Kelvin Khoo Online

JAPANESE family restaurant Tampopo has raised its culinary game - and not just because it moved up recently from its basement location at Liang Court Shopping Centre to a more prominent space on the ground floor.

In its previous guise, it was a landmark destination for casual dining, popular among locals and Japanese expats for an extensive menu featuring simple, good-quality dishes and specialty items such as sushi, ramen and black pig tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets) - all at decent prices.

The all-new Tampopo has all this and lots more, including a new-fangled automated delivery system. The restaurant opened a few weeks ago, and the main difference is a larger, spruced-up space and a section with booths built around a conveyor belt system that delivers food directly to your table.

The system is a step up from the more conventional auto-delivery system and was developed in Japan about 18 months ago. It is available in only a few restaurants in Japan. Tampopo owner Takaaki Takagi read about it in a newspaper and persuaded the manufacturer to let him install it here, making Tampopo the first restaurant outside Japan to use it.

Takagi then tied up with a local company to develop bilingual software for the Singapore market. The functions may be basic, but the system allows diners to order via individual touch screens on their tables, and the specific orders are dropped off via conveyor in double quick time. At the moment, the screens are only connected to the sushi kitchen - orders for other items are still taken manually and delivered by service staff.

‘This is a test case, never used before in a family-style restaurant,’ says Takagi. ‘We are still monitoring the impact but we may be able to save about 30 per cent of manpower compared to a similar-size restaurant without the system.’

The ramen at Tampopo has always been good, but it just got a lot better, thanks to the introduction of noodles made from a special high-quality Japanese flour from a supplier in Ebetsu city on Hokkaido. The previous ramen supplier was also from Hokkaido, but used flour from the US.

According to Mr Takagi, the noodles are in such short supply that they aren’t even available in most Japanese cities. ‘The supply is limited and usually only available in Ebetsu,’ he says. ‘The manufacturer had to get special permission to export. Before, our noodles were high standard - now, they are super standard.’

Indeed, a sampling of the shoyu new Hokkaido version (made with seafood and pork bone stock, $13.80) lived up to the advance billing. Tampopo offers a few different versions of ramen, but the quality is uniformly excellent. The noodles are firm and chewy, with a distinct flavour. Ramen lovers in Singapore have apparently given the thumbs up to the new version, says Takagi.

Meanwhile, Tampopo Deli, a small cake and dessert counter in Liang Court’s basement, is also attracting attention with its Super Light Cheese Chiffon Cake ($5.80 per slice, $48 per cake). The counter was originally meant to supply desserts to the main restaurant but has now attracted its own set of fans. In a market where finding your own culinary niche is key to success, Tampopo is blazing a trail on both the food and fun concept fronts.
By Geoffrey Eu

Bird’s Nest Cafe
160 Orchard Road,
#01-13 Orchard Point.
Tel: 6836-6218

IT may seem bizarre for a restaurant to have part of its dining space decorated to look like a cave for nesting swifts, but for the owners of Bird’s Nest Cafe, it made perfect sense. The six-month-old restaurant is the only place in town with a menu based entirely on bird’s nest, so they merely wanted to emphasise the point.

The decor could be construed as being a little tongue in cheek, but the owners are certainly serious about making a culinary statement through bird’s nest. The cafe, tucked away in a small space in Orchard Point, is a prototype concept and hopefully the first in a chain of much larger bird’s nest restaurants in China and other parts of Asia.

Next month, a much larger enterprise, the Imperial Bird’s Nest Restaurant, will open in a central location in Shanghai. The restaurant is part of an 8,000 sq ft dining complex that will also include a Western restaurant, the Boston Bar & Grill, which will serve steaks and Boston-style seafood.

‘It fits in with the common theme we have within our company,’ says Bernard Tsai, executive director of Starcap, an investment group whose companies in aesthetic medicine and medical tourism, art galleries and food and beverage are focused on lifestyle-related pursuits. ‘We want people to not only enjoy the food but stay healthy - they will have nice complexions and all the things bird’s nest is famous for.’

He adds: ‘We decided on a concept where we combine bird’s nest with high-end food like abalone. Then as we put it together, we thought it would do well in China. The smaller cafe-style outlet in Singapore is a franchising model, while the company will own all the bigger restaurants - linked with our other companies, we will have a full set of high-end products.’

Signature dishes at Bird’s Nest Cafe include braised whole abalone with bird’s nest ($88 per person), double-boiled golden melon with seafood and bird’s nest ($68) and cod fish noodle with bird’s nest and teriyaki sauce ($16.80). There’s also a dim sum combination dish with items like siew mai and har gau with bird’s nest, and pan-friend carrot cake ($7). The bird’s nests are sourced from Indonesia and premium items like abalone come from Australia.

Those who want even more can buy packaged bird’s nest products at the cafe. One kilo of the stuff will cost somewhere between $3,000 and $4,000. ‘We’ll even cook the products for you, any way you want,’ says Mr Tsai.
By Geoffrey Eu

Cheeky Chocolate
233, Upper Thomson Road
Tel: 9623 2930

IT all began with a dream. Aaron Choy’s dream may not be of the Martin Luther King Jr calibre, since it was about chocolates, but it has certainly given him the vision and drive to set up his own cafe and chocolaterie.

‘Being a guy, I don’t even like chocolates that much, although my girlfriend loves them,’ admits the 25-year-old. But he had a dream sometime last year about selling chocolates, and it was so vivid, at a time when he was looking for a job, that he’s been spurred to fulfil it.

Cheeky Chocolate - which opened just two weeks ago - is the result of months of brainstorming for the new graduate, who had studied business in New York. ‘Because the chocolates that are available in Singapore tend to be quite straightforward and mundane. I wanted to sell chocolates with more meaning and emotion to them - because we eat chocolates when we’re happy or sad; and give them as gifts for special occasions,’ he explains.

As a result, his chocolates have names like Happy Hazelnut and Dark & Sexy, instead of just chocolate with hazelnut and dark chocolate; all made with Valrhona chocolate, and priced at an average $2.20 a piece. For the business, Mr Choy took a few crash courses in chocolate-making, but when he finally got the shop in Thomson Road, he realised that he needed to sell more than just chocolates to survive.

‘Even if I sold 300 pieces of chocolate a day, it won’t be enough!’ he says, so Cheeky Chocolates - a bright and cheery cafe - also offers crepes and sandwiches on their menu.

He has hired a young chocolatier to focus on creating chocolates (and desserts), and also a very decent chef who made yummy savoury crepes (check out the Shrooms version which features mushrooms) and an excellent chocolate-drizzled waffle.

Cheeky Chocolate is cheerfully decorated as well, as Mr Choy wants to make the concept welcoming for all kinds of customers, from young families to teenagers to older folk. ‘Looking at the Thomson Road area, it’s mainly residential, so it might be quieter during the day but we get a lot of business at night,’ he says.

For that reason, Cheeky Chocolate offers its full food menu only from 6pm daily, while the chocolates will be available for sale from noon.

Mr Choy’s plan is to have a chain of Cheeky Chocolate shops, but for now, it’s all about making sure his first eatery solidifies.
By Cheah Ui-Hoon

The Village Square, comprising a couple of single-storey buildings that were disused for many years and the spruced-up open courtyard between them, is made up of an arts-themed space and a three-pronged F&B component, that already has eager residents licking their lips in anticipation. The estate is already home to many people in the creative industry and The Village Square is seen as a natural extension to the existing community.

Laurent’s Cafe & Chocolate Bar

IT’S been almost two years since Laurent Bernard, the man behind those distinctive turquoise boxes and some of the best hand-made chocolates in Singapore, opened his cafe and chocolate factory at The Pier in Robertson Quay. When a space in Wessex Village Square came up, he grabbed the opportunity to expand the business and increase production.

‘For me to work as an artisan, it’s the best place,’ says Bernard, citing the artistic environment, the greenery and a sense of like being in a small town in France, where locals gather in the village square for coffee and to pass the time away. Here, he will focus on chocolate production, which has increased five-fold since he started business. ‘Since the beginning, we’ve only had good problems,’ he says.

The larger space will also enable him to devote a section of the cafe to displaying and promoting works by local artists, specifically those who live and work in Wessex Estate. Bernard also plans to move to the area when living space becomes available later on this year.

Customers who drop by can select from a menu that offers the likes of hot chocolate, chocolate souffle and a variety of cakes - not to mention those delectable chocolates, of course. ‘The environment is calm and beautiful,’ says Bernard. ‘When I first saw it two years ago I fell in love with it. We are artisans - I’m not into mass production. I’m happy to work in this kind of place, where, there is something for the eyes (art), the palate (chocolate) and ears (music from Klee, the new bar next door).’

Pietrasanta

NAMED for the Tuscan town where the owners come from, Pietrasanta is the latest family-run Italian neighbourhood eatery to open. Loris Massimini, his wife Jennifer and his brother Giuseppe have created a little slice of Tuscany in Wessex Village Square. It’s the sort of place that works well in Singapore, appealing to people in search of a casual trattoria that serves decent Italian fare.

Pietrasanta - the restaurant - is the personification of rustic charm, and there is also a strong connection to art. Its 1,200-year-old namesake in northern Tuscany is famed as the place where Michelangelo sourced the marble for his sculptures. ‘I’ve been in Singapore for 12 years and for the last 10 years, I’ve wanted to do something in this place,’ says Massimini, who like Laurent Bernard, also plans to live in the neighbourhood. ‘For my wife and me, it’s a dream come true.’

Steaks, pastas and pizza take precedence on the current menu, but owner chef Loris Massimini, who worked previously at restaurants such as Portofino and La Braceria, plans to gradually introduce a full slate of Tuscan food and wine. ‘Sixty per cent of high-end Italian wines are produced in Tuscany, and it’s the same for food,’ says Massimini. ‘Tuscany is the mother of culinary culture and we will slowly turn this place totally Tuscan.’

Klee

KLEE, the cocktail bar located in a separate building next to Laurent’s Cafe and Pietrasanta, is the third piece of the new F&B puzzle at Wessex Village Square and like its neighbours, seems to have captured the mood of the place. Housed in a building that used to be the caretaker’s lodge for Wessex Estate, it exudes an easy sense of laidback cool and savoir faire that people with artistic intent do so well.

Klee, which opened last week, is run by the people who own the Timbre F&B outlets at The Substation and The Arts House. It may be a neighbourhood bar, but don’t expect it to serve wine or beer and peanuts. According to co-managing director Edward Chia, the bar will feature specialty cocktails, made with freshly squeezed fruit juices and premium brands of alcohol.

‘The main aim is to lift cocktail culture,’ says Chia. ‘We will go back to the basics by offering bespoke cocktails, focusing on the product, the level of service and creating a sense of intimacy between the bartender and the customers.’ Customers sit in retro-style chairs alongside a bar that runs the length of the room.

By next month, there will be live entertainment as well, and weekend barbecues are on the cards. There is also a gallery component, with works by local artists displayed on the walls. It may be a different generation from Colbar a stone’s throw away, but Klee, and the rest of Wessex Village Square, has retained the original spirit of the place.
By Geoffrey Eu

6-9 Rochester Park

IF the new outlets at Dempsey Village have taken wining and dining traffic away from Rochester Park, four new concepts opening in the remaining black-and-white houses there soon should entice the crowd back.

Numbers six to nine are four buildings on the elevation above the existing row of Rochester Park dining outlets that opened last year. What foodies, drinkers and even cooking fans can expect is a gastronomical ‘village’ of sorts, featuring a smart casual restaurant, a gastrobar, a bakery and a vodka and caviar bar.

Even as walls are yet to be painted, works of art to be hung and tables re-arranged in all four buildings, the first to open is Cassis, a restaurant helmed by young French chef Eric Guilbert, who earned a Michelin star when he was at Lido restaurant at the Las-Dunas Beach hotel and spa, in Marbella, Spain, in 2004.

Cassis soft-opened this week, but it’s best to give it a couple of weeks for serving and kitchen staff to ’settle in’ and iron out the kinks. The two bars and the bakery will soon open their doors at this ambitious gastro-project, which comes under Caprice Holdings, set up by Singapore-based Tolaram group which is an international conglomerate.

In the process of food ventures in Africa, Tolaram’s folks came across ‘lifestyle entrepreneur’ Mahesh P Ramnani, who had built up a chain of cigar lounges in Estonia besides founding the Gastronomy Society there. With Mr Ramnani heading Caprice Holdings and Italian-Finn Elena Natale as his right-hand ‘woman’, who has also overseen F&B establishments in the Nordic region, we can surely expect a dose of Euro-style management at the new establishments.

The combined energy of Mr Ramnani - Ghana-born, English educated, by the way - and Ms Natale should surely inject some fresh vibes into Rochester Park; on top of the new F&B concepts.

Cassis

CHEF Eric Guilbert made all his male cooks shave bald the minute they showed up for work. We saw a shave in progress when we popped by earlier this week for a pre-arranged media tasting. Guests can easily check out the cooks’ shorn heads by peering through the show kitchen, although all of them still have their hats on, so maybe you’ll see shaved sideburns.

Anyway, that’s a good illustration of the precise nature of the 33-year-old’s cooking. There’s a touch of perfectionist in the fare that we tried, which isn’t your standard French French, but is more contemporary and ‘international’ in feel.

The dishes are sophisticated but not formal, and quite approachable - such as a duet of scallops, served as a flavourful flan and pan-seared. The grilled beef tenderloin was dramatically plated - a very tender, thick and round meat smack surrounded by a moat of creamy celery puree. Those are some of the chef’s signature dishes, including a seven-hour slowcooked leg of lamb which wasn’t stringy, served with a truffle potato puree. Entrees are between $30 and $40, while main courses are between $40 and $60.

Chef Guilbert didn’t go through formal cooking school, although he has taught Cordon Bleu students before. Given his apprenticeship roots - he started work at 15 - all the fine on-the-job training he has received shines through. One should go there with high expectations of this master of the kitchen.

In terms of decor, Cassis is flamboyant with a touch of eclecticism: ’sunken’ outdoor seating surrounded by shimmering ‘pools’; a glass-covered patio with creepers trailing up on curved ladders; and a swanky indoor double-storey dining area complete with ornate modern chandeliers.

Pinchos Gastro Bar

SHADED in deep red and black, the gastrobar flaunts a modern yet rustic feel. It will boast a list of more than 300 quality wines in a walk-in wine ‘cava’, while an extensive menu of nibbles will be served.

Twelve+One

WITH a floor painted macaroon pink and furniture in French country style, this bakery is meant to delight children and the inner child in adults. The name is derived from the 13th century term baker’s dozen, used in times when bakers would characteristically give 13 for the price of 12, thanks to a law which dictated that customers should not be short-changed.

Once the bakery is up and running, cooking and baking lessons will be held upstairs - for adults and children.

Minx

OPENING in May, Minx will be the ‘jewel’ of 6-9 Rochester Park, smacking of Russian opulence. Caviar takes centre stage while drinks will focus on vodka. Caprice Holdings’ owners have had a long trading history in the land of vodka, so guests can expect the best.
By Cheah Ui-Hoon

Polo Club
Singapore Polo Club,
80 Mount Pleasant Road.
Tel: 6854-3999.

THE Singapore Polo Club isn’t the first place you’d think of for a quiet meal in an interesting location, but given the number of restaurants opening in green neighbourhoods (such as Wessex Village Square and Rochester Park), perhaps it’s time to view it in a different light.

Restaurants in the vicinity of The Saddle Club and former Turf Club, such as Mimolette and Picotin, have shown that stables and staples go well together, but it isn’t so well known that the restaurants at the Polo Club are open to the public. The club took over F&B operations from an outside caterer earlier this year, and now offers various dining options at four different outlets - The Mountbatten Room, which is a fine-dining restaurant, a bar, an al fresco dining area and a poolside grill.

The Polo Club was founded in 1886, and along with an unmistakable sense of history, it has retained a veneer of its colonial-era charm - overhead fans, comfy armchairs, trophies in the display cabinet and the clink of gin and tonic-filled glasses on the verandah. On the wall beside the open-air bar, there are photographs of polo-playing luminaries, plus a painting of a scene in India, titled ‘The Game of Sahibs and Rajahs’. And of course, there’s the vast green expanse of the polo field just beyond the verandah railings.

‘At any other polo club in the world, you’d expect a certain standard of cuisine,’ says Dennis Kool, F& B manager at the club. ‘It used to be the same menu at all the outlets, with both local food and Western dishes but now we offer a fine-dining option as well.’

The menu at the more formal Mountbatten Room features a selection of classics such as lobster bisque, stuffed quail and beef cheek, as well as one or two Chinese cuisine favourites, such as braised lobster noodles. ‘In a sports club like the Polo Club, you have so many different cultures, so you want to make sure that you have something for everybody,’ says Kool.

A meal at the club is good value, with a daily three-course set lunch at The Mountbatten Room priced at $19.90. The public pays 10 per cent more than members but in return, you can immerse yourself in a storied venue, have a decent meal and let that peaceful, easy feeling wash all over you.
By Geoffrey Eu