Foodie News Flash: New Restaurants in Singapore this April

We’ve got the lowdown on all the hot new restaurants in Singapore this month, mama!

Hey, mama! Need a quick shot of inspiration for a night out on the town (no kids, that is)? Here’s our pick of Singapore’s latest restaurants and newest bars, condensed and served up in tasty bite-size pieces just for you.

Editor’s Pick
Adrift –  Celebrity Asian-Fusion Tapas
Award-winning American chef David Myers has come to town. To be fair he has been “coming to town” since 2001 but now he is here to stay, at least in the form of his latest restaurant and bar. Adrift is on the ground floor of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Even on a Tuesday night, it’s already buzzing; the mood lighting coupled with the sexy black and gold interiors sets the scene. Myers’s dishes are playful and fun. The menu of small sharing plates showcases an East-meets-West approach mixing exotic ingredients and global styles, from bar snacks like Fried Oysters with Green Garlic and Lime Dip ($18), to sharing plates of crostini style Beef Tartare, Sesame, Egg Yolk and Chilli ($26) [pictured]. Another bread-based dish to try: the King Crab, Pimento Grilled Cheese ($35) – essentially a very posh cheese toastie, and truly scrumptious at that.

A fun reinterpretation of the Singapore classic “Chilli Crab” is the Black Cod, Mantou Bread, Chilli Crab Sauce ($31) – fried cod in a delicious sweet tangy sauce atop a taco fashioned from mantou – one of our favourites from the menu. Truffle fries? So last season! Instead, try the roasted baby potatoes dusted with umami seaweed powder and salt ($14). For dessert, if you aren’t normally steered off course by chocolate, you’ll need to brace yourself.  The Calamansi Olive Oil Creamsicle ($14) will be recommended strongly. Go with the flow and you will be rewarded! This unassuming dessert is a fantastic mix of chilled creaminess contrasting with zesty sweet and sour notes from the calamansi, with a biscuity tuile ‘lid’ and crumbed biscuit sides for texture – pure genius. Tip: For big shindigs book the beautiful private room styled after an eccentric library.

Adrift, Marina Bay Sands, Hotel Lobby Tower 2, 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956, Tel: (+65) 6688 5657, www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/adrift

Also NEW at MBS!
Look out for David Thompson’s Thai streetfood-style restaurant Long Chim – just opened at MBS. We’ll give you our recommendations when their complete menu is in full swing.

Long Chim, L2-02, Atrium 2, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Tel: (+65) 6688 8888, www.longchim.com.sg

Project Acai – Acai Bowls & Smoothies
Holland Village welcomes the longstanding Brazilian breakfast and snack of Acai bowls – superfood organic frozen acai blended with guarana and banana. The bowls are stunningly assembled with granola and fresh fruit, chia seeds, goji berries, raw cacao nibs, coconut and bee pollen — making this one kickass healthy mouthful. Food this super-duper healthy doesn’t come fast (when you see them lovingly decorate each bowl you’ll see why – anticipate a 15-minute wait), nor cheap, and we wouldn’t expect it to with that ingredient list ($6.80 for a small, $9.30, for medium and $13.50 for large). There are also smoothies ($8.50) – we loved Where My Chocolate Abs of organic acai, chocolate oat milk, bananas, nut butter and raw cacao nibs. Gym bunnies, health nuts and mamas-trying-to-cram-nutrients-into-their-little-sprogs, rejoice!

Project Acai, 27 Lorong Liput, Singapore 277738, www.project-acai.com

Rabbit Stash – Fine Dining Rooftop
The Rabbit Stash has moved from its old hidden haunt near Ikea Alexandra to a burrow up above – on top of the Wangz hotel with its fittingly circular configuration. The city skyline is set out before you but you’ll need to have a drink outside to properly enjoy it. Self-taught chef-owner Mathew Mok turns out pretty plates of fine dining food in the popular formula of multiple-course set menus that will change quarterly (there’s no a la carte). Dinners comprise of seven ($148), five ($108) or four ($90) courses and lunches, two ($36) or three ($54) courses. Flavours mix Asian and Singaporean favourites with European cooking techniques and ingredients. Full review coming next week!

Rabbit Stash, WANGZ Hotel, 231 Outram Road, Level R, Singapore 169040, Tel (+65) 6595 1380, www.therabbitstash.com.sg

Ginzawa – Sushi on Orchard
Sushi Kyu is now Ginzawa. So is it same-same but different? The décor has largely stayed the same with the addition of some screens and art. The chef, Donny Tan, has changed and 70% of the menu is different, plus it’s a little bit cheaper to boot. The Tokusen Hokkai Chirashi Don, which had sushi lovers flocking, thankfully still remains and is down five bucks to $50 – this is still our favourite dish on the menu. A beautiful, bountiful bowl of 11 different types of sashimi including sweet prawn, snow crab, baby octopus (in season), tuna, scallop, flounder and uni on deliciously vinegary sushi rice. It’s served for lunch as part of a set with miso soup, chawanmushi and a dessert but if you ask very nicely at dinner they will serve it up for you then, too. New dishes include the lightly seared Wagyu Tataki ($30) and a Grilled Snapper topped with an (overly) sweet egg topping ($22).

Ginzawa 390 Orchard Road, Palais Renaissance, #01-06/07, Singapore 237781, Tel: (+65) 6736 0100, www.ginzawa.com

Violet Herbs – Affordable semi-fine dining
Our first impression of this modern European spot on trendy Tras Street is that it is very, well…violet! It’s hard not to miss its violet bar counter and lilac seating. The food tagged as “affordable semi-fine dining” sees 3-course set lunches at $29.50 with dishes like Beetroot Carpaccio, Pistachio Crusted Scallops on Butternut Puree, Sous Vide 48 Hours Wagyu Beef Cheek and a Nutella Bar with Baileys ice cream for dessert. Bottom line: tasty dishes with beautiful presentation. The weekday 4-course dinner set will only set you back $42 – great value since a la carte mains hover around $33.  Tip: If you are too macho for the colour scheme, there is a second floor with warm earthy tones instead, and a minimalist private room for corporate events too.

Violet Herbs, 81 Tras Street, Singapore 079020, Tel: (+65) 6221 3988, www.violetherbs.com.sg