TENDER DRY-AGED BEEF
Dry-aged beef is the highlight at District 10 @ Suntec, which opened in November. The process, where the beef is placed on a rack in a chiller to age for weeks, causes the flavour to become more concentrated. The meat also becomes more tender.
The restaurant offers a number of cuts, including 45 Days Home Dry Aged Grass-fed Black Angus OP Rib ($18 for 100g) and 30 Days Home Dry Aged Irish Grassfed Black Angus Rib Eye ($18 for 100g).
But if you are in a group of four or more, get the 45 Days Dry Aged Corn-fed Traditional Fiorentina Steak (right, $22 for 100g). Grilled over charcoal, the meat, which comes with the bone, has a lovely smokiness and is tender and flavourful.
Starters to go with the steaks include a refreshing Puglia Burrata With Organic Italian Tomato & Rocket Lettuce ($26). Or if you want more beef, go for a pasta such as Pappardelle With Dry Aged Black Angus Ragout And Porcini Mushrooms ($28).
The restaurant has a tiny indoor dining area that seats only 30, but there is a much bigger alfresco area that is pleasant on cool evenings.
WHERE: District 10 @ Suntec, 01-514/515, 3 Temasek Boulevard Suntec City Mall (beside Tower 2 Office Lobby) MRT: City Hall/ Esplanade WHEN: 11.30am to 11pm (Monday to Saturday) TEL: 6822-2886
HOTPOT OFFERINGS
Tang's Steamboat in Keong Saik Road is now rebranded Tang Restaurant, Bar & Supper Club, after a renovation that creates a small bar area in the front. There, you can have drinks and some snacks such as luncheon meat strips ($4) and a rather interesting potato pie tee ($6 for six).
Steamboat dinner is served in the back dining room, with stocks such as Sichuan Spicy Soup ($21) and the House Special ($19), which is brewed with pork bones, old hens and fish.
I like most of the seafood items, such as Bamboo Shrimp Roll ($18, above), with shrimp paste stuffed in bamboo fungus. The Translucent Sliced Fish ($22 for 12 slices) shows off the chef's knife skills and I enjoy it for the bit of chewy skin attached to each slice, which gives it a nice mouthfeel.
For meat, go for items such as Japanese Momoiro Pork Belly $15 for 100g). But avoid anything marinated, such as Tender Chicken Slices ($12 for 200g). I find that the chef uses a tenderiser that gives the meat a smooth texture but robs it of its flavour. There is no steamboat for lunch. The restaurant serves Chinese bento boxes such as Sichuan Spicy Chicken ($16) and Mapo Tofu ($9).
WHERE: Tang Restaurant, Bar & Supper Club, 25 Keong Saik Road MRT: Outram Park WHEN: Noon to 2.30pm, 6 to 11pm daily except second and last Sunday of the month. Bar opens 5pmto 2am TEL: 6222-7708
SALTED EGG YOLK CUSTARD FONDUE
Salted egg yolk custard seems to be popping up in all sorts of food these days, from bolo bao (baked pineapple bun) to croissants. Now, Sunrise Bistro at Big Splash has come up with a fondue version.
It was created by chef-owner Vincent Teng for the restaurant's year-end set menu called Sumptuous Festive Meal, that ends today. But response has been so good that it is going on the new a la carte menu he is launching for the year-old restaurant.
The idea is not as strange as it sounds. Items such as semifreddo profiteroles, panettone cubes and marshmallows taste really good covered in the salty-sweet custard. But fresh fruit such as strawberries do not work for me.
The fondue (above), good for two or more people, costs $22.
The festive set, priced at $99, comes with a chilled seafood platter and a hot platter of whole red snapper with cereal crust, BBQ black Angus beef ribs and crispy pork belly with five spice salt. There is enough for two or three people, which makes it one of the best deals for the festive season.
The new direction for the menu is using Asian ingredients in classic Western dishes. So you find dishes such as Asian Five Spice Duck Leg Confit ($28) and Pan-fried Foie Gras ($19), which is served with Korean citrus jam. And it's goose and not duck liver, unlike what you get at many restaurants these days.
WHERE: Sunrise Bistro, 902 East Coast Parkway 01-05 Big Splash Block B MRT: Bedok WHEN: 11.30 to 1am (Monday to Thursday), 11.30 to 2am (Friday), 9 to 2am (Saturday and eve of public holiday), 9 to 1am (Sunday and public holiday) TEL: 6440-9090
TEA THAT LOOKS AND TASTES GOOD
I love Pin Tea's packaging, with its black metal canisters wrapped in pop colours such as lime green and fuschia. This new line of teas, started by a Singapore company, has playful names such as Ooh La Orchard, Cha Cha Changi and Marina Magic.
They are supposedly inspired by the Singapore neighbourhoods they are named after, though I do not see the connection between Orchard Road and premium aged pu-er tea.
Still, they bring a smile and make great souvenir gifts. Even more important, the tea is good. They are pesticide-free and mostly traditional flavours such as jasmine pearl (Tekka Minute), smoky oolong (Amoy Ahoy) and organic darjeeling (Sentosa Sunrise). Those who wish to avoid caffeine can check out the lemongrass ginger tea (Marina Magic), a fragrant blend of the aromatic herb and spice.
Most of the teas come in little silken bags except for the pu-er, which is in small compressed teacakes.
WHERE: Various outlets (see www.pintea.sg), including The Redundant Shop, 01-71 Millenia Walk and Jones The Grocer, 9 Dempsey Road. Also sold online MRT: Promenade/Holland Village PRICE: $18 for 12 pieces, $25 for 18 pieces
Book a meal at District 10 @ Suntec, Tang Restaurant or Bar & Supper Club with Chope.
