New Bites: June 2014 | OpenRice Singapore

Rustled up a big appetite after those long and fruitful hours during this Great Singapore Sale? Re-june-vinate with 10 of these new restaurants and cafes that we've picked out for you. This month sees some of our local flavours swirled in innovation, a tour of America's robust flavours, as well as a Japanese-minimalist cafe in the heartlands near you. Seasons Bistro A culinary voyage around the Americas

Chiming into Somerset with seasonal flavours, Seasons Bistro gives you a tasteful tour around the Americas in the 130-seater casual restaurant. Expect a spectrum of dishes such as Surf n Turf Gumbo, Seared Albacore Tuna and Buttermilk Fried Chicken, inspired by Executive Chef Benjamin Fong’s travels across the various cities. Fellow advocates of sustainability and conservation will give this place their stamp of approval as they dish out special menus with MSC-certified seafood for the ongoing Sustainable Seafood Festival. Keep an eye out for their deli counter, where you can takeaway their gourmet sandwiches and cheese platter. We hear they may be selling homemade bacon jam in bottles soon. Order this: Pan Seared Foie Gras ($16++) – The starter is accompanied with chocolate ganache, bacon jam and caramelized bananas. Need we say more? Taco lovers alert: The Seared Yellowtail Tuna Taco ($26++) is tangy, refreshing and worth a try. Got a dessert dilemma? We recommend the Mojito Tart ($12++). TripleOne Somerset, 111 Somerset Road #01-11/12, Singapore 23816. Tel.: 6836 5841 Sunday Market A new hipster hideout for North-East foodies

A new hipster café sits in the middle of Serangoon and Kovan MRT station, with equally hipster-looking folks standing behind the counter and welcoming you into their zone as you step in. House music permeates the air and if you look around, Sunday Market could easily double up as a retail space for vinyls and other lifestyle products. For food, expect Asian-styled brunch items like Bangkok Toast ($10.90) served with Thai milk tea ice cream and other adventurous pancake options like lemon ricotta ($8.90) and chilli beef with mustard maple sauce ($12.90). Order this: Roasted Duck with Garlic Hoisin Crispy Eggs ($12.90) – Shreds of peking duck are cooked into the pancakes and lashed tastefully with Hoisin sauce. 22 Lim Tua Tow Road, Singapore 547772. Tel.: 6287 8880 The Clifford Pier Local delights amped up with elegance

If you’ve stepped into The Fullerton Bay Hotel recently, their newly revealed arrival area would have probably caught you staring in absolute awe. Sitting in place of now-defunct One on the Bund is a new and stunning all-day dining restaurant, The Clifford Pier. Inspired by the nautical origins of its namesake, the 272-seater is dressed in a full grandeur of warm tangerine and mineral blue with meticulously handpicked accessories from around the globe. Food wise, focus is thrown on local delicacies like The Clifford Pier Laksa ($19), Wagyu Rendang Hanger Steak ($28) and Fried Carrot Cake with sweet soy prawns ($16) in a bid to preserve the pier’s hawker heritage. Revel over their afternoon tea tiers (3.30pm – 5.30pm on weekdays; 12.30pm – 5.30pm on weekends), as well as supper specials for your late night hunger pangs (10pm onwards), both available daily. Order this: Uni Glass Noodle ($28) and Rickshaw Noodles ($18). The former comes chilled with sea urchin in lime truffle sauce, while the latter is stewed in a flavourful pork broth. The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326. Tel.:6597 5266 Spanish Doughnuts Spanish Doughnuts = Churros

Churros are right up there with the other comfort foods. Thick fingers of dough pastry fried to a crisp on the outside with chocolate (white, milk or dark) for a dipping sauce is sex on a plate for snack junkies and chocoholics alike. Touting ‘The Original Churro’, Spanish Doughnuts at Orchard Central kicks the humble pastry up a notch with Hot Fillers - plain churros with custard fillings and their premium range of flavoured churros glazed in a variety of flavours and textures. Order this: Choco Churritos ($9.90) – everyone’s favourite fried dough pastry in bite size pieces and with not 1 but 3 chocolate dipping sauces to boot. Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road #05-51/52, Singapore 238896. Ujong Uniquely interpreted Singaporean food favourites

Chef Shen Tan of Wok & Barrel returns fresh, recharged and ever ready to tease your palates with her unique interpretations of Singaporean delights at Ujong @ Raffles. Designed to resemble a coffee house of the past, the quaint space runs in tandem with the nostalgic menu, which is a keen reflection of Chef Shen’s favourite childhood dishes injected with creative nuances. Best sellers from her previous restaurant such as the Bak Chor Mee Pasta ($25.90) and customizable Nasi Lemak ($16.90 - $19.90) have returned alongside new and exciting creations like Fish Curry Laksa Pasta ($23.90). Order this: Corn beef hash patties with Sous vide eggs and toast ($17.90), Claypot Rice with Five Spice Pork ($23.90) and Shendol Delights ($15.90), where the traditional chendol gets deconstructed into a panna cotta with Gula Melaka syrup and homemade red bean ice cream. #01-10, 328 North Bridge Road, Raffles Hotel Arcade, Singapore 188719. Tel.: 6635 6502 Don Antonio Pizza Bar A taste of Italy in Kampong Glam

Run by husband-and-wife duo Antonio Cocozza and Germaine Wong, Don Antonio Pizza Bar adds the vivacious green, white and red of Italy to the quiet enclave of Kampong Glam. Chef Antonio brings 25 years of F&B experience to bear on the restaurant menu dominated by pasta and pizza, with complementing antipasti and desserts. Order This: Rigatoni Salsiccia e Porcini ($24) – Cream-based pasta starring a savoury blend of spicy Italian pork sausages, Porcini mushrooms. Mrs Pho New Vietnamese eatery challenges you to find your Pho alter ego

Housed in one of the shophouses along Beach road, the native Vietnamese chef's 20-year tenure at a pho stall in Ho Chi Minh City really shines through the menu of authentic Viet entrees and mains. There's pho, smooth springy noodles in a clear sweet broth and our Pho Bo Tai (sliced beef noodles) came served with generous slices of beef that were juicy and delightful. The feel of Vietnam extends from the food to the decor: a rustic interior from the corrugated metal gates within the restaurant to the. There's even 'al fresco dining' if you'd so prefer - sitting at waist height along the walkway outside the restaurant. That's a tiny bit of Vietnam street food right there. Order this: Pho Bo Tai (Sliced Beef Noodles) & Vietnamese Dripped Coffee with condensed milk 349 Beach Road, Singapore 199570. Tel.: 6292 0018 Chef Yamashita Elevating Japanese confectionery to an art form

Hailing from Japan, Chef Yamashita Masataka has wowed and impressed many over his stint in Singapore helming the ovens first at Glace and then Flor; creating a loyal following for his signature confections which are impossibly light and dainty. Now at his namesake patisserie, expect the same touch of divine that has won many over to the camp that is the delicate intricacy of Japanese confection. Order this: Luna Wrap – Fresh fruit and flavoured creams wrapped in a soft, fluffy sponge. CY Souffle – A cheesecake light and airy as a soufflé. ‘Nuff said. Only available on weekdays 12 -3pm. Blk 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-44, Singapore 082001. Tel.:6604 9709 Coast & Company For the love of bicyles and coffee in the east

A collaboration between well-known coffee roaster Papa Palheta and homegrown bicycle shop Coast Cycles, Coast & Company sprouts out in the East as Siglap's newest cafe -- a gem for both bicycle enthusiasts and cafe hoppers. Their menu comes specially crafted by Chef Willin Low of Wild Rocket, who adds fun local infusions into the food like Beef Rendang Hotdog and Chapalang Salad. 54 Siglap Drive, Singapore 456176. Tel.: 6448 7608/ 6681 6681 Image credits: Coast & Company Facebook Page The Tastemaker Store Japanese-minimalist cafe on Havelock Road

What looks heavily inspired by a Muji store is the newest cafe on the block of Havelock Road, The Tastemaker Store. With windows spanning from the ceiling right down to the ground, you'll get a good look into their Japanese-minimalist interior as you peer in from the outside. And as you await the launch of their local delights section made up of dishes like Yam cake, Laksa and Crabmeat Fried Rice, fill up on their toast sets that come nostalgically with runny soft boiled eggs or cakes outsourced by the folks at Maple & Market. Order this: Lemon Curd Toast Set ($5.80) - Whilst simple, the lightness of the bread molds well with a tangy lemon curd spread and clotted cream. 22 Havelock Road #01-705, Singapore 160022. By Peh Yi Wen and Bernard Tan Missed our past New Bites finds? May 2014 | April 2014 | March 2014 | February 2014 | January 2014 See Also: Explore these new food places More sweet treats for you