Ren Lounge @ South Beach Avenue - Vibrant Japanese Restaurant, Bar and Lounge With Omakase, Whisky and More In City Centre

Ren Lounge is a new Japanese restaurant, bar, and lounge opened at South Beach Avenue. The restaurant, helmed by Executive Chef Samuel Lau, offers Edo-style Japanese omakase for lunch and dinner. It also has a separate lounge and private room where diners can relax at the end of the day over a dram or two, with a choice of tasty bar bites that range from Japanese appetisers to western mains.

Trio of Oysters

We started with a Trio of Oysters from the bar bites section to sample the seasonal live oyster available on their menu and the different ways of appreciating it. You can have it on its own to enjoy the freshness, baked and topped with bread crumbs & bacon, or baked with cheese can cream spinach.

Roasted Lamb Rack

The Roasted Lamb Rack cooked to a beautiful pink is accentuated by the spiced rub for a well-flavoured and tender enjoyment.

Appetisers

After having a glimpse of the bar bites, we move over to our omakase dinner. We had the Hana Omakase ($250), which comprises Seasonal Appetisers, Sashimi, Uni, Yakimono, Sushi, Donburi, Soup, and Dessert. Starting from the left to the right, we started with the refreshing Figs, followed by the creamy Monk Fish Liver and popping surprises from the Herring Roe.

Seasonal Sashimi

Next, is the Seasonal Sashimi showcasing the freshest catch f the day. On my plate, I have Katsuo, Kanpachi (Amber Jack), and Kimedai (Golden Eye Snapper).

Uni Special

A crowd favourite has to be Uni Special. In the glass, the Shiro Ebi hailed as the jewel of Toyama Bay is paired with uni and ikura. The chemistry of the three ingredients brings out the ebi's sweetness excellently.

Yakimono - Tachiuo Shioyaki

From the grilled section, we had the Tachiuo Shioyaki (grilled belt fish). The white fish is light and clean tasting.

Sushi

Our next course is the Sushi course, which comprises five different sushi - Hirame, Shima aji, Akami, Chutoro and Otoro. The rice to fish ratio is perfectly balanced and hand-pressed into a delicate morsel. The vinegar flavoured rice beautifully accentuated the freshness of the raw fish.

Negitoro & Ikura Donburi

To ensure one is full from the omakase meal, it is wrapped up with a Donburi and Soup course. The donburi is topped with Negitoro and Ikura. Though simple, it is very satisfying and accompanied by a warm bowl of soup.

Last but not least, we end the omakase dinner with a slice of Melon and Sea Salt Ice Cream for dessert.

Besides having Japanese omakase at the main hall, Ren Lounge is also a space to meet with friends over drinks and casual bites. At the separate lounge and private room, the compact drinks menu offers the choice of Champagne, wine, sake, whisky and more to pair with your tasty bar bites that range from Japanese appetisers to Western mains. In addition, an enclosed private room offers more space for guests to hold their special events and celebrations, with customised menu options available.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Ren Lounge
South Beach Avenue
30 Beach Road
#01-01
Singapore 189763
Tel: +65 69834825
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Nearest MRT: Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 12pm - 230pm, 5pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to the exterior of South Beach Avenue facing Suntec. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Avenue 87 @ Amoy Street - Two Gifted Young Singapore Chefs, Retold Their Friendship On A Plate of Flavours

The ever-changing dining scene at Amoy Street sees another new kid on the block. Avenue 87 is a new modern Asian restaurant opened by 2 Singaporean chefs, Glen Tay and Alex Phan. Both of them are childhood friends born in 1987 and grown up in Hougang Avenue 8 and 7, respectively. Hence it is not hard to guess why the restaurant is named as Avenue 87.

Chicken Chips 4/5

I have the 6-course menu that is priced at $98++. Diner can also opt for wine pairing at $50++ for 3 glasses or $80++ for 5 glasses.

Kueh Pie Tee 4/5

We started with two Snack items before moving to our first course. First up is the crispy Chicken Chips that is deep-fried and topped with sour cream and mizuna cress. The other is Kueh Pie Tee which is a meatless take on assam pedas. In the crispy kueh pie tee cup, one can find aerated assam pedas, eggplant, lady's fingers, cherry tomato, and curry leaves. It is inspired by their favourite curry fish head dish.

Salmon 4/5

The first course is a Salmon dish. There are many components on the plate such as diced crystal pear, sour cream, ponzu-pickled wakame, soy wasabi granita and Vietnamese rice paper crackers beside the fresh Norwegian salmon sashimi. They are many flavours and textures at play which works harmoniously together.

AHK Seabass 4.8/5

Next is the fish soup, AHK Seabass using locally sourced seabass from Ah Hua Kelong. In the delicious bowl of fish soup, there are compressed bitter gourd, semi-dried cherry tomato, deep-fried egg floss, and anchovy buttermilk sauce. This is very close to my heart as I love our hawker's fish soup. To elevate the whole profile, the chefs innovate using dried anchovies in place of dried sole fish.

Octopus 4.5/5

Love the Asian take to the classic Spanish grilled Octopus. Inspired by the hawker sambal stingray and squid, the octopus leg is grilled, and served with housemade sambal, stir-fried market greens and crowned with a confit egg yolk. I was initial concern that foreigners may not be receptive to the spiciness, but I noticed the customers a table away were enjoying the sambal octopus.

Baby Lamb Rack 4/5

Moving to the 4th course, we have the Baby Lamb Rack marinated Vietnamese-style, served with grilled Thai eggplant and locally sourced stingless bee honey sauce. The chef draws inspiration from his Vietnam holidays, particular the skewered meats marinated in local aromatics and sauces. The lamb was cooked to an enjoyable fork tender. My friend, who usually doesn't eat lamb, didn't find it gamy at all. 

Diner will have a choice of side dish to go along with their main. During my visit, I have the choice of either Egg Fried Rice or Garlic Potato Mash.

For pre-dessert, we have Greek Yoghurt Mousse with house-made granola, cubed red dragon fruit, 8-spice honey.

Coconut 4.2/5

For dessert, we have Coconut and Pisang No Goreng. The Coconut is a light and refreshing dessert in which the coconut ice cream is served with pound cake crumble, papaya and caramelised pineapple. For the Pisang No Goreng, it is actually fried coconut custard with salted gula melaka and banana ice cream.

Pisang No Goreng 4/5

I think Avenue 87 has a lot of potential with their Modern Asian cuisine. Both the Alex and Glen have bags of experience working for different established restaurants, especially Glen, who last worked at 3-Michelin-starred Ultraviolet in Shanghai. The last they worked together was at Tipping Club. They are back together once again to bring us more exciting gastronomic experience from the individual journeys after Tipping Club.

Avenue 87
47 Amoy Street
Singapore 069873
Tel: +65 98388401/ 69705491
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sat 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 10pm
(Closed on Tue, Sun and PH)

Direction:
1) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Amoy Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk down Telok Ayer Street. Turn left onto Amoy Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Le Fusion @ Robertson Quay - Contemporary Tinkering With A Unique Twist of Ingredients

Le Fusion at Robertson Quay is a chic restaurant and bar opened by husband and wife duo. The duo has put together an array of modern Chinese dishes inspired from the travel around the world.

Focaccia Rose Mantou 3/5

Diners at Le Fusion will be greeted with the Focaccia Rose Mantou. Similar to the bread and butter served at a Western restaurant, the mantou is made from a blend of pumpkin and original flour with hints of oregano paired with vinaigrette dressing on the side.

Rougle Foie Gras 4/5

An unusual pairing is the Rougle Foie Gras ($25). The pan-seared foie gras rest atop a bed of Chinese glutinous rice, elevated by the tangy mandarin orange-infused in-house sauce. The combination may sound weird, but surprisingly it is pleasantly balanced with a refreshing touch.

Imperial Double Boiled Soup 4.5/5

The Imperial Double Boiled Soup ($28) is Le Fusion's luxe rendition of the traditional Buddha Jump Over the Wall. The nutritious soup which has been double-boiled overnight is packed with richness drawn from the essence of the premium ingredients such as abalone, scallop, dried oyster and a myriad of Chinese herbs. I would recommend having a sip of its original taste before adding the Nu Er Hong Rice Wine, which gives the soup a new taste profile with an added tinge of sweetness.

Crispy Pork Belly Mantou 3.5/5

A delightful dish on the menu is the Crispy Pork Belly Mantou ($12). The slow-roasted succulent pork belly with crispy crackling skin is sandwiched between soft fluffy mantou with a mix of marinated salted vegetables, mayonnaise and crushed peanuts. While I enjoyed the dish, I thought the sweet and spicy Thai chilli sauce may be a better alternative to the mayonnaise.

Braised Abalone Seafood Rice 3.8/5

The Braised Abalone Seafood Rice ($38) is an "atas' version of the Chinese Mui Fan. The rice is drenched in a special savoury consomme and comes with a medley of seafood such as Tasmania 6-head abalone, scallops, fish, squids, mussels and prawns.

Trio Pasta 3/5

Still on carbo is the colourful Trio Pasta ($38). The trio pasta flavours are green pesto, red chilli crab and sesame squid ink. While it is pleasing to the eyes, it doesn't really translate to the taste.

Crispy Pork Roulade 3.5/5

Moving to the meats, we started with the Crispy Pork Roulade ($32).  The pork belly is stuffed with a mixture of uncased sausage meat and roasted in the oven. The result is a succulent interior with a crisp, crunchy exterior. It is paired with baby tomato soaked overnight in Shanghainese plum wine, deep-fried mantou and piquillo yuzu emulsion.

Asian Crusted Provencal Lamb Rack 4/5

Coated with breadcrumbs and Provencal herbs is the Asian Crusted Provencal Lamb Rack ($46). I enjoyed the rub on the lamb rack, giving it a beautiful flavour complementing the tender lamb rack.

Tsingtao Beef Fillet 3.5/5

Lastly, we have the Tsingtao Beef Fillet ($42) which has been tenderized through 12-hour infusion with Tsingtao beef. While the meat is cooked to perfect tender, I didn't like the bitterness beer taste that distracted me from appreciating the natural sweetness of the meat. What stood out was actually the cauliflower pommes mash at the side. It was so soft and delicious.

Le Fusion Chendol 3/5, Panna Cotta with Sweet Glutinous 3/5

Wrapping up the dinner we have the Le Fusion Chendol ($14) and Panna Cotta with Sweet Glutinous ($14). I preferred the panna cotta over the chendol. The chendol lacked the coconut milk fragrant and gula melaka bittersweetness. I also think the restaurant needs to reconsider how the desserts are served. Though it looks elegant in a glass, it is hard for the diners to get to the ingredients to enjoy the dessert.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Le Fusion
The Pier at Robertson Quay
80 Mohamed Sultan Road
#01-7/8/9
Singapore 239013
Tel: +65 63639966
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Nearest MRT: Fort Canning (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 5pm - 1am
Sun: 4pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Fort Canning MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to traffic junction of Clemenceau Ave and River Valley. Cross the road. Turn left and walk down Clemenceau Ave. Turn right onto Unity Street. Then left onto Merbau Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]