Scott's Grill @ Shaw Centre - Discover Abagold, South Africa’s Premium Farmed Abalone In Its Second Edition of Abagold Abalone Festival

Abagold returns for the second edition of its Abagold Abalone Festival, running from 10 October to 12 December 2026. Farmed in Hermanus at the southern tip of Africa, Abagold abalone is known for its clean ocean minerality and natural sweetness. Its distinct flavour and texture make it versatile, whether served raw, braised, grilled or steamed. For this edition, Abagold has partnered with eight restaurants, each creating a special abalone dish available exclusively during the festival.

House Smoked Trout Salad 5/5

We had the chance to try Abagold Gold over a four-course meal at Scott’s Grill. The meal started with a House Smoked Trout Salad ($26), followed by a Cauliflower Veloute. We enjoyed the salad, which came with crisp mesclun, meaty slices of smoked trout, tender potatoes and tart blood orange. The bread tuile added a nice crunch, while the tangy yuzu dressing brought everything together.

Cauliflower Veloute 3/5

The Cauliflower Veloute was creamy and rich, though a tad too heavy for us.

Grilled Abalone Pasta with Liver Emulsion 4.5/5

Then came the highlight of the meal – Grilled Abalone Pasta with Liver Emulsion ($58). Before being grilled to order, the abalone was steamed in its shell for three hours to achieve the desired texture. Its liver was poached in cream and blended into a sauce with garlic, dashi, shiso and chicken jus. The abalone had a firm, chewy bite that paired well with the al dente linguini. Diced French beans added a subtle earthy note, while the sauce was mildly garlicky and savoury. Together, the flavours complemented the pasta without overpowering the abalone's natural sweetness.

Signature Burnt Cheesecake 4/5

For dessert, we were served the Signature Burnt Cheesecake ($15) paired with a refreshing Blood Orange Sorbet.

The Abagold Abalone Festival offers a chance to explore abalone beyond its more familiar appearances in Chinese restaurants and the perennial Chinese New Year menus. With eight restaurants putting their own spin on this prized ingredient, it is an opportunity to discover how abalone can be prepared and enjoyed in different ways.

Diners can embark on The Gold Trail, a collectable passport that transforms into an Abagold Food City artwork with every stamp collected from festival dishes across six participating restaurants, including special-edition stamps featuring Abagold’s mascot, Abby.

Photos and words by Si An. A homebody who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, the smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Scott's Grill
Shaw Centre
1 Scotts Road
#01-13
Singapore 228208
Tel: +65 8940 3879
Facebook
Instagram
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 1. Take the underpass to Shaw House. Walk to ground level. Walk to Shaw Centre next door. Journey time is about 5 minutes. [Map]

Hello Arigato @ Seng Poh Road - Japanese-Inspired Sandos, Comforting Pasta and Casual Dinner Bites

Since 2021, Hello Arigato has been serving Japanese-inspired sandos that keep diners coming back for more. With six outlets across Singapore, each offering its own outlet-exclusive dishes, the homegrown café has refreshed its menu to bring together some of its most-loved creations from across the neighbourhoods, alongside updated recipes and new additions. The refreshed menu features signature sandos, beloved pasta dishes, savoury sides, and favourites from its matcha and coffee line-up, now available across all locations.

Arigato Fried Chicken 5/5

We visited the Tiong Bahru outlet, which has recently introduced a dinner menu featuring Japanese-inspired tapas and alcoholic beverages, offering diners a chance to wind down over casual bites and drinks. We started with the Arigato Fried Chicken, featuring deboned chicken wings stuffed with juicy tsukune filling. The batter was crunchy and well seasoned, while the chicken stayed juicy and succulent with every bite.

Tomato & Watermelon Salad 3/5

The Tomato & Watermelon Salad ($16) featured dashi-marinated mixed tomatoes and compressed watermelon, served with stracciatella cheese and golden raisin purée, and finished with extra virgin olive oil. The combination of compressed watermelon and creamy stracciatella was refreshing, though I found the dashi-marinated tomatoes slightly unusual.

Big Fish Sando 4.5/5

Moving on to the brand's signature sandos, the Big Fish Sando ($22), previously exclusive to the Joo Chiat and Cross Street outlets, has become one of Hello Arigato's best-selling offerings. It was easy to see why. The halibut fish katsu was moist and flaky, complemented by Japanese tartar sauce, tobiko mayo, American cheddar, pickled onions and shredded cabbage, all sandwiched between soft Japanese milk bread. The combination of textures and sauces made this a satisfying bite.

Porkatsu Sando 3/5

The Porkatsu Sando ($24) features 12-hour sous vide Kurobuta pork collar katsu with a special tonkatsu sauce. The sauce gave the sando an addictive umami flavour, though the pork was a tad dry at the edges.

Wild Kinoko Pasta 4/5

From the pasta selection, the Wild Kinoko Pasta ($18) is a vegetarian-friendly option featuring spaghetti tossed in shoyu butter sauce with assorted mushrooms. I appreciated the savoury shoyu butter base, which offered a welcome alternative to the cream-based mushroom pastas commonly found elsewhere. Crispy kale and mushrooms added extra textural contrast.

Kurobuta Ragu Pasta 4/5

Another pasta worth trying is the Kurobuta Ragu Pasta ($22), updated with ribbons of mafalda pasta in place of rigatoni. The chewy pasta ribbons worked well with the rich, slow-cooked pork ragù, enriched with confit garlic and stracciatella cheese. Basil coulis added freshness, balancing the sauce's richness.

Yuzu Highball, Ginger & Lemon Highball

For alcoholic beverages, the highballs are particularly affordable during happy hour, and we tried the Yuzu ($10) and Ginger Lemon ($10) versions. Both made refreshing accompaniments to the food.

Coconut Orh Nee Cloud, Matcha Orh Nee Cloud

We also tried 2 Tiong Bahru-exclusive drinks: Coconut Orh Nee Cloud ($5.50), an aromatic concoction of 100% natural coconut water topped with Taro Cold Foam. We equally enjoyed the Matcha Orh Nee Cloud ($8.50), featuring Matcha Latte topped with Taro Cold Foam.

The Tiong Bahru outlet's dinner menu adds another dimension to the cafe experience, with Japanese-inspired bites and wallet-friendly happy hour highballs, making it a great option for a casual evening out.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Hello Arigato
58 Seng Poh Road
#01-15
Singapore 160058
Tel: +65 8027 2558
Facebook
Instagram
Website
Nearest MRT: Havelock (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9am – 4pm, 530pm – 9pm
Sat-Sun: 8am – 4pm, 530pm – 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Havelock MRT station. Take Exit 1 or 2. Walk down Zion Road to Tiong Bahru Road. At the traffic junction of Zion Road and Tiong Bahru Road, cross the road and turn right onto Seng Poh Road. Walk down Seng Poh Road. Walk to the destination. Journey time is about 6 minutes. [Map]