LAZY SUSAN POP-UP
For some new takes on Singapore fare, try the food at Lazy Susan, a pop-up restaurant at Open Door Policy.The dishes are created by Canadian chef Haan Palcu-Chang, who is of Taiwanese- Romanian parentage.
I love the charred snapper salad ($14), a Thai-Vietnamese- inspired salad of baby gems or mini cos lettuce, herbs and vegetables tossed in a light dressing that is both subtle and lively. The lemon-juice pickled onions are uplifting and add a tangy dimension to the dish, while the crispy garlic chips add texture and a heady aroma.
The fried haloumi in a fragrant chilli crab-inspired sauce ($14) and the succulent and juicy har cheong gai or prawn paste chicken on a rice waffle ($22), are two other innovative takes on comfort food that you ought to try.
WHERE: Open Door Policy, 19 Yong Siak Street MRT: Tiong Bahru OPEN: Lazy Susan's menu is available until Feb 6. Noon to 3pm, 6 to 11pm daily. On weekends, it opens from 11am to 3.30pm for lunch. TEL: 6221-9307 INFO: Go to www.lazysusansg.com or www.facebook.com/LazySusanSG
COCKTAILS AND ASIAN-INSPIRED FOOD AT KITE
At Kite, the tables are a little shorter in width - you're closer to the person opposite you - which makes for a more intimate meal and conversation.
The sharing portions are at $6 to $18 a dish.
Start with the addictive crisp and paper-thin chicken skins that have been glazed with bourbon, followed by items such as Dirty Vegetables - asparagus and carrots served in a bowl of crunchy coffee soil and brown butter; and somen tossed in tasty lup cheong oil and served with tiger prawns.
Cocktails (from $18, above) here are a must. Ones to try include For Goodness Sake, a sweet-savoury sake and gin-based cocktail; as well as Soap Opera, made with kinako rye whisky and punt e mes, a bitter Italian vermouth.
WHERE: Kite, 01-01, 53 Craig Road MRT: Tanjong Pagar OPEN: noon to 2.30pm for lunch (Tuesday to Friday); 6 to 10pm for dinner, (Tuesday to Sunday). The bar opens from 6pm to midnight (Tuesday to Sunday). TEL: 9729-7988 INFO: Go to eat-at-kite.sg
LUNCH AT MURASAKI
Sushi Murasaki along the Nihon Food Street at Millenia Walk has a reasonably priced lunch menu that's worth a try. Prices start at $28 for a meal that comes with an appetiser, miso soup and dessert.
Opt for a Bara Chirashi ($32) or, if you're feeling more extravagant, the Hokkaido Don ($68) - sea urchin, scallop, tuna and prawn served atop sushi rice.
Meat lovers will like the hearty Gyu Don ($38), or wagyu beef bowl (above), which comes with an onsen egg and shavings of truffle. The beef is doused in a truffle soya-based sauce and the rice speckled with bits of seaweed.
A disclaimer, though: Those who prefer a more purist approach to Japanese food may not appreciate the food here, which is a little progressive and slightly heavy-handed when it comes to seasoning.
WHERE: Sushi Murasaki, 02-08 Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard MRT: Promenade OPEN: noon to 2.30pm, 6 to 10.30pm, daily TEL: 6341-9668 INFO: Go to on.fb.me/1PCokyh
BURGER AT THE BARRACKS
Every so often, I get a craving for a good burger. One that's greasy and meaty - and Nekkid's new burger (above) hit the spot last weekend. The bun is soft and the patty juicy and flavourful. There's a char on the patty and the crispy bits give the burger some added texture.
The burgers come with American cheese, Boston lettuce - not the usual iceberg - and a slice of tomato. You can opt for a single 140g patty ($15++) or a double patty ($25++) version.
A lot of thought has been put into getting the flavour and texture of patty just right. It's made of a blend of Angus beef from Britain and Japanese A4 wagyu from Gunma Prefecture in Japan.
Complement your burger with a lobster roll ($28), cocktails (from $18) and other bar snacks such as grilled octopus tentacles ($18) and Penang fruit rojak ($7).
WHERE: Nekkid, Gillman Barracks, Block 41 Malan Road MRT: Labrador Park OPEN: 5pm to midnight (Monday to Thursday), 5pm to 2am (Friday and Saturday), closed on Sunday. TEL: 6694-0940 INFO: Go to www.nakedfinn.com
