5 Hot New Restaurants To Check Out Now That Dining In For 5 Pax Back On Menu

After his delicious but ultimately untimely stints at the now-defunct Restaurant Kin and Folklore, here’s hoping MasterChef Singapore judge Damian D’Silva’s latest venture enjoys longevity. Rempapa is a clever portmanteau of rempah (Malay for spice blend) and papa (a nod to Damien’s unofficial status as ‘papa’ of Singapore heritage cuisine). The 110-seat all-day dining concept showcases Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian and Peranakan dishes, and opens its doors on December 4 at condominium complex Park Place Residences at PLQ. It’s a partnership between Damian and OUE Restaurants, which is behind swish kappo Japanese restaurant Takayama and grill-focused rooftop restaurant VUE.

Returning favourites from his erstwhile restaurants include Babi Pongteh ($36) and Buah Keluak Fried Rice ($28; feeds two) alongside flavours the chef will be presenting for the first time, like Lamb Leg Rendang ($38) and Baca Assam ($38), the latter a tangy Eurasian dish that pairs beef brisket with candlenut and tamarind. Both indoor and outdoor seating options are available.

Rempapa is currently open for bookings — a good place to bring the folks out for a treat soon.

Rempapa opens Dec 4 at #01-01/02/03 Park Place Residences at PLQ, 2 Paya Lebar Rd, S409053. Tel: 9459-1603. Open Mon – Fri, 10.30am – 10.30pm; Sat, Sun & Public hols, 9.30am – 10.30pm. More info via Facebook and Instagram.

Here’s a new entrant to Singapore’s answer to the mini K-town in Tanjong Pagar. Charim Korean BBQ is run by a Korean mother-and-daughter team. The 52-seater (35 when socially-distanced) restaurant recently made headlines after the 26-year-old daughter Ryu Jiah posted a TikTok video detailing how she quit her “dream job at Apple to fulfil her mum’s lifetime wish [of opening a restaurant].”

The mid-range eatery offers four set menus ranging from $65 to $98 that come with three types of meat – think thick-cut pork belly, marinated chicken or beef brisket – with a choice of one soup and Korean steamed egg. Each sets only feeds two, so you and your pals will have to get a couple of sets and perhaps some a la carte dishes. Other options include Army Stew ($42), Kimchi Pancake ($24) and Ginseng Chicken Soup ($28). To round off your KBBQ experience, there’s DIY Sushi Rice – eight lumps of pre-moulded rice, Korean leek and wasabi to pair with your protein of choice, which is not included in the $5 price tag.

Unfortunately, Charim Korean BBQ has stopped accepting reservations after a spate of last-minute cancellations and no-shows. So pop by early to avoid disappointment.

Charim Korean BBQ is at 65 Tanjong Pagar Rd, S088486. Tel: 8817-0565. Open daily 11.30am – midnight. More info via Facebook & Instagram. Delivery via Foodpanda.

Nothing quite says communal dining like hotpot with friends and family. Empire Hotpot is the steamboat-focused sister concept of Chinese restaurant Empire Fine Chinese Cuisine, and it opened its doors this August at Ngee Ann City.

The hotpot experience at the upmarket 190-seat restaurant (around 80 now) begins with one of their eight soup bases in a single or dual pot. These include the decadent Empire Supreme Lobster Broth ($38), simmered with bamboo shoot, pumpkin, onion and Boston lobster. They even throw in half a lobster with each order. Note that their signature broths are non-refillable – they’ll top up your soup with a generic chicken broth when it runs low.

Empire Hotpot’s suite of raw seafood (from $6 per 100g) includes giant clams, live prawns, Australian lobster and crab. There’re also handmade pastes and dumplings on offer, as well as the usual array of dipping sauces ($3.50, refillable). Wanna splurge? Get some Kagoshima A4 Wagyu Beef ($66) or Premium Japanese Kurobuta Pork Belly ($28).

Empire Hotpot is at #05-13/14 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Rd, S238872. Tel: 6908-0606. Open 11.30am – 2.45pm Mon – Fri ; from 11am on Sat & 10.30am on Sun & 6pm – 9.45pm daily. More info via Facebook and Instagram. Delivery via Oddle.

Not to be confused with Santi, a now-closed Spanish restaurant in Marina Bay Sands by late celeb chef Santi Santamaria, Santi’s is a modern sourdough pizza and grill joint in Telok Ayer by the folks behind well-loved café Sarnies. The 65-seat restaurant (down to 45 due to social distancing) launched in November next door to the Sarnies flagship with a menu underscored by “open flame cooking and quality produce”.

Pizzas, which sees 48-hour-fermented dough cooked with a myriad of not-so-traditional toppings in a gas oven, take centre stage at Santi’s. Gather your buddies and get a few of their cheekily-named 11-inch pies to share. The Baby Don’t Herd me ($30) comes with San Marzano tomatoes, smoked lamb leg, fried coriander and harissa (hot chilli pepper paste), while the Ermah-gourd (say it out loud) is topped with Japanese pumpkin, whipped smoke feta and madras curry oil for $24.

Flame-kissed treats, also cooked in the same gas oven, include Steak Au Poivre ($64), 550g Argentinian bone-in ribeye rubbed with peppercorns and served with a green pepper sauce, or a similarly-sized Grilled Plaice ($56) with kecap manis, sansho peppers and kombu. Libations like bubbly, beer and kombucha are also available. Good to know: the restaurant is fully open-air and well-ventilated with fans, always a plus these days.

Santi’s is at 138 Telok Ayer St, S068603. Tel: 8405-6112. Open Mon - Fri, 11am – 10pm; Sat, 5pm - 10pm. More info via Facebook and Instagram. Delivery via Grabfood, Foodpanda and Deliveroo.

Ok, so this hotly anticipated Chinese hotpot joint isn’t quite open yet, but here’s what to expect when it does soon. Coucou (say “chou chou”) serves a charming combination of “Taiwanese-style hotpot and bubble tea” and boasts over 170 outlets across China and Hong Kong. Barring any delays, Singapore’s first Coucou Hotpot outlet will soft launch at the end of December before opening officially in “early January 2022”, says its regional deputy general manager Frankie Foo.

The massive 248-seater restaurant at Suntec City will serve the brand’s signature soups like Fresh Mushroom Broth, Stewed Pork Tripe and Chicken Broth and also a large range of beverages like its popular bubble tea, cocktails and beer.

Coucou Hotpot opens late Dec 2021 - early Jan 2022 at #03-332/333/334/335/336/337 Suntec City, 3 Temasek Blvd, S038983. Tel: 8596-5752. More info via Facebook & Instagram.

Photos: Rempapa, Santi’s, Empire Hotpot, Charim Korean BBQ/Facebook, Coucou Hotpot/Facebook

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