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January blues? Don't know her. Especially not with all the exciting new restaurants in Singapore's F&B scene giving us plenty of reasons to head out and have a good time. Just like December, this month is flooded with restaurant openings, timed perfectly for the upcoming Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year season. But instead of inundating you with options, here are five that we think might be worth the reservation.
Leading the charge is Barrel, a moody Hibiki whisky-forward izakaya in the CBD – a stellar recommendation for whisky lovers. Then there's Loca Niru, breathing new life into a 140-year-old restored Teochew Mansion in Singapore with its elegant French-Japanese tasting menu. For something different, nourish your belly with Korean chicken soup from Bomul Samgyetang, or pop by MyX's unique lending library and vinyl station after feasting on a Latin American spread. And finally, take the kids out for a treat at Moutarde and the adjacent Sundae Royale for nostalgic, colourful sundae towers in 10 different flavours.
Discover Singapore's best new restaurants here.
1. Barrel Story of Hibiki
Barrel Story of Hibiki is a new whisky-forward restaurant and bar spearheaded by the Japanese spirits brand Suntory, marking the first Hibiki whisky concept restaurant outside of Japan. The restaurant takes over the unit once occupied by American grill-house Rosemead, and reimagines it as a modern izakaya, with dimly-lit interiors clad in dark wood, metal and textured stone. Make your way through four zones: the main dining area, which seats 83, the 10-seater bar counter, the 50-seater outdoor terrace, and finally, a whisky salon called The Vault.
Barrel offers lunch and dinner seatings, with two-course ($55) and three-course ($63) sets for lunch, and a $68 signature set for dinner. The menu is conceptualised by chef-partner Sho Naganuma, co-owner of Torasho Ramen & Charcoal Bar along Tras Street. So on top of the modern izakaya and woodfire dishes served here, you can also expect to see some Torasho favourites on the menu, such as the joint's tonkatsu ramen and Cold Stupid Ramen ($35) with truffle. These are best paired with Hibiki whisky, of course, of which the restaurant carries an extensive selection, featured in whisky flights and craft cocktails.
Address: 19 Cecil St, Singapore 049704
Opening hours: Mon-Sat noon-11pm
2. Loca Niru
When we first heard that a French-Japanese fine-dining restaurant was opening inside the 140-year-old House of Tan Yeok Nee, we were sceptical. With Teochew fine dining enjoying a quiet renaissance in China, it felt like a missed opportunity not to bring that to Singapore – especially given that this is the first time the historic mansion, the last of the ‘Four Grand Mansions’ of Teochew architecture, is finally opening its doors to the public. But as it turns out, that cynicism lasts about as long as the first bite.
Rather than treading familiar French-Japanese ground, what chef Shusuke Kubota does at Loca Niru is far more thoughtful, and far more compelling. French technique and Japanese sensibility still form the foundation here, but the real spark comes from his reimagination of Southeast Asian flavours in an elegant eight-course tasting menu ($298). And then there's the gorgeous architecture, preserved with its original wooden trusses; the Teochew carvings and decorative mosaics made from porcelain bowls on the mansion’s roof; and Japanese craft details that keep the space feeling distinctly wabi sabi.
Address: 101 Penang Rd, House of Tan Yeok Nee, #02-01
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 6pm-11pm
3. Bomul Samgyetang
Singapore has never seen a samgyetang (Korean ginseng chicken soup) specialty restaurant till last year. Now, we have two. The first, of course, is Modu at Mandarin Gallery, which offers about six variations of the Korean summer dish. Now, there's a new contender in the scene. Bomul is the latest F&B concept to join Chijmes, and it serves the largest variety of samgyetang that Singapore has seen so far, with 10 flavours on the menu.
What sets these Bomul's stews apart from other samgyetang in Singapore is its choice of chicken – locally-sourced, organic free-range spring chicken, which have grazed for an optimal period of 50 to 60 days. The young chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic and jujubes, before it's left to cook in an 18-ingredient broth. The result is a hearty, nourishing soup – said to be as good as medicine itself, packed with more nutritious ingredients than you can name. Think dried gardenia fruit for liver health, polygonatum odoratum for moisturisation, deer antler for vitality, morus alba for antioxidants, mulberry leaves for heart health and many more. An alternative to samgyetang is samgyejuk (Korean ginseng chicken porridge), served here in renditions like maesaengi abalone porridge ($29) and pumpkin porridge.
Address: 30 Victoria St, Chijmes, #01-11/12, Singapore 187996
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-10pm
4. MyX
The creators of Siri House, Moxie and Cudo now bring us an all-new restaurant in Holland Village, cooking up flavours of Latin America and the American South. The 70-seater has its interiors nailed down to a tee, with a gorgeous pebble-stoned bar counter, green tiles, warm wooden furnishings and light fixtures that make the textured terracotta walls pop. Behind the main dining hall, the restaurant houses a 32-seat area called The Cabin, fit for events and functions, and a 10-seater booth within that space. It's here where visitors can browse a collection of books at MyX's Lending Library or listen to records at the Vinyl Listening Lounge.
At MyX, diners can look forward to a spread of "comfort food", inspired by Chef Steven Chou's memories of New York's vibrant Latin American community and food, as well as the Southern cuisine he was introduced to during his time working in Houston, Texas. A must-order: the Dirrrty Chicken Rice, which sees chicken marinated in black pepper, cumin, oregano and citrus before it's roasted till glistening and golden brown. Diners can also pop by for a wallet-friendly $26 set lunch, weekend brunch, or Happy Hour from 3pm to 7pm from Tuesdays to Sundays.
Address: 44 Jalan Merah Saga, #01-46, Singapore 278116
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 11.30am-10.30pm; Sat 11am-11.30pm; Sun 11am-10pm
5. Moutarde and Sundae Royale
New lifestyle hub Weave at Resorts World Sentosa is shaping up to be a real foodie’s paradise. Following the opening of pastry master Pierre Hermé’s largest store in the world, another French chef, Paul Pairet, has unveiled not one but two new F&B concepts at the same mall – a bold move for his debut in Singapore. First up is Moutarde, a casual, unpretentious French bistro whose name translates to “mustard”. Boasting Australian prime rib to New Zealand lamb leg and XXL turbot, Moutarde’s British carving trolley-inspired carvery is its pride and joy, with flavoursome chef-selected cuts rotated daily such that no two seatings are the same. Alongside these are French menu staples like hors d'oeuvres, beef tartare, grilled salmon bearnaise, desserts like praline soufflé, and fine cheeses from Moutarde’s own cheese room.
Save some stomach space for sweet treats as Sundae Royale, Paul Pairet’s premium dessert parlour, is conveniently located right next door. Sporting retro-inspired digs washed in mint green, the café specialises in – you guessed it – the classic nostalgia-invoking ice cream sundae, with 10 flavours on the menu.
Address: 26 Sentosa Gateway, WEAVE, #B1-219-222, Singapore 098138
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-10pm
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