Eunice Quek Food Correspondent recommends

Food Picks: Savoury delights by Ollella

Makan House by Ollella: Sate Ayam PHOTO: MAKAN HOUSE BY OLLELLA
Makan House by Ollella: Lontong PHOTO: MAKAN HOUSE BY OLLELLA
Beast & Butterflies: Crispy pork knuckle ST PHOTO: EUNICE QUEK
Oscar’s, Conrad Centennial: Laksa Teochew porridge PHOTO: CONRAD CENTENNIAL SINGAPORE
Porta: Creamy orecchiette pasta PHOTO: PORTA

SAVOURY DELIGHTS BY OLLELLA

I have been a long-time fan of Ollella, a home-grown business which specialises in kueh, choux puffs and eclairs and has a branch at Takashimaya's Basement 2 Food Hall.

It also dishes out Indonesian-style savoury dishes - just as delicious as its sweets - at its dine-in Makan House outlet in Race Course Road.

My favourite item is the Sate Ayam ($7.50 for six sticks), which is chicken satay on a whole new level. It is the savoury gravy that makes the difference, as it is not the usual peanut gravy. The dark brown dip's key ingredient is candlenut, which packs a smoky, umami punch. It is poured over the tender chicken thigh on skewers.

The other highlight is lontong ($5.50), but because it is Indonesian-style, do not expect the usual cabbage. Instead, the main ingredients are chayote (a type of gourd), green papaya, long beans and ketupat. It comes in a rich and coconutty gravy, topped with housemade serundeng (Indonesian spicy fried coconut flakes).

For a bowl of comfort food, go for the nasi ayam kecap ($7) - braised diced chicken thigh and shiitake mushrooms on rice. It reminds me of Taiwanese lu rou fan (braised pork rice) - just with a different meat.

Save space for the kueh and eclair offerings. Or get the seasonal dairy-free cempedak cake ($25) - loaded with a generous amount of fruit.

WHERE: Makan House by Ollella, 454 Race Course Road MRT: Farrer Park/Bendemeer OPEN: 11.30am to 6pm (Wednesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays and Tuesdays TEL: 6917-7273 INFO: www.ollella.com


CHILL OUT AT BEAST & BUTTERFLIES

If working from home is giving you cabin fever, head out to a quiet cafe or all-day dining venue for a change of scene. You will also be supporting the food and beverage scene, which has seen an overall dip in diners.

A peaceful oasis in Robertson Quay is Beast & Butterflies at M Social Singapore, which also has an al fresco area offering an all-day happy hour for wines from $6++ a glass.

Its extensive menu offers dishes with an Asian spin and you will be spoilt for choice.

To start, you cannot go wrong with scallop carpaccio ($26) or spam fries ($13), with a choice of two dips such as wasabi and seaweed, mala, truffle garlic, and bacon and cheese.

Other highlights include the tender bulgogi pork ($38), bulgogi marinated pork collar served with duck fat-roasted potatoes, and salad; deep-fried Atlantic cod ($30) with crispy egg noodles, bailing mushrooms and cai xin; and lobster porridge ($38) in crab broth with baby abalone, crispy conpoy, bonito flakes and shredded ginger and scallions.

My favourite dish is the crispy pork knuckle ($26 or $36) with sauerkraut, spicy Thai nam jim sauce and sweet hoisin sauce. It is a delicious combination of flavours - complete with crispy crackling - and the spicy sauce packs quite a punch.

For tea, try the rojak ice cream toast ($12 or $24) with assam shrimp paste sauce, mango, crisp red jambu and vanilla ice cream.

The dish grows on me - after I wrap my head around a sweet, and cold, version of rojak.

WHERE: Beast & Butterflies, M Social Singapore, 90 Robertson Quay MRT: Fort Canning/Clarke Quay OPEN: 11.30am to 10pm daily TEL: 6657-0018 INFO: E-mail fnb.mss@millenniumhotels.com


CHILL OUT AT BEAST & BUTTERFLIES

If working from home is giving you cabin fever, head out to a quiet cafe or all-day dining venue for a change of scene. You will also be supporting the food and beverage scene, which has seen an overall dip in diners.

A peaceful oasis in Robertson Quay is Beast & Butterflies at M Social Singapore, which also has an al fresco area offering an all-day happy hour for wines from $6++ a glass.

Its extensive menu offers dishes with an Asian spin and you will be spoilt for choice.

To start, you cannot go wrong with scallop carpaccio ($26) or spam fries ($13), with a choice of two dips such as wasabi and seaweed, mala, truffle garlic, and bacon and cheese.

Other highlights include the tender bulgogi pork ($38), bulgogi marinated pork collar served with duck fat-roasted potatoes, and salad; deep-fried Atlantic cod ($30) with crispy egg noodles, bailing mushrooms and cai xin; and lobster porridge ($38) in crab broth with baby abalone, crispy conpoy, bonito flakes and shredded ginger and scallions.

My favourite dish is the crispy pork knuckle (right above, $26 or $36) with sauerkraut, spicy Thai nam jim sauce and sweet hoisin sauce. It is a delicious combination of flavours - complete with crispy crackling - and the spicy sauce packs quite a punch.

For tea, try the rojak ice cream toast ($12 or $24) with assam shrimp paste sauce, mango, crisp red jambu and vanilla ice cream.

The dish grows on me - after I wrap my head around a sweet, and cold, version of rojak.

WHERE: Beast & Butterflies, M Social Singapore, 90 Robertson Quay MRT: Fort Canning/Clarke Quay OPEN: 11.30am to 10pm daily TEL: 6657-0018 INFO: E-mail fnb.mss@millenniumhotels.com


LAKSA TEOCHEW PORRIDGE

What makes a Teochew porridge buffet better?

A sweet one-for-one deal ($35++ a person), available this month at Oscar's, Conrad Centennial Singapore's buffet restaurant.

Go straight for the laksa porridge. I never thought laksa gravy mixed in porridge would work, but it does in this case. The other hot option is the ginger chicken porridge.

The spread offers classic accompaniments including salted egg, braised peanuts, you tiao as well as condiments.

Dishes include steamed fish, otah, fried luncheon meat and plenty of braised items such as pork, beancurd, bean sheet and egg.

A clever spin on the usual breakfast egg station is the Fu Rong omelette live station. Pick from ingredients such as crab meat, prawn, lap cheong and onions to be cooked in the omelette. Or, like me, just ask for everything.

Complete your meal with tau suan (split mung bean soup), ice cream and a selection of kueh and fruits.

WHERE: Oscar's, Conrad Centennial Singapore, 2 Temasek Boulevard MRT: Promenade WHEN: Till March 31, 6 to 10pm (Sundays to Thursdays) TEL: 6432-7481/63 INFO: E-mail sinci.oscars@conradhotels.com


PORTA'S NEW MENUS

Modern European restaurant Porta has refreshed its menus and launched a Green Monday menu - in partnership with Hong Kong-based social enterprise group Green Monday.

This plant-based menu includes Beyond Meat's meat substitute products - something I have never really been fond of.

However, the creamy orecchiette pasta ($24++) with wild mushrooms and sliced Beyond sausage is a dish I can get behind. I also enjoy the Beyond burger ($29++) with plant-based Daiya cheese, caramelised onions, housemade ketchup and brioche buns. It comes with salad and fries.

If plant-based meat substitutes are not your thing, go for the burratina ($22++), topped with shio kombu (kelp) and served with roma tomatoes and basil pesto.

The updated a la carte menu also offers seafood options such as the black cod ($29++) with a pistachio and wild puffed rice crust, served in a deep-green spinach dashi stock; and venus clams capellini ($24++), cooked in clam stock with shio kombu and topped with deep-fried sakura ebi for that additional crunch.

For dessert, do not miss Kopi O ($12++), a local spin on tiramisu - dark chocolate coffee sponge, milk sauce and espresso ice cream, with butter sugar toast on the side. Perfect with a coffee.

WHERE: Porta, Level 1 Park Hotel Clarke Quay, 1 Unity Street MRT: Fort Canning OPEN: 11am to 10.30pm daily TEL: 6593-8855 INFO: www.porta.com.sg

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 20, 2020, with the headline Food Picks: Savoury delights by Ollella. Subscribe