NOKA by Open Farm Community @ Funan Mall - First Rooftop Urban Farm-To-Table Japanese Restaurant

NOKA, which means farmhouse in Japanese on the rooftop of Funan Mall, is the sister restaurant to Open Farm Community. It is the first of its kind restaurant, offering a farm-to-table concept with its own rooftop urban farm. The farm spans over 5,000 square feet in partnership with Edible Garden City.

Plum Blossom Cocktail 3.5/5

My dinner started with the Plum Blossom Cocktail, which is a very refreshing and appropriate drink for Singapore's humid weather.

Refreshing Tomato Salad 4.5/5

We also have some salads, to begin with. First up is the Refreshing Tomato Salad ($15) which uses ox heart organic tomatoes from Malaysia and garnished with rooftop herbs. The clever use of the yuzu pepper vinaigrette perks up the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Organic Mushroom Salad 4/5

A tribute to the beautiful produces from the rooftop farm is the Organic Mushroom Salad ($18) using golden mushroom and kale from harvested from the farm to table. Holding the plate of salad together is the delicious fresh wasabi dressing.

Kampong Yakitori 4.2/5

We moved on to the snack bite menu, starting with the Kampong Yakitori ($12). The tender charcoal-grilled chicken thigh is so good that I am screaming for a mug of beer to go with it.

Cod Popcorn 4.5/5

You can throw the popcorn chicken aside, the Cod Popcorn ($18) will wow you even more. Soft in the inside and crispy on the outside, it is coated with a layer of sweet chilli sauce. The combination of the textures and sweetness makes it a very addictive snack bite topped with rooftop herbs, spring onion and roasted sesame.

Charcoal Calamari 4.2/5

Next is the black gold which is actually Charcoal Calamari ($15). It is another well-received dish with the dining group. Not forgetting the Japanese garlic aioli dip at the side, which enhances the whole appreciation of the black tempura squid.

Tuna Taku 3.5/5

If you need your carbo intake, there is the sushi bar that offers a variety of sushi. We had the Tuna Taku ($25) which consists of fatty tuna, tuna tartare, takuwan pickle, rooftop herbs, spring onions and rice cracker. It is satisfying but not something that will make you jump from your chair.

Koji Ton-Toro 4.2/5

For the mains, the Koji Ton-Toro ($38) stood out with its lemon garlic pepper sauce that goes really well with the tender pork jowl that has been marinated in rice fermentation culture. It is paired with kale and roasted potato at the side.

Black Cod Saikyo-Yaki 4.2/5

Cod marinated in miso is a classic combination which NOKA executed excellently in their own interpretation. What's unique with the Black Cod Saikyo-Yaki ($38) is the pairing with pulut hitam furikake and sea grape, giving the dish the additional boost in flavours and textures.

Oden 4.5/5

My favourite dish for the night has to be the Oden ($20). It is hearty, comfortable and most importantly, delicious. In the bowl, there is wagyu beef, daikon radish, satsumaage, itokon, tomato and okura. I think I can have this every day. I would recommend adding a bit of the mustard into the soup, lifting the flavour.

Wafu Parfait 3.5/5

Lime in the Coconut 3/5

To end the meal, we tried a couple of desserts. We had the Wafu Parfait ($15), Lime in the Coconut ($15) and Yuzu Cheesecake ($15). The desserts do look very pretty in terms of presentation. However, the flavours to be more vibrant to match up with the presentation.

Yuzu Cheesecake 3/5

As you probably have noticed, NOKA uses traditional Japanese cooking techniques for the farm-to-table concept. Besides the a la carte dishes we tried, NOKA also offers three-course set lunch at $45++ and omakase at $150++ per diner.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


NOKA by Open Farm Community
Funan Mall
109 North Bridge Road
#07-38/39
Singapore 179097
Tel: +65 68774878
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Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left onto North Bridge Road. Walk down North Bridge Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 mins. [Map]

Ash & Char @ McCallum Street - Relaunched and Revamped Into A Chic Gastrobar

Ash & Char at McCallum Street has officially joined the family WEROC Group, who owns and manages a portfolio of lifestyle and entertainment brand. Formally a cafe, Ash & Char has been revamped into a Gastro Bar. With 2 large lightbulbs "chandaliers" mounted on the ceiling as centrepieces, luminating the tuxedo black tables that are matched with sleek black, gold and silver high stools, Ash & Char eases between a cosy venue for lunch during day time and a chill out place as the sun sets.

Crispy Cauliflower 3.8/5

Grill and char cooking methods lie at the core of Ash & Char's concept and I thought this Crispy Cauliflower showcases that fully. Dressed with gremolata, an Italian sauce concocted using lemon zest, garlic, soy and parsley, its sweet, bitter and tangy notes bind well with the slight smokiness of the crisp exteriors of cauliflowers, transforming these humble stalks into addictive bites.

Crispy Kalemari 3.8/5

Crispy Kalemari was ingenious. The rather skinny fried calamari would have otherwise been a rather mediocre cafe side if not for the crisp baked Kale. The color juxtaposition is refreshing, the batter of the calamari was light and flavourful and if there was any bits of greasiness, the crackly kale balanced that out.

Mayura Choco Wagyu 3.5/5 and Signature Char Siu 3.5/5

Two notable items in Ash & Char are their Signature Char Siu and Mayura Choco Wagyu ($18). Rewinding to more than a year ago when I first tasted this Char Siu, it was good but I felt it had a lot of potential to be even better. The honey and soy glaze was moreish yet easy on the palette. As for the meat, those slices with charred edges were extra delicious as the burnt fats tend to melt away with ease, releasing to the meat most of its flavour. If only there were more of such pieces on the plate. However, it seems that nothing has quite changed after trying it for the second time. As for the famed Mayura Choco Wagyu, coming from herds raised with chocolates in their diet, I believe the legendary chocolate flavour would be more pronounced should the meat be treated differently instead of being cut into cubes.

Mentaiko Salmon Aburi bowl 3.5/5

Meant to serve up as a cosy venue for lunch as well, there are a range of pastas and rice bowls to choose from. Mentaiko Salmon Aburi Rice Bowl ($16) is a crowd-pleaser with the layer of torched mentaiko atop the salmon fillet. As much as I love aburi half-cooked style, the salmon fillet is meant to be fully cooked. It gets a bit dry at the skinnier ends but the creamy mentaiko helps to add some fattiness to it.

Tom Yum Seafood Pasta 3.5/5

Tom Yum Seafood Pasta ($16) is one of the mainstayers in the menu. The tangy and fiery Tom Yum sauce is what makes it so popular among their customers. Pairing seafood with it is like a bowl of Tom Yum Gong with flavours being concentrated into a pasta dish.

Creamy Smoked Duck Pasta 2.5/5

As for the Creamy Smoked Duck Pasta ($16), I feel more can be done to elevate this dish that is worthy of their new modern Gastro Pub image. The seemingly dehydrated duck slices can definitely be thicker to begin with.

Char-grilled Waygu Burger 3/5

For classic gastro bar food, we had AC Char-grilled Wagyu Burger ($22) and Fish & Chips ($18). The Waygu patty wasn't as juicy as expected, if not, the light charcoal bun would have been perfect to balance a rich patty. As for the Fish & Chips, what makes it different is the herbs embedded within the batter that seasons the fish naturally.

Fish & Chips 3/5

If you can't make up your mind on what to order, simply go for the WEROC Wings and create a wings platter. One look at the plump chicken wings is enough to whet your appetite. On our platter were Har Cheong Gai ($12/4pc), US Buffalo ($14/4pc), Japanese Teriyaki ($12/4pcs), with side dips at $2 each. They were indeed as juicy as they appeared and the sauces made each finger licking good.

WEROC Wings 4/5

If you have seen or heard about blue wine, here is the chance to try it yourself. Please don't mistaken it as your blue pea flower drink! WEROC exclusive blue wine - Santa Cruz de Alpera Blue Frizzante is an easy to drink wine with tropical notes which makes it suitable for an afternoon tipper, perhaps like 3pm on a Friday? What gives it the deep blue color is simply a food grade colorant. A stronger option would be the Whisky Sour. This chilled and sour concoction is a much needed remedy to wake up the dull taste buds after a long day and I like how the egg white gives it its creamy body and texture.

Blue Wine and Whisky Sour

It is easy to be allured by its grand curve wide frontage where the outdoor bar is, especially when the Tapas and Cocktails Happy Hour promotion starts early, from 3pm to 8pm daily.

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


Ash & Char
21 McCallum Street
Singapore 069047
Tel: +65 91328880
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 1130am - 11pm
Fri: 1130am - 12midnight

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Turn left and walk to junction of Telok Ayer Street and McCallum Street. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Outback Steakhouse @ Orchard Gateway - Celebrating 30 Hearty Years Of American Food And Australian Fun

In conjunction with their 30th anniversary, Outback Steakhouse at Orchard Gateway would like to reward their customers with a '30 and Better’ campaign. Between now till 30th September, enjoy great discounts off your meals that gets bigger as more of you fill up the tables! 30 and better indeed, with that years of experience in serving you Australia-inspired American fare, Outback Steakhouse put together a new menu which offer dishes made with improved recipes and ingredients, fine tuning their steaks to satisfy every angle of your taste buds.

Typhoon Bloom 3.8/5

This Typhoon Bloom is said to be synonymous with Outback Steak, an appetiser set to leave you in awe. Very thinly coated with batter, I was surprised by how sweet and juicy these fresh onion strings were. Spiked with Outback’s secret seasonings, it was really tough to stop the moment it was served to our table, especially so when the tangy dip added on to the pleasure.

Appetizer Platter 2.8/5

Appetizer Platter ($21.90) allows you to try their new Crispy Volcanic Shrimps, Kookaburra Wings and Lemon Butter Calamari. The Volcanic Shrimps was sweet spicy with sriracha aioli sauce and the Kookaburra Wings was finger licking good crispy exterior and succulent meat, not forgetting the blue cheese dip. The calamari, however, tasted very much like frozen stock.

Ribeye 3/5

For steaks, we chose the Ribeye 10z ($47.90) with Coleslaw and Loaded Baked Potato. Seasoned and seared with their secret 17 seasoning blend, the Ribeye was chargrilled over open flame to draw out the flavours from the meat and fats all together. The Loaded Baked Potato was soft and fluffy, my Coleslaw was sadly too dainty a portion.

Baby Back ribs 2.8/5

If you look for meats that fall-off-the-bones, the Baby Back Ribs ($25.90 half) here would probably disappoint you.

Toowoomba 3/5

You might be better off with their pastas which we enjoyed it much more than the ribs. We had Toowoomba ($29.90), the tomato cream sauce was easy on the pasta and worked really well with the prawns. The price can be a lot friendlier though. That's when the discount comes in handy!

Apple Pie 3/5

We had an Apple Pie Ala Moda ($15.90) to sweeten the deal. Although it looked like a "failed attempt" with a flatten crust, when the cold ice cream meets the thick and chunky layers of warm apples in my mouth, the flavours fell into place.

As the level of discount increases with the number of pax dining in, it does make a lot of sense to come in groups and try out more of their new items.

30% off for 4 pax
20% off for 3 pax
15% off for 2 pax
10% off for 1 pax

Terms and Conditions:
· 1st August – 30th September 2018, Monday to Sunday
· Available for a la carte food items only
· No minimum spend required
· Present above image to enjoy the perks
· Not applicable with any other promotions

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


Outback Steakhouse
Orchard Gateway
277 Orchard Road
#04-01
Singapore 238858
Tel: +65 67026842
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Somerset (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 1130am - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Amo Singapore @ Hong Kong Street - New Casual Italian Concept By Beppe De Vito

Amo Singapore is a new casual Italian restaurant by the Beppe De Vito, the man behind the il Lido Group which has several restaurants such as &Son, Osteria Art, Southbridge, Braci and il Lido under the group's umbrella. Upon seated and and placing our order, we were served complimentary olives.

Crispy Calamari with Sumac and Sundried Tomato Aioli 4.5/5

We started with the Crispy Calamari with Sumac and Sundried Tomato Aioli ($22). This is probably one of the best calamari that I have eaten. The calamari was coated in a light batter for a delighting exterior crisp while the innard is soft and bouncy.

Mushrooms, Truffle, Mascarpone and Tuscan Pecorino 4/5

Next we have the Mushrooms, Truffle, Mascarpone and Tuscan Pecorino Pizza ($32) for sharing. The fluffy pizza has a good bite to it complemented by the various toppings. The flavours and texture were spot on. However, I was disappointed that my pizza was not served hot. If not I would have given it a much higher rating.

Grilled Angus Beef Agliata with Sunchoke Fries 4/5

Lastly we ordered Grilled Angus Beef Agliata with Sunchoke Fries ($48). The meat is cooked to a nice pink with a nice crust surrounding it. I also enjoyed the grilled garlic, which I like to mash it and spread it onto the beef. It seems to elevate the flavour further.

Overall, the food at Amo Singapore is really good and enjoyable. The place can get pretty crowded and noisy. Not sure is it because of the mosaic tiles and brick wall, the noise volume is pretty loud, as if one is in a crowded pub. While the food is good, it may not be ideal for an intimate dining date.


Amo Singapore
33 Hong Kong Street
Singapore 059672
Tel: +65 67237733
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Clark Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 6pm - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Clark Quay MRT station. Take Exit E. Cross the road using the overhead bridge. Turn left and walk down New Bridge Road. Turn left onto Hong Kong Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

One Farrer Hotel & Spa X Da Paolo Group - An Italian Dining Collaboration

For a limited period, One Farrer Hotel & Spa is collaborating with Da Paolo Group to bring an Italian Dining experience to its residents and patrons. The 6 course dining menu priced at $75++ will be available on every Friday from now until 29 December 2017.

For the inaugural collaboration between the hotel and Da Paolo Group, diners can look forward to a quintessential menu consisting of homemade pastas, meats and seafood.

Antipasto 3.5/5

Our dinner started with 4 different types of Antipasto. The chef's choice for the day comes with Fried Mushoom Ball, Tomato Bruschetta, Octopus Bruschetta and Calamari. A delightful selections to whet up the appetite.

Grilled Lobster Salad 4/5

Parma Ham & Fresh Melon 4/5

For the Starters, diners have the choice of Grilled Lobster Salad and Parma Ham & Fresh Melon. The grilled lobster salad comes with avocado, black olive soil and pommery mustard dressing. A light yet refreshing salad to kick start the dinner. The parma ham & fresh melon, a classic combination that works regardless of time.

Spaghetti al Granchio 4.2/5

Ravioli di Vitello con Pomodoro e Grana Padano 4.5/5

For Pasta, diners have the choices of Spaghetti, Ravioli and Tagliatelle. We tried both the spaghetti and ravioli. The Spaghetti al Granchio, tossed in a tomato and cream sauce works wonderfully with the al dente spaghetti, complemented by the fresh crabmeat. While the spaghetti was really good, I love the Ravioli di Vitello con Pomodoro e Grana Padano even more. The homemade ravioli filled with braised veal, has the right balance of pasta to stuffing ratio, paired excellently by the red wine jus. If you do not like spaghetti or ravioli, there is the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, homemade egg pasta in beef ragout, simmered in red wine and tomatoes.

Pan Seared Barramundi 4/5

Baked Chicken Roulade 4.2/5

Moving to the Mains, diners have the choice of Pan Seared Barramundi or Baked Chicken Roulade. The Pan Seared Barramudi comes with pumpkin carpaccio, tuscan kale and arrabbiata salsa. My favourite part is the crispy skin of the pan seared barramundi.  I also enjoyed the hint of spiciness from the arrabiata salsa which complemented the moist barramundi excellently. The Baked Chicken Roulade is packed with flavours and textures. The tender chicken meat is filled with sauteed mushroom and black truffle. It is laid on a bed of parmigiano and truffle risotto with forest berry red wine jus, confit cherry tomato and white asparagus slices.

Da Paolo's Signature Tiramisu 4.5/5

Cannoli Siciliani 4/5

For Dessert, one can go for the Da Paolo's Signature Tiramisu or Cannoli Siciliani. My dining friends were sharing with me how how good is Da Paolo's tiramisu and after savouring it, I could not agree more with them. The whole execution was nicely balanced and light. it is definitely one of the best I have eaten. Sweeten the experience with the Cannoli Siciliani. Crack the fried pastry dough and have it together with the ricotta cream and chocolate chips for a sweet finishing.

Cheese Platter with Dried Fruits Toast and Condiments 4/5

Last but not least, end the 6 course dinner menu with the Cheese Platter with Dried Fruits Toast and Condiments. This pop up restaurant venue is located on the Level 6 lifestyle Podium, with seating available in our air-conditioned poolside restaurant or sheltered alfresco dining at our Sunset Bar.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


One Farrer Hotel & Spa
Level 6, Poolside
1 Farrer Park Station Road
Singapore 217562
Tel: +65 67057825
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Fri: 6pm - 12midnight

Direction: 
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to destinatin. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]