9 new eats to try in Singapore this weekend

Photo: Table65

This weekend, indulge a little and treat yourself to a plethora of new menus that will tantalise your tastebuds.

Go ahead. You deserve it. 

1. Dusk Restaurant & Bar

Photo: Dusk Restaurant

The popular Dusk Restaurant & Bar has unveiled a refreshed menu, live music, extended cable car hours on Singapore Cable Car’s Mount Faber line, and an extra late-night happy hour slot on Fridays and Saturdays.

Executive Chef Kenny Yeo will delight guests with his updated menu, which introduces a new selection of tapas like Duck Rillette Au Gratin and Wine Poached Oysters, along with mains such as the Pan Seared Snapper and the Duck Confit. Tapas, desserts and snacks range from $12++ to $25++, while mains start from $24++.

His signature Duck Rillette Au Gratin ($22) is made of slow-cooked duck shredded onto slices of ciabatta bread. The meat is tender and moist, blanketed with a generous layer of melted cheese. The toasted ciabatta bread is crispy on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside. The verdict? Simple but absolutely delicious. 

The Crab and Mango Stack ($18) is a generous serving of shredded crab meat heaped atop a chopped salad of mango, avocado and tomato. Colours are rich and the dish is aesthetically pleasing. A touch of Tabasco sauce enhances the bright flavours of the salad. 

2. Uni Gallery by OosterBay

Photo: Uni Gallery

Uni Gallery at Beach Road offers diners a large variety of exquisite quality uni and other fresh seafood. Uni is the Japanese word for sea urchin, or more specifically, a sea urchin’s gonads. Fresh uni is sourced from across different continents such as Japan, Santa Barbara (in Los Angeles) and Canada.

This month, Uni Gallery raises the ante with their latest Multiple Foodgasm Kaiseki menu, featuring a coalescence of premium delicacies such as caviar, truffle, A5 wagyu with different types of premium uni and seasonal sashimi. 

The new Kaiseki menu presents the award-winning A5 Miyazaki Wagyu served with a tasty uni cream sauce. The highly-graded wagyu has a velvety texture and melts in the mouth. This DIY dish requires diners to grill the A5 wagyu for 10 seconds over the charcoal furnace. Dip the pieces into the uni cream sauce and enjoy. 

The menu also features the most famed trio at Uni Gallery – The Uni Oyster Shot, Le Tetsuya and Uni Caviar Foie, alongside other meticulously crafted new additions such as the Hokkaido King Crab in Sake-Infused Seafood Soup and the Uni Tempura, and the hot new contender- the Truffle Chawanmushi.

The new Kaiseki menu will not break the bank with its affordable, value-for-money price tag of  $118++ for six courses and $188++ for eight courses, making the gastronomic experience even more irresistibly seductive.

3. Shanghai Grand

Photo: Shanghai Grand

After two decades of bringing authentic Shanghainese cuisine to Singapore, Grand Shanghai makes its highly-anticipated return after a three-month hiatus with a fresh look paying homage to the Old Shanghai in the 30s. Created by Master Chef Jacky Tang, the new menu features a scrumptious assortment of Shanghainese favourites, dim sum staples and a selection of crispy, tender barbecued meats.

The new menu features lighter flavours as well as the addition of more varied spices. Duck also features heavily on the new menu. The real showstopper is The Light and Shadow Crispy Duck ($28 per portion) – a twist on the traditional beef version.

Paper-thin slices of duck are shattered into delightfully flavourful shards and arranged randomly on an intricate osmanthus syrup sculpture. It is a strangely intriguing dish but visually arresting. The sweetness of the candied osmanthus syrup complements the savoury of the duck well. 

Other standouts include the Fresh Sliced Abalone ($28 per piece), a refreshing melange of pomelo vinegar, sake jelly and briny abalone; and the Cod Fish Soup ($14 per portion) a thick broth of egg white and sweet carrot purée. 

4. Kai Duck

Photo: Kai Duck

Kai Duck, a new restaurant by Kai Garden, offers a refreshing take on dishes created from the eponymous Cantonese-style Peking Duck. Think of these dishes as deconstructed variations of the Peking Duck. Expect the familiar crackle of the crunchy skin with a wicked twist. 

The Crispy Bun with Sliced Peking Duck ($9.80) is a perennial favourite. A wafer thin mantou bun holds a perfect dollop of cream cheese, topped with a thin slice of crispy Peking Duck Skin.

The Peking Duck Salad Hand Roll ($5.80 per roll) borrows from both Japanese and Chinese culinary influences. The traditional flour skin is substituted with a crispy spring roll wrapper, and the Peking duck skin is accentuated with a Japanese sesame sauce and seaweed flakes. Unlike the traditional Peking style of baking the duck with fire, the duck skin used at Kai Duck is prepared by using the Cantonese method of drizzling the duck with oil after baking to enhance the aroma and juiciness of the skin.

5. Yàn

Photo: Yàn

This October, Yàn brings to the table a new repertoire of Cantonese fare with a refreshed menu. Head Chef Ng Sen Tio introduces a new array of culinary delights, starting with the House Special Local Lobster Porridge with Clams and Puffed Rice ($18 per 100g). Sweet chunks of lobster, clams and rice are stewed in a stock of lobster and prawn shells. Fried garlic, fried shallots, spring onions and coriander are served on the side, and guests can adjust the taste according to their preferences. The exciting hodgepodge of textures in this dish will make every mouthful a delight to consume. 

A tribute to his childhood, Chef Ng introduces the Fried Minced Duck Meat & Cuttlefish Paste in Egg Pancake ($14 per serving), a forgotten dish which he learned in the 70s.

A mixture of minced roast duck meat, cuttlefish, and diced water chestnuts is coated in panko crumbs and deep-fried. A smoky and lightly tangy house-made mustard and shaojiang sauce is spread on the cutlet before it is wrapped in a delicate egg crepe. These moreish bite-sized parcels are impossible to dislike.  

6. Table 65

Photo: Table65

The one-Michelin star restaurant’s new summer menu will continue to showcase inventive dishes with remarkable flavours and ingredients prepared with precision, which is characteristic of Chef Richard van Oostenbrugge and his culinary team.

Part of a trio of amuse bouche of fish done three ways, the Celeriac salad with sanbai-marinated ikura, horseradish and green yuzu is a burst of natural sweet, sour and umami flavours.

The Couscous of basmati rice with seasonal vegetables, pistachio and Pierre Robert cheese is a light salad of long grain basmati rice grown in the Himalayas, romanesco cauliflower, zucchini, fava beans, grated roasted pistachio and Pierre Robert cheese which has a lovely buttery flavour. The clever layering of textures and flavours of the dish provides a delightful prelude to the rest of the repertoire.

The last of the trio is a dish of plump handmade gnocchi filled with a bagna càuda emulsion, topped with a light sauce made from braising local clams, mussels, oysters and dried chamomile flowers, and garnished with crunchy sea succulents. 

This dish strikes a glorious balance of sweet, tart, briny and floral. Expect an explosion of flavours in one bite. The Discovery set menu is $ 148++ and the Experiential set menu is $218++. 

7. La Scala Ristorante

Photo: La Scala Ristorante

This latest addition to the Arcade@The Capitol Kempinski will transport guests straight to the streets of Sicily. La Scala Ristorante brings a wholesome menu that shines with antipasti, zuppe, pastas, pizzas and dolci desserts served in a convivial setting. It’s perfect for gatherings with family and friends. 

Try the Burratina & Pomodorini ($18), a small burrata served with rocket salad and sweet cherry tomato with basil and chef’s dressing. The creamy burrata has a milky, buttery flavour that’s rich without being too indulgent.

The Traditional Lasagna ($22) is a simple casserole of classic Italian meat ragout and sheet pasta. There is nothing complex about this dish; its beauty lies in its simplicity. Pure, unadulterated tomato sauce with delicious chunks of meat and a drizzle of bechamel sauce complete the dish. 

On a similar note, the Parmigiana de Melanzane ($13) keeps things simple as a casserole of pan-fried eggplant slices, tomato sauce, basil and grated parmesan. 

8. Alley on 25

Photo: Andaz Singapore

Experience the simple joys of picnicking in the air-conditioned comfort of Alley on 25 with the all-new Andaz’s Afternoon Tea Picnic Set ($38++). Guests can look forward to unpacking a whimsical picnic basket to reveal two tingkats filled with sweet and savoury treats. 

Enjoy light yet substantial bites such as Smoked Salmon Tartine, Lobster Croissant, Scones, Valrhona Chocolate Bon Bons, Lemon chia seed tea cake and more. The Impossible™ Cheese Balls are juicy and tender. You’d be fooled into thinking they were real meatballs. 

Take a trip down memory lane with the local delicacies such as Kueh Pie Tee, Kueh Lapis and the Andaz Pandan Chiffon cake. The latter is a creative reinvention of the classic pandan cake coated with a sweet, sticky green glaze. The alternating layers of chiffon and pandan-flavoured mousse give this traditional favourite a new texture. 

9. Dior X Ruinart Rosé at The St. Regis Singapore 

Photo: St Regis Singapore

Ruinart and Dior Parfums will be collaborating to offer the ultimate Afternoon Tea experience ($78++, including a glass of Ruinart Rosé), at The St. Regis Singapore. 

Ruinart Rosé, the cuvée gourmand of the champagne house, is a fruity bubbly, redolent with the subtle fragrance of pomegranate rose and orange, making it a perfect foil for the luminous JOY by Dior parfum.

Food will be at the heart of the Afternoon Tea experience, with a sumptuous array of sweet and savoury treats to match the champagne.

To start off the afternoon indulgence, a St. Regis blend master will showcase a range of curated tea blends, prepared tableside. Next, an elegant two-tiered high feast including delightful sweets of Rosé Bavarois with Gula Melaka Cream on Raspberry Tartlet, Strawberry Éclair,and Pistachio and Sakura Mousse with Confit Kumquat, will be served. 

Expect a host of delicious savouries too, like the Lobster Mayonnaise Soft Bun Sandwich, served with lavish servings of fresh, sweet chunks of meat. Save space for the warm, freshly-baked assorted scones paired with whipped cream and sweet jam.

The Afternoon Tea experience runs from now until the end of November.

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