The buzz: Former ad exec turned cheesemonger holds court in her pungent kingdom, a cozy temperature controlled room at the end of an easily missed alley where you’ll find a curated collection of artisanal cheeses you won’t find elsewhere in Singapore. “I want people to know that there is a different world of cheese out there, cheeses that are still made properly, and that world is shrinking,” says Syu Ai Ming.
The vibe: The look and feel is utilitarian basement slash garage workshop—exposed concrete and pressed wood walls, untreated wood shelving, corner sink, and wall-mounted tools at the ready. On a workbench smack dab in the middle Ai Ming portions out her product along with nuggets of cheese wisdom accumulated while working on farms in Europe. The far wall consists of walk-ins fridges with glass doors so you can see the giant wheels arranged floor to ceiling on shelves, cheeses from France, Switzerland and Italy, most prominently. What’s really remarkable is Ai Ming only stocks cheeses from producers she knows personally.
The menu: There are 50-60 cheeses in stock (also tools, accompaniments like crackers and preserves, paraphernalia like knives and graters and even TCA-branded tote bags). Don’t know where to start? Raise your hand and Ai Ming will make suggestions based on the kinds of foods you like (not necessarily cheese)—plus she’ll let you taste before you buy. We usually request a boxed sampler of 2-4 cheeses—on one such occasion leading us to a dense and buttery cave-aged Appenberger and La Sanglee des Couardise, a deliciously creamy, slightly grassy rind that held up nicely to hoppy craft beers from neighbour The Great Beer Experiment—and expect to spend around $15-25. (If you’re wondering why we’re not offering more precise pricing, we suggest you read Ai Ming’s comments TCA Facebook page: facebook.com/thecheeseark)
Why you’ll be back: Ai Ming will tell you it’s all about the farmers and therefore all about the cheese. And it is, mostly. But it’s also about her. Her passion is admirable and infectious, and every visit is an opportunity for discovery. Sign up for one of her nightly hour-long workshops (Mon-Thu) to find out more.
The buzz: Anchor tenant of PasarBella is a grand experiment that has quickly caught on with the public while shaking up the F&B scene with Singapore’s largest selection of top quality imported seafood at prices low enough to cause consumers to (rightly) question the mark-ups elsewhere. The owner, Andrew Tan, is a veteran restauranteur and consultant who developed the market-inspired concept for PasarBella.
The vibe: If Andrew was aiming for San Francisco’s Ferry Building Market or some other pierside multi-use project fashioned out of the shell of a historical building, he nailed it. It’s a giant high-ceilinged space in the west end of the mall, theater-like in appearance but also great theater. Everything is out in the open. Amiable fishmongers stand behind all sorts of fish, shellfish, crabs and lobsters displayed under spotlights. There is shucking and cracking and all sashimi-ing (and a bit of boiling and frying going on in the background)—and lots of visitors taking photos. Technically there are two eateries: a clearly defined Japanese area and an “international” restaurant, which is actually tables set up wherever there is space, including a few large ones set up right in the open, picnic-bench style. You can order off both menus no matter where you sit, however.
The menu: True connoisseurs know that seafood is best eaten raw, so the point of all those fishes on display is for the customer to choose what they want so it can be made into sashimi. A tobiuo (flying fish) might set you back $20, plus a $10 charge to have the meat made into sashimi and the bones deep fried to a crispy, calcium rich delight. Or, if that’s too taxing after a long day looking at spreadsheets, you can order off the menu. An awesome plate of “special” sushi (“tokujyou”) is $43, or a damn good one for $23 (Both prepared with special organic rice from Hokkaido that is steamed in bottled mineral water.) On the international side, you can go a la carte or select one of the boiled/steamed seafood sets—from the mammoth Platter Royale! (2 Boston lobsters, 2 South African lobsters, 2 Dungeness crabs, 6 French oysters, 4 bamboo clams, 1kg king prawns) at $548 to combinations better suited for two diners at $98 and $138. The menu, like OoS as a whole, is a work in progress. By popular demand they added fried items like fish n chips along with lobster bisque and seafood pasta. Another recent addition is craft beers.
Why you’ll be back: Others may claim that their imported seafood is the freshest and their prices the lowest but here it really is. It’s a volume thing. At present OoS receives six shipments per week from Tsukiji (the exception is Monday when the famed Japanese market is closed) amounting to over 1,000kg (nearly double that if you include the 400-500 dozen oysters from France and Oz/NZ) of product. Though sceptical regulars fear he’ll eventually increase his prices—and competitors, restaurants as well as retail, wish he would—Andrew and his wife Joyce Ying say they’re committed to the concept: the lower the price, the faster it sells, the more fresh seafood they can bring in. Did we mention a dozen French oysters are under $40?
