From The Straits Times    |
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1. AURA

best new restaurants in singapore aura

The new National Gallery Singapore welcomed the first restaurant opening last Thursday – the 9,000 sq ft Italian restaurant and rooftop sky lounge called Aura.

The 90-seat restaurant features a three-course weekday set lunch ($32++ a person), and a three- course weekend brunch ($48++ a person, additional $50++ a person for free flow prosecco and Bellini) of sharing appetisers, individual mains and desserts. Highlights from the menu include scallops crudo with truffle and smoked quail eggs ($23, photo 1); tagliolini with scampi and avruga caviar ($38); burnt wheat orecchiette with asparagus and guanciale ($26); and black cod cartoccio ($32).

Dinner features a four-course dinner set menu at $68++ a person. The sprawling 200-seat Sky Lounge houses three dining concepts. During lunch time, the raw bar serves a buffet of roasted vegetables, salads and homemade breads, priced at $18++ per person. Highlights include wild rice salad with fava beans, olive tapenade and tarragon; and grilled endive with truffle vinaigrette and hazelnuts.

For high tea (3 to 5pm), the space becomes a tea lounge offering a classic European set ($18++ a person) of gourmet sandwiches and pastries, accompanied by Italian teas and coffee. And from 5pm, the bar becomes an after-work hotspot for cocktails (from $16) and bar bites. Drinks include champagne, wine and beer, all from $8 onwards. Bar bites include artichoke fries with truffle mayonnaise ($16); oyster sliders ($18); and foie gras and duck sliders ($24).

Aura is run by restaurateur Beppe De Vito, who also owns other restaurants such as &Sons, Il Lido, Southbridge and Osteria Art.

Where: National Gallery Singapore, 05-03 and 06-02, 1 Saint Andrew’s Road
Open: Noon to 2.30pm, 6.30 to 10.30pm daily (Aura), 11.30 to 1am daily (Sky Lounge)
Info: Call 6866-1977 or e-mail book@aura.sg

2. LEGENDARY CART NOODLES

best new restaurants in singapore legendary cart noodles

Cart noodles, one of Hong Kong’s famous street foods, is now available at Jurong Point. The takeaway noodle shop is an extension of the popular restaurant Legendary Hong Kong.

Choose from six types of noodles ($1 to $1.50) such as flat rice noodles, yellow noodles and Nissin noodles from Hong Kong. Then, pick from more than 20 toppings ($1 to $3) which include vegetable and pork wontons; beef brisket; curry fish balls; braised duck wings; and barbecued chicken wings.

The ingredients and noodles are doused in an intense soup stock made with chicken, duck, pork ribs and char-grilled fish. Top off your noodles with a variety of sauces such as satay sauce, Hong Kong- style curry sauce and beef brisket sauce made with garlic, ginger, red bean paste and dried spices.

Where: Jurong Point 2, 03-89, 63 Jurong West Central 3
Open: 11am to 10pm (weekday), 10am to 10pm (weekend and public holiday)
Info: lhk.com.sg/legendary-cart- noodle

3. THE BUTCHERS CLUB BURGER

best new restaurants in singapore the butchers club burger

After opening in Bali last December, the famous burger joint from Hong Kong launches at Clarke Quay tomorrow. The 1,200 sq ft restaurant, which seats 100 diners, practises nose-to- tail butchery. After primary cuts of beef have been used for steaks, the remaining cuts of rump, chuck and brisket are dry-aged, marinated in special seasoning and ground to make the burger patties.

The Burger ($20++) is made with a 160g dry-aged Black Angus grain-fed beef patty, Canadian strip bacon glazed in maple syrup, caramelised onion spread, English white cheddar, pickle and tomato. The burger buns are made with Scottish bap – a Scottish bread roll. Pair the burger with duck fat fries ($8++), which are fried thrice in duck fat.

A quick tip: Ask the staff for their “Secret Menu”, which features another five burgers. One of them is a 160g dry-aged beef patty grilled in sriracha and topped with cheese, kimchi, Kewpie mayonnaise and tempura sweet potatoes. The Butchers Club Burger officially opens on Friday with a Street Launch Party. Admission is free and there will be free sliders and beer.

Where: Clarke Quay, 01-01, 3A River Valley Road
Open: Noon to midnight (Sunday to Tuesday), noon to 2am (Wednesday and Thursday), noon to 4am (Friday and Saturday)
Info: www.facebook.com/ butchersclubburgersg

4. IDATEN UDON

best new restaurants in singapore udon idaten

Sick of ramen? Slurp up some udon instead at this three-week-old self-serve casual restaurant in CityLink Mall. Diners can choose the udon flavour as well as toppings.

Besides plain udon noodles, add $1 for matcha or yuzu flavoured udon, as well as limited-edition flavours such as pumpkin and tomato. Then, pick the style of udon, such as chicken, pork or beef udon ($8.80 each) or kamatama udon (with soft-boiled egg ($6.80). Choose your side dish – options include enoki mushroom tempura ($1.50), oden ($3.50 for five pieces) and prawn tempura onigiri ($2.80).

Other menu items include beef curry udon ($9.50) and beef sukiyaki rice ($9). The udon eatery, which also has an outlet at nex, is by food and beverage company RE&S Enterprises, which also owns Japanese restaurants such as Kuriya Dining, Ichiban Boshi and Shimbashi Soba.

Where: CityLink Mall, B1-21, 1 Raffles Link
Open: 11am to 10pm daily
Info: Call 6238-7490 or go to www.idatenudon.com.sg

5. GIBSON

best new restaurants in singapore gibson

The founders of the bars Sugarhall and Jigger & Pony, Mr Indra Kantono and Ms Gan Guoyi, opened their latest cocktail and raw seafood bar on Friday.

The 36-seat Gibson features a menu of 30 signature cocktails by its bar programme director Aki Eguchi. They include The Gibson ($24), made with Hendrick’s Gin, Monkey 47 Gin and Dolin Vermouth de Chambery, served with a house-pickled pearl onion, smoked radish and quail’s egg; and Crystal Ramos Gin Fizz ($23), with No. 3 Gin, orange-flower bubbles and clarified Ramos fizz.

Menu highlights include the Seafood Plateau (from $120) with fresh oysters, tuna tartare, crab, prawns and Maine lobster; sea bream ceviche with mango, fennel and chilli ($22); rainbow trout tartare with ikura roe, cucumber and passionfruit ($24); and carpaccio of Blackmore Wagyu ($130) with sea urchin and sturgeon caviar.

Where: 20 Bukit Pasoh Road, Level 2
Open: 5pm to midnight, Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday
Info: Call 9114-8385 or go to www.facebook.com/gibsonbarsg