1 BEAST & BUTTERFLIES
East meets West at Beast & Butterflies, a 175-seat restaurant at the new M Social Singapore hotel, designed by famous French designer Philippe Starck.
The menu, by executive chef Bryce Li, 39, features starters such as Oyster Shot ($10 for two), freshly shucked oysters served with Thai- style vinaigrette; and Lamb & Cheese ($26), Australian lamb loin and Burratina cheese with orange oil infusion and pomegranate dressing.
For comfort food, opt for the signature collagen soup ($24) made from simmering fish cartilage and pork bones overnight. It is served with fish maw and mushroom ravioli.
Meat options include Great Rack of Lamb ($36, photo 1), an Oriental-spiced lamb rack with steamed glutinous rice and Sichuan peppercorn jus; and Chicken & Chorizo ($26), with sous vide chicken breast, mash potato and chorizo sausage croquette.
Complete the meal with desserts such as Chocoholic ($10), a chocolate sphere to be melted with molten lava chocolate sauce, to reveal a passionfruit sorbet and a hint of Sichuan pepper sauce.
Where: M Social Singapore, 90 Robertson Quay
Open: 6 to 10.30am, 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5 to 10.30pm daily
Info: Call 6206-1888
2 XIAO YA TOU
For modernised zichar with a cheeky twist, head to Xiao Ya Tou in Duxton Hill. The name in Mandarin means impish girl, in line with the restaurant's branding as a "naughty modern Asian restaurant-bar".
Small-plate items include crab and lap cheong omelette ($9); Kurobuta char siew ($18); and braised duck ($22) with cucumber, white leek, sansho pepper and braised duck jus.
Check out the sliders (9 to 10.30pm, Monday to Saturday) at $6 each. Options include corned beef, unagi and meatball.
Big plates include the XYT ayam percik ($23, photo 2), grilled spring chicken with spiced coconut cream; lamb shank curry ($28); and baby red snapper ($39, 500 to 600g) with wombok (Chinese cabbage) kimchi and lemongrass.
Desserts include coconut tau huay ($6); black sesame ice cream ($8) with glutinous rice pudding and mango jelly; and "cha yen" (Thai ice milk tea) popsicle ($6), with sticky rice, kaya and rose syrup pearl.
Where: 6 Duxton Hill
Open: 11am to midnight (Monday to Saturday), closed on Sunday
Info: Call 6226-1965 or go to www.facebook.com/xiaoyatou.sg
3 FAT LULU'S
Five & Dime restaurant closed in April and its founders have opened Fat Lulu's in its place. The restaurant is a modern Asian barbecue kitchen and dessert bar.
Menu highlights include grilled Asian Cajun prawns ($18); burnt corn with smoked yogurt ($9); tomatoes and burrata ($15, photo 3); and Mangalica pork chop marinated in sambal ($22).
Pair the dishes with desserts such as The Black Forest ($15), with chocolate mud crumble, marinated cherries, chocolate sherbet and frozen flavoured chantilly cream; peanut butter popsicle ($15), with raspberry granita, chocolate cookie and freeze-dried raspberry; and "Atas" Kinder Surprise ($15), with Baileys hazelnut cream, chocolate sponge and bitter chocolate sherbet.
A three-course dessert tasting menu ($30) is also available.
Where: 297 River Valley Road
Open: 6 to 11pm (Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Monday), 8pm to 2am (dessert bar on Friday, Saturday and eve of public holiday), 10am to 4pm (from July 2, weekend brunch)
Info: Call 9236-5002 or go to www.facebook.com/sgfatlulus
4 EMPLOYEES ONLY
The first overseas branch of the popular Employees Only bar in New York opened last Friday in Amoy Street. The famous speakeasy in New York has been around since 2004.
Kick back with cocktails ($23 to $28) such as Ready Fire Aim, with mezcal, fresh lime juice and housemade honey-pineapple syrup with dashes of Hellfire bitters; or EO's Manhattan, with rye whisky and Italian vermouth, orange curacao and dashes of Angostura bitters.
The dinner menu features dishes such as table-side hand-cut beef tartare ($27); bacon-wrapped lamb chops ($32) with salsa verde; and bone marrow poppers ($15).
Late-night bites (until 2am) include bistro classics such as truffled grilled cheese with parmesan fries (photo 4) and EO dry-aged burger.
Prices range from $19 to $29 for appetisers; $13 to $20 for pasta dishes; and start at $29 for main courses.
Where: 112 Amoy Street
Open: 5pm to 2am (Sunday to Thursday), 5pm to 3am (Friday to Saturday)
Info: Call 6221-7357 or go to www.facebook.com/employeesonlysingapore
5 WHEAT
It started five years ago selling baumkuchen (German layered cake) in Toa Payoh.
Since then, Wheat Baumkuchen has gone through a revamp. It has stopped selling the cakes and is now known as Wheat. There are four outlets specialising in healthy soba and brown rice meals.
Wheat at Raffles City is the fourth outlet and it serves popular items such as grilled salmon with soba tossed with yuzu sauce ($10, photo 5) and teriyaki chicken with soba tossed with sesame sauce ($8).
New dishes include quinoa with chicken ($12) and beef stew ($8) with brown rice.
The other three Wheat outlets are at Asia Square, International Plaza and One Raffles Place. They are all closed on weekends.
Where: Raffles City, 252 North Bridge Road, B1-78
Open: 11am to 10pm daily
Info: Call 6734-0128
Eunice Quek
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