[Singapore] Gaston.

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There’s a plethora of French fine dining restaurants in Singapore, but more casual establishments are less common. And those that focus on Bourgogne cuisine, even rarer. New Keong Saik Road establishment Gaston focuses on the cuisine from a region better known for its wines, and does so admirably.

Don’t expect to see the likes of duck confit here, which is a more noble dish than the humble, hearty cuisine Burgundy is known for. Expect the likes of the Croquettes Bourguignonnes ($9++ for 3 pieces/$18++ for 6) made with ham and Epoisses; Epoisses, of course, is a (stinky) Appellation d’Origine Protégée cheese right out of the Burgundy. There’s escargot, of course - escargot is a prized delicacy in all of France, but in Burgundy it’s a religion.The Escargots de Bourgogne (6pcs: $15++ for 6 pieces/$28++ for 12) comes in crispy pastry shells, giving a lovely textural crunch to the chewy bite of the snails.

And of course any self-respecting Bourgogne eatery will have beef bourguignon on the menu. Gaston’s version hails from the mother of its general manager and owner Geoffrey Daurelle, himself a Burgundy native. The Boeuf Bourguignon ($32++) is traditional in the sense that it’s served atop mashed potatoes rather than having potatoes in it; potato isn’t an original ingredient in the classic regional dish.

We like that the range of Bourgogne wines here aren’t on the priciest side; while it does offer some famous names, Gaston also offers more affordable wines from lesser known appellations like from its Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais sub regions.

If you enjoy your French fare, and particularly from rustic Bourgogne, Gaston is it.

Gaston 

Address 25 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089132 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 5pm to 12mn in Mondays; 11am to 12mn Tuesdays to Saturdays; closed on Sundays
Tel (65) 8661 2788

[Singapore] Wanton Fu.

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Went looking for a fried porridge place in Jalan Besar only to find it sadly closed down, but then stumbled on Wanton Fu on the side of a small mall in the area. This specialty wanton noodle shop - as many other food commentators have pointed out - is almost a carbon copy of iconic Joo Chiat joint Eng’s Wanton Noodles, mainly because it’s opened by an ex-Eng’s staffer.

Wanton Fu offers up the “red version” of the hawker favourite - i.e. chilli sauce only - so if you prefer your wanton noodles in a black, soy-based sauce you’re out of luck. What we do like here is that the noodles are thicker than usual - more Korean ramyeon than you mian - and a chilli sauce that’s so (deliciously) spicy it’ll make you tear almost instantly. One wishes the noodles didn’t come as dry, but at least you can help yourself to as much fried minced garlic, pickled green chillies and lard pieces as you want to flavour your noodles. 

And for those who can’t stand the heat in the hawker centre or kopitiam, Wanton Fu is air-conditioned so you can have this hawker dish and enjoy eating it in cool comfort too.

Wanton Fu

Address 380, ARC 380 #01-09 Jalan Besar, Singapore 209000 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11am to 10pm daily
Tel (65) 6935 3072

[Singapore] Paradise Dynasty Opens at Wisma Atria.

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The first thing that hits you as you enter the new Paradise Dynasty at Wisma Atria is its bright decor. Hello Kitty pink is probably the best way to describe it, and if you’ve been to Paradise Group’s Beauty in the Pot outlet at Kinex (formerly OneKM), the intense pink accents everywhere will feel familiar.

In celebration of its opening, Paradise Dynasty has launched an exclusive Beauty Collagen Xiao Long Bao that continues in the colour obsession and is dyed pink. These soup dumplings are a collaboration with Beauty in the Pot and combine the best of both brands - Paradise Dynasty’s popular dumplings filled with the famous collagen broth from Beauty in the Pot. They are not for sale though, and only offered as a complimentary item for every order of Specialty Dynasty Xiao Long Bao ($16.80++ for 8 pieces). This time-limited offer is only available until the end of January and for the first 100 orders per day.

Don’t fret though, as there are new dishes on the menu to look forward to, and my favourites are the ones featuring yellow croaker, a fish with the most delicate texture, such as Crispy Yellow Croaker Spring Roll ($9.20++), and La Mian with Yellow Croaker Fish and Preserved Vegetable ($16.80++).

Paradise Dynasty is offering a whooping 50% off all ala carte food items on 19 and 20 January for Paradise Gourmet Rewards members, and Citibank debit and credit card members who dine in. Reservations will not be accepted for these two days so be prepared to queue!

- Esther

Paradise Dynasty (Wisma Atria)

Address 35 Orchard Road Wisma Atria #01-18. Singapore 238877 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11am to 10pm Mondays to Fridays; 10.30am to 10pm Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays
Tel (65) 6219 3931

[Singapore] Mrs Pho House.

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Despite living near Joo Chiat - home not only to Singapore’s Peranakan culture but also a sizeable Vietnamese enclave - we’re actually not as familiar with Vietnamese food as should really be. A recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) did open up our eyes - and palate - to the cuisines of Indochina, and we resolved to learn more.

Which brought us to Mrs Pho House. We previously visited the original Mrs Pho at Beach Road, and when they finally opened a bigger space at Rangoon Road we knew we had to visit. Unlike Mrs Pho which is more focused on pho, Mrs Pho House offers a variety of Vietnamese home-cooked dishes. The Bánh Xèo and Chao Tom were decent enough, but the absolute must-order - especially if you’re a fan of cockles - is the signature Mrs Pho’s Cockles. It’s a really simple peasant dish of cockles cooked in minced fried garlic, lard and palm sugar and then tossed with rau ram, or Vietnamese coriander. We guarantee this dish will leave you licking your fingers for every last bit of that fat and sugar-laden sauce.

We’ll need to return at least a couple of times to see if the other dishes are up to scratch, but we’re definitely ordering the cockle dish each and every trip. 

Mrs Pho House

Address 221 Rangoon Rd, Singapore 218459 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 12noon to 10pm daily
Tel (65) 9173 1083

[Tokyo] Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima (新宿割烹 中嶋).

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Don’t do Tokyo’s Michelin-starred Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima if you don’t eat fish - specifically sardines (イワシ). In fact, don’t visit if you abhor curt service, or hate queuing. Don’t go if intend to visit as a big group, or worse, come hauling children (you just get turned away). 

If that don’t deter you in the least bit, Nakajima is likely to be the cheapest Michelin-starred meal you can get in Tokyo. They got the Michelin recognition just by serving sardines - in the evenings, Nakajima offers an omakase meal serving various dishes all featuring the fish. But for pure affordability, visit during lunch hours when they serve four set meals (priced from 800 yen) each of which cook the sardines differently.

For the more squeamish, the Furai lunch set - where the fish is battered in panko crumbs and then deep fried, and served with curried, pickled vegetables - is the best bet. But the signature version here would be the Yanagawa Nabe, which sees the sardines fried as above but then served with egg in a claypot; a fabulous way to eat it. Then there’s Nizakana (pictured above), which sees the fish braised in dashi and soy sauce, and finally a Sashimi version if you want to taste the fish in its most natural form.

We’d recommend the Nizakana and the Yanagawa Nabe options; the portion for the sashimi is middling, and why bother to eat the deep fried version when you can have it deep fried and then elevated with egg in a hotpot?

Shinjuku Kappo Nakajima (新宿割烹 中嶋)

Address B1F, Hihara Bldg, 3 32-5 Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo Prefecture 160-0022 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11.30am to 2pm and 5:30pm to 9.30pm Monday to Saturday
Tel +81 3-3356-4534

[Singapore] Beef Sukiyaki Don Keisuke.

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It seems like F&B entrepreneur and Japanese ramen king Keisuke Takeda can do no wrong; the owner of a chain of casual Japanese food concepts - Tonkotsu King, Tendon Ginza Itsuki, and Teppanyaki Hamburg Nihonbashi Keisuke Bettei, amongst others - earlier this year launched Beef Sukiyaki Don Keisuke that’s proved to be a massive hit for its luxurious sukiyaki beef bowls.

In fact, that’s pretty much all the small, cramped-10 seater serves - you pick either the Beef Sukiyaki Don (S$13.90++) of premium koshihikari rice (cooked in a proper donabe, no less) heaping with slices of US Prime chuck roll, or the more decadent Kiwami Wagyu Sukiyaki Don (S$29.90++) with a generous serving of Yonezawa A4 wagyu beef instead. Your choice is prepared ala minute in front of you, and then served along with side servings of sesame tofu, an onsen egg, traditional miso soup, as well as assorted pickles. 

You can even ask for additional servings of beef - US Prime beef at S$10.00 ++ per 120g serving (120g), or the wagyu at S$25.00++ per 120g serving (pictured) - but the regular portion is more than enough for most. You’re also better off going with the cheaper regular beef sukiyaki don; it’s a lot less fatty and rich but still redolent with a robust meat flavour. The one with Japanese wagyu is delicious but comes with so much rendered beef fat soaking through your rice that can make it rather heavy going.

And at S$13.90++ for the regular bowl there really is absolutely no reason to eat the far, far inferior version from Yoshinoya, and continues to prove Keisuke’s dominance in the casual Japanese dining scene with his blend of affordability and quality.

Beef Sukiyaki Don Keisuke

Address 11 Kee Seng St, #01-01 Onze @ Tanjong Pagar, Singapore 089218 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11am to 2.30pm and 5pm to 10pm daily
Tel (65) 6535 1129

[Singapore] 2018 Staycations.

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It wasn’t until very recently that we decided staycations were worth spending on. It had always seemed to be much more appealing to take a short flight to any nearby destination than paying to stay at a hotel in Singapore, especially when room rates here are typically upwards of S$200 a night. But as we get older, the hassle of packing, travelling to the airport two hours beforehand, and then planning for activities and meals on the trip itself, means we’re tired even before we’ve stepped out of the house.

A staycation bypasses all of that, although what we look for on our local stays (apart from the basic requirement of a clean room with a working shower) is quite different from the expectations of our overseas trip.

  • A swimming pool large enough to do laps
  • Well-equipped gym
  • Close proximity to lots of (good) food

Bearing these in mind, here’s a quick peek at the local hotels we’ve stayed at in 2018 (and in case you’re wondering, no these aren’t sponsored stays).

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