HomeNew SpotsNew Restaurant & Bar Hit List: January 2018

New Restaurant & Bar Hit List: January 2018

by URBAN JOURNEY

Happy New Year! As 2018 rolls around, the Singapore dining scene is looking hotter than ever. And January is kicking off with a slew of hotnew restaurantopenings; fromizakayasand baos, to Mexican and Indian eats. Dig out your list of new year resolutions, scratch off ‘go on a diet’ and add these sixnew restaurantsto the must-try list instead. Happy feasting.

Alley on 25

Situated on the 25th floor of DUO Tower in Andaz Singapore, a new luxury lifestyle hotel by Hyatt, Alley on 25 aims to mimic Singapore’s shophouse alleyways where you can find hidden gems serving up incredible eats around every corner. Except here you’re offered sweeping views of Marina Bay and the city skyline as you meander around the five restaurants and lobby bar. Each restaurant has a different concept like Smoke & Pepper, a succulent BBQ spot, Auntie’s Wok & Steam serving dim sum and rice and noodle dishes, and Icehaus for cold dishes like salads, seafood and charcuterie.

Alley on 25, 5 Fraser Street, Andaz Singapore Hotel, Level 25 DUO Tower, 189354, t. 6408 1234. Opening hours vary depending on the restaurant.

The Bao Makers & Butler’s Steakbar

The Bao Makers has been around for a while, but they recently moved to Jiak Chuan Road and are now offering a brand new concept. During the day this chic cafe serves up the fluffy bao buns you’ve come to know and love filled with fresh ingredients like salmon mentaiko, salted egg yolk and soft shell crab. Come evening the space transforms into Butler’s Steakbar where the specialty is—you guessed it, tender, juicy steaks. The signature dish is the Butler’s Steak, a Black Angus flat iron steak cooked as rare or well-done as you like and served with a side salad.

The Bao Makers, 4 Jiak Chuan Road, 089261, t. 6291 2330. Open Mon – Fri: 11:30am – 3pm, Sat – Sun & PH: 10:30am – 4pm.Butler’s Steakbar, open Mon – Thurs: 6pm – 11pm, Fri – Sat & PH: 6pm – late

Casa Poncho

Vibrant Latin vibes abound at Casa Poncho, a hot new Mexican spot where graffiti seems to bounce off the walls, live bands play hopping tunes and servers bustle about with plates piled high with tasty eats. Try the Seabass Ceviche with avocado, the Poncho el Pulpa with tender grilled octopus on a silky salsa puree, and the wickedly good Chilli Cheese Churros. For drinks a mezcal based cocktail is definitely a must-try, as they have tons of cheeky concoctions made with this smoky cousin of tequila.

Casa Poncho, 14 Bukit Pasoh, 089828, t. 6224 5466. Open Tues – Sat: 5pm – late

Iza

Another izakaya you say? Singapore already has a few, but Iza is fast becoming a welcome addition to the Siglap hood for its tasty Japanese comfort food dishes with a a bit of a twist. Take for example their Four Ton Chawanmushi, an egg custard made with four different types of eggs including chicken, quail, century and salted yolk. Then there is the Unagi Don, a thick slab of BBQ eel with a jiggly onsen egg and sprinkles of nori on top. Wash it all down in true izakaya style with icy cold beers, shochu, sake and Japanese whisky.

Iza, 695 East Coast Road, 459059, t. 6385 2883. Open daily: 6pm – 1am

Meatsmith Little India and Rogue Trader

Popular smokehouse and carnivore haunt Meatsmith gets a quirky Indian twist with their new location in Little India. Here you’ll find a tandoor oven sharing space with an American-style smoker and spit roast, and a menu featuring fusion Indian-BBQ dishes like the Coconut Chutney Pork Ribs, New Delhi Hot Chicken Sandwich and the Bhaji Onion Rings. Also on the premises just upstairs is Rogue Trader, an alluring new bar where you can grab Indian craft beers and cocktails.

Meatsmith Little India, 21 Campbell Lane, 209894, t. 9625 9056. Open Wed – Fri: 5pm – 11:30pm, Sat – Sun: 11:30am – 11:30pm

Uni Gallery by OosterBay

In case the name didn’t give it away, Uni Gallery by OosterBay is a sleek new Japanese spot dedicated to uni, otherwise known as sea urchin. Step into their funky mural-covered space and grab a table or a seat along the bar, then let the uni games begin with bowls of Uni Chirashi with shredded omelet, Uni Aglio Olio pasta, Uni Agedashi Tofu and many more offerings laden with rich, buttery uni. For those who don’t love uni, there are also other Japanese dishes on offer like fresh sashimi and BBQ eel.

Uni Gallery by OosterBay, 7500A Beach Road, The Plaza #B1-310, 199591, t. 9838 8209. Open daily: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6pm – 10pm

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