Food

Another new omakase restaurant has opened in Singapore, and this time it is Takahashi – the famed restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza district. The Singapore outlet, which is located in Mohamed Sultan Road, is the brand’s first international outpost. 

The Singapore outlet is helmed by Chef Rinto Sasagawa who has worked under Chef Jun Takahashi for a number of years. 

The interiors of Takahashi is perhaps one of the most zen that I have encountered in Singapore. With rental prices at a premium in the Lion City, most omakase restaurants have little space aside from the counter, chef’s preparation area, kitchen and perhaps one small private dining room. In Takahashi however, they even have a miniature zen garden filled with sand, rocks, bamboo and even a small fountain. It feels absolutely mesmerizing to see this inside a restaurant!

For this occasion, I tried their Shugetsu dinner set which goes for S$320 which includes 9 courses plus 6 types of nigiri. They also have lunch sets available starting from S$180. 

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Rounding up the last quarter of the year, we have new restaurant Imbue opening in Keong Saik Road. A concept by 1855 F&B (the same group behind Born, Path, The Spot, etc), Imbue is helmed by Chef Lee Boon Seng who also happens to be the Executive Chef of The Spot. At Imbue, Chef Boon Seng is taking on the role of chef-owner.

Imbue is a 38-seater modern Asian-European restaurant. Like other 1855 F&B concepts, this is a sauce-centric venue where condiments help to elevate the flavors and potential of each dish.  

Taste Chef Lee’s best creations across two tasting menus: The 8-course Simmer Menu ($198++ per person) and 5-course Infuse Menu ($158++ per person). During my visit to Imbue, I got to try the 8-course menu. 

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In line with Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s closure throughout much of 2023 due to renovation work, the iconic steakhouse Morton’s which is at Level 3 & 4 of the hotel was also closed for a few months. It quietly reopened in September with a slew of new cocktails, grills and seafood.

Morton’s has now been in Singapore for 25 years and remains to be top-of-mind when it comes to steakhouses in the city. The venue’s happy hour was well known for a generation for providing sliders along with an order of a drink. 

Staying true to its all-American heritage, the revised menu still captures the essence of the USA, with classic dishes you’d expect to find in a steakhouse given a small update. 

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It has been some 7 months since Hanazen opened in Chijmes and it has since seen a change of chefs. Hanazen’s new chef is Taisei Iwao who is also Executive Chef in the Lumiere Group in Osaka and chef-owner of Karato. 

Chef Taisei Iwao was recently in town for a preview of the new omakase menu and I was invited over to Hanazen. I thought it was also a good opportunity to compare it with my maiden experience when they first opened.

Hanazen features an open-concept kitchen with counter seating surrounding the kitchen. Around 90% of the dishes in the omakase menu are cooked so diners get to see a lot of action. As this is my second time in Hanazen, I could see how quickly the staff cooks and prepares food for the 16 of us that night. With 10 dishes, the omakase was concluded in less than 2 hours. 

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Le Matin Patisserie, the popular e-bakery by ex-Noma chef Mohamed Al-Matin, has launched a new menu at their ION Orchard location. This comes roughly 8 months after their first physical store opened, with a menu that includes brunch mains, sides, and desserts.

For starters, customers can try the Bread & Butter (S$9), which consists of two whole-wheat milk buns with a side of fermented porcini butter. The buns are baked just right with a slightly crispy crust on the outside and a soft crumb within.

Another new starter to check out from the new menu is the Crab Waffles (S$20.90), which are crispy, nori-dusted heart-shaped waffles made with seafood butter. It comes with a side of umami crab tartare and taramasalata. We were advised to sink the waffles deep into the dip as the crab tartare chunks were quite substantial.

For mains,  there’s the more substantial Steak Frites (S$42.90), a 200g medium-rare hanger steak and slathered in a butter sauce. This dish also comes with a side of house-made fries and charred broccolini.

Le Matin Patisserie’s new lineup of desserts includes the Mangosteen & Lychee Granita (S$14.90), a bubbly cup with mangosteen sorbet, lychee granita and lemongrass bubbles. I found the lychee flavor much more prominent compared to the mangosteen.

The Soufflé Au Chocolat (S$18.90) is an indulgent dessert comprising dark chocolate souffle with a fragrant hazelnut praline. It is quite rich so it’s best to order this for sharing. 

The Lemon Thyme Madeleines (S$12.90) are a welcome treat, having been spiked with lemon and thyme. These were baked to order and was served warm and crispy. It also comes with fir syrup cream on the side.

The dine-in menu is available from Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 2:30pm and 6pm to 9pm. 

Le Matin Patisserie

2 Orchard Turn
ION Orchard
#B2-49
Singapore 238801

6509 8801

La Bottega Enoteca, the Italian restaurant in Joo Chiat Road, recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary and secured the 19th spot on the prestigious 50 Top Pizza Asia Pacific 2023 ranking by 50 Top Pizza, making it the only pizzeria in Singapore to earn this recognition.

As a background to La Bottega Enoteca, it was founded by Antonio Miscellaneo who used to run the private dining “Casa Nostra” in his home in Tembeling Road. I had the fortune to have tried the private dining experience back in 2019 – and I loved it. While Antonio does not personally cook all the dishes at La Bottega Enoteca, he supervises closely and can be often found in the restaurant checking on the operations. The recipes of the dishes also come from him. 

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Noa Lounge is a new Mediterranean concept that opened in the commercial lots of the Mondrian Singapore Duxton facing Neil Road. Part of the Barmuteary Group, the same group behind nearby Olivia Restaurant, Noa Lounge has a wider scope in terms of its culinary offerings in the sense that it has ambitiously taken on the whole Mediterranean region. 

With a menu spanning as far east as the Levant and as far west as Spain and Morocco, one can indulge in mezze for starters, fresh seafood for mains and French-inspired desserts to end the meal. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Alan Devahive who is also from Olivia and also had a 10-year tenure at Michelin-starred elBulli in Spain. Supporting him in the kitchen is Chef Victor Sia who is the head chef in Noa.

noa lounge interiors

Entering the restaurant, one gets smitten right away by the beautiful interiors. I was invited to dine at the restaurant during their 5th day of operations and was given a quick tour by the restaurant manager, Catalin Firanescu. Although essentially possessing one dining hall, each corner of the restaurant is a nod to different parts of the Mediterranean. At the far back is a small Moroccan room with small tables perfect for chilling and drinks, while the main bar area is a tribute to Spain’s bar culture. At the far corner, the wall alternates between mirrors and green grills as homage to French terraces.   

bar area of noa lounge in neil road

While the menu is not particularly wide, the carefully curated selection brings together some similarities from the region. One example is the use of pickled vegetables in salads. 

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