Si Chuan Dou Hua

Si Chuan Dou Hua at Parkroyal on Beach Road has launched a hotpot set that will be available till the end of 2023. Served in a beautiful charcoal hotpot, there are three broths to choose from: Sichuan-style Mala Butter, Boiled King Garoupa Bones With Preserved Capsicum, and Double-boiled Imperial Fish Maw Collagen. You can pick two.

The set – priced at $98 a person for a minimum of two diners – comes with a platter of seafood that includes lobster, eight-head abalone and king garoupa. You also get meats such as Australian wagyu beef, Japanese kurobuta pork, lamb and black chicken, together with assorted vegetables. A reservation is needed and has to be made at least a day in advance.

The great thing about a charcoal hotpot is it maintains the broth at a simmer rather than a rolling boil. This means food runs a lower risk of getting overcooked even if you leave it in the pot a little longer than needed.

The hotpot is accompanied by a spicy Sichuan speciality sauce concocted by the restaurant’s chef. The meal includes a serving of the restaurant’s signature sweet beancurd with wolfberries for dessert.

Where: Si Chuan Dou Hua, Parkroyal on Beach Road, 7500 Beach Road
MRT: Bugis
Open: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6.30 to 10pm daily
Price: $98 a person
Tel: 3138-6711

Yakiniku-Go

Yakiniku-Go’s head chef Tetsuya Yoshida has teamed up with local chef Lennard Yeong – whose cooking videos on social media have won him a large following – for a promotional menu of four yakiniku sets.

Available till July 31, they comprise two sets with Duroc pork belly and two with karubi beef.

The Pork Bomb Set ($21.80) and Beef Bomb Set ($22.80) come with 150g of thinly sliced meat rolled into balls filled with cloves of marinated garlic. The Double Dragon Pork Set ($19.80) and Double Dragon Beef Set ($20.80) feature long slices of thick-cut meat (120g) draped over pieces of zucchini.

Kimchi and seaweed soup are included. Instead of white rice, the pork sets come with shio konbu rice while the beef sets are paired with a richer maze gohan mixed with wagyu tallow. The dips are also different – goma dare and ponzu oroshi for pork, and goma dare and yuzu kosho ponzu for beef.

The yuzu kosho ponzu dip actually works for both meats, and while I like both rice flavours, the shio konbu rice is a better match with the fatty meats. The maze gohan is best eaten on its own, I feel.

All these little details reflect chef Yeong’s creativity and elevate the food, making them stand out from the usual yakiniku. They are definitely worth trying.

Where: All six Yakiniku-Go outlets at 01-353 Suntec City Mall, B1-84B Parkway Parade, B1-78 Nex, B1-01 Jem, B1-55 Jurong Point and 01-49 The Seletar Mall
When: Till July 31

Nobu

If you are a fan of Nobu or have been wanting to check out the Peruvian-Japanese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, its weekend brunch is worth a try.

It is a semi-buffet concept with sashimi, sushi, salads and cold dishes on the counter. Desserts are also laid out as a spread.

But what you want to focus on are the hot dishes, which you can order – without limit – from a menu and are cooked a la minute. The 12 items are taken from the restaurant’s a la carte options and include signatures such as Black Cod Miso.

Considering that the black cod dish alone costs $68, the brunch’s $158 price tag is of pretty good value if you are hungry enough to finish at least half the selections available. The brunch comes with juices, soft drinks and mocktails. You can top up $40 or $118 for a free flow of selected sake, champagne, wines and cocktails.

You have to be a very big eater to try everything, but dishes you should order besides the cod are F1 Japanese Beef Steak, Seafood Toban Yaki, Rock Shrimp Tempura With Creamy Spicy Sauce, Sauteed Vegetables Spicy Garlic and Nasu Miso.

I did not order the Josper Charcoal-Grilled Spring Chicken because it is a whole bird and there were only two of us, but the serving I spotted at the next table looked really alluring.

You need to leave room for desserts, which may change each weekend. Get the Chocolate Miso Cream Puff if you see it. The combination of flavours is rather unusual, but in a good way.

Where: Nobu, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, 190 Orchard Boulevard
MRT: Orchard/Orchard Boulevard
When: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 2.30pm
Price: From $158 a person
Tel: 6831-7653