Chara Brasserie @ Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre - Mediterranean-Asian Buffet with 4 Rotating Menus

Chara Brasserie is an all-day dining restaurant of the new Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre. Offering a Mediterranean Asian theme buffet, the menu lineup took on inspiration from different countries each day of the week. There are four menus in rotation each week. Be enticed by more than 100 varieties, from classic flavours to modern takes on familiar dishes.

Australian Angus Beef Prime Rib 3.8/5

Seabass 4.5/5

Spice Marinated Whole Baby Lamb Rotisserie 4.5/5

On Friday and Saturday, the Live Rotisserie Station will be fully charged with beautifully roasted meats. As the theme is Mediterranean and Asia Pacific, lamb rotisseries and roast carving stations will take centre stage. The star of this station is the Spice Marinated Whole Baby Lamb Rotisserie (for dinner), alongside other hearty roasts such as Australian Angus Beef Prime Rib and Roasted Chicken.

DIY Chicken Kebab 3/5

There is also an interactive DIY Kebab Station that lets you put together your own kebab. Although the chicken was a tad dry, the creamy hummus made up for the texture.

Seafood on Ice 4.5/5

The Seafood on Ice station brimmed with chilled clams, poached sea prawns, mussels, flower crabs, lobsters, crayfish, and oysters. The oysters were quite exceptional, and a variety of sauces complemented them.

Japanese Okonomiyaki 4.5/5

Korean Tteobokki 3/5

One standout dish from the buffet is the Japanese Okonomiyaki. It's a delightful blend of shredded cabbage, dough, whole egg, and oysters, resulting in a light and satisfying texture. The final touch of sauce and mayonnaise binds the savoury ingredients together with a contrasting sweet and creamy flavour. I reckoned the Korean Tteobokki needed a bit more sauce.

Sashimi 3.8/5

I appreciate the individually plated Sashimi from the Japanese station. You can also find aburi chirashi dons with free-flowing ikura, ebiko, and tobiko.

Chilli Crab 4/5

Black Pepper Crayfish 4/5

Local favourites and flavours are included as well. Both Black Pepper Crayfish and Chilli Crab were being snapped up really fast. Kung Po Smoked Chilli Prawns were an interesting rendition.

Prata Puff and Dahl Curry 4/5

Hand - Skewered Ariff Satay 4/5

Although the Prata Puff and Dahl Curry were a tad oily, they were exceptionally moreish. For the hand-skewered Ariff Satay, I suggest enjoying it early in your meal as they are limited in numbers.

Assorted Kuehs 4.5/5

The Dessert Station was decadent, with a wide range of Nyonya kueh, mini tarts, cupcakes, mini cakes, puddings, and even waffles, served with soft-serve gelato. I tried every single kueh, and they were really delicious!

To celebrate its grand launch, Chara Brasserie is offering an opening special of 25% off the prices of its buffet menu, valid daily until 31 May 2024

Chara Brasserie Buffet Lineup - Flavours From Across the World Four Rotating Menus.
Monday and Tuesday - Flavours of the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia, with the hot stations firing up to cook seafood - focused specialties.
Wednesday and Thursday - Mediterranean with Japanese flair
Friday and Saturday - Mediterranean and Asia Pacific, with lamb rotisseries and roast carving stations set up.
Sunday - An international Mediterranean buffet serving up all three menus from across the week.

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.


Chara Brasserie
Mercure ICON Singapore City Centre
8 Club Street
#02 - 01
Singapore 069472
Tel: +65 8826 8585
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Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer (DT Line), Chinatown (DT, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Breakfast: 6.30am -10.30am
Lunch: 11.30am to 3pm
Dinner: 6pm to 10pm

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

2) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight down Pagoda Street to North Bridge Road. Cross the road and walk to Mohd Ali Lane. Walk down Mohd Ali Lane. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Miraku 味楽 @ ICON Village (Tanjong Pagar) - Traditional Omakase Reimagined and Reinterpreted

Miraku - where Japanese culinary artistry meets intimate dining experience. The restaurant is conveniently located within Icon Village, right next to Tanjong Pagar MRT station, but tucked behind a discreet entrance. Step through and be transported to a zen oasis completely cut off from the hustle and bustle of the main street.

Miraku prides itself on the fresh, premium seafood used. With ingredients flown in daily from Japan, you can be assured of the quality of the produce. There are 18-counter seats, and the menu here is omakase only. For lunch, they offer a Lunch Sushi Course ($88++) or Lunch Omakase ($108++). For dinner, select between the Miraku Sushi Omakase ($178++) or the Miraku Premium Omakase ($228++). They also have a selection of sake to pair with your meal, including the Miraku Junmai Daigingyo, which has aromas of peach and pear and hints of spice and straw.

The Miraku Premium Omakase experience begins with a beautifully presented trio of house appetisers - Shiromi (marinated white fish) Tart on Rice Cracker, Minced Tuna Belly on Beetroot Cracker and a warm A4 Wagyu Croquette.

Next comes the first seasonal appetiser, a tangy and refreshing dish of Whelk with Umi Budo (sea grapes), some adorable micro Japanese fruit tomatoes and kumquat.

The second seasonal appetiser features a gooey mix of Hairy Crab and Lady's Finger in egg yolk vinegar, topped with Ikura.

For the seasonal warm dish, Tai Shirako (Seabream milt) is presented in tempura style, with green pepper and rice salt flakes. Soft, creamy and comparable to tofu in terms of texture, this dish will appeal to the adventurous diner.

Sashimi is next, a clean-tasting selection of Kinmedai (golden-eye red snapper) and Sawara (Spanish mackerel).

Then comes thick cuts of rich and buttery Chutoro. The sashimi is served with egg yolk shoyu and special Japanese Mountain wasabi shavings that enhance the fish's taste but do not burn the nasal passages.

As one of the only non-seafood dishes on this omakase menu, the A4 Wagyu Sukiyaki is melt-in-your-mouth perfection. It is served with onsen tamago, so mix well and enjoy!

Isaki (Grunt fish)

Kamasu (Barracuda)

Ira (Tusk fish)

What follows is sushi (7 pieces), and it was great that we could choose the amount of rice we wanted for the sushi. The pacing was also excellent, and we did not feel rushed through our meal. The chef paused to give us time to savour each creation before following with the next piece. We had Isaki (Grunt fish), Kamasu (Barracuda), Ira (Tusk fish), Kuromutsu (Blue fish), Hotate (Scallop), Hokkaido Uni (Sea urchin) and a delightfully creamy Toro Maki (Akami, Chutoro, and marinated egg yolk). We finished this with a light and fluffy Castella Tamago.

Kuromutsu (Blue fish)

Hotate (Scallop)

Hokkaido Uni (Sea urchin)

Toro Maki (Akami, Chutoro, and marinated egg yolk)

 

Castella Tamago

Lastly, we had a Uni Ikura Rice Bowl, and after all that seafood, it was nice to have a simple and comforting bowl of white miso soup served piping hot.

Uni Ikura Rice Bowl

The dessert was a slice of Shizuoka Muskmelon and Japanese Strawberry Wine Jelly. You can never go wrong with Shizuoka muskmelon; it's always sweet and juicy!!

Dinner at Miraku is undoubtedly a substantial and splendid affair. The menu offers good value for the many courses and luxe ingredients, including favourites such as chutoro, uni, and wagyu. We also enjoyed the friendly hospitality of the team. The chef was clearly knowledgeable and happy to chat or answer any questions we had. All in all, Miraku is a cosy space to pamper yourself and your loved ones with exquisite Japanese food.

Just a note for those who may have dietary restrictions: this is an omakase experience that focuses on showcasing the fresh taste of premium Japanese seafood, so please expect that there are not many fully cooked dishes or non-seafood items on the menu.

Penned by Shermine. Through her pictures and stories, she shares her journey of savouring new flavors and experiences. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Miraku
Icon Village
12 Gopeng Street
#01-01/04
Singapore 078877
Tel: +65 69049783
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 6pm - 10pm
Tue-Sat: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk down Peck Seah Street. Walk to Icon Village. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Kai Kai Sushi & Grill @ Wisma Atria - Newest Brainchild of Chef Yamashita Teppei Replaces Koh Grill & Sushi Bar, Offering Range of Japanese Fare

Kai Kai Sushi & Grill now sits where Koh Grill & Sushi Bar used to be in Wisma Atria, bringing diners a comprehensive menu of Japanese dishes ranging from classic sashimi and sushi to yakitori and teppan.

The new casual restaurant is helmed by Chef Yamashita Teppei, most known for its various Japanese F&B concepts on our island, such as Teppei Japanese Restaurant and Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant (now known as Unagi Tei). Here at his newest brainchild, Chef hopes to bring affordable yet quality Japanese fare to diners.

We sampled several items, with some in bite-sized portions. The prices listed are for the full portions.

Pitan Tofu 4/5

Pitan Tofu ($5) is always one of my must-orders when it's on the menu. Kai Kai's rendition is decent, with a slightly nutty sesame sauce base and a generous topping of chopped century egg and tobiko. I would have preferred a more robust century egg flavour in its sauce for that extra oomph.

Kai Kai Hanabi Roll 4/5

You will find a selection of different sushi rolls on the menu, one being the Kai Kai Hanabi Roll ($18.80). I found the sauce slightly too sweet, but this one is for fans of salmon as they offer it 2-ways here - raw in the middle and lightly aburi-ed on top.

Negitoro Sushi 3.8/5

The Negitoro Sushi ($6) roll had the classic combination of minced tuna and chopped spring onions in its centre, with crunchy tempura bits for extra texture. The tuna portion could be much better, for a better ratio to the tempura bits.

Nama Kaki 4/5

Next was the Nama Kaki, which had a plump and fresh oyster drizzled with a mildly tangy ponzu vinegar sauce.

3-Kind Sashimi Moriawase 4/5

We got to see Chef Yamashita Teppei do a bluefin tuna block-cutting demonstration, leading to our next dish, the 3-Kind Sashimi Moriawase ($15). We sampled slices of otoro, chutoro and maguro.

While they weren’t the best quality of cuts, they were still thick and fresh.

Buta Enoki Yakitori 3.5/5

The Buta Enoki Yakitori ($4) had enoki mushrooms wrapped with pork belly. While I enjoyed the grill on it, it was tougher and blander than I expected it to be. I prefer a stronger seasoning on this.

Yaki Hotate 4/5

Served in its shell with a wedge of lemon, the Yaki Hotate ($12) carried a nice slight char. The plump scallop remained juicy despite the grill.

Sukiyaki 3.5/5

While the pork slices were tender, we found the rest of the elements in the Sukiyaki ($16.80) more mediocre. The base could be a touch less salty as well.

Kani Toro Donburi 4.2/5

From the selection of mains, I decided on the Kani Toro Donburi ($17). It was clearly created for crab lovers, with crab meat, crab leg and soft shell crab with toppings of ikura and tobiko. The original size and portion will also include an onsen egg! The crab meat used was fresh and sweet.

Kai Kai Castle Bento 3.8/5

The Kai Kai Castle Bento ($18.90) was served in a multi-tiered bento box shaped like a Japanese castle. Each tier featured different items, namely tamago and unagi, assorted sashimi, and a bed of rice with chopped tuna belly, tempura bites, flying fish roe and ikura.

Unfortunately, its taste paled compared to its look, with average cuts on the sashimi. I must say that it's still considerably decent for the variety at this price.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Kai Kai Sushi & Grill
Food Republic Wisma Atria
#04-21
435 Orchard Road
Singapore 238877
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Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS, TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm

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