We're always finding new restaurants to check out when out having dinner in Joo Chiat (which is all the time). The name Asador jumped out at us because we thought it is an Argentinean steakhouse (like Asado) but it turned out to be a Spanish restaurant instead. We were lucky to score a last minute table by the bar on a Friday night (i called 15 mins before we headed down) because the place was packed after we started eating.

The bar counter in front of the wood-fired oven gave us a vantage point of the kitchen and direct access to the chefs and their recommendations (as well as the heat from the oven). Don't go expecting the usual Spanish tapas and paellas, Asador is a proper Spanish restaurant which is quite grill-forward. Many of their dishes are prepared on a Basque-style parilla grill using different types of wood for different flavors.

The Huevos Rotos ($16) called out to me because i can never resist a breakfast dish. Fries, chorizo and egg may sound super simple but the combo at Asador certainly was not. The hand cut fries were the perfect starchy sort with a thin layer of crisp, flavored by the salty chorizo. If i can, i'll only have my eggs done this way- a fried fluffy cloud of egg whites, topped with a runny sticky yolk that brought the ingredients together. 

The Santoña anchovies were also recommended as a starter and Asador does theirs with some homemade smoked butter and toasted bread. While i know it's a delicacy, i'm just not that much of a fan of canned food? Plus i've yet to eat any of the tinned sardines that we brought back from Spain. Hurhur. 

I knew that the Pulpo Char-grilled octopus with Spanish pork belly ($34) was a sure-order by Jr (that's his weakness). The was the perfect surf-and-turf featuring an adeptly cooked tender and fresh octopus plus a smoky bacon-like pork belly. The meats were served atop patatas revolconas, a paprika mashed potatoes flavored with pancetta, pimentón, garlic, olive oil and sherry vinegar.

We may not be able to fly to the French Riviera but Mandala Club has brought its best to us, Michelin three-star and current World's Best on the 50 Best list- Mirazur from Menton. The pop-up has extended its run till 12 Sep 2021 no thanks to the dining restrictions in Singapore earlier but that also led me to scoring a table at this exclusive.

This is the first time that diners outside of Menton get to experience Mirazur's reimagined concept which is based on the lunar calendar and its influence on the gardens. The menu revolves around the four "universes"-  Root, Leaf, Flower, and Fruit, and the harmony of the position of the Moon in the sky with the energy concentrated in each part of the plant. The ingredients used as local and seasonal, in line with this philosophy and the team is working with local suppliers like Edible Garden City, Kok Fah Technology Farm, Toh Thye San and Nutrinest for the menu in Singapore. 

The Mirazur team is lead by head chef of the residency Luca Mattioli, who has worked with chef-patron Mauro Colagreco for over five years, and restaurant director Geoffrey Le Mer. 

The 6-course lunch ($388) was a 3 hour affair and we started off with a series of snacks. The 50-layer potato with butter and horseradish was a delightful crunchy popsicle on a twig, and we also enjoyed the burst of jammy flavors in the caramelized onion with Comte cheese. The radish cups were a tad too chunky for us and we thought the combination with trout eggs wasn't complementary. Last of the snacks was the sweet potato cone with pink garlic espuma.

Then we had a flower-shaped bread loaf (which texture was more of a biscuit), served with Mirazur's special infused olive oil, with ingredients from the Mirazur garden. The ginger-citrus flavors were absolutely refreshing and stunning with the bread. I also enjoyed the carrot-shaped Brittany butter infused with carrot jus. 

Radish, Sea Bream, and Citrus- a lovely rose made with layers of radish (red, green and daikon), vegetable jelly (grapefruit, orange and spirulina) with slices of Japanese marinated Sea Bream. This dish is rather Japanese inspired, with a smoky and citrusy dashi to bring the ingredients together. 

Beetroot and Caviar- A signature of Mirazur. The beet is salt-baked till soft and tender and served with the high end caviar. You'd be surprised at how the beet outshine the caviar in this dish. I couldn't get enough of the sweetness of the beet, which dances with the silky cream and ocean flavors of the caviar. 

New Potato and Smoked Eel- little starchy potatoes with Spanish smoked eel and smoked eel emulsion. You know it's delicious when there's a harmony of salt, fat, and acidity in the dish. And how adorable is the ice plant (i really love them). 

The Dark Side of The Moon is a love or hate dish and unfortunately i'm just not a fan of licorice and you get the full-on artificial sweet and bitter flavor. The aged monkfish was fabulous on its own (i scraped away most of the black coating which i wasn't sure was black garlic or licorice), with a cuttlefish flavor and tight meaty flesh. 

Our main was the Celeriac and Guineafowl- the pillars of root vegetables was a visual delight with columns of carrot, sweet potato, celeriac and also Granny Smith apples. The bird was first sous vide then pan roasted and served with an impressive Albufera sauce made with Guineafowl stock with truffle, cream, balsamic vinegar, and 3 types of alcohol- Madeira, Port and Cognac. 

The second serving of the bird was a consommé with ravioli, and a rich confit with espuma which i polished despite all the dishes i've eaten. 

For dessert, the Purple Vitello Potato and Coffee- a visually stunning dessert with the most unique combination of ingredients. I definitely did not expect coffee to go well with potatoes but it did. It was also surprisingly light, thanks to the coffee mousse which helped with our food coma. 

Finally the Mignardises- purple carrot sorbet; chewy ginger Financier; and peanut chocolate (just like Reeses but better).

We left with a souvenir of macarons which are specially created by Janice Wong, extending our Mirazur experience featuring the Moon and four universes of Mirazur. 

It has been a while since my last fine-dining experience. While the service wasn't as attentive, the staff were very friendly and we felt super comfortable to simply be ourselves and enjoy our food and conversation. That said, the food and experience would probably land itself in the 1.5- 2 star category. 

Mirazur at the Mandala Club

31 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089845

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.

You already know that SIRI HOUSE is my favorite restaurant in Dempsey (read my earlier review here) and i must have sampled most of the items off the menu. This time, Jr and i headed back for their not-quite-new weekend brunch menu (our earlier plans were thwarted by COVID-19).

A recap on the food SIRI House serves- it says Modern Asian family table, which actually meant a medley of flavors and dishes that a modern well-traveled and savvy family would be accustomed too. The international influences draw from Japanese, Korean, Thai, Italian and Spanish cuisine.

But of course, brunch is not run-of-the-mill here. A simple Lobster Scramble ($21) blew our minds with the refreshing mix of a Middle Eastern Za’taar sour cream flavoring the delectably soft scrambled eggs with Boston lobster. The sour cream was a burst of mint, flower, wood, and nut, which cut through the richness of the eggs. While the suggest is to share this small plate, i advise that you add on some sourdough, a long with another other sides, and keep it for yourself.

SIRI HOUSE's Arancini ($21) changed my mind on fried rice balls. Theirs is served like a takoyaki, with the familiar presentation of mayonnaise, furikake and bonito flakes. Looks aside, each bite was greeted with a big crusty crunch, which breaks away to reveal a creamy mozzarella ooze. I enjoyed the starchy rice in place of flour, peppered with bits of octopus and chorizo. There's a twist on the typical Kewpie too, with Chef Leo giving it a spicy Thai chili upgrade. 

We also had one of the weekly specials which is perfect for this scorching summer. Summer Tings ($18) is a garden on a plate, created with Hierloom tomatoes, apricot, a slightly sweet corn mousse, starchy chewy heritage corn kernel for texture and lacto-fermented calamansi peel.

The Cheeseburger ($29) has the longest list of ingredients on the menu with each element layering on a distinct dimension to the overall bite. Here goes- juicy beef patty, salty crunch from fried Parma ham, oozy Cheddar, nutty Gouda, acidic bread and butter pickles, piquant shishito relish, jammy caramelized onions, sharp Dijon mustard, smoky harissa mayo, all sandwiched between a slightly springy milk bun. This is not your usual cheeseburger and is one that i'll remember from time to time. The double-fried fries were perfection too; they were crunchy all around and fluffy within.

After such a heavy meal, you simply have to go with the pretty terrarium inspired Cherry Sundae ($18) to bring you out of slumber. I loved the tanginess of the yogurt ice cream adorned with a balanced cherry compote (it's not as sweet as i imagined it to be) with really nice juicy cherry halves. The fruits used in this sundae are seasonal and we had apricot in ours. Crushed dark chocolate feuilletine provided a contrasting crunch. 

Given that we ate some much, the Bomboloni ($16), Italian style fried bready doughnuts filled with cashew chocolate ganache and mixed berry jam, was too much for us. I thought they were a bit oily and dense and the sugar granules coating didn't help with the greasy bite. 

What's brunch without some cocktails right and we know SIRI HOUSE makes some mean ones. While they claimed that their Brunch cocktails ($12) are low ABV and focuses more on flavors than alcohol, i was flushed after my first glass of Jasmine Sake Bellini. No complains though! Jr's Mary Nagano is a spicy wasabi and chili twist on Bloody Mary which would go very well with burger and fries. For those wanting a caffeinated kick, the Caffeinated Martini with dark rum, kopi O and espresso will provide that high. 

If you require some sobering up, check out the retail space at the front of house or pick up some toys curated by multidisciplinary creative studio, FLABSLAB- they are currently doing a Fifty Shades of Black collection.

SIRI HOUSE
Block 8D #01-02, Dempsey Road,
Dempsey Hill, Singapore 249672
Tel: +65 9487 1552
Tue - Thu: 11.30am - 10pm 

Fri - Sat: 11.30am - 11pm
Sun: 11.30am - 9pm 

We're closing on 3/4 of a year since the Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble Corridor has been announced. Well if i were to satisfy my dimsum fix in Hong Kong, i would have starved to death already. Thankfully Singapore has decent dimsum and we even have some really good bolo buns now. Champion Bolo Bun at Tanjong Pagar is a specialty bun store which pivoted from an online business to its current 3 storey shophouse space serving only bolo buns and Hong Kong style milk tea and coffee to go accompany the snack.  

Yes only these pineapple looking buns are sold here and basically they only have 2 variants of it, the regular type, and a filled one. Go on a weekend and be prepared to be faced with a snaking queue even though the Muji-esque space is huge for dining in. Why? Because Champion doesn't differentiate their dine-in customers from the takeaway ones. So yes, everyone gotta wait in line for the precious buns. The buns are baked fresh every 15 mins and it's recommended to eat within 20 mins. You could even replace your buns if you don't eat it within that time but WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT?

For the regular variant, you could have the Classic ($4.50), the Classic with Butter ($5) featuring an added slab of chilled New Zealand butter, or the Mini of 4 ($4.50) if you wish to split (over my dead body). For a sweet-savory one, there's also a curry potato filled bolo ($6). Unfortunately, it was one me so i can only stomach one bun and of course it had to be the one with butter. 

Firstly, the bun is gorgeous. A brown streusel crust tops the soft pillowy bun below and a butter tongue peeks from between the fluffy bread. As you take a bite into the huge square, you get the crunch of the cookie shell, which gives way to the pillowy soft bun and moist center. I loved the mix of sweetness and savoriness in each bite. And boy it is a big bun. 

The Champion Milk Tea ($5.50) is a perfect accompaniment to the bun. How could you not have the Hong Kong style milk tea with a bolo bun? That's the quintessential pairing. I went with the hot milk tea as the sweetness could be adjusted. While I typically have mine unsweetened, which could be a wild card depending on where you have it, I went with slightly sweetened this time and it was just the right mix. Rich smooth tea with a lovely fragrance with just a tinge of tannins. I'd probably go with unsweetened next time to lessen the guilt from the sweet bun. The cold drinks come sweetened so you don't really have an option. HK style coffee and lemon tea are available, and they also serve espresso-based drinks.

Champion Bolo Bun serves the best bolo bun i've eaten in Singapore, and also Hong Kong. The craving is kicking in as i'm writing the review. Damn i need to go now. 

Champion Bolo Bun

92 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088513

Tues- Sun: 11am - 5pm

Another exciting addition to the quickly gentrifying Joo Chiat area is Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR). No stranger to the cafe scene in Singapore, CMCR was established in 2013 with its flagship at Martin Road. The cafe-coffee roaster has been championing specialty coffee since and is one of the OG third-wave coffee places in Singapore. 

Specialty grade Arabica coffee from their partner Five Senses Coffee Australia is roasted, sold, and served at CMCR. Our flat white was full of bitter dark chocolate, which could do with a tad more acidity. 

The Joo Chiat outpost is a lovely breezy 2-unit ground storey shophouse which would not be out of place in Flinders or Hardware Lane, except that it is in the heart of colorful Joo Chiat where its neighbors are KTV pubs and Vietnamese restaurants, which is very charming imo. 

Bakes are from Tiong Bahru Bakery as CMCR's other partner is Spa Esprit Group. Bite into a buttery pastry or pick from the all day breakfast items. The Savory/Sweet sourdough pancakes were unfortunately unavailable when we were there for breakfast. As usual, we order a sweet and a savory dish to share. 

The Croissant Croque Monsieur ($18) was a brainless choice for me as it's a combination of my 2 favorite things- flakey croissant with the creamy cheese flavors of a Croque Monsieur. The béchamel had earthy, peppery, and garlic notes which cut through the richness of the cream. Lovely. 

For sweets, we had the not too sweet Brioche French Toast ($22) with a coffee toffee salted caramel with a light bitter note, banana, and a thick sticky whipped-vanilla ricotta. The brioche could be a tad dry-ish on the corners but the center was perfect fluff. If you need a bit more moisture/sweetness, you could swap the cheese for ice cream (which was too indulgent for us at 9 in the morning, but no judgment if you do). I enjoyed the layered flavors in this one- some spice, some citrus, and definitely mint. 

Big eaters could obviously go for the Common Man Full Breakfast ($29) which is the full English fry-up or the vegetarian version of that in the form of a Veggie Wonderland ($28). Even the "Lunch" items are served early from 10am so if you could wait a bit, there's the Smash Burger ($28) or Cubanos Sandwich ($27). 

Lovely spot, lovely addition to the hood, and more options for me (yay)!

Common Man Coffee Roasters

185 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427456

Daily: 7.30 am – 5.30 pm

You’ll not go hungry at Tanjong Katong- the entire street is practically a stretch of eateries ranging from roast meat to Wanton mee and Nasi Lemak. Little Rogue Coffee is a welcomed addition to the mix, bringing an end to the dearth of brunch offerings (though i heard the 6 Letter Coffee is pretty decent) in this enclave.

An impromptu breakfast calling had me call my trusty early bird friend B who was already out cycling since god knows what time. Just as well, Little Rogue Coffee has a bike rack within the cafe where B's expensive bike could be parked (i guess there is really a growing bike community in the East). For families, there’s even a little playground to occupy the kiddos while the adults eat.

The newly opened cafe is already drawing a crowd but thanks to the spacious interior, the queue moved rather quickly (the wait is of a diff sort). Breakfast is served all day with more substantive mains like Beef Cheek Linguine ($24), K-pop Chicken Burger ($23), Steak and Eggs ($30) dished out from 11am.

Breakfast is more Australian-cafe style with various egg options. The dish which has made its grand tour on social media is the Soft Scrambled Eggs & Ikura ($14), featuring wet creamy eggs with small curds, with a scoop of uber umami truffle cream and pops of ikura and chives. I wouldn’t recommend stirring all the cream into the eggs as i felt that it overpowers the dish but feel free if you're a fan. The sourdough was flawless on its own, lightly chewy and perfectly buttered and toasted. The dish speaks for itself and the bonus is its IG-worthy appearance.

I've been ordering way too many food takeouts/deliveries but well do we have a choice? Here's revisiting some deliveries that i've tried over Circuit Breaker and Heightened Alert Phase 2 in Singapore. Here;s what i've tried from Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore and their one-stop platform for orders from Min Jiang, Coffee Lounge, and also their deli.

I've been meaning to head back to the Coffee Lounge for their Taiwanese Porridge Buffet since i tried it the last time. Well now that there's no dining in again, at least there's a porridge bento option. Each bento comes with 4 sides and a porridge for $13.20. A bit pricey for teochew porridge you say? I do agree and the portions are also rather small. I guess you could skip this and wait to dine in.  

Instead, go for the dishes at Min Jiang. Currently they have some rice bowls promotion, the likes of roasted pork belly and braised duck thigh, which starts at $13.20. You could also curate your own degustation with a 4 course menu for 2 for $100. We ordered some a la carte dishes previously, which consists of sauteed diced chicken with pine nuts, fried string beans, and fried rice. My mun went on and on about how good the fried string beans were because they still remained crunchy despite the delivery. The diced chicken were tender and flavored with peppers and the delicate fragrance of the pine nuts.

For a year, i was waiting for the most popular Sri Lankan chef Nishi Naleendra to open possibly the first Sri Lankan restaurant Kotuwa in Singapore. Circuit Breaker disrupted his plans and Kotuwa operated as a take-out only concept. When I was ready to give it a try, they stopped service while preparing to open their physical outlet at Wanderlust Hotel. Fast forward many months later, I finally got myself a table at this popular spot. 

Kotuwa is vastly different from Rishi’s first 2 ventures. While Cloudstreet and Michelin-starred Cheek Bistro draw influences from modern Australian, European and Asian, Kotuwa displays Rishi’s Sri Lankan heritage. My own experience with Sri Lankan food wasn’t spectacularly memorable; South Asian food mostly overwhelm my palate with the heavy spices and flavors. I was thus hoping that Kotuwa may change my opinion of that.

To start the meal proper, pick a carb base as your canvas to the spread of sambols, achcharu, and curries. Rice and hoppers are available here and I highly recommend the bowl-shaped fermented rice flour crepe. The crisp-edged bowls provide a touch of tang, similar to an Indian Thosai. Pick the egg one for extra textural enjoyment from the runny yolk.