The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Japanese kushiyaki bar with good tempura batter. The must-orders (if any): Special Tempura Don, Kawa Kushiyaki Summary: Situated at The Sail @ Marina Bay, the very misleadingly-named Kimoto Gastro Bar is decidedly traditional in its Japanese kushiyaki bar aspirations, offering an extensive variety of tanned, delectably charred…
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Laidback second-storey Peranakan-inspired bar with a dose of naughty funk. The must-orders (if any): Tuna Tartare Bruschettas, Respite Summary: The group behind Taiwanese bar concept Five Ten launches a Peranakan-inspired bar along Boat Quay, named after their mother. It’s all purple paint-splattered walls, watermelon floats and…
Baked Mangalitsa Kimchi Rice from Joo Bar – grilled Mangalitsa belly, chopped house-made kimchi, onion, mozzarella, pecorino, parmesan, bechamel sauce. It smothers you, douses you and beats you over the head with the fragrance-inclined tail of its cheesetastic agenda, but fan or not of cheese, it’s unequivocally the best pick…
Spicy Mangalitsa Deopbap from Joo Bar’s lunch menu – sliced spicy mangalitsa belly, poached egg, zucchini, spring onion, crispy onion, carrot, white rice. Whilst the bitter and mega-crispy onion rings possessed an irresistible addictiveness and the lean mangalitsa belly – nicely covered in a sweet and mildly spicy sauce -…
Slow roasted mangalitsa belly – thick cut mangalitsa pork belly, onion, garlic, Dijon mustard, spring onion salad. Like an ex-Eagle from BMT who was posted to Guards and just started gymming, this is half chewy lean torso and half slightly caramelized and burnt fatty bits. Essentially the perfect char siew…
Warm kimchi with tofu & spam – housemade kimchi, mangalitsa pork belly, tofu, onion, scallion. Essentially deconstructed Korean army stew. You can merge the disparate elements into a mini stew within your mouth in manner of Power Ranger-esque Megazord transformation. The tofu wore its strong tofu taste with gusto, and…
Baby Eel Paper – deep fried baby eel, chilli salt, lime zest. A delectable cross between ikan bilis and cuttlefish which is crispy snackeroos on its own, but squeeze lime over these babies and they soak up the citrusy tanginess with the absorbency of a Huggies diaper whilst still retaining…