5 Food Picks to start your week

Start your week on a delectable note with five recommendations from the Life! food team. New entrants to the dynamic Singapore food scene include luscious oysters with an Asian tinge and cool gelato in the heartland, while one enduring hawker favourite is Teochew fishball noodles.


OMAKASE MONDAYS

For $30, Hana presents a decent omakase or "leave it to the chef" meal on Orchard Road. It is value for money - but what's the catch? It is available only for dinner on Monday nights.

What you get are eight courses including nimono, a simmered dish; agemono, a fried dish, and a serving of assorted sushi. For our dinner two weeks ago, dishes included salmon teriyaki, vegetable tempura, assorted sashimi and sushi.

If you opt for the usual omakase price of $120 or $150 a person, you may be treated to some high-end offerings. That, however, is at the chef's discretion. - Rebecca Lynn Tan

Where: Hana Restaurant, Forum The Shopping Mall, 583 Orchard Road, 01-17
Open:11.30am to 3pm, 6 to 10pm daily
Info: Call 6737-5525 or go to www.facebook.com/HANARest

HEARTLAND CREAMERY

The Little Prince Creamery in the Toa Payoh heartland serves gelatos in a 3-D comic-strip dreamscape where a cartoon of a waifish prince sits on one wall.

Dedicated to Antoine de Saint-Exupery's children's classic, The Little Prince, the parlour offers waffles and dense and tasty gelatos freshly made on the premises (from $6.50 for a scoop of Italian-style ice cream on a waffle).

Gelato flavours include salted caramel, pistachio, noir (dark chocolate) and the excellent Earl Grey latte. The waffles are wonderfully eggy. - Foong Woei Wan

Where: The Little Prince Creamery, Block 47 Toa Payoh Lorong 6, 01-134
Open: Noon to 10pm (Sunday to Thursday), noon to 11pm (Friday and Saturday)
Info:Go to www.facebook.com/LittlePrinceCafe

BAGELS GALORE

Ditch the boring sandwich for a bagel at the new Two Men Bagel House. Savoury bagel options include Lox ($11.90) with ingredients such as cured salmon, cream cheese and red onions; Rodeo ($12.90) with roasted beef, sweet onion relish and cheese; and Hog ($12.90) with roasted pork cheeks, roma tomatoes and pineapple chutney.

You can also buy plain bagels ($2.60 each) and add your own "Schmear" such as peanut butter and wild berries jelly ($3.90), and coco spread with pistachio crumbles ($4.50) - Eunice Quek

Where: Icon Village Altez, 16 Enggor Street, 01-12
Open:8am to 8pm (weekday), 8am to 6pm (weekend)
Info:Call 6509-4125

OYSTERS AND DRINKS

Head to the Southbridge oyster bar at Boat Quay for a decadent selection of fresh live oysters paired with different sauces.

Tropical features oysters topped with homemade Thai sauce, while the Japanese-inspired Umami (above) is dressed with yuzu and ponzu. Both options - comprising six oysters each - cost $20 each during happy hour, from 5 to 8pm, and $24 after 8pm. Those who prefer grilled oysters can opt for Pearls ($30 for six with white wine sauce and a topping of avruga caviar.)

Other items include grilled sandwiches, such as lobster knuckle roll ($28) and chilli crab croque ($18). The bar features a wide range of cocktails, including The Elgin's ($18), with Abelha Silver cachaca, pineapple and homemade cinnamon-salted caramel. - Eunice Quek

Where: Rooftop, Level 5, 80 Boat Quay
Open:5pm to midnight (Monday to Thursday), 3pm to midnight (Friday, Saturday and eve of public holiday), closed on Sunday and public holiday
Info:Call 6536-5818 or go to www.southbridge.sg

TEOCHEW NOODLES

At Redhill Food Centre, I was spoilt for choice when it came to the humble fishball noodles. I randomly picked Fu Cheng Teochew Fishball Minced Meat Noodle ($2.50 or $3). The noodles came topped with two fishballs, sliced fish cake, a fish dumpling and minced meat.

The fried fish cake had a crisp exterior while the fish dumpling was tasty and not rubbery. The minced meat, while a tasty addition, could have added more oomph to the dish if it was braised beforehand. I left my noodles to soak in the fiery mix of chilli, vinegar and lard bits before slurping them up.

Pure nostalgia was another tiny reason why I picked this stall. It uses white-based, black-stripe bowls for noodles and those with purple flower prints for soup - which reminds me of the crockery from my growing-up days. - Eunice Quek

Where: Redhill Food Centre, Block 85 Redhill Lane, 01-39
Open:5am to 1.30pm, 6 to 9pm daily except Wednesdays

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