Dining out in August is set to be more exciting when you have excellent food menus paired with inspired drinks and creative cocktails.
Cure: Limited-time menu in collaboration with Bord Bia
Bord Bia, the Irish the Irish Food Board, has partnered with award-winning chef Andrew Walsh to bring the best of Irish cuisine and ingredients to Singapore. The exclusive menu, priced at $385++ per person, will be complemented by an Irish cocktail pairing menu, featuring a selection of Irish spirits such as Dingle Irish Vodka, Dingle Gin, Bushmill Black Bush Irish Whiskey, and more throughout the month of August. Enjoy unique cocktails such as Black 1847, containing Jameson Irish Whiskey, Poitín, Home-made Guinness Stout Syrup and Irish bitters, and the avant-garde Black Velvet, made with a twist using Guinness Stout, Shanky’s Whip, Champagne and Stout foam.
The cocktails are paired with a specially curated menu of Walsh’s Nua (new Irish cuisine) dishes that incorporate Irish ingredients such as premium duck (produced by Silver Hill Duck, which was awarded the Gold Standard certification from Origin Green for its commitment to sustainability and the environment), and sustainable seafood.
Cure is at 21 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089128.
Hilton Singapore Orchard: Osteria Mozza’s expanded menu and Ginger.Lily’s multi-sensorial cocktail adventure
Osteria Mozza, the only Asian outpost of Michelin-starred Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles helmed by celebrity chef Nancy Silverton, has expanded and refreshed its lunch and dinner menus. Diners can finally try the legendary Grilled Cheese which elevates the humble grilled sandwich to gourmet heights with shaved onions and four different cheeses. The dinner menu now features dishes like Rucola Salad, Corzetti Stampati (pasta coins with eggplant, olives, and ricotta), Squid Ink Casarecce Pasta with Cuttlefish, and Duck Leg Confit with Kumquat Mostarda.
After your meal, hop over to Ginger.Lily for a multi-sensorial cocktail adventure. The new cocktail menu, Synaesthesia, is designed to engage all five senses. Luminous Insight, for example, is a No.3 Dry Gin creation served with red and yellow-tinted eyeglasses which are said to enhance either sweet or spicy notes. Aroma Alchemy and Scented Spirits are paired with edible perfumes to elevate the sensory experience. Sonic Synthesis, a tropical fruity cocktail, is to be enjoyed with the sounds of a woodland trail (thanks to the wireless neckband speakers).
Osteria Mozza and Ginger.Lily are located on Level 5, Hilton Singapore Orchard, 333 Orchard Road, Singapore 238867.
Kotuwa: New home at New Bahru
Kotuwa’s recent move to New Bahru, Singapore’s latest lifestyle and creative hotspot, allowed it to expand its space, which is now reminiscent of a vibrant Sri Lankan home. In addition to an expanded dining room, the restaurant now features an outdoor bar where guests can sip and savor artisanal arracks, and work their way through an exciting cocktail menu created by Head Bartender and Colombo-native Ashaka Harith. Standout cocktails include Uncle Percy, which pairs Short Story white rum with Ceylon arrack, soursop, and coconut, and The Souvenir, which features Colombo 7 gin, pickled mango, and ginger flower.
The new tipples were definitely designed to pair well with a variety of snacks, such as Devilled Cashews with curry leaves and chili salt, as well as deep-fried specialties like the panko-crumbed Mutton Rolls and Sri Lankan patties filled with spiced banana blossom. Beyond bar bites, Kotuwa’s menu is a treasure trove of delicious discoveries, which include mains like Jaffna Duck Curry cooked in a coconut gravy, Malu Baduma, or crispy jade perch served with sour curry and fresh pomelo, and the signature Crab Curry, featuring Sri Lankan mud crabs prepared two ways – with cumin, fenugreek, coriander, and cinnamon or doused in garlic butter, green chili, and Ceyloneses pepper. Make sure to order the plain or egg hoppers to mop up the delicious curries.
Kotuwa is at New Bahru, 46 Kim Yam Road, #01-03, Singapore 239351.
Nou Noodle Bar: Imaginative Asian fare
Boasting stylish, neon-lit interiors, this noodle bar along Craig Road is a collaboration between Petites Ventures (the group behind Foxtail bar) and Chef Petrina Loh of Morsels. The chef applies an imaginative approach to classic Asian fare, centred on a culinary philosophy of slow food, fermentation, and cultural flavours from around the world to nourish body and soul. Her notable skills in experimenting with marinades, umami, and fermentation is apparent in crowd favourites like the robust Nou Umami Noodles served with olive scallion sauce, pickled jalapeno, tea marinated egg and laced with koji tomato fermented hot sauce, or the aromatic Tom Saap vermicelli served with juicy pork belly and spiked with a lacto-ferment yuzu green chilli.
The menu is bolstered by inventive appetisers, such as the moreish beef tongue spam, Alba lamb char siew served with cannellini beans reminiscent of Singaporean satay, and the distinctive mushroom pork dumplings with pidan and umami chilli oil.
Meanwhile, Nou’s co-founder Cheryl Tng and head bartender Bernardine Chan lead the cocktail narrative with a keen focus on martinis. Explore novel kitchen-to-bar highlights such as the Tomato Tomato, a spin on the classic dirty martini which uses repurposed savoury tomato brine leftover from Nou’s house hot sauce; and the Duck-Tini, which borrows inspiration from the menu favourite Duck Mee Sua and is concocted of peppery Duck-Fat Washed Machetazo Salmiana and pickled onion.
Nou Noodle Bar is at 45 Craig Road, Singapore 089683.
Republic: Volume Three cocktail menu
Republic at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore has unveiled its Volume Three cocktail menu. Capturing the bold and convivial spirit that flourished in the 1960s, the new line-up features 16 imaginative libations that pay homage to the game-changing moments, pioneers and cultured shifts that defined the generation.
The menu is divided into four pillars: Icons, Media, Aesthetics, and Innovation. The cocktails in Icons are inspired by important figures whose influence continues to resonate today. Founding Father cocktail, for example, is a heartfelt nod to Lee Kuan Yew’s visionary leadership, incorporating Singapore’s national flower, the orchid, with rum and sparkling wine to evoke sophistication and elegance associated with his enduring legacy.
Media captures the vibrant media narrative of the period. Among them is Woman of the Year, a cocktail that commemorates the pioneering spirit of Her World, Singapore’s first women’s magazine published in 1960. This invigorating gin and sparkling wine-based cocktail is elevated by ginger chilli honey and edible gold stars, signifying the grace and vigour of women’s collective voices.
Aesthetics recognises this era of artistic exploration with drinks such as Visions of Stella. This fruit-punch style drink with hints of coffee and adorned with a slab of meringue, echoes the multi-coloured looped curves prominent in Frank Stella’s works. Finally, Innovation takes guests on groundbreaking milestones and celestial journeys. Try the Bullet Train, a matcha-infused sake cocktail inspired by the Shinkansen.
Do also check out the food menu which has been refreshed. Highly recommended are Grilled Pork Char Siew in a steamed soft bun; Creamy Truffle Arancini, Lobster Gunkan with Laksa Miso Glaze and Mango Salsa; and Salmon Crudo with Passion Fruit Shoyu Vinaigrette.
Republic Bar is at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, Level 3, 7 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039799.
