Ladyironchef Cocktail Making Workshop at Changi City Point’s Table Manners on 16 August was a huge success, and we want to thank all our supportive readers for being such a great audience, as well as Changi City Point for putting things together. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Throughout the two-hour long event, Bar Stories’ Head Bartender, Dave educated and entertained us simultaneously with his useful bartending demonstrations. His kooky sense of humour was also something everyone enjoyed while the crowd engaged in learning and preparing four delicious samples of Dave’s cocktail concoctions.

We sincerely hope that everyone had a great time learning about the fundamental preparations of cocktails. It was such a pleasure meeting our lovely readers! For everyone else, we would love for you to join us for our next food workshop on 6 September. But now, do read on for the highlights of our workshop!

The Cocktail Workshop kickstarted with mixologist Dave explaining the fundamentals of cocktail making. Dave’s vast knowledge of cocktails is truly remarkable, and everyone was infected by his passion!

From basic must-have equipment to preparation techniques, he went through every single nitty gritty detail that could essentially attribute to the success/failure of your concoction. He even went through the history of cocktails in the most amusing way! Whoever said history lessons were boring has yet to meet Dave.

It was an eye-opening sight as Dave explained the impact when using different shakers, strainers and muddlers etc. Being a professional bartender is seriously no easy feat. There are so many techniques to master and so many things to learn about, e.g. pairing of ingredients. Advanced bartending is a skill that can only be acquired with experience and time.

Fortunately, an economical basic bartending set costs less than S$50 and is great for any rookie who would like to try making cocktails at home. You read that right – S$50 is all you need to start.

A few of our lucky readers volunteered to join Dave on a hands-on demo. From mixing the concoction in a Boston Shaker to straining out the liqueur mixture, we kept our eyes peeled on the steps.

The volunteers did a great job, especially when it was all their first time preparing a cocktail! Alongside with Dave, they went through the preparation of Table Manners’ tasty cocktails, including Table Manners’ SG50 Red Lion Cocktail.

All attendees were invited to sample Table Manners’ delicious concoctions of Rhubarb Caipirinha, Southern Old Fashioned, Passionfruit Martini and SG50 Red Lion Cocktail. Dave as he self-confessed, has a sweet tooth, which explain the relative sweetness and fruitiness of each cocktail we had sampled.

You know you have to head down to Table Manners for more of these alcoholic goodness! You will be in good hands with Dave. And if there is nothing on the menu you fancy, no worries! Just share your preference with him anyway, and he will create something just for you. He’s so talented, and our readers can vouch for that.

The event ended off on a high note with everyone indulging in samples of mouthwatering cocktails and taking part in a useful Q&A segment with Dave. We had an enjoyable time learning how to prepare cocktails and interacting with our readers.

Once again, special thanks to Changi City Point, Table Manners, Dave Koh and our awesome readers for making this event possible! Till the next, which is pretty soon!

This post is brought to you by Changi City Point.

Changi City Point is a three-level mall conveniently located beside Expo MRT Train Station. Hailed as one of Singapore’s largest premium outlets precinct, Changi City Point has a significant number of global retail brands under its roof.

What most people do not know about Changi City Point is the existence of a hidden gem called The Oasis; we love that place. The serene sanctuary is tucked away at a far corner of level one and surrounded by beautiful lush greenery. It is home to four established restaurants and bars, namely FIVE Izakaya, MOA Tiki New Zealand Bar & Grill, RessRoom and Table Manners.

The Oasis at Changi City Point offers a temporary escape from suffocating city crowds and is perfect for after-work drinks, lunch dates and family outings. From now till 16 August 2015, spend S$10 at Changi City Point to stand a chance to win a 3D2N Studio Terrace staycation at Capri By Fraser, Changi City and other exciting prizes. In conjunction with Singapore’s 50th National Day Celebrations, each tenant is also offering a special SG50 promotion.

Read on more to find out what each restaurant has to offer and what prizes are up for grabs.

#1 FIVE IZAKAYA

With a total of four outlets across the Singapore, FIVE Izakaya is a well-known brand, especially amongst the working crowd. S$5 specials are also available on a daily basis!

FIVE Inzakaya also doubles up as a casual eatery throughout the day and night, serving scrumptious Japanese salads, skewers, rice bowls, thin crust pizzas and other tantalizing dishes. Do order the succulent Surame Ika (S$15) – the whole Japanese squid has been sliced into rings and is great for sharing.

Other delicious items that caught our attention were Tsekune Chicken Meatballs (S$6), Yakitori Chicken Caesar Salad (S$12) and Teriyaki Chicken Don (S$12). FIVE Izakaya makes their very own teriyaki sauce in-house and it sure is divine!

With a wide variety of affordable food, cheap liquors and excellent evening live band performances, FIVE Izakaya is an ideal lunch and post-work watering hole destination for nearby workers and residents.

FIVE Izakaya
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Changi City Point, #01-66/67
Singapore 486038
Tel: +65 6604 8255
www.fivebar.com.sg
Daily: 12pm – 12am

#2 TABLE MANNERS

Do not let its name intimidate you – Table Manners is not an etiquette school but a chic-looking bistro serving delectable Italian fare and gorgeous cocktails.

With an enviable display of pressed wooden chairs and table lamps, Table Manners is known for their lunch sets (prices start from S$11). How about taking a seat in their sheltered stunning pavilion with a refreshing Lychee Mojito (S$13) that oversees The Oasis’ man-made garden?

Pamper yourselves with a plethora of gourmet options at reasonable prices such as Truffle Angel Hair Pasta (S$19), Norwegian Baked Salmon (S$22) and Foie Gras Crostini (S$14). Complete your meal with kickass coffee (start from S$2.50), a soothing pot of tea (S$6) or their famous sea salt chocolate caramel tart (S$7.50).

In commemoration of Singapore’s 50th year of Independence, Table Manners’ bartenders (from their sister company Bar Stories) have concocted a special cocktail called SG50 Red Lion (S$10) that is made with lemon grass and goji berries. Diners also get to enjoy 2 for S$15 house pour wines; choose from Alta Vista Classic Malbec 2011 and Alta Vista Classic Torrontes 2011.

Table Manners
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Changi City Point, #01-68/69
Singapore 486038
Tel: +65 6604 7669
www.tablemanners.com.sg
Sun to Wed: 11.30am – 11pm
Thu to Sat: 11.30am – 12am

#3 MOA TIKI NEW ZEALAND BAR & GRILL

MOA Tiki New Zealand Bar & Grill is dedicated to New Zealand’s alcohol. From fine Pinot Noirs to premium specialty craft beers, you got everything covered here.

Best-selling drinks include Weka Apple Cider (S$9 per bottle / S$40 a bucket of five) and Moa Blanc (S$10 per bottle / S$45 a bucket of five). The former is a sweet cider made with Nelzon New Zealand grown apples, while the latter is a smooth wheat beer with hints of spices. You can find up to 12 award-winning Moa craft beers here. A large selection of other liquors is also up for grabs and visitors can enjoy varying happy hour promotions till 8pm.

In celebration of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, MOA Tiki New Zealand Bar & Grill is offering a few drinks promotions from now till 16 August 2015. Enjoy a bucket of 5 Moa Breakfast Beer at S$40++ and one-for-one beer cocktails at S$15++. Choose from the refreshing Moa Diesel Cocktail (well balanced blend of lager, cider and blackcurrant) and Moa Green Globin Cocktail (mixture of tequila, apple cider and blue curacao).

Besides drinks, patrons can too indulge in an extensive menu of hearty dishes; think Moa Beef Burger (S$14) and BBQ Pork Ribs (S$19.50). We also enjoyed the Char-grilled Sirloin Cubes (S$13.50) that were served on an aromatic mushroom ragout sauce.

Affordable 3-course set lunch specials are available daily till 2.30pm and starts from S$10.99++. Over the weekends and public holidays, groups of four can indulge in a set lunch at just S$55++ till 3pm.

MOA Tiki New Zealand Bar & Grill
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Changi City Point, #01-70/71
Singapore 486038
Tel: +65 6636 3353
www.trilogiesofbeers.com
Daily: 11.30am – 12am

#4 RESSROOM

Situated at the far end of The Oasis and across the gorgeous Capri By Fraser, Changi City is RessRoom, a six-month-old restaurant-cum-bar with an ambitious aim of catering to all food lovers.

Hot favourites include the mouthwatering French classic Duck Confit. The duck meat is slow cooked until meltingly tender and its skin pan-seared to a golden brown crisp. The poultry sits on a bed of soft mashed potatoes with orange sauce and served with a generous portion of sautéed mushrooms.

The King Prawn Aglio Olio (S$19.90) is also a crowd pleaser – the gigantic Myanmar imported King Prawn is cooked in a char-broiler and served with stir-fried aglio olio. Meat lovers should not miss out on the Lamb Shank and Char-grilled Peri Peri Chicken.

The all-encompassing menu extends its audience to those of vegetarian diets and even the little ones. Parents can order from kids-size fish and chips (S$12), mini beef burger (S$12) to chicken cutlet (S$12) for their children. Every child will also receive a scoop of chocolate or vanilla ice cream on the house.

Live music will be played on Wednesday to Friday nights from 7 – 9pm. If you are not feeling peckish, why not order a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or a pint of Erdinger and loosen up whilst listening to the live band’s performance? In conjunction with Singapore’s 50th Birthday, RessRoom is giving a generous promotion of 50% off all cocktails from 7 – 10 August 2015.

RessRoom
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Changi City Point, #01-72/73
Singapore 486038
Tel: +65 6636 3226
ressroom@gmail.com
Daily: 11am – 11pm

SHOP, SAVOUR & CELEBRATE

From now till 16 August 2015, shoppers and diners at Changi City Point stand a chance to win alluring prizes with receipts from S$10 onwards. Do note that only Frasers Rewards Members are entitled to participate and registration of membership is completely free. Simply sign up at any Frasers Centrepoint Malls’ Customer Service Counter to sign up!

What you can win

With every S$10 spent, you stand a chance to win a 3D2N Studio Terrace Staycation at Capri By Fraser, Changi City including breakfast for two, S$200 worth of dining vouchers at The Oasis and a S$100 Frasers Centrepoint Malls Gift Card. The first 1000 shoppers with a minimum expenditure of S$50 will receive a complimentary drink at one of the tenants in The Oasis and the first 2000 shoppers with every S$80 spent will receive a S$10 E-cash.

Terms & Conditions

Maximum 3 same-day, same-mall transactions swiped to Frasers Rewards card with minimum $10 spent.

- Frasers Rewards point awarding receipt (s) and retailer receipt (s) required for verification.
- Limited to a single redemption of $10 e-cash per Frasers Rewards member per day on a first-come-first-served basis, while stocks last.
- Receipts from non-Frasers Rewards retailers may be used for redemptions, not FCM$ earning.
- Other terms & conditions apply.

Please check Customer Service or www.changicitypoint.com.sg for more information.

This post is brought to you by Changi City Point.

Valentine’s Day is just a few weeks away, and we have sussed out two recent favourites for you to bring your date to.

At the second level of The Arts House, overlooking the Singapore River is modern French Restaurant Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt (OCF). We like OCF because it is intimate, chic and sophisticated, and serves a superb and well-thought through meal using the freshest produce. On 14 & 15 Feb, OCF is offering a 4-course dinner (S$168++/person) with a glass of Pierre Paillard Grand Cru NV champagne. There will also be live music brought to you by talented artistes from Timbre Group playing your favourite love ballads throughout the dinner.

Start with a Maine lobster salad because you can never go wrong with the sweet crustacean. French Seabass with artichokes, oscietra caviar and vin jaune, wine made in the Jura region in France, succeeds the appetizer. The main course, Beef Tenderloin drizzled with bordelaise sauce and topped with foie gras, is the dream for all meat-lovers. Your sweet ending is the Valrhona Chocolate Royale with coffee crémeux and caramel ice cream.

Be the first 50 to secure your reservation at OCF by making a 20% deposit, and stand a chance to win a ‘Kate Spade Tudor City Lacey’ wallet (worth S$350), sponsored by Reebonz.com. Please refer to  OCF’s website for terms and conditions.

Olivia Cassivelaun Fancourt (OCF)
#02-02, The Arts House
1 Old Parliament Lane
Tel: +65 6333 9312
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Raffles Place

For a more affordable option, head to Table Manners at Changi City Point. It is a casual, unpretentious and a fun space where you can go with your partner to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Or with a group of girlfriends for a great catch up.

This Valentine’s Day, Chef Raphael Chua has prepared a 3-course dinner (S$52/person) which will be available from 12 to 15 Feb. For appetizer, you will be served the sweet Lobster Bisque with huge chunks of lobster flesh. There are two choices for main course: a 12-hour Braised Beef Short Ribs, or the beautiful oven-baked Atlantic Cod Fish that is encrusted with an ebiko sauce. Both main courses come with the truffle mash potatoes and eggplant caponata. Complete your dinner with a delectable serving of Hazelnut Opera, served with vanilla bean ice cream.

The first 52 pairs of couples who order the Valentine’s Day set will receive over S$30 worth of beauty products, sponsored by L’Oreal.

Table Manners
#01-68/69 Changi City Point
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Tel: +65 6604 7669
Daily: 11.30am to 12am
Nearest Station: Expo

This post is brought to you by A Thousand Tales. 

With a name as quirky as Table Manners, it is hard not to do a double-take when we passed this little gastrobar hidden in a corner of Changi City Point. The sleek layout had been thoughtfully planned, with wooden furniture and quirky quotes adorning the walls, adding a casual vibe to the chic atmosphere.

But what truly makes this place a gem is the timbre-decked pavilion. Set against a backdrop of lush greenery with a koi pond to boot, we couldn’t resist opting for al-fresco dining both times we were there.

The emphasis of Table Manners is on their drinks (they are after all, started by the good people at A Thousand Tales who are behind Cafe Fables and Bar Stories). On-menu drinks include a virgin mojito sorbet mocktail ($9) and an enticing strawberry shortcake cocktail ($16, or $12 between 5-8pm daily). We were told that they are able to customise drinks to suit any palate, even if one were odd enough to crave a spicy or bitter drink.

We sampled a not-yet-named mocktail of watermelon, lemongrass and thyme that was pretty enough to warrant envious glances from the next table. This refreshing citrus drink with ever-so-subtle undertones of herbs had our gastric juices working for the meal ahead.

The menu is comprehensive, with a bar bites ranging from the typical truffle fries ($6) and spicy wings ($7.50) to more creative options like ebiko mussels ($8.50). We picked the mushroom risotto balls ($7.50) and were pleasantly surprised to be rewarded with crispy little morsels that gave way to a creamy mash of risotto. Ask for the accompanying home-made sauce, akin to a less salty version of mentaiko, which brought a whole new dimension to the nibbles.

The aglio olio ($14), a simple dish made exciting by a huge grilled pork sausage, was satisfying if not particularly spectacular. We’d advise going for the pasta al fungi ($14) instead; a generous portion of toothsome, al-dente fettuccine drenched in a luscious pesto cream perfumed with earthy mushrooms and garlic bits.

Pass on the Arcadian Chicken ($16) and Grilled Pomodoro Chicken ($15), which unfortunately tasted like something you’d be able to whip up at home; there are items on the menu that are better worth your calories.

Which immediately brings us to our favourite item on the menu: the King’s Burger ($16), a 70%-beef-30%-pork patty which turned out surprisingly juicy and flavourful. Not a King’s burger without a reason, the sizeable patty was topped off with a smorgasbord of bacon, gherkins, cheese, and a sunny-side up egg, completed with a serving of truffle fries.

We already had our eyes set on three desserts, and we blame the tempting display at the counter. The lemon cheesecake ($5.50) was a piquant, citrus-tinged treat that managed a creamy texture without being overly rich. Kudos to the chef for perfecting the sea salt chocolate caramel tart ($6.50), which was smooth, sticky and oh-so-decadent. The tiramisu was the only disappointment; we enjoyed the crumbly bits with the mascarpone cheese, but a tiramisu simply isn’t one without our pillowly rum-soaked lady’s fingers.

With its hearty grub fare at student-friendly prices, and its after work chill-out vibe, we are sure it won’t be long before this little gastrobar starts drawing in the after-work crowd from the Changi area.

Table Manners
#01-68/69 Changi City Point
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
Tel: +65 6604 7669
Daily: 11am to 12am

Words and photographs by Sarah Lim.