Singapore's best gourmet restaurant -- 53
“For lunch, my favorite from the current menu is the chilled, hand-picked, sweet and fresh mud crab paired with the refreshing sweet acidity of apple -- who would have thought, but the combination works," says Best Eats panelist Shermay Lee about 53.
Known for creatively combining ingredients and cooking techniques, ex-lawyer-turned-chef-restaurateur Michael Han always springs a few surprises on his guests; blame it on his time spent in the kitchens of NOMA and The Fat Duck.
Another highlight for Lee is the wagyu cheek and alliums dish.
"It's made of wagyu beef cheek and cooked for 40 hours with an onion consommé that is braised for another 48 hours," says Lee. "They're so confident of its tenderness that it is served with a fork and spoon only, no knife is required.
"This is the culinary equivalent of Hermes; chic, subtle, elegant, refined, innovative, design and product-driven,” she adds.
53 Armenian Street, tel +65 6334 5535. Open Tuesday-Saturday noon-2 p.m., Monday-Saturday 7-9:30 p.m.
Singapore's best ice cream parlors -- Tom's Palette
By using only cream, milk, eggs and sugar in its from-scratch ice cream, Tom’s Palette has become a strictly ice cream version of Willy Wonka’s factory.
Fans line up for wild creations, such as chocolate stout, salted egg yolk and onion, ice cream made from popping candy (melt ‘n’ sizzle), Chinese herbal fruit (luo han guo) and floral tea (chrysanthemum).
All flavors are produced in Tom's tiny shop space at Shaw Leisure Gallery, where a growing cult following squeezes in for the monthly launch of new flavors.
What keeps Tom's charming is the "mom and pop" concept. Throw some flavor ideas at the staff, let them work out the magic in their laboratory and you may just play a part in creating another flavor to add to the palette.
#01-25 Shaw Leisure Gallery, 100 Beach Rd., tel +65 6296 5239. Open Monday-Thursday noon-9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon-10 p.m.
Singapore's best char kway teow -- No. 18 Fried Kway Teow
For hawker Ho Kian Tat, each plate of char kway teow is treated as a work of art, which is why he makes no banter when he’s focusing on his craft.
“He is generous with his use of lard, an ingredient that hawkers seem to be using less of these days in this health-conscious age," says expert panel member Eric Teo, the president of the Singapore Chefs’ Association. "Not only is he generous with his ingredients and understands when you request for more lard, he has also mastered that distinct wok flavour -- the X factor for such a dish."
Ho has been cooking char kway teow since he was 10 years old and maintains the lessons he learnt decades ago, fastidiously choosing the freshest cockles, Chinese sausage, chives and bean sprouts.
His char kway teow has also jettisoned him to a level of celebrity status. In 2004, he was invited as a special guest for the prime minister’s inauguration based on the popularity of his stall.
Stall 17, Riverside Food Centre, Zion Road. Open daily noon-2:30 p.m., 6:30-11 p.m. (Closed on alternate Mondays)
Singapore's best pad Thai -- Thanying
Fine-dining Thai cuisine is a concept that can be a little hard to understand in a country like Singapore; why would you pay five times more for a dish that can be bought at hawker prices?
Yet Thanying continues to thrive as one of the oldest Thai restaurants in Singapore. Its success lies largely in its attention to detail.
"The fragrance of the peanuts really brings out the flavors of the pad Thai here," says expert panel member and celebrity photographer Dominic Khoo.
Traditional Thai decor with intricate wood carvings and gilded artifacts, attentive service and versatile kitchen adept at handling off-the-cufff requests, add to the Thanying experience.
165 Tanjong Pagar Rd., tel +65 6222 4688. Open daily 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m, 6:30 p.m.-11 p.m.
Singapore's best ramen shop-- Ippudo
Ippudo has developed a sort of cult status since it opened at the swanky Mandarin Gallery in Singapore.
A Hakata ramen restaurant -- there are at least 34 other outlets in Japan -- is run by Shigemi Kawahara who has emerged tops three years in a row at a nation-wide competition testing the skills of ramen experts.
Hakata ramen is a thin, straight variety of ramen cooked in a milky-colored pork-bone broth. Made from several types of flour imported from around the world, the ramen is kneaded to a glossy, springy consistency.
There are also two types of broth offered; aka (red and spicy from a secret sauce) and shiro (white, a rich and creamy broth) and both are made from 15 hours of boiling thoroughly cleaned pork bones.
“This is one place for the best chashu," says expert panel member and food author Christopher Tan. "But go for the ramen only as the service, queue and side dishes can be disappointing.”
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