Indice dei contenuti per April - May 2022 in epicure

Tapas, 24 Singapore by chef Carles Abellán of La Barra de Carles Abellán and El Bulli fame is his first venture into Asia. Abellán is famous for revolutionising the modern day tapas culture with his “designer tapas” creations such as Ensaladilla Rusa with Olives, his signature traditional potato salad tapas. He defines himself as a man who’s happiest when propping up a bar because tapas is in his DNA, and it’s the most traditional bars and tapas that are his main source of inspiration. Abellán also owns and operates three other Tapas, 24 outlets in Spain (two in Barcelona and one on Formentera, which is part of the Balearic Islands). Born in Sabadell, Catalonia in 1963, a young 20-year-old Abellán worked at Els Pescadors, a restaurant in Prim square in…

Kinou Kinou brings authentic Basque cuisine from southwest of France handmade from scratch by chef Benjamin Tilatti from Bayonne and his team with the French regional products. Kinou is the perfect example of a typical French restaurant where the customers will experience a friendly and busy atmosphere by tasting our rustic, tasty and generous dishes with a very affordable wine list selection. Wine corkage is available at $50, limited at one per table. www.kinou.sg 1-for-1 on Starters Valid from 1 March 2022 to 28 February 2023 Valid from Tuesday to Thursday only. Applicable on Starters section of the a la carte menu and limited to one (1) redemption per table. VeganBurg On 10 October 2010, VeganBurg, the world’s first 100 percent plant-based burger joint was founded and this started a…

Slow down and reconnect with your well-being in Bali at COMO Shambhala Estate. After a two-year hiatus, the Estate is now open and ready to welcome you into its healing sanctuary. Set in a verdant nine-hectare Payangan forest and nestled within the confluence of two rivers, the residential-style retreat is the place to improve your holistic well-being. Stroll within the Estate’s ground where aged trees, chirping songs of the forest’s birds, and the flow of natural spring water from The Source at the Estate provide natural healing. As the flagship of COMO Hotels and Resorts wellness retreat, find extensive range of wellness programmes, a state-of-the-art wellness facility and relish the signature COMO Shambhala Cuisine’s menu. Rest well The Estate’s unique five Residences offer a home away from home. Each Residence…

Current health regulations state that everyone reporting to work on-site only need to do a weekly self-administered Antigen Rapid Test (ART). Upon notification that a staff member has tested positive, employers are encouraged to conduct ART for close contact colleagues and follow Health Protocols (no need to send them home if they test negative). Cleaning and sanitisation are required, but there is no official need to shut down the restaurant anymore. It must feel like a ticking time bomb to each restaurant owner, knowing that at any moment, all it will take to jeopardise restaurant operations is just one staff member to test positive. However, with the recent surge in Omicron cases after Chinese New Year, not only were top-end restaurants already facing declining reservations and increasing cancellations, but most…

AN EXCITING STORY BEGINS IN SINGAPORE What is renowned British chef Tom Sellers’ story? This April, you have the chance to find out as he will be bringing his two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Story from London to Flutes Restaurant at the National Museum of Singapore. For four weeks only, Sellers will lead his core team of chefs and front-of-house staff for their first full-length Asian residency, recreating its aspirational, interactive and playful dining experience in Singapore. Expect an “innovative tasting menu of delicate, masterful dishes” led by the British seasons. Each dish is inspired by a moment in Sellers’ life or the provenance of an ingredient – an edible story of memories through sight, sound and taste. The Singapore residency will feature signature dishes such as the Rabbit Sandwich, Paddington Bear, as…

He may be a familiar face in Singapore’s culinary scene and a prominent advocate of halal products and services for the last 29 years, but chef Mel Dean has lost none of his enthusiasm for cooking, creating new dishes and reinventing old ones. In fact, as the new culinary director of Permata Singapore, he has made it his mission to elevate Nusantara cuisine. Nusantara is an old Javanese term that generally means “archipelago”. The cuisine, Dean explains, comprises Malay, Indonesian, Peranakan, Singaporean, Bruneian, Southern Thai and Filipino cuisines as these islands were all part of the Nusantara archipelago. The 55-year-old chef says he never had the opportunity to work with the right restaurant that would do justice to this heritage cuisine – until now. Under his direction, the progressive new…

Plenty has changed since Bali’s first speakeasy bar opened in 2015. Back then, Baker Street Social was reverently whispered amongst “those-in-the-know” as the place to be for late-night tipples in Seminyak. Hidden from the plain sight atop a barber shop, there was nothing like it. Behind an unassuming door, a narrow room was dimly lit and furnished with chandeliers, chintz lounges and gilt mirrors. There was no menu. Guests could order according to their palate and preference – be it a twist of the classic or an entirely new concoction made from the house-ferments and infused spirits. For the longest time, the cocktail menus in Bali were dominated by funky concoctions in neon colours and dubious ingredients. The general rule when one went for a night out was to stick…

“Frmentation is the future of cooking,” declares chef-patron René Redzepi of three-Michelin-starred Noma and four-time winner of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants award in his cookbook The Noma Guide to Fermentation. Here, Redzepi and co-author David Zilber (Noma’s fermentation lab head) spotlight Noma-inspired ferments such as koji, misos and black fruits versus better known ferments like sauerkraut. Redzepi has long been heralded for his foraging and fermenting techniques, and even has his own fermentation lab for the restaurant. He likens the process to Lego where the more ferments you have, the more flavours you can build, which makes cooking much easier. FERMENTED FOODS ARE HEALTHY So when an award-winning chef like Redzepi believes in fermentation to the extent that it is the restaurant’s main pillar (there isn’t a single menu…

The movie The Power of the Dog has already picked up the top two prizes at the British Academy Film Awards: Best Film and Best Director. By the time this feature is published, it may or may not have won Best Picture at the 94th Academy Awards and some of the 11 other awards it was nominated for, including Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Jane Campion’s slow-burn Western psychological drama already won hearts with its stirring portrayal of Benedict Cumberbatch as a charismatic rancher and his conflicts with his brother’s new wife and her son. Apart from the brilliant directing, solid acting ensemble, poetic cinematography, and haunting music score, the sweeping landscape successfully steals the show. Campion decided to shoot the entire movie in…

With the rainy season behind us, it’s time to get fired up and enjoy a good cookout. In Singapore, a barbecue often involves boisterous gatherings with family and friends, all huddled together around the pit, first trying to light the charcoal, fanning the flames, arguing who should do the cooking, then getting covered in smoke and grease. And that’s even before the meat has touched the grill. The end result, however, is often worth the sweat and heat, because the smoky and succulent flavours of charcoal-grilled foods are hard to beat. Founder and grill master of Fyregrill (Singapore’s only integrated multi-brand barbecue retail store and academy), Desmond Tan, explains why: “As the meat cooks, the drippings which contain fats, sugars and proteins vaporise upon hitting the hot charcoal and rise…

A lot has been said about the sparkling blue curves of Jimbaran Bay or the magnificent laps one can do in Sundara’s 57-metre beachfront infinity pool. The hypnotic sound of waves lapping on the beach at the tranquil bay is sufficient to heal the blues, but add good food and tasty tipples into the equation and one immediately understands why Sundara is known as the island’s favourite dining, drinking and all-day relaxation destination. Weaving the island’s age-old craftsmanship with vernacular materials, the 2,500-square-metre establishment delicately frames the bay. Whether one seats at its air-conditioned bar or at the dining room on the second floor, the sea is always visible for one’s viewing pleasure. Tactility pervades the interior, from the wood and rattan armchair to the carved white paras stone wall.…

YARRA YERING DRY RED NO.1 2016 Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, petit verdot  Taste: Matured in French oak for 15 months, this is a Bordeaux-inspired blend crafted in the Yarra Valley. The wine presents a delicious fruit core, edged with cinnamon, clove and sage. It is structural and elegant, and has the potential to develop for another 10 to 15 years. $125, Straits Wine Company DIANA MADELINE 2010 Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec Taste: Farmed biodynamically, this flagship Cullen wine spent 19 months in 51% new oak. On the nose, look for dried flowers and macerated berries. On the palate, mulberry, cedar and savoury notes of black olives. It is a supple and elegant sip framed by aged ripe tannins. $205, Hai Choo Wines & Spirits WYNNS BLACK…

JBL CLIP 4 This portable speaker is more than just rugged, compact and lightweight. A quintessential accessory for cycling and hiking enthusiasts, the waterproof and dustproof JBL Clip 4 features an integrated carabiner for you to clip onto your bag or bike (or anywhere else) so you can dive straight into your next adventure. Choose from a diverse range of vibrant, fresh-looking colours that look as great as it sounds, and experience JBL Original Pro Sound and punchy bass for up to 10 hours of playtime. RRP $99, available at www.jblonlinestore.com, Lazada, Shopee and all authorised retailers DIOR VERTICAL ROLLER MESSENGER BAG Adorned with a hallmark design of the French couture house, the season’s new Vertical Roller messenger bag makes for an effortlessly chic day bag to fit all your…