- HAZUKI
- SEROJA
- RED HOUSE SEAFOOD
Adding to Singapore’s growing list of impressive Japanese restaurants is Hazuki, the brainchild of the same people behind Sushi Masaaki and helmed by Chef Kenta Yamauchi. The chic restaurant is conveniently located in Ngee Ann City and focuses on Kyoto-style cuisine, which is characterized by fresh, seasonal ingredients that are simply cooked, but handled and presented in ways that allow its inherent elegance to shine through.
The reservation-only restaurant features five menus (three for lunch and two for dinner), ranging from $180-$380++. To fully immerse yourself in Chef Yamauchi’s creations, go for the full dinner menu, which is typically comprised of 10 items that boast the season’s best. At the moment, Hazuki is blessed with a bounty of kegani (horsehair crab), which appears as an elegant starter with dashi jelly and oscietra caviar, and as a main – simply steamed to let its natural sweetness through – served alongside liver sauce and vinegar dipping sauce.
Shirako, another seasonal favorite, is also on the menu, and is lightly torched and paired with an umami-rich chawanmushi. Other seasonal ingredients are added in soups or fried as tempura, but keep an eye out for highlights like the A5 Wagyu Tenderloin with uni and finished with a generous shaving of black truffle, as well as the donabe, which features fragrant kinoko mushrooms and meaty slices of Japanese amberjack.
Visit Hazuki at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City #04-18A, Tel: 6893 1555
- HAZUKI
- SEROJA
- RED HOUSE SEAFOOD
SEROJA
Meaning “lotus flower” in Malay, Seroja is slowly coming into full bloom, on its way to become one of Singapore’s top restaurants. The restaurant shines the much-deserved spotlight on flavors from the Malay Archipelago and is under the stewardship of Kevin Wong, a young Malaysian chef who has dedicated half his life working in F&B, cutting his teeth at restaurants like Meta and Cure.
Seroja’s multi-course Nusantara Menu ($268++) is a delicious, eye-opening journey through the islands of the Malay Archipelago, which begins with a beautiful trio of snacks comprised of beef tartare, obsiblue prawn, and king salmon. This is followed by a fresh Kerabu salad of fresh tuna with a bright citrus-coconut dressing that opens the palate further for the richer dishes that follow. The Hokkaido Scallop is a personal favorite, which is served with an intensely savory sauce of garlic butter and tamarind glaze, begging to be mopped up by the Roti Paung – a decadent pull-apart bread that’s first steamed and then fried.
Of the many dishes that make up the Nusantara Menu, it is the Traders Rice that Chef Wong has the strongest affinity with, where the rare red rice used is harvested by the orang asli in the mountains of Borneo. This is accompanied by fork-tender beef short rib that has been braised for 36 hours and two types of salad. When viewed as a whole, this course is a nod to how people around the region eat, with rice accompanying a variety of proteins and greens.
Visit Seroja at 7 Fraser Street, Duo Galleria, #01-30/31/32/33, Tel: 8522 2926
- HAZUKI
- SEROJA
- RED HOUSE SEAFOOD
RED HOUSE SEAFOOD
Red House Seafood has been serving Nanyang-style seafood for almost 50 years, satisfying generations of Singaporean diners. Today, the family-run and family-controlled business has expanded with a new outlet at the Esplanade, boasting fresh and modern interiors, as well as a menu comprised of well-loved classics and new additions that are sure to earn the stamp of approval from long-time fans.
Rest assured that the seafood options at Red House Seafood are of top quality since the kitchen team takes the living conditions of all the species seriously – from water temperature and oxygen levels to filtration and micro-ecosystem. All this hard work pays off when you taste the signature dishes, such as the Lobster in Signature Creamy Custard Sauce, where sweet lobster meat – first battered and then deep fried – is tossed in a creamy custard sauce. The White Pepper Alaskan King Crab is a showcase of simplicity, proving that not much needs to be done when you’re working with outstanding ingredients. Here, the crab is simply steamed and then tossed with floral white pepper, hua tiao wine, and fish sauce.
Beyond lobster and crab dishes, the Chef’s Trio of Squid Platter is also a crowd pleaser, featuring crispy baby squid, golden calamari strips, and BBQ squid that’s served with an addictive house-made chili dipping sauce. The Chicken Satay is a surprising standout at this seafood-centric restaurant, where succulent chunks of chicken thighs are grilled to perfection and served with a satay sauce that features pureed pineapple and ground peanuts.
Visit Red House Seafood at The Esplanade Mall, #01-14/16, Tel: 6336 6080