Over the bridge, though the greenery, round some corners and then through some more greenery again lies the Amara Sanctuary Resort….which houses Thanying – a fine dining Thai restaurant. On this occasion, it was due to a recommendation from a good friend of mine who possibly is as much of a foodie as I am….certainly close anyway. Having visiting the Thanying in the Amara Hotel in Tanjong Pagar, I was keen to explore further afield and see if this relatively new establishment could live up to the stellar reputation of its Tanjong Pagar sister. Arriving at the Amara on a weekday evening, it was extremely quiet (not unsurprisingly – it is Sentosa after all) with only a few tables around the restaurant occupied. To get our palates in the mood for the some sour and spicy food, we decided to order a couple of margaritas, which at $11.50 each...
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When it comes to Middle Eastern restaurants in Singapore, I am by nature anxious. This is the cuisine I’ve largely grown up on, and it’s the food I cook the best at home. Ergo super, super high standards. So when I had a chance light dinner at Kazbar and the exquisite pleasure of the ‘first’ excellent kebab I’d had in Singapore, I had to return, and now this hungry Nomad would sample as much of the menu as possible. Oh yes, here I come habibi! Located at Far East Square, I’d often walked past Kazbar but unfortunately never gave it much thought. It has existed in Singapore for around 10 years now, which in restaurant terms is practically a life-time…so they must be doing something right. Silly me, I should have known. The exterior is pleasant with a good array of bar tables and themed furniture, but it’s the...
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Last year, a flurry of graffiti activity hit our shores. No this wasn’t someone with a death wish – but in fact Kongo, one of France’s most famous graffiti artists – who was here to shake up our perceptions about graffiti. He boldly burst onto our scene riding on the wave of a collaboration with luxury fashion brand Hermes (graffiti silk scarves anyone?), and showcasing his works whilst getting down in a graffjam as part of the exhibition Off the Wall, Down by Law in Singapore, Lah! at ArtSpace@Helutrans. But all that was just for starters because he’s back in Singapore with his explosive graffiti blazing a trail through to one of our absolute favourite galleries – 28th Fevrier (which we recently wrote about here), a.k.a. Dominic Khoo’s 5-minute indescribable space. Cue From Paris with Love, a 2 week long solo exhibition from 13th – 27th April showcasing Kongo’s favourite pieces which shout...
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With a hectic sleepless week behind me, I decided that today was the day for some much needed respite. A good meal and a glass of bubbly was just the thing to do the trick. Stepping into Bistro Soori, I immediately fell in love with the place. It was my kinda place. The decor boasts of artistic thought – black and cream furnishings set in a dark timbered interior amidst tastefully picked contemporary art. But I must rave about their kitchen. The kitchen takes on a snazzy open-concept; sleek, sophisticated, but yet it looks like you’re walking into someone’s kitchen. Though the area was pretty narrow, it looked neat and spacious with swanky equipment, tools and other cooking whatnots all fitting into their own nifty areas. Classy and homely: an epitome of what my dream kitchen will look like in the future! We, of course, jumped at the chance...
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It seems that in the past year, a mini explosion of Spanish/tapas themed restaurants have opened in Singapore. Finally last week I was presented the opportunity to get my feet wet at one these, Bilbao Restaurant and Gastrobar… Ingredients: a well designed and spacious Spanish restaurant, a visiting Portuguese winemaker with 4 of their delectable wines to taste and one hungry and curious City Nomad…Mix, and enjoy. Bilbao is located at Somerset Triple-One. In other words, the ‘other’ side of Orchard Rd. Basically, same sized road just with about 1/10 the amount of people. Perfect. And indeed it’s a fantastic setting for the second floor Bilbao. With a rather large indoor area, boasting a cool tapas bar, my favourite part by far was sitting was al fresco. Now considering this in literally about a 3min walk from the people-zoo that is Orchard Rd, this gorgeous and outdoor area provides...
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After hearing on the wind mention of the Riders Cafe legendary brunch, the opportunity finally presented itself in the form a big Sunday brunch out with friends. The first thing to say about Riders is that it is certainly out of the way, way down off Bukit Timah Rd, down the Fairways and next to the Saddle Club, you can actually see horses riding past the front entrance of the restaurant. It really feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Situated in a gorgeous old colonial-style building, the setting is perfect for brunch… There is outdoor seating but effectively the entire cafe is opened up, so there’s great lighting, and lots of ventilation by fans, but no air-conditioning. Surprisingly however, it’s really quite cool, to my relief. Anyway with a rumbling tummy, I eargerly sat down and began examining the menu…First things first, drink!...
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The word has been out for a while now, some as whispers, and some as shouts… A new food festival…International Michelin Star Chefs… In Singapore? When, when, when? I recently found out that Singapore is apparently the ‘food capital of the world’ in that there are more dining establishments per capita here than any other city. We are a nation that LOVES food. So having a festival that not only celebrates delicious food from around the world but also shines a spotlight on some of Singapore’s local talent is definitely worth a visit. So let’s get down to it. What is Savour? Put simply, Savour is about the love of food. From the 30th March to 1st April, Savour will be taking over the massive indoor and outdoor F1 area. Savour’s primary focus will be the ‘Gourmet Village’, ‘Gourmet Market’ & ‘Gourmet Auditorium’. The Gourmet Village is all about...
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Mesdames et Messieurs! Your attention please….Between the 22nd to the 30th March, Singapore’s first French Animation Film Festival will be taking place at the Alliance Francaise….and after reading about the films playing, it seems a crime not to share this information as soon as possible. It was through the grapevine that I stumbled across this wonderful upcoming festival. I will guiltily admit that even as an adult, I love animation and the idea of an entire festival devoted to the art is to good to pass up. Unbeknownst to many, France has a rich culture of animated films (Asterix anyone!)…but what I particularly like about them compared to other cartoons around the world is that they are so, very, very….French! Whilst often whimsical and childlike in parts, French animation frequently carries much deeper meanings.There are subtle nuances of cultural diversity and differences, their clashes and their coming together. And...
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Having walked past Wok & Barrel on several occasions, I finally visited them last week on recommendation from a good friend of mine who was raving about their food… The concept is basically Singaporean makan classics with a twist, and rather than sweating it out in a hawker centre, you have the pleasure of being seated in a more intimate, minimalistic style restaurant…with air conditioning and a bottle of ice cold beer or wine if you so choose…And indeed I do. I think a lot of people are initially put of by the idea of a more upscale Singaporean restaurant..Myself included. The mentality of: “Well why should I go there when I can get the same food in a Hawker centre and pay so much less?” comes to mind…. So let me remove some myths straight up. 1. The food at Wok & Barrel is fantastic. 2. Prices are...
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Growing up in London, Turkish food was always one of my favourite cuisines. It’s the simplicity that I love. It’s all about fresh, quality ingredients – simply cooked to perfection. So when I migrated south (and east) to Singapore some 3 years ago, it was always something I greatly missed about the cold north. Of course this feeling was only exacerbated when I spent a week in Istanbul before moving here. Error! A week of gorgeous, mild mediterranean weather, shisha smoking, mint tea, and of course wonderful Turkish food. I’d almost given up on my search for quality Turkish food here, when by by a chance exchange between myself and my good friend Giovanni, we finally settled on lunch catch up at ‘Turkish Cuisine’. As you can imagine, I found the restaurant name somewhat…uncreative, but then what’s in a name? And considering the ethos of good Turkish food, I...
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