From Chin Mee Chin to Keng Eng Kee Seafood: Popular F&B brands serving SG60-special dishes in collab with cafe, Lifestyle News
The restaurant, which is located in Artyzen hotel in Orchard, has a six-month-long culinary campaign featuring several big names in our local food and beverage scene like Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, Keng Eng Kee Seafood and Abundance.
Each month, one local chef or restaurant will have their locally inspired dishes, which were jointly developed with Cafe Quenino's culinary team, featured in the menu. The brands will be on rotation over the campaign period.
August is the only month that has a menu showcasing dishes from all the restaurants and chefs.
AsiaOne had a preview of the August menu on July 2. Here's what you can expect: Hainanese beef brisket, seafood pao fan and more
Chef Inderpal Singh of Meh'r, winner of MasterChef Singapore Season 4, already kicked things off earlier in May with his creation — Seafood Black Pepper Masak Kicap.
This featured prawns and squid cooked in Inderpal's signature sauce. It was served atop an omelette and a bed of coconut basmati rice.
I loved the sweet and slightly spicy black pepper kicap manis sauce, which paired well with the fresh, crunchy seafood.
For dessert, there was creme brulee infused with Inderpal's house-made bru coffee caramel.
Chin Mee Chin, one of Singapore's oldest confectioneries, was the restaurant in the spotlight in June. The brand happens to be celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, too.
One can't dine at Chin Mee Chin without indulging in their kaya so for the campaign, they've created a unique Kaya Mille-feuille filled with kaya, mango and lychee.
It also comes complete with a side of coconut ice cream. The Kaya Mille-feuille is among a few items on the menu that will be available throughout the six-month campaign.
I was surprised by how light the pastry was and I loved how the kaya added a subtle sweetness to each bite.
While Chin Mee Chin is mostly known for its nostalgic bakes and sweet treats, there are savoury options too.
Just for the collaboration with Cafe Quenino, the confectionary has created its own rendition of the Hainanese Beef Brisket, paired with creamy mashed potatoes.
I'm pretty fussy when it comes to beef and this gets a stamp of approval from me. Apart from being marinated well, the beef was extremely tender and juicy.
The eatery for this month is Keng Eng Kee Seafood, which is known for its zi char dishes.
On the menu are starters like the 'Hei Zho' Prawn Toast, which features fried bread stuffed with prawn mousse and topped with tomato jam. These were very addictive, and I was tempted to have more than one.
Another dish to try is the eatery's Salted Egg Prawn.
Yes, salted egg dishes are a little overdone in Singapore but this one left quite an impression on me.
The crisp prawns were coated in the creamy, savoury and sweet salted egg sauce and came with a side of fried kombu rice and grilled baby corn. A very interesting pairing that surprisingly worked.
For Singapore's birthday month, Goobybakes, which is known for its cheese baos, will have three unique local flavours to choose from — ginger chicken, house-made sambal and bakkwa.
On top of that, there will be a special one-off lunch and dinner collaborative menu co-created by all participating guest chefs. Diners will also get to meet the chefs in person on Aug 1 and 2.
The collaborative menu features dishes like Chin Mee Chin's Hainanese Beef Brisket, Abundance's 'Beef Bak Kut Teh' Ravioli and Keng Eng Kee Seafood's Salted Egg Prawns.
In September, Abundance, which is known for its local and Taiwanese fusion flavours, will serve items like its Taro Pork Belly Bun, a fusion of Taiwanese gua bao and Hakka-style braised pork.
As a bak kut teh lover, I thoroughly enjoyed their Beef Bak Kut Teh Ravioli, which featured beef short rib filling encased in ravioli skin and doused in a rich, herbal beef broth. This was finished off with a generous scattering of fried mee sua.
I loved this dish so much that I wish it could have been a staple item on the menu rather than for limited time only.
The overall campaign ends in October with Red House Seafood, which will have hearty bowls of Seafood 'Paofan' on the menu. The pao fan , which is a Teochew dish where rice is submerged in soup, comes accompanied with a piece of pan-seared Milkfish.
This isn't your usual bowl of pao fan either — each serving comes with generous chunks of baby scallop and prawns. Very luxurious indeed.
Diners can enjoy these dishes a la carte or opt for the lunch and dinner sets.
A weekday lunch set costs $38 for a two-course meal and $48 for a three-course meal.
Dinner features a communal set menu which costs $65 per person and requires a minimum of two diners.
Apart from that, homegrown patisserie Cake Inspiration has three locally inspired desserts on Cafe Quenino's high tea menu. These are available throughout the entire six-month series.
The bespoke cocktail series, which is inspired by Singapore's neighbourhoods and food habits, can also be ordered throughout the duration of the entire campaign.
A must-try — especially if you love local coffee — is the Kaya Toastini, which is crafted with Roberto Cavalli Vodka and coffee liquor. It even comes with a side of Chin Mee Chin's kaya butter toast.
For something more fruity, get the Swing Singapore Sling, made from No.3 Gin, Pink Guava Juice, lemongrass, saline and tonic.
Address: 9 Cuscaden Rs, Level 1, Singapore 249719
Opening hours: Daily, 11am to midnight
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melissateo@asiaone.com
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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
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When Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival roll around, long queues form at bak kwa and rice dumpling shops. Embedded in the Singapore DNA is the queueing gene. New bakeries, bubble tea shops, cafes and restaurants with some buzz around them attract queues. But Singaporeans do not just queue for the new thing. There are still lines out the door for bak chor mee institution Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle in Crawford Lane, the only hawker stall with a Michelin star. Queueing has even become an expression of love and affection. I love you, therefore I queue hours to buy you bak kwa/bak chang/macarons/croissants/doughnuts/bubble tea. Why else do people love the queue? It is wrapped up in Singaporean traits – kiasuism and safety in numbers. If the guy in front of me is willing to queue hours for a burger that went viral, I will do it too. I cannot lose to him. I, too, must eat that burger. If so many people are willing to queue so long for croissants, they must be good, right? 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Golden Bao, for example, launched by a group of friends, made its big bazaar debut earlier in 2025 selling handmade Chinese-style beef and chicken roti. Popular stall Golden Bao, which sells handmade Chinese-style beef and chicken roti, at the Kampong Gelam Ramadan bazaar in 2025. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN FILE Since then, the popular stall has popped up at other events and is at Malaysia Fest, held at Singapore Expo, till Aug 3. Red Star Restaurant Helming Red Star Restaurant are (clockwise from bottom left) chef Hooi Kok Wai and his son Chris, and Mr Paul Sin and his father, chef Sin Leong. PHOTO: ST FILE When Heavenly Kings open a restaurant, a Red Star is born. The 600-seat restaurant in a Chin Swee Road multi-storey carpark has quite a history. Four chefs opened it 51 years ago: Sin Leong, Hooi Kok Wai, Tham Yui Kai and Lau Yoke Pui. They were known as the Heavenly Kings of Singapore cuisine and were the most important Chinese chefs at the time. They were proteges of Shanghainese chef Luo Chen at Cathay Restaurant in the 1950s before going on to open their own restaurants. In 1974, they came together to open Red Star. They also made waves by 'inventing' the Chinese New Year staple of yusheng. They turned the humble plate of sliced raw fish, dressed with sesame oil and scallions and eaten with congee, into a show-stopping dish. Finely shredded vegetables, toasted seeds and nuts, pickled and preserved vegetables as well as raw fish are tossed at the table with plum dressing by diners wielding chopsticks and shouting auspicious sayings. At its peak , the restaurant was the place to hold wedding banquets and other important celebrations. It even boasts a stage for those events. Today, chefs Sin, 98, and Hooi, 86, run the restaurant with their sons Paul Sin, 64, and Chris Hooi, 60. The restaurant, one of very few left that serve dim sum from push carts, is still busy, with regulars jostling with newer diners looking for a taste of nostalgia in Singapore. Violet Oon Cooking doyenne Violet Oon (centre) with her children Tay Yiming (left) and Tay Su-lyn at their flagship restaurant in Dempsey. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN Food writer, restaurant critic, cookbook author, television personality, ambassador for Singapore food and restaurateur – Violet Oon's life in food has made her one of Singapore's most recognisable icons. The 76-year-old, who in her heyday could make or break a restaurant or hawker stall with her reviews, has become one of the go-to people for those wanting to find out more about Singapore food. She amassed that knowledge growing up with Peranakan relatives who taught her to cook, from speaking to chefs as part of her work, and from eating widely and deeply in Singapore and abroad. She now has three Violet Oon restaurants – at the National Gallery Singapore and Ion Orchard, and in Dempsey Road. More will follow. Some of her years have been rocky. Her restaurant businesses did not always succeed. In 2014, she suffered a stroke. She was, she says, a model patient during her month-long stay in hospital and recovered. In 2022, she and her children, with whom she runs the restaurants, brought a shareholder oppression suit against former business partner Manoj Murjani and his company Group MMM. They won in 2024. Ms Oon, her daughter Tay Su-lyn, 48, and her son Tay Yiming, 43, now have full control of the company. Her children stepped in to help her in 2012 and she credits them with making her restaurant business a success. Together, they ensure the Violet Oon name remains front and centre in diners' minds and her legacy continues.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
My Perfect Weekend with chef Inderpal Singh
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Vogue Singapore
16-07-2025
- Vogue Singapore
Where to eat, drink and shop according to Vasunthara Ramasamy
No one hosts quite like Vasunthara Ramasamy. A self-taught chef and MasterChef Singapore alum, she runs Cutlery Optional, a buzzy private dining outfit where South Indian culinary heritage takes centre stage. She is also known as the unofficial Little India whisperer—guiding friends through Tekka's spice stalls and thosai counters like it's a sensory sport. If you want to get to the heart of Singapore's culinary landscape, eating with her is a good first step. For Ramasamy, home represents ease. 'I have lived in Mumbai and New Zealand for short periods. These experiences were enriching and broadened my view of the world and life. However, now that I'm in my 40s, I'm certain that Singapore will always be my true home. Ultimately, living abroad made me realise how much of a Singaporean I am at heart.' On her food adventures around the island, Ramasamy has made many discoveries and hidden gems—some of which she believes should receive more recognition. 'I wish that the food cultures of migrant workers could be more acknowledged and celebrated,' she reflects. 'Migrant workers have their own temporary enclaves to gather and relax on their rest days. It is in these spaces where I have found some of the best and most affordable Southeast Asian and South Asian eats.' Here, the chef share her favourite third spaces in Singapore—from the local eatery she'd rather gatekeep to under-the-radar stores, bars and neighbourhoods she keeps coming back to. André Wee 1 / 6 The local stall you tend to gatekeep: This is a difficult one to answer as many of my favourite food stalls have shuttered over the years. But Impian Wahyu (Block 462 Crawford Lane) has managed to stand the test of time. My favourite dishes are their Ayam Penyet and Sup Buntut. Their food reminds me of what you find in Indonesian warungs and the sambal they serve on the side has got a good kick of chilli heat too. I've patronised this stall for years and was heartbroken when they closed briefly after the passing of Abang Batman, one of the co-owners. He was incredibly personable and I'm glad that Wahyu Ning, his wife, overcame the odds and reopened at a new location. @vasunthara.r 2 / 6 The third space where you feel the most you: Does the wet market count as a third space? I spend a lot of time at Tekka Market and the grocery shops all over Little India. There's always some new ingredient to appreciate and learn about from the stall owners. As a private dining chef, these spaces allow me to dream up new dishes and ideas. Courtesy of Atlas 3 / 6 The ultimate destination for a good night out: I like Atlas Bar for its beautiful interiors and Caffe Fernet for sweeping views of Marina Bay and (most importantly) its Negronis. Courtesy of Jothi Store & Flower Shop 4 / 6 A hidden gem shopping address: While not really a hidden gem, Jothi Store & Flower Shop has existed since the 1960s and more people should know about it. It's an excellent place for Indian cookware and all types of stainless steel paraphernalia for sauces, dips, prep and service. They have extensive variety at very affordable prices. Courtesy of Ichigo Ichie 5 / 6 Best date-night spot: I may be biased as I have done two collaborations with chef Akane of Ichigo Ichie, but my husband and I love the food there. Each visit to the Japanese kappo restaurant guarantees a different experience since the menu isn't fixed and chef Akane only uses seasonal ingredients while adding her own artistic flair. I especially love that diners will occasionally taste some Indian elements, inspired by our collabs over the years, like fermented Indian chilli pastes and spices popping up amid Japanese flavours. It makes the experience fun, interesting and very memorable for a special date. Getty 6 / 6 Your favourite coffee haunt: I have the privilege of mostly working from home so my daily cup of coffee is usually a Lungo from a Nespresso pod. But on days when I really need a caffeine boost, it's a stovetop espresso or South Indian filter coffee using coffee beans sourced from my travels to India. Vogue Singapore's July/August 'Home' issue is out on newsstands and available online.
