BAKBAK
Mr Lionel Lim, 43, took over Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh from his father, Mr Lim Hai Chay, 73, almost eight years ago, and now, he has opened another bak kut teh restaurant.
The 80-seat eatery, housed in a two-storey shophouse unit in Circular Road, puts a modern twist on bak kut teh dishes, with its Japanese fusion offerings.
Some of the soup options include Premium Dragon Rib Soup ($10.50, above), which uses pork ribs, old garlic and peppercorns that are first fried and then crushed; Pork Rib Soup with Sea Cucumber ($17.50), where the latter ingredient soaks up the broth; and Sanuki Udon with Dragon Rib ($11), which uses udon to absorb the broth (mee sua is typically used in other recipes).
Side dishes include Crispy Fish Skin ($3), Chawanmushi with Homemade Crab Sauce ($4.50) and Japanese Cucumber with Sesame Sauce ($2).
The ordering system has also been modernised - diners use their mobile phones and the QR codes assigned to each table to order.
Where: 10 Circular Road
Open: 10am to 11pm (Mondays to Saturdays), closed on Sundays
Info: Call 6222-8022 or go to www.facebook.com/bakbaksg
YATAGARASU YAKITORI
Restaurant group F Innovators, which owns Japanese restaurants in Japan and Singapore, including Niku Katsumata, The Hitsuji Club and Ginza Rokukakutei, is behind this new yakitori joint.
The 36-seat restaurant in Circular Road is helmed by chef Kota Tanabe, who has 12 years of culinary experience.
For lunch, diners can have only the oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl, $12.80++). Only 50 bowls are served each day and the restaurant closes once the bowls are sold out.
It reopens for dinner at 6pm, with yakitori on the menu. In addition to fillet, various chicken parts, including the gizzard, tail and thigh ($2.50++ a skewer), are available. There is also a dumpling ($4++) skewer made with minced chicken.
If you prefer pork, there are Wrapped Pork Belly skewers, in which pork belly is wrapped around other ingredients. They include Wrapped Pork Belly Fried Noodles ($6++), Wrapped Pork Belly Curry Rice ($6++, above), Wrapped Pork Belly Shiso Lead ($3.50++) and Wrapped Pork Belly Yellow Chives ($3.50++).
Where: 01-01, 72 Circular Road
Open: 11.30am until the oyakodon is sold out; 6pm to midnight (Mondays to Saturdays), closed on Sundays
Info: Call 6221-7785 or go to www.facebook.com/yatagarasu72
FIVE MARBLES CRAFT BEER RESTAURANT
Located in the Courtyard of the Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, this new 3,000 sq ft restaurant will suit the palates of those who love their food with beer.
Signature dishes include Craft Beer Chicken Rice ($16+, above), in which the chicken is roasted with butter, fresh herbs and lager. The rice is cooked like Hainanese chicken rice. The Green Curry Lychee Duck Linguine ($19+) consists of grilled duck breast slices tossed with green curry sauce, lychees and linguine pasta.
There is a rotating selection of 12 types of craft beer on tap from Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Britain.
They include Brewlander Love, a wild India pale ale ($7+ for a half pint, $14+ for a pint); Innocence Calamity Coffee, a coffee ale ($6+ for a half pint, $12+ for a pint); and Young's Double Chocolate Stout, a British stout ($5+ for a half pint, $10+ for a pint).
Where: The Courtyard, Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, 9 Bras Basah Road
Open: 11am to midnight daily
Info: Call 9692-0678 or go to www.fivemarbles.com
•Opening a restaurant? Send the details to stlife@sph.com.sg
