Aburiya is a common name that I have always heard from friends when we talk about Japanese BBQ restaurant. Though I am a frequent diner of the restaurants at Robertson Quay, I only found myself stepping in to Aburiya some time recently. And after my dinner, I can understand why Aburiya has its steady flow of customers nightly.
I like the idea of a small Japanese sushi bar ala hole-in-the-wall concept that caters to its regular patrons and the random walk-ins, and I often wonder why Singapore does not have more of such restaurants. When I dined at The Sushi Bar at Far East Plaza, it fitted the bill perfectly, and was exactly the kind of place I have in mind.
They serve the standard dishes like sushi, sahimi, Japanese-style pastas and donburis, but if you only have room for one dish, you must try the much-lauded Salmon Aburi Sushi (S$14.50). I am happy to report that it lives up to its hype, and it is very addictive satisfying. As it is, The Sushi Bar is already very popular, so try to go there during off peak hours, or be prepared to wait in line.
Just a little gripe – the service is lacklustre and it soils the entire experience. I do hope that the next time I return, I would see more smiles when the servers welcome and wait on all patrons.
The Sushi Bar
#04-28 Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
Mon to Fri: 12.30pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 9pm
Sat: 12.30pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Orchard
Advertorial
Gravity Bar at Carlton Hotel Singapore is the kind of place that regulars would probably prefer to keep it as their secret hideout, and it is not difficult to see why. Not only does Gravity Bar has a superb and extremely convenient location, it also has live band playing music in the evenings. For those of you who are always on the lookout for nice bars with live music, note Gravity Bar down. The resident band plays live music from 7.15pm to 11.30pm from Mondays to Thursdays, and from 7.15pm to 12 midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and eve of Public Holidays. Speak about having the perfect spot at a centralised area to chill out with friends till late!
And because Oktoberfest is round the corner, I am sure beer lovers are getting all excited and mapping out drinking spots. Why not drop by with a bunch of pals to celebrate this annual German drinking event? If you need any more convincing, Gravity Bar has several promotions – a bottle of Erdinger Weissbier is going for S$15 (Usual price S$18), and the Erdinger Weissbier Set at S$60 which is inclusive of three bottles of Erdinger Weissbier and one mini platter of Bratwurst Sausage.
Photos credit: Carlton Hotel Singapore
Oktoberfest aside, Happy Hour drinks are from opening to 8pm daily. It offers an extensive selection of single malt whiskies, wines, international cocktails and delectable finger food.
It is the combination of these collective parts: the atmosphere, the live band belting out live music to get you grooving, the central location, the happy hour promotions, the expertly mixed drinks that make Gravity Bar a place to go for a drink before heading to dinner, or to enjoy the evening while you catch up with your companions. With that, let’s cheers to this fantastic bar and its fantastic October promotions!
Gravity Bar
Lobby, Carlton Hotel Singapore
76 Bras Basah Road
Tel: +65 6311 8839
Sun to Thu & PH: 5pm – 1am
Fri, Sat & Eve of PH: 3pm – 1am
Nearest Station: City Hall
Advertorial
Updated on 27 Apr 2014: LÈ Restaurant is no longer in operations.
Regulars will know that I am a huge fan of Paradise Group. It is really inspiring to see how a small Chinese seafood restaurant at Defu Lane has evolved and expanded to a restaurant empire within such a short span of time.
LÈ Restaurant & Bar at Suntec City is Paradise Group’s latest venture – and its biggest project till date, spanning over 10,000 square feet – consisting of a trendy bar, contemporary restaurant which faces the open kitchen, and eight classy private dining rooms. LÈ offers a complete dining experience where you can indulge in pre-dinner cocktails and tapas, before having a delectable dinner at the restaurant. After the meal, relax at the lounge over post-dinner digestifs till late.
If I were to sum up LÈ Restaurant & Bar in a paragraph, it would be this: polished and well-furnished interior decorations; attentive and genuine service from the eloquent and smartly-dressed staff; unconventional and ingeniously concocted cocktails at the swanky bar and lounge; tantalising modern and refined Chinese cuisine; stylish and sensuous music and lighting – LÈ takes pride in delivering even the tiniest details for an immaculate experience. It is very sexy and it makes you feel alive.
Here are some of the highlights of some of the signature dishes at LÈ Restaurant & Bar.
&Made is a burger joint by the Delicia Group and Chef Bruno Menard, who previously helmed a 3-Michelin Star restaurant in Tokyo.
I have high expectations of my burgers, so I was very eager to try out their renditions. I have been to &Made several times, and while their burgers are made of good quality ingredients, they lack a certain ‘oomph’. In short, they are decent, but not life-changing.
That said, I still believe that &Made is worth a visit for two reasons. First, the location at Pacific Plaza is not only very convenient, but also relatively quiet – I can have a nice dinner without facing the crazy crowd in town. Second, the burgers, while not out-of-this-world good, are simple and comforting – something that I can eat on a regular basis.
NamNam Noodle Bar, a relatively new dining concept by the Les Amis Group, features iconic street favourites of Vietnam. It is not uncommon to see long queues at its two branches at Raffles City and Wheelock during meal times.
The idea of the noodle bar is simple, but very clever. I have always lamented that Singapore lacks good Vietnamese eateries, and NamNam managed to fill a gap in the market at the right time.
Brunch is easily Singapore’s favourite meal. Fluffy pancakes drenched in maple syrup and accompanied by butter, Eggs Benedicts drowned in rich hollandaise sauce, or a hearty big breakfast of eggs, streaky bacons, sausages and toast – it is almost impossible to not like brunch.
In a city that has seen almost every restaurant and café serving brunch on weekends, Wild Honey has done remarkably well. It is one of the first few places that offers all-day brunch. It seems to have the right formula: brunch food made from produce that is sourced from the best in-season markets over the world – with very familiar flavours that would appeal to diners of all agw. There is no wonder both Wild Honey branches at Mandarin Gallery and Scotts Square are always packed.
Eating out in Singapore is getting considerably expensive. Nowadays, it is increasingly difficult to find a restaurant that serves good food at reasonable prices.
When I was at The Clan Restaurant for dinner, I was surprised to find out that it not only dishes out an extensive menu – with offerings of cold dish, side dish, soup, main course and dessert – that you really cannot go wrong with, but it is also relatively inexpensive given the quality of the food.