and buns were well done. Unfortunately, the slaw and the juicy Portbello makes for a very soggy burger, and there's nothing sadder than wet buns that disintegrate. The truffle butter sauce was also lost in the mix. If you want more of that punchy flavor, go for their Truffle Hound ($15) hotdog instead. It’s rather plain but at least you’ll taste the truffle.

We would come to Three Buns for their fries alone. Naughty Fries Jr. ($9) (pictured below), and Miso Dirty Fries ($9) were the stars in their own right – these fries are shaped in a curve, which was excellent for scooping up the sauces and toppings. What's more, they stayed crunchy even after being out on the table for a while, and the flavour profiles of both hit just the right spots.

I had a hard time deciding which one was my favourite – the Naughty fries has a hit of gochujang, while the miso and pork floss in the Miso Dirty fries adds an umami that makes the dish so addictive. My advice? Go in a group and get both – they’re great for sharing around a table, and will be gone in a heartbeat.

Come during the weekends and you'll get more than just burgers from 11am to 4pm. The Blueberry Basic ($15) is anything but basic. The porous buttermilk pancakes are savory bittersweet, with hints of coffee, vanilla beans and vanilla salt with ice cream and blueberry sauce served on the side. The Ronnie ($19), a chicken sausage with miso bearnaise burger, is served with super crunchy tater tots. I found the tater tots more irresistible than the slightly sticky and mushy patty (it tasted similar to MacD's).

Desserts wise, I found them all a tad too sweet for my liking, but the milkshakes were worse. Give them a miss please. However, I thought that the tartness of the Zesty Calamansi & Lemon cream ($6) would make a really good filling for a lemon tart/crumble. 

If you have to have a milkshake, go for the Aye Sailor ($18), a rum-spiked chocolate milkshake which countered the diabetic drink. The 3 Monkeys ($18), a banana-infused whisky milkshake tasted like cough syrup after being left out for a while.

In spite of the unhappy ending, let's focus on the good stuff, which are the burgers and fries. Those are gonna have us coming back to Three Buns again and again. 

-B & C-

Three Buns Quayside

60 Robertson Quay, #01-01, Singapore 238252

Tel: +65 6909 7838

Tue-Fri 5pm-12am

Sat-Sun 11am-12am