PUBLISHED September 1st, 2016 07:00 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:47 pm
This month, we’re feeling the ups and downs of surviving the culinary scene of Singapore more keenly than usual, with chefs and restaurateurs making a comeback or rebranding an old concept entirely. Hence, September’s crop looks pretty go, so here goes:
New Restaurants in Singapore
Le Binchotan
Joining the cool kids Maggie Joan’s and Burger Joint is French-Japanese tapas den Le Binchotan. Opened by a local and two Japanese restaurateurs, the heart of the resto-bar is binchō-tan (white charcoal), over which most meats and seafood are smoked. Signatures include Japanese madai (red bream) on cold-smoked eggplant and curry infused pork jowl with Japanese pumpkin. Wine pairings aside, Head Bartender Sugar Ray Ruban has concocted a mean list of cocktails.
Le Binchotan is located at #01-04, 115 Amoy Street, Singapore 069935, p. 6221 6065. Open Mon-Sat 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-11pm. Bar open till 1am. Closed Sun.
PYXIEMOSS Restaurant & Bar
Remember Garden of Eden? Well, Chef Tim Ross-Watson is back on Singapore’s F&B scene – not that he ever really went away – with his new restaurant PYXIEMOSS. Named after the only flowering moss, you can look forward to chef’s novel take on simple everyday ingredients that highlight his bold, creative take on food, such as upcycling parts of produce that are usually discarded. Prices are wallet-friendly, with most dishes ranging $8 to $22.
PYXIEMOSS is located at 43 North Canal Road, Singapore 059299, p. 6532 2171. Open Mon-Sat 5pm-12am. Closed Sun.
Fat Lulu’s Kitchen & Dessert Bar
Five & Dime was an iconic establishment in the River Valley area, and recently, they’ve gone through a complete makeover (probably in a bid to move away from the saturated café scene), emerging from the cocoon as Fat Lulu’s, a grill restaurant and dessert bar. On the grill side of things, there’re small and large plates like Burnt Squid and Herb Crusted Lamb Rack while the dessert bar serves up plated renditions of classic sweets like the black forest and banana bread.
Fat Lulu’s Kitchen & Dessert Bar is located at 297 River Valley Road, Singapore 238338, p. 9236 5002. Open Tue-Thu 6pm-11pm, Fri 6pm till late, Sat 11am-4pm, 6pm till late, Sun 11am-4pm. Closed Mon.
Saigon Alley
The folks at Hidden Door Concepts have replaced their 510 Sake Bar with Saigon Alley, a Vietnamese diner dishing out comfort food like pho, spring rolls, and banh mi. Try their Hue-style Australian Beef Noodles – refreshingly different from the pho that we’re used to – and appetisers like the Crab Spring Rolls and Lat Leaf Beef Rolls, both flavour bombs in their own right. Wash everything down with a pint of craft beer or two from Nickledime Drafthouse next door.
Saigon Alley is located at #01-06 Novena Gardens, 273 Thomson Road, Singapore 307644, p. 6256 0261. Open Mon-Thu 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10.15pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11.15pm. Closed Sun.
Baba Chews
Housed within the former Joo Chiat Police Station, Baba Chews takes the Peranakan heritage of the neighbourhood up a notch with grub influenced by cuisine from the Straits of Malacca. Besides an all-day dining menu, they also offer a family-style dinner menu and a weekend brunch menu. Signature dishes include the Ayam Buah Keluak Burger ($18), Barramundi Goreng Chili ($29), and Nangka (jackfruit) Cheese Cake ($12).
Baba Chews is located at #01-01 Katong Square, 86 East Coast Road, Singapore 428788, p. 6723 2025. Open Mon-Sun 6.30am-10.30pm.
Ô Boeuf à 6 Pattes
Opened by Bar-A-Thym’s Chef Francois Mermilliod and his partner-cum-front of house manager Jean-Philippe Joye, Ô Boeuf à 6 Pattes (The Six-Legged Cow) is a rustic French bistro in a condominium that took over ex-Bistro du Sommelier chef Patrick Heuberger’s takeaway eatery Casse Croute. Think beefy plates like burgers ($22), steak ($32), and tartare ($28), as well as simple French fare like Duck Leg Confit ($27).
Ô Boeuf à 6 Pattes is located at The Club House, #02-02, Park West, 8 Jalan Lempeng, Singapore 128796, p. 9630 4526. Open Wed-Fri 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-9.30pm, Sat-Sun 9.30am-9.30pm. Closed Mon and Tue.
Plank Sourdough Pizza
Following the success of the first Plank in Opera Estate, award-winning pâtissier and baker Dean Brettschneider heads west with the second outlet of Plank Sourdough Pizza in Namly Place. The menu featuring a wide range of toppings on pizza like pulled BBQ chicken with cranberry compote, camembert cheese, and rocket, as well as a delectable vegetarian combination of sautéed onions, portobello and oyster mushrooms with mirin and shaved parmesan. Besides affordable New Zealand wines (from $34), Plank has New Zealand craft beer and organic sodas on offer.
Plank Sourdough Pizza is located at 64 Namly Place, Singapore 267208, p. 6466 2280. Open Mon-Thu 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm, Fri-Sun 12pm-10pm.
New Bars in Singapore
Bourbon Street
A tribute to the rich spirit of the American South, Bourbon Street specializes in – what else – bourbon cocktails. Priced between $16 and $25, look forward to mostly twists on classics like the Gingerbread Julep ($18), the Boulevardier ($25), and the Bourbon Milk Punch ($18). The concise menu borrows heavily from Louisiana cuisine as well – think dishes like a well-spiced gumbo ($10), chicken and waffles ($15), and shrimp & grits ($15).
Bourbon Street is located at 46 Club Street, Singapore 069423. Open Tue-Sat 5pm-2am.
Quaich Bar South Beach
Love the amber nectar we call whisky? The Quaich Bar folks have (finally!) opened a second outlet at the South Beach complex, a decade after they opened the first one in 2006. With more than 500 types of whiskies at the Quaich Bar, husband-wife team Khoon Hui and Joyce are known for their themed tasting flights that cater to both ends of the beginner-connoisseur spectrum. For the month of September, they’re running an introduction whisky flight at $25 for five drams!
Quaich Bar is located at #01-16, 30 Beach Road, South Beach Avenue, Singapore 189763, p. 6732 3452. Open Mon-Sat 5pm-1am. Closed Sun.
Craft Beer Bar Takumi
Don’t let Craft Beer Bar Takumi’s somewhat placid exterior fool you – this hole-in-the-wall bar has some pretty serious stuff on tap. Opened by the folks behind JiBiru at 313@Somerset, Takumi has many JiBiru mainstays on the menu like the Hitachino Nest White Ale, the beer list changes constantly as with most craft beer spots, so there’s always something new to try. Happy hour runs till 9pm everyday.
Craft Beer Bar Takumi is located at 5F Lobby, Mandarin Orchard Hotel, 333 Orchard Road, Singapore 238867, p. 9299 5673. Open Mon-Sun 11am-12am.
Top Image: Le Binchotan