CHINATOWN: Caribbean restaurant Lime House has been a fixture of the Jiak Chuan Road stretch since its arrival in mid-2013, and in April they revealed their new and improved courtyard (‘Lime Yard’), which sees the back courtyard transformed from a basic dining area to a more relaxed and tropical outdoor lounge. It’s intended as a place for customers to ‘lime’ – that’s Caribbean slang for ‘hang out’, borrowed by the owners for the restaurant name.

With happy ‘hour’ running from 5–8pm, we thought it best to pay a visit for an after-work drink or five on a Friday evening. We wanted to try the Rum Julep cocktail – a Caribbean take on the classic Mint Julep – but sadly they’d run out of mint leaves, so we settled for the Lime House Classic Punch and the Jamaican Rum Punch, both of which didn’t disappoint.

It should come as no surprise that the drinks menu features rum in virtually every cocktail – even in the sparkling ‘Air Mail’ drink which sees champagne topped up with dark rum, lime juice and honey. Singapore may not be a Caribbean island, but with the help of the equatorial climate, Lime Yard’s tropical backdrop and cocktail menu certainly do their best to try and transport you there.

After an hour of drinks in the courtyard, we moved inside for dinner. The Red Snapper Ceviche and Caribbean Fish Cakes provided a nice, fresh start to the meal. Though not traditional in style, the ceviche came with a delicious avocado puree and the great citrus tang (lime, naturally) that the dish is known for around the world.

For mains, it was impossible to overlook the Baby Back Ribs and Jerk Chicken, both with their own variations of BBQ sauce. Looking around the restaurant, it’s clear that the ribs are a popular choice at Lime House, and you can see why. The chicken was equally delicious, but we found ourselves wishing the portion was a little more generously sized.

All in all, Lime House is a good night out, and Lime Yard a relaxed place to start the evening. It does get a bit noisy inside as the night progresses, so if you’re after a quiet meal, perhaps visit in the early evening.

Lime House
2 Jiak Chuan Road
Tel 6222 3130

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DUXTON HILL: Opening only three months ago, Life is Beautiful is already making a mark on Singapore’s restaurant and bar scene. You could be forgiven for not yet having heard of the place though, with the owners choosing to forgo signage completely (despite occupying a fairly large venue on the corner of Duxton Road and Duxton Hill). Why? Who knows – maybe they’re going for the ‘speakeasy’ thing.

Whatever they’re doing, it’s working. Before turning into a busy bar late at night, food is the focus at Life is Beautiful, with the menu offering a hearty selection of dishes inspired by America’s south – in particular, New Orleans.

Most dishes are intended to be shared, from starters like Absinthe-washed oysters and green onion ‘hush puppies’ (deep-fried cornbread balls) to more substantial plates like the whole scalded catfish or 25oz hangar steak (complete with roasted bone marrow).

Staying true to Southern-style cuisine, there’s not much on the menu for vegetarians – though executive chef Robert Staedler (see our interview with him on page 38) does cite the smoked tomato salad as one of his favourite dishes on offer. Meat-eaters of the adventurous variety might like to try the dusted frog legs with apple jam and slaw, or the gator and fennel boudin (a type of round sausage) with cauliflower puree.

Having started with the tangy and refreshing tuna ceviche and a cheeky Sazerac or two, my dining buddy and I were most impressed by the pot of pulled pork served with crackling and duck fat toasts, which rendered us silent with bliss (if it wasn’t so sinful I’m sure we would’ve ordered one each).

But it was perhaps the simplest dish on the menu – the buttermilk fried chicken – that had us raving to friends for weeks afterwards. Crispy, juicy and expertly seasoned, you get the feeling that this dish is the one responsible for turning would-be one-time diners at Life is Beautiful into repeat offenders.

Topping off the experience within the concrete-clad room is an upbeat, New Orleans-inspired soundtrack and a bevy of waiters dressed like they’re straight out of The Sartorialist. Equal parts hip and homely, you can see why diners choose to stay on after their meal at Life is Beautiful until the wee hours.

Life is Beautiful
99 Duxton Road
Tel 6423 0939

Photos by Olivia Sari

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FORT CANNING: Taking over the Fort Canning site that used to house Flutes (before it moved to the National Museum at the end of last year), Lewin Terrace brings to the black-and-white bungalow setting a type of cuisine it hasn’t seen before: Japanese–French fusion.

It may seem an odd pairing – the richness of French food doesn’t immediately seem compatible with the delicate nature of much traditional Japanese cuisine – but the combination works beautifully under the direction of Chef Ryoichi Kano, who trained under a former Le Cordon Bleu teacher (that should explain the connection).

On offer for lunch and dinner are a number of set menus ($38 or $70 for lunch, and a slightly heftier $120 or $180 for dinner), though à-la-carte dining is also available.

The set menus all start with the visually impressive dragonfruit ‘carpaccio’ (named so due to the thinly sliced dragonfruit) with crab meat and vinegar jelly, which even if you’re eating à la carte is both a subtle and refreshing way to ease into your meal.

Other light starters like the foie gras terrine (complete with ‘crystal’ potato chips) are similarly impressive.

Of the more substantial dishes, the Challans duck sumibiyaki and the Wagyu toubanyaki are of note, and are matched well with the wines on offer (French and otherwise) by ex-Les Amis chief sommelier Daisuke Kawai.

The leafy location begs for lavish wedding receptions and other events, but a quiet lunch or dinner for two is equally as enjoyable at Lewin Terrace.

Lewin Terrace
21 Lewin Terrace
Tel 6333 9905

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TANJONG PAGAR: If you are a true-blue sandwich lover, like me, and find the range in Singapore generally less than exciting, you may like to try one of the newest kids on the block.

Opened in December last year, Gæst makes great Nordic-style sandwiches, as well as a soup and salad of-the-day. On my three visits (so far!) the lunch crowd comprised a good mix of customers eating in or buying takeaway.Great bread sets the scene.

Take your pick from freshly-baked wholemeal sourdough or Danish rye for the four different sandwiches – potato, salmon, chicken, or pork.The potato sandwich ($13) has salt boiled potato, lemon and salt marinated leeks, hazelnut and rye crunch, pea tendrils and smoked mayonnaise sitting between two rounds of perfectly sliced bread.

The pork sandwich ($14) is a crowd favourite with its superbly roasted pork and crackling, orange marinated red cabbage, parsley, red apple and mustard mayonnaise. This is a wonderful combination of tastes and textures.

Coral-hued cold smoked salmon is accompanied by honey with apple pickled beetroot, rocket and horseradish cream, to make a hearty nutritious sandwich ($15).

For a seriously rich creation, the Valrhona chocolate brownie is luxurious. Pair it with freshly roasted coffee for an uplifting treat.

Homemade sodas include lemon with thyme, and also elderflower with rosemary ($5 each).

Weekday breakfast from 7.30am is healthy and light (muesli, eggs and more); sandwiches take over from 11am, and Nordic-influenced pizzas with sourdough base enliven the evenings. Weekend brunch had additional items to suit lazy moments.

It may be confusing to locate Gæst; it is on the corner of McCallum and Telok Ayer Streets, opposite Amoy Food Centre.Gæst’s tiny indoor eating area, overseen by Kim who is of Scandinavian–Asian heritage, is complemented by al fresco seating. His bantering with regular customers shows that they really feel like guests at Gæst. facebook.com/gaest.singapore

Gæst
21 McCallum Street,
#01-01 The Clift
Tel 6634 0922

Born in Adelaide, Raelene Tan is an etiquette consultant and food & travel writer. She has authored four books and has been a regular guest on radio and television.

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BUKIT TIMAH: Located in the leafy Hillcrest Park enclave, is Italian gem Fratini La Trattoria. Though a relatively new restaurant, chef–owner Gabriel Fratini is no newcomer to Singapore.

Having first set foot here in 1988, the amiable chef wowed diners at Sheraton Towers Hotel for several years before opening his Neil Road restaurant and also marrying Singaporean Hwee Leng. Uprooting to Europe with their children in 1998, Mr and Mrs Fratini recently returned here after a 15-year absence, much to the delight of their fans.

The multi-talented chef – also a linguist, exhibited painter and published poet – is passionate about cooking.

After ascertaining diners’ possible dietary restrictions, the chef heads to the kitchen while diners enjoy a fuss-free environment, anticipating the shared delicacies to come.

Depending on fresh daily produce there might be a sharing-platter holding raw salmon with grilled capsicum, scallops enhanced with cheese, and plump prawns with crunchy cabbage. Italian black rice, with each grain its own master, accompanies slow-cooked shin beef which melts in the mouth. Fried chicken balls filled with mozzarella cheese and dressed with mustard sauce are winners for their soft, sharp tastes combined with contrasting textures.

Another favourite during my midday meal with a friend was ravioli parcels enclosing pork and cheese, reposing nonchalantly in a pool of attractive green pistachio sauce; delightful. Paired with colourful seafood pasta, the visual effect was, as Gabriel himself commented, ‘an early Christmas’.

Dessert comprised silky smooth panna cotta, tipsy tiramisu and a memorable – for all the right reasons – chilli chocolate tart.

For the wine selection, diners may happily leave the choice of tipple to Gabriel or Hwee Leng with her graciousness and ready smile.

Set lunches start from $45++, with set dinners from $85++ per person. Make a reservation and try for yourselves.

Fratini La Trattoria
10 Greenwood Avenue
Tel 6468 2868
facebook.com/fratinilatrattoria

Born in Adelaide, Raelene Tan is an etiquette consultant and food & travel writer. She has authored four books and has been a regular guest on radio and television.

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BUONA VISTA: Launched in April this year, UNA attracts with its beautifully landscaped setting in the Rochester Park area, near Holland Village.

Seated outdoors beside green leafy plants and white trellises, with soothing sounds from a water-feature, the main black-and-white bungalow provides a stately backdrop.

Whether you fancy Spanish, Italian or French cuisine, your taste buds will surely be delighted by the cooking of Chef Jean-Philippe Patruno, whose multi-cultural heritage embraces all three.

The menu is easy to navigate, listing regions the food represents, as well as offering plates ‘small’ and ‘large’. During a recent dinner, my companion and I shared dishes, thereby allowing us to further indulge our palates.

An appetiser, from Provence, France, of slow-cooked Galician octopus enhanced by sweet tomato fondue ($21), set the mood. Honestly, this is the most tender octopus I have ever eaten.

For mains, we shared braised monkfish tail accompanied by stuffed courgette flower, drizzled with lobster jus ($33), plus a plate of slow-cooked ibérico pork belly paired with smoked chorizo mash. The crisp pork skin testifies to the chef’s mastery.

Our favourite dessert, from Spanish Catalunya, was bitter chocolate married with hints of olive oil and a touch of rosemary soil ($16), which calls out to aficionados of wonderfully bitter tastes.

The wine list also highlights the restaurant’s signature cocktails, including UNA Cobbler (sherry, Chinese floral tonic, fresh lemon juice) which worked for me!

Launched in August at UNA with much aplomb is Asia’s first Tio Pepe sherry bar. The selection of fine sherries includes Tio Pepe fino and Vina AB with its dark golden colour, both of which may be savoured with tasty Spanish tapas like iberico jamon croquettas, a variety of pimentos and cheese platters, among others.

Finish on a lusciously high note with Pedro Ximenez sherry, velvety smooth and sweet, and indulge in Pedro Ximenez panna cotta topped with crushed popcorn, from Provence, which leaves a long and lingering finish to a satisfyingly delicious dinner.

UNA at One Rochester
1 Rochester Park
Tel 6773 0070

Born in Adelaide, Raelene Tan is an etiquette consultant and food & travel writer. She has authored four books and has been a regular guest on radio and television.

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CITY: Long-term residents might be familiar with Thai Village Restaurants, well-known for Thai-Teochew cuisine. The founding chef retired in 2012, but inspired his son Adrian Lee to open his own restaurant, Tao Seafood Asia, last December.

Asia Square, near Shenton Way, is home to the 108-seat restaurant, including two private rooms, with vibrant red and gold décor, chandeliers and welcoming ambience.

Seafood takes centre-stage, such as Australian abalone, mud-crabs from Sri Lanka and Vietnam, with fresh fish, prawns and lobsters from the region.

Signature dishes of Singapore chilli crab ($6/100g) and pot-roasted crab with glass-noodles ($45) are packed full of flavour. The former, with deliciously tangy tomato and chilli based sauce, tastes even better paired with steamed or deep-fried buns (mantou) to mop up the irresistible sauce.

Pot-roasted items such as crab, or chicken caramelised in rice-wine ($20), are, says Mr Lee, ‘Cooked over an open fire stove and served in the very same pot to retain the fragrant aroma all the way to the customer at the table.’ My party and I found the tender chicken redolent with aromatic rice-wine.

We also enjoyed succulent poached live prawns, as well as steamed soon hock, a highly regarded local fish. My sister-in-law requested crab coated in salted egg; to my delight the meaty pincers were served sans shells, making them easy to eat. Stewed rice vermicelli ($24) was prepared with generous portions of prawns, squid and crabmeat.

Soups, vegetables and bean curd help make the menu a good representation of Singapore-style favourites. The restaurant’s home-made green chilli sauce is not only attractive with its pistachio-green-apple hue, but is also addictive with its tart, hot taste.

For a light finale, try snow fungus with red dates and gingko nuts for the dessert’s health-giving properties. As an added bonus, this dish is reputed to enhance one’s beauty due to being high in collagen.

The restaurant’s logo says it all: ‘Where gourmets gather.’

Tao Seafood Asia
Asia Square Tower 2, #02-10,
12 Marina View
Tel 6844 9969

Born in Adelaide, Raelene Tan is an etiquette consultant and food & travel writer. She has authored four books and has been a regular guest on radio and television.

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