Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

Already buzzing with customers despite soft launching less than 1 month ago, Paaru is perhaps one of the hottest new openings among café-goers.

Brought to you by the folks behind Punch, Gather, and Asaru Studio, the Japanese-themed café is reminiscent of the style at Asaru Studio which is just a few units away, within Pearl’s Hill Terrace. The interior is designed like a Japanese tea house, and dimly lit with a few lightbulbs.

Outside, there are some stools for those in the queue/waitlist, and a mini garden with bamboo that is befitting of the overall theme.

I had the White ($6, +$1 for oat) and the Mocha ($6.50, +$1 for oat) on a separate occasion, and I preferred the Mocha as it masked the acidity of the coffee without the chocolate overpowering.

Apart from coffee, the menu offers a few simple all-day breakfast dishes, featuring their signature shokupan (Japanese milk bread) which is made in-house at Paaru Bakery a few doors down. I opted for the Eggs on Shokupan ($12), which was decent with smooth scrambled eggs (slightly more firm than soft and creamy) and the savoury slice of toast. Though I did wish that the portion was bigger.

For a sweet option, there is the French Toast Shokupan ($12) topped with kuromitsu (Japanese black sugar syrup), cacao nibs, sea salt and fresh cream. Since only half a slice of shokupan was used, this made for a good snack but not a satisfying breakfast.

Don’t forget to check out the bakery, which is helmed by an experienced Japanese baker in collaboration with the café. This serves more of a takeaway store, though there is a bench inside if you would like to eat on the spot. A range of bread and cakes are freshly baked and made available at different times throughout the day.

As I was there at their opening time at 9am, only the shokupan loaves, madeleines ($2 each) and financiers ($2 each) were available after a 30-minute wait. Thankfully, the warm madeleine, fresh out of the oven, was soft and fluffy. I would love to be back for the other cakes (think Mont Blanc, Strawberry Shortcake, Rare Cheese Tart).

Paaru Bakery

Open 9am – 6pm daily except Wed

195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace, #01-61, Singapore 168976

Paaru Cafe

Weekdays 9am – 7pm (closed on Wed)

Weekends 8am – 6pm

195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace, #01-61, Singapore 168976

Recently, I had my very first private dining experience in Singapore, at The Chinoiseries. Chinoiserie is a French word for a Western style that has influences from China or East Asia in its design, and this style is also the main inspiration for the menu served at this cosy apartment where chef-owners Lionel and Karyn reside and receive diners.

The menu is a 5-course dinner tasting menu at $168 per pax, with a minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 pax per booking. However, due to demand from smaller groups, sharing of table with others is also allowed based on availability so do check in with them.

There were 2 options for the first course – Oysters 3-ways or the Brouillade. The former was 3 oysters done in different ways: en nage glacee, grilled with persillade, and poached with celery cream. Meanwhile, the Brouillade featured soft and creamy scrambled eggs with smoked king salmon, topped with dill and sturia vintage caviar.

The second course was a choice between Legumes – white asparagus, morels, morel forma, parmesan crisp or Scallops – Hokkaido jumbo scallop, tarragon beurre blanc, prosciutto chips. I personally preferred the Legumes because of the sweet and tender white asparagus (unlike the green asparagus) and the savoury morels which is one of my favourite shrooms.

We then had a pasta course, which was Capellini topped with uni, Alaskan king crab and tobiko.

For the main course, we had the Lamb rack with a pistachio herb crust and red pepper coulis, and Tournedos – which featured Australian black angus tenderloin, Sarawak black and white peppercorn and red wine jus. The meat was tender to my liking and paired well with the spices.

Both mains were served with vitelotte potatoes, which were petite and had purple flesh. It was my first time trying and I was surprised by the nutty flavour which I really liked instead of the starchy taste I was expecting.

Our dessert, the Parfait Glace, had a good balance of sweet and nutty flavours and a mixture of soft and crunchy textures. We also had a scoop of their homemade praline paste and it was divine.

A gem that was not found on the menu, but for preorders only, was their Canelé which I got to try before leaving. The ones here were befitting of how a canelé should be – crisp and crusty on the outside (while not being too hard) and moist with a slight chewiness on the inside. That ended the meal on an extremely high note.

Though I could not compare what I had at The Chinoiseries to other private dining restaurants for my lack of experience, it was overall a classy yet homely experience. I was impressed with the wide range of quality and rare ingredients in the dishes and how everything could be made so timely in a kitchen of a HDB flat. The service from and conversations with Lionel and Karyn added a personal touch which made us feel comfortable and at ease, without that pressure to be formal in a fine dining setting.

289 Bukit Batok Street 25, Singapore 651289

Thu to Sat 7pm – 10pm

WhatsApp: 9272 7180 to enquire or reserve

Photos shot with iPhone 14 Pro Max

A while back, I had the opportunity to discover Origin Grill and their new seasonal menu. Located in the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel at Orchard Road, the restaurant shares the same premises and name as the popular Origin Bar which comes alive in the evening. The vast expanses of the hotel lobby were bustling on a Sunday afternoon with both locals and foreigners alike and I was soaking in the vibes.  

At the restaurant, I received very attentive and warm service from the service crew who knew the menu well and provided true recommendations. For a start, we had the Mushroom Soup ($14) topped with toasted hazelnuts, BBQ mushrooms and chives. It was a smooth emulsion that could be easily slurped up at a go.

The appetisers which arrived next, were as huge as main courses that I panicked a little. Wrapped in layers of pancetta, the Hudson Valley Duck Terrine ($34) was made with slow cooked duck leg and terrine from the Hudson Valley duck and was served with pickled onions, apricots, pear and apple chutney, warm brioche. I recommend stacking the terrine atop a layer of brioche and chutney and have it in a bite. Wished there were more slices of brioche!

Yet another appetiser we had was the Charred Octopus ($30), which featured the Abrolhos octopus caught off the coast of Western Australia. We were surprised how the octopus leg was plump and thick yet remained very tender. Swipe it with the aubergine caviar and tomato jam along the plate for an extra tasty finish.

Then came the main course which I was highly anticipating, as Origin Grill is known for offering notable bespoke beef cuts. I went for the recommended Yukimuro Striploin ($175) which is the most popular steak on the menu. This was my first time learning about the technique of yukimuro, where the beef is snow-aged for 30 days in a snow-covered room in Niigata. One of the richest and fattiest cuts of steak I’ve had, this is not for the faint-hearted.

The other main course that was recommended to us was the Lumina Lamb Rack ($62), served with honey glazed carrots, salsa verde, pistachio crumbs, rosemary jus. There was no gaminess.

We had 2 beautifully plated desserts to end. An Asian take on the Ile Flotante, the Floating Island ($18) featured mangoes from Thailand and a meringue with passion fruit crème anglaise and compote. The Milky Origin ($18), as its name suggests, is a vanilla milk pudding dessert with crispy milk foam, fromage blanc mousse, almond paper and manuka honey. We preferred the Floating Island!

Be it for date nights or a relaxing family meal, the food and experience at Origin Grill was suitable for any occasion and I personally have been recommending it to friends as well.

12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm (Closed on Mon)

Lobby Level, Tower Wing, Shangri-la Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Rd, 258350

Situated at the top of National Gallery, Art di Daniele Sperindio (previously Art Restaurant) helmed by newly minted chef-owner Daniele Sperindio is an Italian fine dining restaurant with 1 Michelin star under its belt. The panoramic view of Marina Bay Sands from the spacious restaurant is just the cherry on the cake. Recently, I was there to experience Art 4.0, the fourth iteration of the chef’s menu of conversation cuisine.

Before getting into the 7 course degustation menu proper, we started with 2 cocktails recommended by the team – a rum cocktail, and the Beeswax which are available on a separate drinks menu. Both were sweet cocktails which suited my palate.

Our first course, the Aperitivo, 4 Amici al Bar, was a series of 3 apetizers – swordfish ham, stracchino cheese tart, and chutoro – which whet our appetites. The chutoro made a lasting impression.

The next course, Cappon Magro, was topped with Siberian sturgeon caviar and easily made the most prized dish of the tasting menu.

For the bread course, Pane e Poesia, we were served two types of bread, pagnotta rustica sourdough and toasted malt ciabatta. We also got to pick from 3 types of EVOO originating from different regions.

Then it was Tea Time, featuring glazed hen-of-the-wood, an edible wild mushroom, with cardo tea poured into the dish. Surprisingly, it was tender and delicate, almost as though we were tucking into a hearty meat dish. On the side, we had a giarratana onion tart for pairing.

The pasta course, La Superba, was my favorite – taglierini made with 32 yolks for every kilogram of flour served in an infusion of clams and stock fish. The sauce was very savory but not overbearing, while the texture of the pasta was chewy and firm.

As an accompaniment, we had a spoon of colorful pasta topped with a slice of winter truffle, and artisanal focaccia to be dipped in a Genoa meat sauce – the focaccia was so fluffy like a brioche!

We had two mains, the first being Estate ad Albenga, featuring sardinian seabass, mozambique scampi, baby artichoke and royal oscietra caviar (yet another prized item).

The second main, Winter is Coming, was a honey-ed quail dish. We found the quail wing to be slightly gamey while the quail breast had a cleaner taste.

For dessert, we had the Tourists on Mount Vesuvio, featuring buffalo milk gelato topped with a deconstructed classic Napolitan biscotto all’amarena made from glazed amarena cherries and chocolate. As a finishing touch, 3 drops of 40 years old aged balsamic vinegar was added – this had a really thick and deep flavour. Yet another one of my favorite courses!

Lastly, the petit fours, Piccola Pasticceria, was served. It was a galore of traditional Italian pastries – the baci di dama (Northern Italian sandwich cookie), amaretti morbidi (soft amaretti cookie), occhi di bue (Italian shortbread cookie filled with apricot jam), mini cavolino espresso tarts, gianduiotto chocolate, grape tart, sfogliatelle (Italian pastry) and almond cake. Not the easiest to finish since it was full of dough and butter.

The 7-course degustation menu is served during dinner at $298++/pax, while the lunch degustation menu (choice of 4 or 5 courses) is priced at $138++ and $158++/pax respectively.

1 St Andrew’s Road, #06-02, National Gallery Singapore 178957

Tues to Sun 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 10pm (closed on Mon)