Decisions, decisions – what will you choose to have this weekend? Gourmet pork burgers? Coffee cocktails? Mediterranean-Tunisian fare? Take your pick.
#1 – An all-new Oriole
Popular coffee place Oriole has re-opened, and there’s heaps of new stuff to look forward to, including a range of coffee cocktails (check out the Oriole martini!) and a newly installed takeaway counter (open 8am to 5pm for you busy bees), where you can get bites like a delish Cubano sandwich to go. Small plates, such as the Mantou Sloppy Dog and the lamb cutlet, are available at night.
Oriole Café & Bar, #01-01 Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Orchard, 96 Somerset Road, Singapore 238163, p. 6238 8348.
#2 – Pig out at Dojo
These guys specialise in gourmet pork burgers. Yum. On the menu are cheekily-named choices like the Elvisu (bacon, peanut butter and jelly), and the Hadoken – pork patty topped with spicy Asian chilli con carne, onions, cheese and bacon bits. Not feeling porky? There’s Fowl Play, the only chicken burger on the menu.
Dojo, 72 Circular Road, Singapore 049426, p. 6438 4410.
Buttermilk pancakes with crème patisserie and poached strawberries at Open Door Policy
#3 – Brunch makeover at ODP
Time to revisit Open Door Policy – head chef Daniele Sperindio has crafted eight new creations as part of ODP’s 10-item brunch menu. Signatures like the ODP Breakfast Burger and the French toast are still available, while new items like the ham and cheese croque madame and the buttermilk pancakes with crème patisserie and poached strawberries sure are drool-worthy.
Open Door Policy, 19 Yong Siak Street, Singapore 168650, p. 6221 9307.
#4 – Mediterranean-Tunisian fare at The Wejs
It doesn’t get more exotic than this. The Wejs (pronounced “wedges”) is new to the Buona Vista-Rochester Park dining enclave and serves up Mediterranean-Tunisian plates. Stuff like chakchouka (a popular Tunisian tomato and egg dish), chicken couscous tunis, and a Mechweya Salad – oven baked red and green capsicums served with bread and topped with hardboiled eggs and tuna – are on offer.
The Wejs, 44 Rochester Park, Singapore 139248, p. 9767 2232.
Grilled Angus beef tenderloin with braised artichokes at Basilico
#5 – Taste of Italy at Basilico
Part of Viaggio Italiano – a year-long culinary special where a different Italian region’s cuisine will be in the spotlight – this quarterly gourmet (5 January to 31 March 2015, $88 per person) feast highlights the best of central Italy. Let your taste buds go on a gastronomical journey as you sample dishes like tiger prawn risotto, pan-roasted sea bass fillet, and Tuscan-style roasted lamb chop.
Basilico, 2/F, The Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249715, p. 6725 3232.
Top image: Cubano at Oriole Café & Bar