Town Restaurant @ The Fullerton Hotel Singapore - Straits from the Heart: An Ode to Peranakan Cuisine

In collaboration with Chef Philip Chia, a local culinary master and best-selling cookbook author known for his Peranakan cuisine, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore presents "Straits from the Heart: An Ode to Peranakan Cuisine" at Town Restaurant alongside their signature spread of local and international fare. From 14 August to 14 September 2023, you can taste Chef Philip's prowess as a purveyor of Peranakan cuisine in the dishes created in the lunch and dinner buffet menus from Monday to Saturday.

Egg Prawn Salad with Khong Th’ng

Cucumber Pineapple Prawn Salad

We started with some cold salads that whetted our appetites with zesty and piquant dressings - the Egg Prawn Salad with Khong Th'ng (Peanut Candy) Dressing and the Cucumber Pineapple Prawn Salad. Both salads were ultra-refreshing, featuring crunchy cucumbers, juicy pineapples, and prawns and eggs that added delightful textures. I found them rather addictive - the fiery dressings had a good amount of heat and acidity yet were well balanced by the sweetness of the tomatoes and pineapples.

Otah Otah

Ngoh Hiang

Familiar and well-loved appetisers Ngoh Hiang and Otah Otah are also available.

Kueh Pie Tee

One of the highlights is the DIY Kueh Pie Tee station, complete with crispy, thin tart shells and well-stewed turnips.

Babi Pontay

The Mains were superb. The Babi Pontay (braised pork belly in fermented soybean sauce) was truly memorable, featuring fork-tender and unctuous thick-cut pork belly, along with generous chunks of mushrooms and bamboo shoots that had absorbed the flavoursome sauce, softening and enhancing their taste.

Ayam Buah Keluak

Beef Rendang

Other meat dishes featured include tantalising Ayam Buah Keluak (chicken and black nuts in tamarind gravy) and Beef Rendang (slow-cooked beef curry). Both delivered flavoursome and tender meats, and it was even more satisfying when I had them together with the warm and fragrant Jasmine rice served alongside.

Assam Pedas

Udang Goreng Assam

Seafood dishes provided a delightful addition to the line-up. The Assam Pedas was a highlight for me; the sour and spicy gravy was irresistible, accentuated by substantial chunks of pineapple that had been simmered to release bursts of sweet and tangy juice with every bite. The fish was cooked to perfection, boasting a tender and flaky texture. The Udang Goreng Assam (fried prawns with tamarind) were finger-licking good.

Nyonya Chap Chye

And my favourite, Nyonya Chap Chye, didn't disappoint either! The vegetables had been braised until tender, absorbing the delectable umami broth.

The dessert counter showcases a live station serving Chendol, along with an array of bite-sized kueh such as Kueh Salat, Bengka Ubi, Kueh Kosui, and more. My personal favorite is the Rainbow Lapis, which in my opinion was the best Rainbow Lapis I have had to date. They were so good that you had to be quick, as they were snapped up shortly after being replenished.

Straits from the Heart: An Ode to Peranakan Flavours
- Executive Lunch Buffet Monday to Friday S$48* per adult, S$24* per child
- Seafood Symphony Dinner Buffet Wednesday and Thursday S$128* per adult, S$64* per child
- Dinner Buffet with Barbecued Selection Friday and Saturday S$118* per adult, S$59* per child
- International Lunch Buffet Saturday S$68* per adult, S$34* per child

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.


Town Restaurant
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
1 Fullerton Square
Singapore 049178
Tel: +65 68778188
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Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT Station. Take Exit H. Turn right and walk towards the river. At the river, turn right again and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Mio Fine Foods ( 美桜 ) @ Neil Road - Celebrates Its First Anniversary With An Updated Menu

Mio Fine Foods, located on Neil Road, celebrates its first anniversary with a refreshed menu. Known for its modern and artistic interpretations of Japanese cuisine, Mio's new menu features a more refined version of their crowd favourites from past seasonal menus and traditional staples.

Kaki Ikura 4.5/5

From their previous Winter Menu, we enjoyed an enhanced version of the Kaki Ikura ($24/6pcs), showcasing plump Japanese fresh oysters adorned with ikura and enlivened with the tangy zest of Japanese ponzu.

Grab Sushi 3/5

Grab Sushi ($25/5pcs) is from their previous Summer Menu, featuring Spicy salmon avocado, unagi cheese, negitoro tanuki, hotate mentaiko, ebi fry wasabi mayo. The way to eat it is to wrap each sushi with a piece of nori. While they looked stunning on the plate, the elongated rice roll was a challenge to be picked up without the risk of breaking it. I tried the Negitoro Tanuki. It didn't deliver the expected unctuous texture, which would have brought a better balance to the amount of rice in the sushi.

Sanshoku Maki 2.8/5

Sanshoku Maki is a new traditional staple created. I enjoyed the interplay of textures - crunchy fried ebi and cucumber, contrasting with raw salmon and akami. The rice, however, needed to be more compact, dampening the maki's overall experience.

Niku Enoki Roll 2.8/5

Niku Enoki Roll ($20/5pcs) is also from their Summer Menu. We had pan-seared sliced beef roll with golden mushrooms in sweet butter sauce on the plate. While the beef was tender and flavourful, the sweet butter sauce and soft beefy roll combination was a tad cloying.

Waygu Uni Don 4.5/5

Wagyu Uni Don ($62) is a luxurious, refined dish showcasing Japanese Wagyu's excellence. Enhanced with fresh nama uni, thinly sliced fried garlic, ikura, and a shoyuzuke egg yolk, the beef's flavour is elevated further by a drizzle of momidare sauce. The cured egg yolk boasts a rich and creamy texture, beautifully binding the ingredients with the sushi rice. The sushi rice's vinegary notes balance the dish's richness with its pleasant acidity.

Kinoko Tofu 4.2/5

Hamachi Kama 4.5/5

We also had two popular items that continued from the previous menu - Kinoko Tofu and Hamachi Kama. Kinoko Tofu stood out with its clear bonito soup that delivered a complex depth of umaminess. The tofu was gratifying, with a nice creamy texture encased within the crust and moreish with a savoury mushroom flavour. The Hamachi was perfectly grilled with a juicy texture, seasoned with just a touch of salt to bring out its subtle flavour.

Mochi and Berries 4/5

Summing up the evening is Mochi and Berries ($15) from Spring Menu, pleasurable with chewy handmade Japanese mochi, lightened with summer strawberry ice cream, berries and maple drizzle. There was a good balance of sweetness, but more ice cream would be great, given the number of mochi.

The Beverage menu has also been updated, featuring creative mocktails and cocktails concocted with sakes.

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.


Mio Fine Food
82 Neil Road
Singapore 088843
Tel: +65 62912330
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Nearest MRT: Outram Park (EW, NE, TE Line), Maxwell (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 930pm
Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 12pm - 4pm, 6pm - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Outram Park MRT station. Take Exit 4. Cut through Duxton Plain Park to Keong Saik Road. Turn left onto Keong Saik Road and walk towards Neil Road. Turn left on Neil Road and walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Maxwell MRT station. Take Exit 3. Cross the road. Turn right and walk down Neil Road. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]