Gake @ Carpenter Street - 7-Course Omakase For $88

I got to know Chef Angus Chow when he was the Head Chef of Boruto. After bagging the Chef of the Year award at the 18th Word Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence in 2018, Chef Angus Chow embarked on a new venture to open his own restaurant, Gake at Carpenter Street, offering contemporary Japanese cuisine.

Seasonal Otoshi 3.5/5

We had the new $88 omakase menu which started with Seasonal Otoshi. Like an amuse-bouche, the Japanese nibble comes in the form of a Smoke Quail Egg with Caviar and Potato Mille-fuille with Truffle Rugout. I preferred the potato mille-fuille as there are more textures at play.

Sashimi Mori 3 Kinds 4/5

Next, we have Sashimi Mori 3 Kinds. From the day's fresh selection, we have the sea brim, bluefin tuna and hamachi.

Kulhbarra Barramundi 4/5

From the local farm is the Kulhbarra Barramundi. The fish is grilled to a nice char on the exterior while the meat remains moist. It is paired with butter ponzu and orange marmalade sauce, which complemented the fish excellently.

USDA Beef Hayashi 4/5

Hidden under the espuma of potato and seasonal vegetables is the USDA Beef Hayashi. The beef must have been cooked for hours, with melted in the mouth texture that is packed with lovely flavour.

Uni & Ikura Donburi 4.2/5

Asari Miso 3/5

The highlight of the omakase dinner probably lies in the Uni & Ikura Donburi. The sushi rice uses 6 different kinds of grain and crowned with bafun uni, caviar and ajtisuke ikura, A luxurious bowl of sushi rice indeed. A bowl of Asari Miso is also served which comes with plump and juicy clams in a miso bonito broth.

Dessert of the day 3.5/5

Wrapping up the omakase meal is the Spong Cake drenched in a chocolate cream cheese sauce and gula melaka. A decent dessert of the day to wrap up the meal on a sweet note. However, I was craving for something for Japanese instead.

Charcoal Chicken Karaage 4.2/5

Beside offering omakase on the menu, Gake also has an ala carte menu with some signature items. One of them is the Charcoal Chicken Karaage ($12.80). The juicy morsels of spiced chicken are coated in their famous charcoal-infused batter, served with a side of tobiko mayonnaise. They are crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.

Truffle Hiyashi Somen 4/5

A crowd favourite is the Truffle Hiyashi Somen (With Uni $38.80, Without Uni $18.80). The cold rice noodles are drenched in an addictive creamy truffle emulsion. It is then topped with sakura ebi, Avruga caviar, tobiko and shaved truffle. We opted for the uni, which gives it an unami finishing on top of all the complex but robust flavours.

I find that the new omakase menu at $88 for seven courses is really value for money. Of course, you won't get the traditional Japanese cuisine which is focused on showcasing the freshness of the seafood and seasonal ingredients. Over at Gake, European cooking techniques and local flavours are infused into Japanese cuisine.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Gake
36 Carpenter Street
#01-01
Singapore 059915
Tel: +65 67813603
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 230pm - 11pm
Sat: 6pm - 12midnight
(Closed on Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Clarke Quay MRT station. Take Exit E. Cross the road. Walk to Carpenter Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Hotel Soloha @ Keong Saik Road - New Charming Boutique Hotel Nestled In The Culture Rich Keong Saik Neighbourhood

Treat yourself to an adventurous weekend escapade at Hotel Soloha - a new 45-room boutique hotel nestled within Chinatown's heritage and cultural epicentre, Keong Saik Road. It is the perfect place to experience Singapore's unique culture, and its strategic location is home to a good number of bars, restaurants, and eateries as well.

Designed by interior design firm Avalon Collective and architect Asolidplan, step through the wooden panel doors into a whimsical space decked in elements of urban jungle chic and tropical modernism, with local artists adding their own inimitable touch to the space.

Situated just right next to the technicolour bar reception counter, attention may be particularly drawn to its 3m wide pop-art mural by local artist, Ethrisha Liaw. The mural, along with her artwork in the guest rooms, revolves around the central theme of ‘play’, exploring tropical sensuality through the use of pop gradients and uncanny visual textures to create a sense of dynamic movement.

Marvel at the 13-metre high painted art piece by local artist Danielle Tay installed in the lift shaft, which further emphasised the forest theme of the hotel. The artwork, aptly named ‘Spirit of the Forest’, seeks to take guests on a journey of curiosity and adventure in a mystical forest as they ride the elevator.

The Hotel offers five types of rooms – the standard, superior, deluxe, loft and suite – with deluxe rooms starting from $250++ per night. We checked into the Loft room with a comfortable double bed on the mezzanine floor. Upon entering the room, guests are immediately greeted by its warm and inviting elements such as the veneer wood panels or grey-cosy wallpaper, a classic rattan chair, and bright pops of colour added by the bright orange headboard and experimental collages by local print designer, Ethrisha Liaw, beautifying its walls.

To wash away the grime of the day's adventures, guests may be pampered in the bathroom with its patented Hansgrohe Raindance shower, figured glass panels, a magnifying vanity mirror, and the hotel’s in-house toiletries, including lemongrass shampoo and lavender body wash.

Climb up the ladder steps to recline on the plush 30cm-thick mattress which allows for restful sleep for both light and heavy sleepers. The hotel also offers a Smart Cable TV armed with cable and paid channels, and access to YouTube, Netflix and Spotify - perfect for a long night’s binge on one’s favourite television series. The Smart Room Control Unit in every room allows guests to manage lighting and air-conditioning with the press of a button. A variety of preset light settings from ‘party’ to ‘romantic’ give guests the luxury to create the ambience they desire.

Other facilities at Hotel Soloha includes the Games/Meeting Room on the first floor. It is equipped with its very own table tennis table, and doubles as a meeting room.

Or step out into the lush alfresco area at the Courtyard on the second floor for a relaxing afternoon.

As night falls, have dinner at the newly-opened fusion ramen establishment Takeshi Noodle Bar, located right within Hotel Soloha. It offers a curated selection of ramen such as the Sliced Wagyu Beef with Truffle Iberico Tonkotsu, Honey Roasted Iberico Pork with Burnt Miso Iberico Tonkotsu, Seafood Szechuan Mala Iberico Tonkotsu, and Truffle Mentaiko Linguini with Aburi Salmon & Ikura. To complete the indulgent meal, go for their delectable sides such as the mentaiko oysters, char siew and grilled sirloin beef strips.

The hotel also offers a complimentary breakfast buffet, available from 7am to 10am, with breakfast classics such as the scrambled eggs, sausages, hash browns and cereals, to go with your coffee, tea or juice.

‘Soloha' combines 'so', an expressive portmanteau that emphasises the idea of 'to such a great extent' and 'aloha', the catchy Hawaiian greeting that is about living life. Hence, to be Soloha essentially means living an expressive, #yolo life filled with superlatives. Hotel Soloha aims to create a destination hotel that not only fits into Keong Saik’s charming self but is also a modern interpretation of a Singapore that is bold, stylish and cultured. For the dreamers and adventure seekers-alike, it is the perfect place to go on an adventurous journey or a weekend getaway, with free reign given to unfettered imagination, creativity and infinite possibilities.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Hotel Soloha
12 Teck Lim Road
Singapore 088387
Tel: +65 62228881
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Outram Park (EW Line, NE Line)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Outram Park MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk straight down New Bridge Road. Turn right onto Kreta Ayer Road. Turn right again onto Keong Saik Road. Walk down Keong Saik Road. Turn left onto Jiak Chuan Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]