999.99 (Five Nines)
Lobster gratin, 999.99
Hive by Wala Wala
Holland Village stalwart Wala Wala has launched their second outlet at Havelock Road early this month. But don’t expect a complete facelift for the 23-year-old nightlife veteran—Hive may be a little more spruced up than its sports bar sibling, but the chilled-out atmosphere remains. The 430-seater houses a bottle shop, bakery, cigar room and a restaurant and bar, with live music acts and typical pub grub. Fuel up with reliable dude food like chargrilled honey-glazed pork ribs with Maker’s Mark Bourbon and oxtail stew, and wash them down with wines, beer or other spirits.
Hokkaido Izakaya
Kakiage tempura soba, Hokkaido Izakaya
Setting up its first outpost here is Hokkaido Izakaya, which specializes in Hokkaido fare cooked using fresh and seasonal ingredients from the precinct’s four town manufacturers—Yakumo, Akkeshi, Furano and Kamishihoro. The menu features the best-selling kakiage tempura soba, made with blackwheat flour ($14), sea urchin wrapped with wagyu beef ($35) and milk hotpot with salmon ($18), all reliable choices for a fail-safe dinner.
Keisuke Lobster King
Clear soup ramen, Keisuke Lobster King
Sparking a queueing frenzy at Clarke Quay is chef Keisuke Takeda’s new restaurant Keisuke Lobster King, which serves up steaming bowls of ramen cooked with lobster broth. For now, it has a focused selection of four different choices like clear soup ($13.90), rich creamy soup ($14.90), miso ($14.90) and spicy miso ($15.90), all of which come garnished with pork belly and chicken char siew slices, prawn dumplings and bamboo shoots. The outlet also opens from 6pm-5am, so clubbers, you know where you can work off your post-party hunger pangs.
Roots Kitchen
London broil, Roots Kitchen
Serving up European-inspired dishes along a quiet lane in Little India, this cafe and bar may resemble generic Melbourne coffee shop with exposed brick walls, industrial finishes and stylish metal chairs, but the menu has hearty and unpretentious items for brunch and dinner. Tuck into plates like egg benedict with caviar ($15), baked camembert ($15), with apple chutney; pancetta with poached egg ($16) and Nagano pork rack ($27 for 200g, $35 for 300g), and cap it off with a curated list of desserts such as the banana bailey ($10), a bread pudding dish with nutella and creamy bailey. Not hungry? There’s a wide selection of beers, wines and spirits, and happy hours are from 11am-8pm daily, with draft beer at $10 per pint and selected housepour wines at $9 per glass.
Sakurazaka
Sakurazaka
Offering shabu shabu sets with premium meats like the F1 Joshu wagyu, Kyushu shirobuta pork and the Japanese Aomori rice-fed beef, Sakurazaka is a sleek and modern Japanese hotpot restaurant by consultant chef Masashi Horiuchi of Shelter in the Woods. Priced between $95 for two for a pork set to $150 for two for a beef set, each set comprises a starter, vegetables, rice or noodles, and desserts on top of a choice of two broths. There are a total of six available—chicken, pork bone, bouillabaisse, ago dashi, beef, and soya milk—but choices vary for each set. And to complete your simmering DIY meal, there are also three different dips (goma, shiyo ponzu and ponzu) to choose from.
Terra
From left: Mojito, seafood chimichanga; Terra
Drawing inspiration from Latin American influences, Suntec City’s new rooftop bar is all about botanical-infused cocktails and sassy bites in a trendy and lush setting. The 353 sq m. area is decked out in wood and iron, with pastel touches and plenty of greens, all reminiscent of an uber cool Brooklyn loft apartment. If you’re feeling parched, then order breezy cocktails like the Viva La Brasil ($18), with cachaca, pineapple, agave and roesemary syrup. It’s not really where you’d go for dinner, but Mexican tapas like stuffed piquillo peppers ($13) and gambas con chocolate, sauteed prawns in spicy chocolate sauce ($14), are some interesting bar snacks on the menu.
