50 Things to Eat Before You Die 2014

1. Lean & Green at AltPizza ($12)

How could something so healthy be so good? This roasted garlic pesto pizza is made with mozzarella, feta, baby spinach, roasted squash, basil and broccoli. And the crust is some of the best we’ve had.

2. Naughty Fries at Potato Head Folk ($9)

More than just fries, these bad boys are made with spiced béarnaise suace, hot beef chilli, crisp shallots, parmesan and sesame seeds on top of thick-cut fries.

3. Hokkaido uni sushi at Tsukiji Sushi Dai (Market price)

There’s something creamier and denser about Hokkaido uni than its regional counterparts. Its more viscous nature gives it a richness that’s wonderfully offset by rice and crispy nori.

Good burgers are hard to come by, so we’re thrilled about this one. Made with a homemade USDA beef patty (medium-rare, of course), cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and B-Bar crispy and kombu-dusted fries, this is a little messy but melts in your mouth.

5. House-made kettle chips at Manhattan ($12)

They sound simple, but they’re delightfully sinful in every way with Idaho potato chips and foie gras loaded with pan-fried onion dip.

Clockwise from left: Forlino, Ding Dong, Buttero

6. Salty butter caramel lava cake at Forlino ($15)

Intense caramel deliciousness. A soft cakey outside oozes with caramel lava sauce and is served with caramel gelato and crunchy caramel rice crispy bars.

7. Roasted duck dumplings from Ding Dong ($18)

House-made duck dumplings with shitake mushroom are bobbing in a clear duck consommé that’s both light and comforting.

8. Pulled pork fries at Buttero ($15)

Fluffy, big, crunchy and meaty. The fries are topped with thyme, tender pulled pork and oozing with three-cheese sauce.

9. Les Saint-Jacques at Fleur de Sel ($28)

Plump pan-seared scallops sit prettily atop mushrooms, arugula, parma ham and chicken jus for a textural, briny smorgasbord of flavor.

10. Black rice with deshelled prawns and tomato air at 63Celsius ($22)

Spanish bomba rice is coated in squid ink to a briny and creamy consistency. Paired with fat prawns, there’s a foamy tomato air to cut through the richness.

Clockwise from top left: Les Amis, Bincho, Pollen, PS. Petit

11. Caviar over a crisp poached egg and smoked salmon at Les Amis ($74 as part of degustation menu)

A delicate poached egg encased in a noodle-like nest is topped with caviar and surrounded by the most succulent smoked salmon.

12. Chicken neck at Bincho ($17)

Tender, juicy and ever so slightly bouncy in the best possible way. The grilled chicken necks slathered in Bincho’s special yakitori sauce are surprising and melt in your mouth.

13. Chicken liver parfait at Pollen ($55 as part of set lunch)

Dense liver gets a light reincarnation with an almost aerated quality. Paired with pea espuma, Madeira gel and cacao, it balances the metallic qualities of liver with a rich-meets-refreshing flavor.

14. Crispy garlic Masala flatbread at PS. Petit Martin Road ($14)

Thin and crispy, the flatbread maintains a soft interior, and the garlicky, curry-like spice mix is so addictive, you will eat every heaped slice.

15. Kaiserschmarrn Sisi style at Zott’s ($24 as dessert, $32 as main course)

An alpine favorite, the souffléd pancakes are caramelized and shredded with generous dollops of stewed plums and vanilla ice cream.

Clockwise from top left: Corner House, Esquina, Tippling Club

16. Onion four ways at Corner House ($248 as part of the degustation menu/$68 as part of four-course menu)

Sweet Cevennes onions get the royal treatment by being transformed into a crisp, a puree and pulped into its own casing with a sous-vide egg and diced black truffles. The most unexpected version comes in the earl grey tea with onion jus.

17. Basil sorbet with black pepper meringue at Esquina ($15)

Savory desserts are all the rage these days, and this basil sorbet paired with succulent strawberries, sweet tomatoes, tart yuzu yogurt and bitey black pepper meringue strikes the perfect balance.

18. Charred peppers at Tippling Club ($17)

Not the most appetizing-looking of dishes but these black tar-like peppers are crunchy but soft-grilled on the inside. Dipped in soy-wasabi sauce and you get a little salty spice kick.

19. Corn & polenta at Jigger & Pony ($14)

Pan-fried polenta is shaped into cubes and paired with a creamy corn remoulade, a piquant roqueford sauce and parmesan crisps for satisfying bar bites after a tipple or two.

20. Jaan’s Garden at Jaan ($46)

It only takes a quarter of a plate to make a statement with a simple composition of summer vegetables and herbs like Jerusalem artichoke and yellow carrot. It’s fresh, delightful, light and oh-so-delish.

21. Truffle mac & cheese balls at 28 Hongkong Street ($12)

Goopy mac & cheese meets arancini. This sinfully good bar snack has mac & cheese rolled into steaming balls before being batter-fried to golden perfection and doused in truffle oil.

22. Mushroom Fantasia at Bacchanalia ($18)

Parasitic though its star ingredient may be, this delicious and umami-rich cordycep dish also has Portobello, shimeji and oyster mushrooms with sweet corn velouté.

Clockwise from top left: Rhubarb le Restaurant, Life is Beautiful, Bedrock Bar & Grill, FOC

23. Pigeon at Rhubarb le Restaurant ($64)

Between the fatty, medium-rare pigeon legs, the crunchy grapes coated in nuts and sesame seeds and the rose and rhubarb foam, we can’t pick what sends us over the top with this dish.

24. Buttermilk fried chicken at Life is Beautiful ($29 for half-portion, $39 for full portion)

The crunchy skin, the juicy drumsticks and the addictive hot sauce: there’s no better way to describe the burst of flavors. Our tip: don’t be prissy; eat with your hands.

25. Bedrock mac n’ cheese at Bedrock Bar & Grill ($20)

The blend of four cheeses topped with herbs really does it. For such a clumsy and comforting dish, the pasta is still al dente, and scraping the crispy bottom from the cast-iron plate is perfection.

26. Pulpo a la gallega at FOC ($22)

Done the Galician Spanish way, the tender slices of octopus doused in olive oil and paprika sits gloriously on top of a bed of crushed potatoes.

27. Taco de pescado at Super Loco ($11)

Warm corn tortillas meld with perfectly spiced snapper fillets, all topped with greens, coriander and a creamy but piquant chipotle mayo sauce.

28. Tonkotsu spicy ramen at Hakata Ikkousha ($13.50)

A mean-looking red broth is what greets you but the spice isn’t overbearing. Balanced with tonkotsu broth, char siew slices, black fungus and thin springy noodles, it’s worth every slurp. #01-104B Blk 7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, 6538-1880. www.ikkousha.com 

Clockwise from top left: Restaurant Ember, Sugarhall, Shah Alam

29. Bouillabaisse at Restaurant Ember ($32)

The new menu here has some stellar additions like this one: langoustine, scallop, sea bass and clams all atop a rich broth with aioli.

30. Whole spring chicken at Sugarhall ($28)

Whether you like the breast or the drumsticks, it’s all juicy and just that little bit charred from the grill. It’s simply served with rosemary brine and cucumber yoghurt for that balance of zing and richness.

31. Chicken biryani at Shah Alam Restaurant ($5.50)

Heaps of aromatic and fluffy biryani rice with a generous serving of chicken thigh and drumstick, this amazing dish is all drenched in curry sauce more spicy than your average renditions. 20-21 Circular Rd., 6536-6781

32. Blistered sprouts and peppers at DIBS ($12)

Addictive veggies dishes are rare to come by, so take note. These Brussels sprouts are blistered with jalapeño and parsley, finished with rice krispies and calamansi dressing.

Clockwise from left: JBM Coffee & Dining, Moosehead, Henri Charpentier

33. Orange Blossom at JBM Coffee & Dining ($12)

An orange dessert composed of three layers: fresh oranges, orange jelly, Grand Marnier foam, caramel crisps and a generous Chantilly cream swirl—an unlikely combo, but trust us—it’s good.

34. Chilli pineapple ice pops at Moosehead ($14)

The refreshing sourness and spicy kick from the ice pops are aptly mellowed by the creamy gula Melaka frozen foam that’s heaped on top of the ice pop and supported by a banana and chocolate compote base.

35. Crepe Suzette at Henri Charpentier ($22)

Flambéed tableside for extra drama, this thin crepe dessert is deceptively light. Made with butter, orange juice and Grand Marnier, it’s also silky and citrusy.

36. Raviolo al plin con sugo d’arrosto at Da Laura ($28)

Thinly-rolled handmade pasta is always a winner in our book. This “pinched” ravioli (they look like candy wrappers) is stuffed with the smoothest roast beef and vegetables and sits in a pool of light veal jus sauce.

37. Chocolate Kouign Amman at Tiong Bahru Bakery ($4.50)

A huge buttery pastry roll, akin to croissants, is glazed with gula melaka and has generous dollops of melted chocolate.

Clockwise from top left: The White Rabbit, The Quarters, Open Door Policy, Nutmeg & Clove

38. Rangers Valley wagyu carpaccio at The White Rabbit ($26)

Thinly-sliced raw wagyu beef provides the canvas to an artfully-presented dish topped with shaved parmesan, celery cress, tangy balsamic pearls and truffle cream.

39. Durian Crème Brulée at The Quarters ($7)

Mix in the fruit everyone loves to hate and a dessert everyone loves and you get this jelly-custard combo. The durian isn’t overpowering while the crème brulée is perfectly torched.

40. Chorizo tortelli at Open Door Policy ($25)

The salty chorizo in the plump pasta pockets oozes flavor and is glossed with fried sage, burnt butter sauce and spinach.

41. Atlantic cod fish croquette at Nutmeg & Clove ($12)

More than just a bar snack, these puffy morsels stuffed with cod, smoked cream cheese and crispy anchovies are a perfect East-meets-West blend, dusted with smoked vinegar powder to cut the creaminess and add depth.

42. Ravioli di Ossobuco on Gremolata at inITALY ($28)

Silky homemade ravioli is stuffed with slow-cooked veal and topped with a rich saffron sauce that’s balanced with chopped lemon rind, parsley and garlic.

43. Tau Sar Pau at 40 Hands ($2.50)

A classic local snack, the red bean bun has a pillowy dough (much lighter than those run of the mill coffee shop ones) and a smooth red bean filling.

44. Manzo alla griglia at Cicheti ($32)

Essentially a steak, this sweeter rendition is both delicate and flavorful. 120-day grain-fed beef is chargrilled and served with arugula and shaved grana.

Clockwise from left: Original Sin, Nuvo, Indocafe

45. Mezze platter at Original Sin.($28)

Sharing is caring with this platter for two with dips like hummus, aromatic pumpkin and carrot, baba ganoush and tzatziki. You get warm Middle Eastern bread and rough-ground falafel balls, too.

46. Warm Japanese mushroom salad at Nuvo ($18)

Tossed semi-wilted baby spinach salad is presented with a mélange of Japanese mushrooms, asparagus, pine nuts and slightly pickled shallots with a truffle emulsion.

47. Ikan masak merah at Indocafe ($32)

Traditional Nonya cuisine with a twist: the cod fillet is pan-roasted until golden but is still steaming soft inside. It’s doused in a sweet red chilli sauce and best served with rice.