NESUTO PATISSERIE
The owners behind Japanese food kiosk Koki Tamagoyaki have started a chic French-Japanese desserts cafe, whose name means nest in Japanese.
The 25-seater offers more than 15 cakes and entremets made with ingredients from Europe and Japan. The confections can be paired with teas ($9 a pot) from home-grown purveyor, Antea Social.
The brains behind the exquisite confections is head pastry chef Alicia Wong, 29, who has worked at places such as Capella Singapore and Plentyfull restaurant over the past six years.
Signatures include the Yuzu Raspberry Cake ($9 a slice), which has citrusy yuzu meringue mousse and tart Serbian raspberries alternating with feathery light genoise sponge. The tartness of the cake is offset by aromatic lychee oolong tea.
Le 'Omm' ($9 a slice) features grassy gyomuyo matcha (green tea powder) in its sponge and mascarpone cream, which is lined with azuki beans.
For entremets, the Noisette Rocher ($10.50) resembles a gigantic Ferrero Rocher and pairs well with Taiwanese black tea.
Save space for innovative plated desserts such as the chocolate fondant ($16), which comprises a rich dark chocolate molten lava cake, strawberry ice cream and chocolate sea salt cookie crumbs and a wafer-thin "cat's tongue" butter biscuit to mop up the molten chocolate and salted caramel sauce.
Where: 01-01, 53 Tras Street
Open: noon to 10pm (Mondays to Thursdays), noon to 11pm (Fridays and Saturdays), noon to 7pm (Sundays)
Info: Call 6920-2922 or go to www.dear-nesuto.com
PROVISIONS
Joining the hip enclave of Dempsey is Provisions, Singapore's first skewers and claypot rice cocktail bar. Owned by 27-year-old Singapore chef Justin Foo, the restaurant focuses on comforting Asian flavours and ingredients as well as bespoke cocktail concoctions.
Provisions puts a creative spin on traditional claypot rice, with signature items such as seafood rice ($16, above), a claypot rice boasting fresh prawns and clams paired with traditional liver sausage, as well as oyster and uni rice ($28).
Diners can also choose from a curated selection of charcoal-grilled skewers such as chicken gizzard ($4) and octopus ($10).
While waiting for the dishes to be served, patrons can entertain themselves with old school knick-knacks such as bubblegum placed around the shop to replicate the experience of being in a provision shop.
Where: 7 Dempsey Road
Open: 4pm to 1am (Tuesdays to Thursdays), 4pm to 2am (Fridays and Saturdays), 10.30am to 3pm (Sundays), closed on Mondays
Info: Call 6250-7090, e-mail provisions@unionbridgelifestyle.asia or go to www.facebook.com/provisions.asia
THE BIRD SOUTHERN TABLE AND BAR
Bringing Southern cuisine to Singapore is The Bird Southern Table and Bar, the first international outlet of Yardbird Southern Table & Bar hailing from the United States.
Located at the South Promenade of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, the two-storey restaurant serves the brand's signature 100-year-old recipe Lewellyn's Fine Fried Chicken ($35), Chicken 'N Watermelon 'N Waffles ($45, above) and Classic Buttermilk Biscuits ($10).
The Bird has also launched a dish exclusive to Singapore, with an inventive spin on local cuisine - the Low Country Laksa ($38), which features a snapper fillet, Carolina gold rice pirlau, crispy poached farm egg and a caramelised ginger coconut broth.
Where: B1-07 & L1-82 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue
Open: 11am to 11pm (Mondays to Fridays), 10am to 11pm (Saturdays and Sundays)
Info: Call 6688-9959, e-mail TheBirdReservations@MarinaBaySands.com or go to www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/american/the-bird-southern-table-and-bar.html
•Opening a restaurant? Send the details to stlife@ sph.com.sg
