Listen up gourmands! From an authentic taste of South America to the best of European gastronomy, a new ramen in town and a vibey motorbike-lifestyle café for your coffee fix, there’s loads in store in this month’s bumper edition of Hot New Tables.
:pluck
Slated to open second week of May, pluck takes over the now-defunct Shots café and will be serving a menu of sharing plates inspired by Head Chef Brandon Teo’s globe-trotting adventures. With a cheeky slogan – ‘A new social hole for friends you like to go to plate with’, you can expect a lively, unpretentious and utterly casual atmosphere at this cool new joint. Stay tuned to their Facebook page for more updates about their official launch!
:pluck, 90 Club Street, Singapore 069548, p. 9010 8130. Open Mon-Thu 9-12am, Fri-Sat 9-1am.
Life is Beautiful
For a dose of the rich soul and spirit that’s distinctly New Orleans, Louisana, you’ve got to check out Life is Beautiful – a new casual restaurant-bar that’s joining Duxton’s growing list of dining gems. What can you expect? Southern classics with a modern, unconventional twist, like Absinthe washed oysters, spiced frog legs, and crocodile and fennel boudin. Don’t forget to chase it all down with a cocktail whipped up by their New Orleans-native bartender, then dance the night away as the restaurant morphs into a bar-club with resident DJs spinning heady beats after 11pm.
Life is Beautiful, 99 Duxton Road, Singapore 089543, p. 6423 0939. Open Tue 6pm12am, Wed-Sat 6pm-3am.
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Element at Amara Hotel
Element easily catches your eye when you stroll along the bustling Amara Hotel stretch, which also houses The Public Izakaya by Hachi and Skinny Pizza. This newly spruced up restaurant-bar is part posh indoor dining room with a casual alfresco deck. You can choose to dig into their international buffet ($44++ for lunch, $55++ for dinner) or go a-la-carte with a slew of Spanish-inspired dishes created by the youthful, talented Chef de Cuisine Mikel Badiola, who’s a 22 year-old Basque native.
Element at Amara Hotel, 100 Tras Street, Singapore 088539, p. 6879 2555. Open Sun-Thu 11am-1am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am.
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Zott’s True Alps
Hop on an epicurean adventure through the Alpine regions of Europe, as you savour a whole range of authentic, local delicacies from France all the way to Austria. Crafted by businessman, adventurer and now restaurateur, Christian Zott, who was inspired by the different culinary Alpine regions, you can expect an impressive, full-flavoured menu, specially sourced European wines, and a selection of Alpine-inspired cocktails. That’s as close as you get to a European getaway without hopping on a jet plane!
Zott’s True Alps, 97 Amoy Street, Singapore 069917, p. 6223 0913. Open Mon-Fri 1130am-230pm, 530pm-12am, Sat 530pm-12am.
Kiku
Kiku
Modeled as a Kappo Izakaya Japanese restaurant, you’ll be treated to a delightful marriage of Kappo style (aka counter-seat style) fine dining, where you can take pleasure in your meal being prepared in front of your eyes, and the casual Izakaya vibe. Each dish will also showcase traditional Japanese cooking methods, such as cut, boil, stew, and fry. Warning: be prepared to splurge here, especially if you’re one to order excessively under the influence of sake, or be smart and choose the eight-course omakase set for $140 a pop.
Kiku, 21 Duxton Road, Singapore 08948, p. 6225 5567. Open Mon-Thu 12-3pm, 530-11pm, Fri-Sat 12-3pm, 6-1130pm, Sun 12-3pm, 530-11pm.
Ottoman Kebab & Grill
Following the success of contemporary Indian restaurant Zaffron Kitchen and casual-chic Prata Wala comes the wallet-friendly Turkish eatery Ottoman, helmed by Turkish native Head Chef Ali Kose. Order up a slew of traditional Turkish delights like homemade char-grilled pide flat bread and hummus, hearty Iskender mutton kebab, and the must-try kunefe dessert – nabulsi goat cheese pastry drizzled with sugar syrup and crushed pistachios. Coffee lovers can order up a cup of rich Turkish coffee, while non-coffee drinkers will relish the traditional sweet apple tea.
Ottoman Kebab & Grill, 311 New Upper Changi Road, #01-75 Bedok Mall, Singapore 467360, p. 6702 4031. Open daily 11am-10pm.
Pisco South American Kitchen & Bar
Pisco South American Kitchen & Bar
A partnership between Deliciae Hospitality Management (aka the good folk who brought us Sabio, Forlino, 83 Club Street, &MADE and more) and Resorts World Sentosa, Pisco offers an exciting taste of South American gastronomy on our little red dot. This family-style restaurant dishes out traditional grub from Peru, Chile, and other South American countries, like the refreshing ceviche starter, skewer sets, bolas de yucca (deep fried cheese balls with mayo), and crisp churros with chocolate dip. Chase it all down with your choice of traditional Pisco liqueur cocktails, daiquiris, margarita, or mojitos.
Pisco South American Kitchen & Bar, 26 Sentosa Gateway, #01-231/232, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore 098138, p. 6795 4720. Open daily 1130am-12pm.
One Man Coffee
Thomson is shaping into another of Singapore’s café enclaves, with a gamut of new cafes, like One Man Coffee, mushrooming around the neighbourhood. This specialty coffee house brews a mean cuppa – try their batch of espresso blends from Axil Coffee Roasters before they run out – alongside a small menu of brunch options like toad and the hole served with bacon jam and french toast brioche topped with berry compote and fresh cream.
One Man Coffee, 215R Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349, p. 6456 1555. Open Mon 9am-5pm, Wed-Sun 9am-5pm.
Sanpoutei Ramen
Sanpoutei Ramen
Hailing from Niigata, Japan, Sanpoutei Ramen hopes to take a stab at the growing ramen competition in Singapore. It’s all about Niigata’s signature shoyu (soy sauce) ramen here, where the clear soup broth is stewed for six hours with a mixture of vegetables, whole chicken, and specially imported dried sardines from Japan. The soft, springy ramen noodles are also freshly churned in-house, using a state-of-the-art machine, so as to achieve strict quality control. Very Japanese indeed.
Sanpoutei Ramen, 253 Holland Ave, #01-01, Singapore 278982, p. 6463 7277. Open daily 1130am-11pm.
The 7th Cylinder
Judging by the shelves of vintage motorbike helmets lining the walls, Kawasaki Estrella 250 mural, and motorbike and engine related knick knacks around the café, it’s easy to guess that the owners of this cool new motorbike-lifestyle café love their bikes. You can seek respite at this vibey joint with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or chow down on the selection of Ice Cream Cookie & Co’s gourmet ice cream sandwiches.
The 7th Cylinder, 1 Jalan Pisang, #01-01, Singapore 199069, p. 6299 5681. Open Mon 10am-9pm, Wed-Fri 10am-9pm, Sat-Sun 930am-9pm.
Portico Singapore
Portico Singapore
Meaning ‘porch’ in Italian, Portico is a warm, homely modern European bistro helmed by Chef Leandros Stagogiannis, formerly from famed The Fat Duck in the UK and local top nosh spots like Saint Pierre. It’s all about contemporary cuisine from the heart at Portico, with fresh, nutritious options like grape and quinoa salad, kombu soba noodles with truffle and crispy brown shrimps, and sea bass fish and chips with crushed peas and fresh mint.
Portico Singapore, 991B Alexandra Road, #01-10, Singapore 119970, p. 6276 7337. Open from Mon-Fri 8am-1130pm, Sat 11am-1130pm.
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Little Hiro
Bukit Timah’s good ol’ Burger Shack has been made-over as Little Hiro – a brand new Hawaiian-Japanese dining concept which dishes out a spread of grilled meats and ramen burgers, on top of the usual burger selection. Cordon-bleu trained owner Ian Kwok – whose family also owns the Island Creamery chain, was inspired by a trip to Hawaii, and decided to bring a slice of tropical paradise to Singas. You can also try challenging your pals to the volcano wings! They pack a punch from a fiery five chili marinade, which includes chili padi and habanero peppers.
Little Hiro, King’s Arcade, #01-01, 559 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269695, p. 6466 3477. Open Sun-Thu 1130am-930pm, Fri-Sat 1130am-10pm.
Gyoza Ya
Opened by the Akashi group, Gyoza Ya dishes out – well, no prize for guessing – gyoza! Try their dumplings (pork or vegetable) pan-fried if you prefer a crisp texture or boiled and drizzled with light miso sauce. Complete the meal with an order of jyaya men (thick noodles with minced pork and special miso) and Japanese garlic fried rice!
Gyoza Ya, B1-02A, Robinsons Orchard, 260 Orchard Road, Singapore 238855, p. 6737 5581. Open daily 1130am-10pm.
Top Image: Ottoman Kebab & Grill