10 must-try bite ideas for 2016
We suggest you kickstart 2016 with these 10 must-try dishes...
Next year should be an exciting one for the Singapore dining scene.
Michelin Guide inspectors will be coming to our shores to inspect and produce our very own guide.
At the same time, there seems to be a return to the simpler ways of dining - rustic dishes and set-ups, inexpensive menus, and socially conscious food sources.
My wish list for 2016?
1. That diners learn to appreciate and tip good service.
2. That we will get more small restaurants with specialised menus.
3. That more local chefs will come to the forefront, joining the great foreign ones we have now.
Until my wishes get fulfilled, here are 10 dishes from 10 great restaurants you just have to makan at.
Show your support!
MEATS
1 What: Salt 'N' Pepper Tripe ($10)
Where: 5th Quarter (39, Syed Alwi Road, Tel: 6291-1936)
Since they took my favourite dish, Pork Tail, off the menu, this is actually my second choice. But it makes a worthy filler for the top spot.
2 What: Hakka salt-poached chicken ($18)
Where: Joyden Canton Kitchen (#02-21, HillV2, Hillview Road, Tel: 6465-9988)
Half a chicken is steeped in a salt and herbal stock, and you eat this with a killer ginger sauce. Just add rice.
SEAFOOD
3 What: Cacciucco alla Livornese ($28)
Where: Capri Trattoria & Pizzeria (3, Binjai Park, Tel: 6468-4886)
If you like robust flavours and seafood, this will leave you weak at the knees.
4 What: Torched scampi ($18)
Where: The Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill (#01-01, One Fullerton, Tel: 6438-0400)
A gorgeous dish with a sauce - made with lobster and crab stock and whipped with butter - that will seduce you.
5 What: Shrimp Porridge ($28)
Where: Boca (6, Bukit Pasoh Road, Tel: 6221-0132)
Let 2016 be the year you try Portuguese porridge, which is made out of bread, fish stock, olive oil and shrimp.
VEGETABLES
6 What: Beetroot ($13), only available for dinner
Where: Moosehead (110, Telok Ayer Street, Tel: 6636-8055)
It's just beetroot with pomegranate, toasted almonds and salted ricotta - but it all comes together perfectly.
7 What: Prawn paste kai lan ($18)
Where: Chef Kang's Kitchen (25, Mackenzie Road, Tel: 6238-6263)
The prawn paste used is aromatic and addictive, but it's the pork lard that takes this dish over the edge. Very satisfying.
8 What: Cabbage ($10)
Where: Humpback (18, Bukit Pasoh Road, Tel: 9772-9896)
If you've been meaning to add vegetables to your diet, start here. It's a simple dish - just charred cabbage with a sprinkling of cheese and oil -but it's marvellous.
DESSERTS
9 What: Condensed Milk & Milo golden toast ($3.80)
Where: Tuk Tuk Cha (Suntec City Tower 3, Sun Plaza, Tampines 1, Raffles City)
This year's guilty pleasure is as sinful as it is glorious. Any time you feel down, eat one of these crispy babies. It's an instant mood-lifter.
10 What: Buah keluak ice cream ($6 per scoop)
Where: The Quarters (#01-09, Icon Village, 12, Gopeng Road, Tel: 6834-4174)
This Sin-Mod restaurant has a few innovative dishes, but it's this ice cream accompanying the brownie that is memorable - nutty, earthy and sexy.
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