New French restaurant concept by Zouk Group to open in Bugis, Lifestyle News
Zouk Group announced that it will be launching its first-ever French restaurant concept The Plump Frenchman in Bugis on the week of June 16, the group said in a press release on Thursday (June 5).
According to Andrew Li, CEO of Zouk Group, the restaurant's launch is something that he has always envisioned doing.
"As a longtime French food enthusiast myself, I've always dreamed of creating a place that blends all the things I love about French cuisine and brasserie culture with the energy of our Zouk brand. It's wholesome, playful and full of personality," he stated.
The 70-seater brasserie will focus on serving classic French comfort food.
The menu is conceptualised by Zouk Group's Chief Culinary Officer Lorenz Hoja — who was the executive chef at French gourmet restaurant L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Singapore.
During his time there, he had helped to secure two Michelin stars in 2016 and 2017.
"French cuisine doesn't have to be rigid or overly refined, it should be delicious, generous, and deeply comforting. At The Plump Frenchman, we're bringing back the joy of slow meals, shared plates, and dishes made with real heart," the chef stated.
Some examples of items on the menu include the Demi Poulet Rotisserie ($17++), a slow roasted chicken dish, and Chipirons ($16++), a baby squid dish stuffed with chorizo, parsley and garlic in olive oil and lemon.
For dessert, there's the Tiramisu au Citron ($11++), a classic Italian dessert with an innovative touch — swapping traditional coffee for lemon as the main flavour.
From Monday to Saturday, the restaurant will offer Menu de Canut, a curated selection of set menus.
The selection will include a two-course set (one main and one dessert) at $25++, three-course set (one starter, one main and one dessert) at $35++, and four-course set (two starters, one main and one dessert) at $47++ and is available from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 9pm.
The new restaurant's interior is inspired by retro French aesthetics.
Zouk Group is also behind the launch of artisanal sandwich and donut shop Korio and the Five Guys franchises across Singapore and Malaysia.
Address: Guoco Midtown II, 20 Tan Quee Lan Street #01-20, Singapore 188107
Opening hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 10pm (Mon to Sat), 11.30am to 3pm (Sun)
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carol.ong@asiaone.com
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Skalda, about a 20-minute walk downtown from Grandi, is everyone's new favourite bookstore with well-curated English titles, including translations of Icelandic authors. Bokin is piled high with dusty, musty curiosities, and Salka offers English bestsellers with beer and wine to sip while you browse. For records, check out the graffiti-laden Lucky Records, the shop-by-day-bar-by-night 12 Tonar, and Smekkleysa, the label and shop associated with Bjork and the Sugarcubes. Fischersund, an artsy shop and perfumery run by Sigur Ros' Jonsi and his family, is also worth a whiff. Pass by the bookstores first, as they all close at 4pm, while the record stores are all open until 5pm or later. 5.30pm | Follow the Rainbow Road Because of its difficult-to-pronounce name, Skolavordustigur is occasionally better known to visitors as the Rainbow Road. The path is painted in rainbow colours year round and leads up to Reykjavik's most prominent landmark, Hallgrimskirkja. 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The chef Gisli Mattias Audunsson's menu rises far above the gastropub and lands near perfection with its list of natural wines. The menu is delightfully omnivorous but deserves note for its plant-forward offerings that refuse to be relegated to side dishes, such as the eggplant with fermented tomato and buckwheat. That said, their signature cod wings with smoked buttermilk, a clever twist on bar grub and overlooked cuts of fish, are undeniably the star. (Dinner and drinks for two start at 20,000 ISK and reservations are recommended.) To go all-out, however, reserve a seat at OX. 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For dancing, Paloma has a world-class sound system hidden in a wood-beamed attic. When the munchies strike, a hot dog is obligatory (800 ISK). Some swear Baejarins Beztu's are special, but you can get the exact same dog at every convenience store in town, so feel free to skip the line. If you jammed too hard last night, you may need to recover amid the wood panelling and diner booths of Prikid. With raucous hip hop and punk shows at night followed by piles of pancakes in the morning, this bar is as likely to have caused your hangover as it is to cure it. They even used to offer breakfast with a genuine painkiller for this very reason. You may have to supply your own ibuprofen now, but their hearty, American-inspired brunch is sure to revive you nonetheless. Try the Truck, their house specialty, piled high with the usual suspects: Eggs, bacon, pancakes and potatoes — plus skyr and unlimited coffee, of course (3,700 ISK). 11.30am | Soak in a fjord-side spa Building on the local pool culture, recent years have seen a wave of high-end, spa-like 'lagoons' springing up around the country. The newcomer Hvammsvik is the current forerunner, combining proximity to the capital city with stunning views. If you haven't rented a car, you can catch the 10.30am shuttle from the bus station and watch the topography closing around you as you enter Hvalfjordur. Built on the site of a natural hot spring, Hvammsvik's network of wooden paths between rocky pools leads down into the fjord. The tide rises and falls around them, only steps away for those brave enough for a natural cold plunge in between the sauna and the hot pots. The on-site bistro offers simple Nordic fare like seafood soup and open-faced sandwiches (3,150 to 3,750 ISK) for before or after your swim. While inside, you can order at the swim-up bar to sip something as you soak in Iceland's dreamy landscape. (Entrance from 8,000 ISK; 16,000 ISK with transfer.) By Grayson del Faro © The New York Times.
