SHAO
This casual and modern Teochew restaurant is in Frankel Avenue, an area with a number of popular cafes and restaurants. Shao serves contemporary Chinese dishes centred on roast and barbeque items.
One standout dish is the barbecue yellow roe crab - Shao says it serves only double shell crab with yellow roe. Crabs are $45 to $60 each (450g to 600g). Prices are subject to 10 per cent service charge (no GST).
Other signature dishes include barbecue squid in classic Japanese style ($18+), Teochew claypot seafood porridge ($48+, for four people), yellow roe crab porridge ($68+, also for four), steamed cod fish in Teochew style ($22+) and roast items, which include roast pork belly ($12+ to $20+, above) and roast duck ($48+ for whole, $25+ for half or $14+ for a quarter) or both in a platter ($15+ to $24+).
Other seafood dishes are white bee hoon crab ($60+), steamed lala clams ($18+), pan-fried salmon with wasabi sauce ($18+) and barbecue king prawns ($12+ for two pieces).
Items requiring pre-orders are crispy roast suckling pig ($198+), steamed bamboo clam ($12+ a piece) and marinated chilled roe crab ($50+).
There are also rice, noodle and vegetable dishes ($12+ to $16+), soups ($6+ to $16 +), appetisers ($6+ to $12+) such as salted egg yolk yam and black pepper smoked duck.
Meat dishes include beef, lamb chop and pan-fried black pork ($18+ - $28+), while desserts ($5+) include yam paste (orh nee).
The restaurant serves Japanese draught Orion beer from Okinawa ($12+ a pint), double stout beer (500g) from Britain ($12+ a bottle) and vodka espresso from Finland ($8+ a shot).
Where: 117 Frankel Avenue
Open: 11am to 3pm, 5 to 11pm daily
Info: Call 6610-9233, e-mail info@shao.sg or go to www.shao.sg and www.facebook.com/shaobbq
KINOU
Chef-owner Benjamin Tilatti's globetrotting ignited his passion for food and cooking. The restaurant-bar on the first level of the four-in-one concept space features a menu inspired by international cuisine and is designed for sharing.
For starters, Bone To Be Wild ($16++) is buttery roasted beef marrow on the bone with sourdough toast and pickled greens, served with a shot of Tennessee whiskey through the bone. Another starter to try is Kinou Prawning Spot ($14++) with prawns simmered in garlic oil.
The ceviches and tartares can be mixed and matched into platters of three, five or seven options, which come with discounts of 5, 10 and 15 per cent respectively.
Kinou, Lost In Peru ($22++) features the catch of the day; Chompchae Deopbap ($27++) comprises Korean spicy tuna and rice; Kinou Signature Beef Tartare ($20++) is made with black Angus tenderloin; and the Vegan Nightmare Platter ($99++) comes with favourites such as wagyu ribeye, magret duck breast, wagyu and lamb merguez sausages, Kinou's Signature Burger and mixed salad.
If you fancy dishes with catchy names, go for Tuna On The 14th Of February ($27++, above), Do Not Argue With The Wagyu ($75++), A Wallop Of A Scallop ($29++) and Wile E. Coyote's Favourite Dish ($25++) of pan-seared magret duck breast seasoned with Sichuan pepper-salt.
Kinou's thirst quenchers include more than 150 varieties of wine and a large selection of cocktails.
The cocktails come with the New York pour of 60ml - double the typical 30ml pour.
In the Mason Jar selection are concoctions such as Ruby ($20++ for 6cl, $35++ for 15cl), comprising vanilla vodka, herb and spice liqueur, mango puree as well as fresh watermelon and cranberry juice.
Where: 81 Tras Street
Open: 11am to midnight (Tuesdays to Fridays), 3pm to midnight (Saturdays)
Info: Call 6224-0463, e-mail reservations@kinourestaurant.com or go to www.kinourestaurant.com or www.facebook.com/kinourestaurant
UNAGIYA ICHINOJI DINING
This concept by Miyagawa Honten, an unagi restaurant in Tokyo with a 125-year history, has just opened its second outlet in Singapore.
More items have been added to the menu, two of which are available only at the new Unagiya Ichinoji Dining at Suntec City's Eat At Seven enclave
The new place will be the only outlet offering the XL Unagi Bara Chirashi ($62.80++) and Unagi Gozen ($46.80++, above).
It also has the original Hitsumabushi ($29.80++), which is available at the Riverside View restaurant.
XL Unagi Bara Chirashi comprises tuna, salmon, yellow tail, scallop, takuan (radish), cucumber, egg, seaweed and the restaurant's signature grilled eel.
Unagi Gozen comes with unagi, A1-grade Hokkaido wagyu beef, braised Iberico pork belly, tempura prawn, tempura pumpkin, sashimi tuna, yellow tail and ikura, soup and warabi mochi for dessert.
The original Hitsumabushi, a signature dish served at Miyagawa's outlets in Japan, is Nagoya's style of cooking eel, and you eat it by first dividing the bowl into four portions.
The first portion is eaten on its own, while the second part of the Hokkaido rice and eel is eaten with nori (seaweed), wasabi, green onion and mentaiko (spicy cod roe).
For the third portion, add clear dashi to the mix. The final portion can be enjoyed any way you like.
Customers can also pair the dishes with two housemade unagi sauces. The Japanese unagi sauce is made with a higher shoyu content and has a saltier and more robust note. Specially tailored to the local palate, the Singapore unagi sauce has a sweeter note.
Where: 03-307 Sky Garden Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard
Open: 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30 to 10pm daily
Info: Call 6268-8043 or go to www.facebook.com/unagiyaichinojidining
• Opening a restaurant? Send the details to stlife@sph.com.sg
