1 SHOUKOUWA
Belgian chef Emmanuel Stroobant may be better known for his flagship French establishment Saint Pierre, but he has opened a fine-dining Japanese restaurant under his eponymous group.
Shoukouwa - at One Fullerton, next to the recently relocated Saint Pierre - is a partnership with the founder of three-Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong. Shoukouwa seats eight diners at the sushi counter and up to six people in the private dining room.
The lunch option ($150++ a person) includes nigiri sushi, soup and Japanese omelette. On top of the courses available for lunch, the omakase menu ($320++ or $480++, available for lunch and dinner) includes sashimi and cooked dishes. Both sets include appetisers such as jyunsai (photo 1), which is tiger prawn, water lily bulbs, Japanese cape gooseberry and shiso flower in Japanese vinegar.
A premium selection of Japanese sake such as junmai daiginjo from sake breweries such as Sawaya Matsumoto in Kyoto and Hakurakusei in Miyagi are available.
Other brands under the Emmanuel Stroobant group include barbecue restaurant Rocks Urban Grill + Bar, Brussels Sprouts, which specialises in Belgian beer and mussels, and European bistro Picotin.
Where: One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Road, 02-02A
Open: 11.30am to 3pm (Tuesday to Saturday), 6.30 to 11pm (Tuesday to Sunday), closed on Monday
Info: Call 6423-9939 or e-mail info@shoukouwa.com.sg
2 KNICKER + BOCKERS
Customise your own pizza or pasta at Knicker + Bockers, which offers a variety of dough, sauce, cheese and toppings.
For your pizza, first choose either New York-style, which is crusty and chewy, or Cali-style, which is thin and crispy.
Next, sauce options include tomato, curry and white cream, followed by a choice of cheese such as mozzarella, provolone or gouda.
Finally, pick from a variety of vegetables, meat and seafood. Each 10-inch pizza costs $12.90.
Similarly, for pasta ($8.90), pick the type of pasta, sauce and ingredients.
There are also signature pizza and pasta options available at the same prices.
The Millenial pizza (photo 2) has a Cali-style herb crust with garlic pesto sauce, feta, capsicums and spicy Italian sausage, while Curry Lovers features a New York-style dough, curry sauce, mozzarella, curry chicken and chicken sausage.
Where: Ocean Financial Centre, 10 Collyer Quay, B1-10
Open: 8.30am to 8pm (weekday), 9am to 1pm (Saturday), closed on Sunday
Info: Call 6509-9247 or go to www.knickerbockerspizza.com
3 BLUE BISTRO
Vegetarians have a new place to check out for affordable, Singapore-inspired eats.
Blue Bistro's signature blue rice (nasi kerabu) set ($6, photo 3) includes blue basmati rice served with air-fried, soya-based ribbon fish, cucumber, boiled okra and sambal with grated coconut, chopped bunga kantan (torch ginger flower) and kaffir lime leaves. The rice is coloured with natural dye from the blue pea flower.
Other dishes include nasi lemak ($5), coconut basmati rice served with rendang (made from mushroom stems), cucumber and sambal; curry udon ($4.50), with tau pok and finely chopped laksa leaves; and eggless kaya toast ($2.50).
Where: Burlington Square, 175 Bencoolen Street, 01-49
Open: 8.30am to 5pm (Monday to Friday); Closed on weekend and public holiday
Info: Call 6238-8676 or go to www.bluebistrosg.com
4 HARELOOM CAFE & BAR
After a year at Wangz Hotel, contemporary restaurant The Rabbit Stash has moved again - to Klapsons, The Boutique Hotel.
However, with the move comes the opening of its new sister cafe, Hareloom Cafe & Bar.
Both outlets are run by home-grown chef Matthew Mok, who started The Rabbit Stash in 2011.
The menu at Hareloom takes a more local twist with dishes such as 48-hours braised pork "bak kut teh" spaghetti ($10.90), seafood laksa pesto linguini ($12), pan-seared foie gras with fruit rojak ($8) and beef cheek rendang burger with achar and Cajun fries ($12.90, photo 4).
Other dishes include smoked duck with hoisin sandwich ($7.90), Hareloom meatballs with mash and brown rice crispies (from $3.90 to $9.90) as well as desserts ($6.90 each) such as Milo Dinosaur panna cotta and bubur hitam with coconut ice cream.
Where: Klapsons, The Boutique Hotel, 15 Hoe Chiang Road
Open: Noon to 10.30pm (weekday), 3 to 11.30pm (Saturday), closed on Sunday
Info: Call 6521-9001 or go to tinyurl.com/j4y4kc7
5 CAMP KILO CHARCOAL CLUB
Get crackling at the new Camp Kilo Charcoal Club, which opened yesterday at Kampong Bugis.
The outdoor roast joint - which operates only from Friday to Sunday - is opened by Series of Intentions, the same group behind the Kilo group of restaurants and Grain Traders.
Expect a whole 30kg pig ($12 for 100g) roasting on the spit for more than four hours.
Other meats include roast chicken ($10 for half, $18 for whole, photo 5), crispy pork belly ($10 for 100g) and pork ribs ($15 for half rack, $30 for full rack).
Sides include burnt carrots ($14) with plums, cottage cheese and fried garlic; patatas bravas ($12), smashed potato with aioli, spicy romesco sauce and scallions; and Brussels sprouts ($14).
Bread options ($5 each) include corn bread with honey butter, and potato rolls with roasted jalapeno butter.
Where: 66 Kampong Bugis, 01-01
Open: 5.30 to 11pm (Friday), 11am to 11pm (weekend)
Info: Go to www.facebook.com/campkilosg or e-mail campkilo@kilokitchen.com for reservations for groups of eight or more
Eunice Quek
•Opening a new restaurant? Send the details to stlife@sph.com.sg
Correction note: This story has been updated to correct the name of Camp Kilo Charcoal Club. We are sorry for the error.
