Perhaps it’s because of familiarity that we find ourselves gravitating towards Asian food sometimes. Here are two joints that you should check out for comfort food – but not as you know it!
Perhaps it’s because of familiarity that we find ourselves gravitating towards Asian food sometimes. Here are two joints that you should check out for comfort food – but not as you know it!
Ding Dong
Ann Siang Hill’s Ding Dong serves staple faves from Singapore, Malaysia and the rest of the region, but with a playful and exploratory twist. Take the Vegetable “Kon Lao Mee” with Sliced Pork, $18 – this new addition to the menu was inspired by a popular street dish from Sabah, but swaps the noodles and off-the-shelf ingredients with shredded root vegetables, a zesty sauce (made in-house, no less) and succulent slices of Mangalica pork.
Another highlight from the revamped menu is the Wagyu Beef Char Siew with Pickled Papaya and Cherry Tomato, $29. Instead of pork, this char siew dish uses marinated beef short ribs that are slow-cooked for 48 hours (the melt-in-your-mouth texture is to die for). For a sweet finish, go for the Frozen Pulut Panggang with Pandan and Coconut, $13, a modern take on the Peranakan classic that features coconut, pandan jelly and gula melaka.
Sumiya
It’s hard to get grilled fish right – the meat can get too dry, the tender flesh might fall apart whilst cooking or the fish might stick to the grill, resulting in one ugly mess. Thankfully, the expert chefs at Sumiya have perfected the art of charcoalgrilled fish or irori genshiyaki, an ancient Japanese cooking technique, so we’ll never have to flounder over an open fire ever again. Try the Grilled Yellowtail Collar with Salt, $20.80, or if you have a big table, the Whole Grilled Semi-dried Kinki Fish, $48.
We like that their fish is grilled evenly with a crispy layer of skin yet still remains juicy and tender on the inside. Sashimi lovers will go gaga over the Fresh Bluefin Tuna Sashimi Steak-style, $68, which is a single cut of tuna that includes all the akami (lean), chutoro (medium fatty) and otoro (fatty) parts. Wash it all down with a glass of sake from their dispenser, where there’s 16 different bottles to choose from. If you’re having trouble deciding, you can just sample all of them since the dispenser doles out the drinks in three volumes: tasting, half, and full portions.
WHEN TWO BECOMES ONE
Food hybrids are usually a hit-or-miss, but it seems like the scene has been on a winning streak lately. Here are some of our favourite chow that are coupling up.
CRONUT
When it first rolled out in 2013, the demand for this pastry was so high that it spawned a black market where they were going for US$100 a pop.
DONUT SANDWICH
Sweet and savoury – talk about a breakfast for champions. Homer Simpson would approve. D’oh!
COOKIE SHOT
Perhaps drawing inspiration from soup served in bread bowls, cronut inventor Chef Dominique Ansel dreamt up these milk shots in cookie cups.
MCWHOPPER
Unfortunately, McDonald’s has politely declined Burger King’s offer. We can only dream of this glorious but hypothetical burger.
SUSHI BURRITO
Think: handheld maki. It’s the kind of thing you never knew you needed and you’re just like, “Where have you been all my life?”
RAMEN BURGER
Who’d have thought? We won’t be surprised if food purists have flipped a few tables over this wacky (but tasty!) combination.
