Eating can be said to be a personality trait of a Singaporean. We’re always on the hunt for good food and we don’t mind spending time in queues for a taste for them. And for those who work in or frequent Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown, you know these two areas are home to many amazing food and beverages. Ahead, we’ve got 10 new restaurants, bars and cafes to add to your list. These range from Gaggan Anand’s casual restaurant to various izakayas serving spectacular food and cocktails.
Looking for a new watering hole? Regardless of the time of the day, FiftyFive Coffee Bar is a cosy cafe serving speciality coffee and tea while the sun’s up before transforming into a cocktail bar at night. On the menu, for example, is the Seven Seas cocktails inspired by seven oceanic bodies made with unusual ingredients. The bar also collaborates with chefs and artists who curate unique menus and music to entertain all your five senses at once.
FiftyFive Coffee Bar is at 55A Neil Road, Singapore 088892. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Officially opening its doors to the public on 7 June, Restaurant Fiz shines the spotlight on a diverse slate of Southeast Asian cuisines, with many from Malaysia’s coastal regions, where chef-owner Hafizzul Hashim was raised.
Only tasting menus are available, and showcase regional dishes, forgotten indigenous ingredients and traditional ways of cooking. New menus, which the restaurant introduces as ‘Episodes’, are rolled out every three to six months. The first Episode is an ode to Hashim’s heritage, with imaginative dishes rooted in tradition, such as the Quail which takes its cue from ayam percik (grilled chicken marinated in a spice paste), and Lamb, a contemporary rendition of rendang.
Restaurant Fiz is at 21 Tanjong Pagar Road, #01-01/02, Singapore 088444. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Homegrown online bakery Elijah Pies, best known for its aesthetic-pleasing handcrafted pies with unique flavours, has opened its first dine-in cafe.
The decadent Nutella Pie, inspired by founder Elijah’s passion to create the best chocolatey tart to satiate his girlfriend’s craving, remains one of the most popular flavours on the menu. Others include the subtly tart Wild Berry Lavender with pretty blueish swirls, Raspberry Ripple, and the Speculoos Hojicha. Or sink your teeth into inventive flavours like Lime Thyme and fragrant Honey Chrysanthemum. A slice starts from $7.50, while a whole nine-inch pie is priced from $49.
Sweet confections aside, Elijah has also recently introduced savoury pies to his repertoire.
Elijah Pies is at 7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #01-102, Singapore 081007. Opens Mon to Wed (10am to 6pm), and Thurs to Sun (10am to 10pm).
Making its Singapore debut with a pop-up in Duxton, the New Zealand-founded Allpress is a specialty coffee roaster brand that is served at over 1,200 establishments around the globe. It opened its doors here on May 2, 2023 and is slated to stay for six months.
The Allpress Espresso bar showcases two Allpress Espresso signature medium roast blends; the sweet and complex Allpress Espresso Blend, and the smooth and mellow Browns Mill Organic. Coffee connoisseurs can also look to the pour-over bar featuring a seasonal single-origin bean. They can be enjoyed across espressos, lattes, and an iced latte float. The food menu includes savoury bagels, pastries, cake, and luscious ice cream.
Allpress @ 73 Duxton is at 73 Duxton Road, Singapore 089532. Opens Tues to Sun (8am to 5pm). Visit its Instagram page for more.
Luckin Coffee is another established overseas F&B label that has found its way onto our shores. The largest coffee chain in China set up shop here in April 2023 and has expanded into multiple outlets including one at Guoco Tower. And as the name implies, coffee is the star at the cashless store with the use of quality Arabica beans sourced from around the world by champion baristas. Once you’re there, try the bestseller, the Coconut Latte, made with cold-pressed raw coconut milk that gives the beverage a smooth velvety finish, with just a hint of coconut flavour.
Luckin Coffee is at #B1-24 Guoco Tower, 1 Wallich Street, Singapore 078881.
Named after the famous American mafia boss John Gotti, Gotti Italiano pays homage to the flavours of Naples, Italy, with its menu of food and beverages under the helm of chef Ilham. Tuck into a selection of pasta, pizzas and more in a sleek, modern setting before washing it down with a signature cocktail or two.
Gotti Italiano is at 78 Amoy Street, Singapore 069897. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Ikkagoyo was created with a Japanese proverb that translates to “one flower opening up to five petals and will bear fruit soon” in mind. Such a romantic sentiment is infused into every dish by chef-owner Mitsutaka Sakamoto as he creates the 12-course kaiseki menu that changes seasonally with dashi at the heart. Accompanying your meal is the quaint Japanese-style restaurant that sits a maximum of 16 (an eight-seater counter and private dining space for eight).
Ikkagoyo is at 115 Amoy St, #01-04, Singapore 069935. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
We no longer have to fly to Hong Kong to get our cart noodle cravings satisfied thanks to the advent of Little Cart Noodle House here. The brand has been around in Hong Kong since 1960 where they have been peddling the hearty street food noodle dish beloved by the locals. Here, they serve other classics including dim sum, toast and milk tea too.
134 Amoy Street, #01-01 Far East Square, Singapore 049962
If tapas and cocktails sound like the perfect end to the day, head over to Barood. Guided by chef Saurabh Udinia, the izakaya serves up Latin fare with hits of Indian flavours fare. Think of items such as Goat Biryani Arancini, Hot Chicken Balls with a spicy Manchurian sauce or Malabar Slopped Joe made with pao. Don’t forget the cocktails too.
56A Tras St, Singapore 078995
When you think of meat or beef to tuck into, ox tongue might not be the first protein of choice to pop into your head. But yet, head chef Yoshiyuki Kuroshima is here to defy that convention with the restaurant that’s said to be the first here to focus on the beef tongue. Find it celebrated in a variety of ways, ranging from carpaccio to demi-glace stew. For the faint-hearted, there are chicken, pork and other beef cuts available here too.
41 Tras St, Singapore 078980
Situated on the ground floor of the co-working space The Working Capitol is Col. The restaurant, created by chef-owner Colin Buchan and wife Sophie Fitsall, serves up a European-inspired menu featuring seasonal ingredients, wood-fired meats and seafood and handcrafted pasta. Beyond that, the wine and cocktail selections curated by master sommelier Benjamin Hasko shouldn’t be missed either.
Col is at 1 Keong Saik Rd, #01-05 The Working Capitol Building, Singapore 089109
Fans of chef Gaggan Anand would be heartened that his casual offshoot restaurant, Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh, opened its doors in Singapore last October after debuting in Bangkok. Centred around a Mexican-Indian love story, the menu celebrates both cultures as techniques, spices, herbs and ingredients combined to create flavour bombs in the forms of tacos, curries, cocktails and more.
Ms. Maria & Mr. Singh is at 43 Craig Road, Singapore 089681.
It’s not exactly new but seafood restaurant and wine bar Humpback by the Jigger & Pony Group got revamped after a two-month-long renovation. The signature oyster bar remains, with the happy hour promotion being a cherry on the top. Otherwise, savour the bounties of the oceans, from prawns to fish, made with various preparation methods at the laidback eatery.
18-20 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore 089834
This article was originally published in Singapore Women’s Weekly.