COMFORTING CANTONESE DISHES AT MUI KEE
I have found a new favourite in Orchard Road for Cantonese-style sliced fish congee and beef brisket noodles.
Famed Hong Kong eatery Mui Kee, which ran as a pop-up at Casa Verde at Botanic Gardens, is now a full-fledged restaurant. It opened last week, taking over the space of defunct wine bar Caveau. The queues are mad, so go earlier or later, not at peak meal times.
Things to eat here include the threadfin belly congee ($18), a smooth, fragrant congee with smoky flavours and fresh chunks of fish - comfort in every mouthful. You can also have congee with sliced beef, century egg, sliced parrot fish, scallops, Alaskan King crab legs, frog legs and pork innards.
I am particularly wowed by the dry beef brisket noodles ($12.80) - springy noodles with fork-tender beef brisket braised in aromatic spices, and pieces of tendon soft but chewy enough to want to keep sinking your teeth into it, bite after bite.
WHERE: Mui Kee, 01-12 Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Road MRT: Orchard OPEN: 11.30am to 3pm, 6 to 10pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays TEL: 6737-2422 INFO: Go to www.muikee.com.sg
CONVENIENT HALAL MEAL BOXES
Online halal-certified restaurant and one-box meal specialist Grain just launched its new dinner service at the beginning of the month.
So now, aside from lunch deliveries between 11am and 2pm on weekdays, meals can also be delivered at dinner time, between 6.30 and 9.30pm.
This takes the hassle out of thinking what to feed a bunch of hungry office workers when there is a lunch talk.
It is also a good option for when the team has to stay late and needs to order in or if you just do not feel like cooking.
Prices start at $9.95 a box, with a delivery fee of $2.
Its meal boxes range from fusilli with a hunk of pan-seared salmon to thunder matcha rice tea with a gooey-yolk hanjuku egg.
I like the otah and flaked black cod, as well as the grilled farm fresh chicken boxes best.
The otah is fantastic - it has great texture with punchy flavours, chunks of fish and a good level of spiciness.
It is served over brown rice with charred broccoli and shiitake mushrooms. Goji berries add a touch of sweetness.
The chicken box is one that I could probably eat often because of its good balance of unobstrusive flavours.
Here, tender grilled chicken breast is served with cherry tomatoes and arugula on black and brown rice, with a spoonful of basil, parsley and peanut pesto that adds a little bit of zip to the dish.
Every week, Grain adds a new item to its list of staples. The new dish is available for two weeks. Order online.
WHERE: Grain WHEN: Available for delivery on weekdays, 11am to 2pm, 6.30 to 9.30pm TEL: 3163-5335 INFO: grain.com.sg
KAGOSHIMA WAGYU AT GORDON GRILL
Fine-dining restaurant Gordon Grill at Goodwood Park Hotel is serving Japanese beef for the first time since it opened in 1963. The month-long promotion, which ends on May 4, features full-flavoured Kagoshima wagyu beef.
The meals kick off with a seven-course dinner ($168++ a person) that is available only tonight. Thereafter, the restaurant will offer a three-or four-course lunch (from $58++ a person) and a four-course dinner (from $108++ a person, add $50 for wine-pairing).
I tried some of the dishes at a preview earlier this week. They include a Kagoshima wagyu tartare that goes well with the acidity of the sour cabbage it is topped with; and a grilled Kagoshima A4 wagyu tenderloin served with wasabi and a housemade yakiniku sauce with mirin, soya sauce and apple.
But for a better taste of this well-marbled wagyu, order the fattier sirloin, available a la carte for $5.20 for 10g (minimum 220g). It is perfectly grilled - eat it on its own and savour every bite.
WHERE: Gordon Grill, Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road MRT: Orchard WHEN: The set lunch and dinner menus start from tomorrow until May 4, noon to 2.30pm, 7 to 10.30pm daily TEL: 6730-1744 INFO: Go to www.goodwoodparkhotel.com or e-mail gordon_grill@goodwoodparkhotel.com
THE MONDAY UNDERGROUND SUPPER CLUB SERIES
Get up close and personal with an intimate supper club session at Salted & Hung. The restaurant is teaming up with two bars, Native and BarStories, for a monthly cocktail-pairing series, for the next six months. Each session is limited to 12 people and will take place on a Monday night.
The first instalment ($150++ a person, for five courses and five cocktails) is happening on April 16. Dates for subsequent sessions have not been firmed up, so check with the restaurant.
The first three sessions will feature drinks by Native's Vijay Mudaliar and Leon Tan, while the following three sessions will showcase creations by David Koh of BarStories. The food is done by the restaurant's executive chef Drew Nocente and his team.
I previewed the upcoming supper club session earlier this week and loved it. It was enjoyable and chill.
You sit at the counter, so you get a full view of the open kitchen. Expect a collaborative approach to the menu, with the chef and bartenders using similar ingredients to tie the drinks and dishes together.
Think masala gin-cured salmon with smoky charcoal emulsion curried cauliflower, and pickled beetroot and onions, paired with a refreshing and bright masala gin and tonic. Other courses include lamb neck char siew on housemade sourdough flatbread with manchego, paired with a whisky infused with crumbs from the flatbread that give the spirit a round, full and savoury ending note.
The chef and bartenders are there to chat and share their insights too, so it definitely will not be a dull night.
WHERE: Salted & Hung, 12 Purvis Street MRT: City Hall WHEN: April 16, 7pm. Thereafter, the supper club will take place once a month, on a Monday. Dates have not been firmed up yet TEL: 6358-3130 INFO: Go to www.saltedandhung.com.sg or e-mail info@saltedandhung.com.sg
Book a meal at Salted & Hung with Chope.
