EMPORIUM SHOKUHIN
#01-18 Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard, tel: 6224-3433. Open daily, 10am-10pm. emporiumshokuhin.com.sg
From the moment you take the escalator down, from the main shopping stretch of Marina Square, to Emporium Shokuhin, you might just get starry-eyed looking at the glorious hunks of dry-aged beef hanging in the humidity-controlled chill room.
There, whole beef carcasses are hung to dry and age, from a minimum of 14 days to as much as 40 days, before they’re expertly cut into steaks and paper-thin shabu shabu slices. There are familiar choices of grass-fed beef from Australia and premium USDA Prime cuts, and Emporium Shokuhin has also imported Japan’s award-winning A5 Miyazaki wagyu beef, straight from the prefecture. The gorgeous marbling alone is enough to hearts aflutter!
Emporium Shokuhin is just as ambitious about its seafood section. 22 tanks house more than 20 types of live fish and shellfish, including Alaskan King crabs from Norway, whole lobsters from Maine, sea urchin and hairy crabs from Hokkaido, and at least 10 oyster varietals from France, USA and Canada. And yes, they can shuck and pack the oysters for takeaway, at no additional charge! The chilled display offers Nagasaki bluefin tuna, Pacific saury, kinki (thornyhead rockfish) and more ─ which the fishmonger would be happy to slice into sashimi or portion up for your preferred cooking method.
There are plenty more fresh produce from Japan’s acclaimed Ehime and Hokkaido prefectures, such as sweet mikan (a Japanese citrus fruit), sweet melons, peach and strawberries; and gourmet grocery products like Japanese fleur de sel, sake, confectionary and snacks.
If you can’t wait to tuck into tempting produce, there are eight dining concepts within Emporium Shokuhin to satisfy your cravings, including Senmi Sushi sushi bar, Tsukeru shabu-shabu house, Umi+Vino seafood bar, and Gyuu+ for grilled meats.
Secrets Fine Food
#01-02, 55 Tiong Bahru Road, tel: 6221-2107. Open Tue-Fri, 11am-8pm; Sat & Sun, 10am-8pm. secretsfinefood.com.sg
French expat Stephanie Duriez first started Secrets Fine Food in Dubai to recover a taste of home, and to offer the choiciest of her country’s artisanal products to the cosmopolitan city.
While Singapore may be no stranger to gourmet imports from Europe, Duriez’ approach of seeking out craftspeople and shipping in their specialties directly is what makes it possible for her to bring in rare items like hand-churned Bordier butters (waxed lyrical by pastry chefs everywhere), and highly sought-after Poilâne country bread from Paris’ most famous family-run bakery. Best of all, the absence of the middleman means there will be no sticker shock; for instance, a 125g package of smoked Bordier butter is affordably priced at a mere $6.50.
While the tiny boutique at Tiong Bahru keeps a concise collection, visit them anyway to get your hands on French cheeses and cold cuts, chat with the knowledgeable sales staff on how best to prepare that slab of foie gras or origin-protected Bresse chicken you’re eyeing, or to get your hands on limited quantity shipments of salted caramel cookies and Poilâne loaves.
The range is more extensive at their online site, with the likes of sea urchin from Spain, bottarga (cured fish roe) from Italy, and premium baking ingredients and fruit purees from France.
Ryan’s Grocery
29 Binjai Park, 6463-3933. Open Mon-Wed, 9.30am-8pm; Thu, 9.30am-6pm; Fri-Sun, 9.30am-8pm. ryansgrocery.com
What started off as sourcing trips to Australia to cater to their son’s numerous food allergies has led to founders Sebastian and Wendy Chia setting up Ryan’s Grocery in sleepy Binjai Park.
Understandably, there is a wide selection of more than 1,000 gluten-free products ─ from gluten-free flours and pasta to condiments and sauces, to snack. The couple has also worked with small batch producers from Western Australia to offer the likes of cold-pressed oils, artisanal honeys, and sugar-free nut butters.
There is even a full-service butchery within. Ryan’s is the exclusive importer of organic grass-fed Blackwood Valley Beef from Australia ─ the carcass is cut in-store, which means customers can request for any preferred cut ─ and they also stock antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken and pork; organic Dorper lamb; and gluten-free sausages made on-site.