Wong Ah Yoke Senior Food Correspondent recommends

Food Picks: Tasty Bamboo noodles

TASTY BAMBOO NOODLES PHOTO: SHANG SOCIAL
ENGLISH FARE IN FOCUS PHOTO: FAIRMONT SINGAPORE
DIM SUM PROMOTION PHOTO: TIM HO WAN
FRESH SUMMER ITALIAN FARE PHOTO: BUONA TERRA

TASTY BAMBOO NOODLES

Bamboo noodles, traditionally made using a bamboo pole to flatten the dough, are known for their springy texture. They are machine-made these days, but retain the delightful mouthfeel.

You can taste how good they are at Shang Social Market, which introduces a range of bamboo noodle dishes today.

Bamboo Noodles With Rolled Pork Chashu & Pork-Prawn Broth ($15.80) is a cross between Japanese ramen and Chinese prawn noodle soup. It comes in a dry version as well, but I find the texture of the noodles is better in piping hot soup.

If you like dry noodles, order the Three Treasures Homemade Sauce & Bamboo Noodles Platter ($16.80), which comprises three small bowls of noodles, each tossed with a different housemade sauce.

Options include Bamboo Noodles with Beef Short Ribs & Lava Egg with Merlion's Nine Spice Sauce; Bamboo Noodles with Minced Pork & Cantonese BBQ Sausage with Penang Belacan Chili Sauce; and Bamboo Noodles with Rolled Pork Chashu & Lava Egg with Canton Silver Fish XO Sauce.

Bottles of the sauces are available for sale from $5.80 each to $16.80 for a set of all three flavours. WHERE: Shang Social Market, 01-219 Jewel Changi Airport, 78 Airport Boulevard MRT: Changi Airport OPEN: 11.30am to 9pm (Mondays to Thursdays), 11.30am to 10pm (Fridays to Sundays and public holidays) TEL: 6346-0260 INFO: www.shangsocial.com

ENGLISH FARE IN FOCUS

While Jaan by Kirk Westaway - the one-Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant at Swissotel The Stamford hotel - remains closed, British chef Westaway is not staying idle.

He is doing a pop-up at Anti:dote at sister hotel Fairmont Singapore next door until the middle of next month. The theme is A Casual British Summer, which continues the English focus of Jaan's menu but in a less formal manner. There is an a la carte menu, but sets are also available for lunch ($58) and dinner ($70).

Make sure to get Kirk's Fish And Chips ($35) because the thick-cut chips are amazing. They are crisp on the outside, but soft and fluffy inside. To me, the chips are even better than the fish, though the smooth cod fillet is good.

Also a great dish is Grilled Scallop ($32) - plump shellfish served with braised Hipsy cabbage and a chicken and caviar sauce. For dessert, there is British Strawberries And Devonshire Clotted Cream Eton Mess ($14) to transport you to the English countryside on a hot summer's day. WHERE: Anti:dote, Level 1 Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Road MRT: City Hall OPEN: Noon to 2pm, 6 to 9pm daily TEL: 6431-6156 INFO: www.fairmont.com/singapore/dining/antidote

DIM SUM PROMOTION

I go to Tim Ho Wan for baked BBQ pork buns and steamed sponge cake. But from now till Aug 16, I have another reason to visit the dim sum chain.

It is running a promotion menu of four dishes and the Fried Radish Cake With Shrimps ($8.80) is the one calling my name.

The pieces of rice cake boast loads of wok hei and are yummy with a blend of soya sauce and fiery chilli sauce. There are bits of preserved radish and beansprouts to add crunch as well as succulent prawns.

Mushroom & Vegetable Dumplings ($5) are good too, with a translucent skin encasing a well-seasoned mix of mushrooms, chives and turnip.

Noodles In Scallion Oil & Spicy Sauce ($6.80) sounds simple, but is a good carb filler. The sauce is made with 17 ingredients, but it is the fragrant scallion oil that hits the spot.

The fourth dish, Braised Pork Soft Ribs ($7.50), is the most substantial, but the sauce is a tad sweet for me and I prefer my meat with more bite.

The dishes are also available for takeaway and delivery. WHERE: Tim Ho Wan's 10 outlets in Singapore MRT: Various OPEN: Various hours INFO: www.timhowan.com

FRESH SUMMER ITALIAN FARE

The world may seem to have come to a standstill for many people this year, but restaurant menus that are led by ingredients continue to change with the season.

Among them is Buona Terra, the one-Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in Scotts Road, which has unveiled its summer menu.

Chef Denis Lucchi has grown from strength to strength since launching the restaurant more than seven years ago and his latest efforts continue that trend.

There is no a la carte menu for the time being. Lunch is a choice of three ($88), four ($108) and five ($128) courses. And dinner is priced at $148 for four courses and $178 and up for a Buona Terra Experience that is curated by the chef.

For my dinner last week, the dishes included a Cuttlefish Salad where strips of perfectly cooked cuttlefish were dressed with a light lemon dressing and topped with julienned celery, green apple, shiso flower and raw almonds. It was refreshing and perfect for hot weather.

There was also Scampi, seared and accompanied with shaved bottarga and carrots. On the plate, too, were sauteed Bouchot mussels housed in a shell made from filo pastry stained with squid ink. And tying everything together was a delicious saffron sauce. WHERE: Buona Terra, 29 Scotts Road MRT: Newton OPEN: Noon to 3pm, last order at 2pm (Mondays to Fridays); 6 to 10.30pm, last order at 9.15pm (Mondays to Saturdays) TEL: 6733-0209 INFO: www.buonaterra.com.sg

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 07, 2020, with the headline Food Picks: Tasty Bamboo noodles, English and Italian fare for summer and dim sum specials. Subscribe