Can’t decide where to sink your teeth in next? Well, these restaurants are definitely worth a visit this September.
Butchers Club Burgers
It hasn’t officially opened but they’ve recently had a pre-opening party in Clarke Quay where guests spraypainted the concrete walls. And if that’s reminding you a little of another gourmet burger joint, you’re not the only one. Having said that, this place dishes out huge, fuss-free burgers with 30-day dry-aged patties and a slew of toppings like Gouda cheese, pulled pork, srirachi-fried meat and kimchi.
Chef’s Table
Chef’s Table
Pop-up restaurant maestro Chef Stephan Zoisl finally opens a standalone restaurant in the same shophouse where his cooking studio is located. If the name doesn’t give you any hints, the small and unpretentious degustation-focused restaurant cooks up modern European food in front of a communal 12-seater table. Choose between three to eight courses of the season’s freshest produce with dishes like fried pig’s ears and the decadent Doughnut Pte Ltd, donuts fried in duck fat with duck confit, thyme, poached egg and braised shallots (psst, they only serve eight portions per night).
The Daily Roundup
As if The Working Capitol could be any more of a mecca for good food and cool concepts, this crepe and galette cafe opens. The pretty pastel-tinged and light wood space has all manners of Brittany-style sweet crepes and savory galettes with crowd-pleasers like the Nutella-inspired hazelnut crepe and a fresh Italian burrata galette with cherry vine tomatoes and pesto. But if you’re just there for a quick afternoon pick-me-up there’s also coffee and summery pre-bottled cocktails like spritzers and Aperols.
Fifth Quarter
Fifth Quarter
Slated to open sometime in September (if all goes well), this cured meats restaurant already has bragging rights being situated in Kampong Glam’s swankiest new boutique hotel, Hotel Vagabond. Under the care of Chef Drew Nocente, formerly of W Singapore’s Skirt, the menu (and photos) has already got us drooling, with a range of charcuterie-based and grilled dishes like Carabinero prawn with chorizo and potato, as well as lamb loin with pickles and kohlrabi.
Grain Traders
The folks of Kilo have certainly been busy with tons of hip events, chef collabs and a new space in Bali. This CBD cafe seems like the perfect solution for busy execs and corporate drones with its easy build-your-own bowls concept. Whether you eat in the utilitarian-chic space in the new and green office building CapitaGreen or take the food away, look forward to bagels with guac and bacon and bowls filled with striploin, quinoa, brown rice, veggies and hearty sauces.
Maggie Joan’s
Maggie Joan’s
Perhaps this is the year where everyone expands from their original digs as the father-and-son of Moosehead open a new modern Mediterranean restaurant. And it checks all the cool boxes, too, with a hidden door tucked in an alleyway off Gemmill Lane, industrial decor and hip-as-can-be menu of sharing plates and bigger dishes. Nevertheless, the menu sounds pretty damn delicious with plates of grilled Iberico pork jowl with prunes and cauliflower and scallop carpaccio with peas and ham. Definitely a place to take your friends if you want to up your dining street cred.
Raven
Following the open-your-second-outlet trend are the guys behind opulent Tras Street cocktail bar House of Dandy. They’re straddling a double opening with Las Vegas-esque nightclub Rakes and this luxurious-looking restaurant and bar. It’s about North and South American cuisine with an Asian twist here, but it’s all still approachable. You’ll find on-trend small plates of fried baby calamari and fried chorizo croquettes alongside mains of steak & fries and teriyaki-glazed pork chop. Plus, if you’re looking to continue through the night, simply amble your way to the sleek bar and load up on fresh cocktails.
Wagokoro by Hide Yamamoto
Wagokoro by Hide Yamamoto
Japanese chef extraordinaire Hide Yamamoto stretches his reach out of Marina Bay into another waterside location. Taking over Kappo Yorito, he’s kept the Kyoto Kappo cuisine that serves kaiseki courses of fresh, seasonal produce. That means you’ll get both raw and cooked dishes served course-by-course, including must-haves like the duck consomme oden and homemade soba. So it may look like a seriously zen space, but the prices (from $80) that come with the meal probably means that you’ll have to keep this place reserved for special ocassions.