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Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
PS Cafe vibe returns to Chip Bee Bistro in Holland Village
NEW RESTAURANT Chip Bee Bistro 44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-48 Singapore 278116 Tel: 6717-8000 (WhatsApp) Open for lunch and dinner Fri to Sat: 11 am to 3.30 pm; 5.30 pm to 11.30 pm. Dinner only Tues to Thurs IF YOUR memory stretches as far back as the ancient pre-avocado toast era, you might remember truffle fries. Those were simpler times – when Y2K was the crisis du jour, and chemically enhanced oil drizzled on shoestring potatoes was what set you apart on the (then) hipster scale from the plebeians at McDonald's. Nobody did it better than PS Cafe, which was synonymous with the sticky date pudding-led, laid-back Aussie cafe lifestyle movement that was all the rage in the late 90s/early noughts. So forgive us for being a little nostalgic for a brand name which now has all the charm of a VC-purchased restaurant chain. Enter PS Cafe version 2.0, now renamed Chip Bee Bistro by its original founder Peter Teo, whose decision to open in Holland Village is either a miscalculation, or could spur much-needed new life in the beleaguered lifestyle enclave. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Sitting among a smattering of retail and bakery outlets still holding the fort along the residential stretch of Jalan Merah Saga, it looks perfectly in place with its retro looks and distinctive Aussie vibe. This time, though, there's a separate bar at the entrance, a nod to Teo's venture into the alcohol business. The interiors have been lovingly designed with great attention to detail – from the mosaic flooring to classic bistro chairs and blackboard menu spelling out the highlights in clean, minimalist font. Even the bathroom is so pretty, you just want to hang around inside to admire it. Of course, it says something about PS Cafe if the best thing about it was the fries. That is, the food always played second fiddle to the ambience. You still get very good fries at Chip Bee Bistro – albeit without the truffle oil – but the menu is basic cafe fare. Nothing fancy, just familiar and passable cooking meant for mindless grazing as you linger and shoot the breeze with pals like you did decades ago. Hyogo oysters in raspberry mignonette. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Oyster shots (S$8 each) drown out any potential shown by Japanese molluscs that steep in an extra-sharp raspberry mignonette. Knock it back in one gulp if you dare, or gingerly rescue it from its astringent bath and slurp up whatever natural briny plumpness remains. Whipped feta toast. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Whipped feta toast (S$11) is a comforting salve for your acid-washed palate. Thick, lightly grilled slices of bread are smeared with creamy cheese and dusted with pistachio dukka and a drizzle of honey. Triple cheese and potato croquette. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT There are healthy greens on the menu, including a caesar salad of yore. But we skip that in favour of triple cheese potato crocchette (S$14), which is exactly as described – a deep-fried mashed potato ball stuffed with melted cheese and showered with shaved parmesan, nestled in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce. Casarecce pasta in tomato sauce with crab meat and shrimp. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT A similar tomato trope continues with casarecce (S$30) – twisty pasta in a muted sauce with a hint of lobster bisque and a scattering of crab meat and shrimp. Not a shining example of Italian flair, but nothing to feel indignant about unless you're somebody's nonna. Battered crimson snapper and french fries. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The kitchen is good at crunchy things, though, so the battered crimson snapper (S$32) is just what we need to sink our teeth into. Tasteless white fish is compensated for by a maybe-too-thick deep-fried crust that's fun to snack on, with decent mushy peas and a so-so tartare sauce to relieve the monotony. But we polish off the fries – perfectly thin and crisp-tender. Ask for chilli sauce to dip. Hot and flaky apple tarte tatin. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Desserts have always been a strong point, and here, it's not fat cakes under glass domes that attract but a freshly baked apple tarte tatin (S$16) – hot flaky pastry layered with tender apples, doused in intense caramel sauce and topped with ice cream and bits of cookie crumble. Light and airy tiramisu. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Otherwise, there's a lighter version of tiramisu (S$16), where airy mascarpone envelopes coffee-soaked sponge in equal layers of cake and cream. Hazelnuts and cocoa nibs give you something extra to chew on. Teo doesn't reinvent the cafe wheel with Chip Bee Bistro – he just rinses and repeats what worked in the past. He's not so much running a restaurant as he is offering a lifestyle choice with snacks included. It's a neighbourhood joint in a neighbourhood we wish we could be a part of. It's a taste of what Holland Village should, and used to be. And if the stars could get their act together to align, it could still be. Rating: 6
Business Times
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
S$48 Michelin-level meals at Encore by Rhubarb
Restaurant Revamp Encore by Rhubarb 3 Duxton Hill Singapore 089589 Tel: 8127 5001 Open for lunch and dinner Mon and Tue, Thu to Sat: 12 pm to 2.30 pm; 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm. Closed on Wed and Sun FOR 10 years, Rhubarb put on a suit and dutifully dressed the part of a Michelin-starred restaurant, like an obedient husband who pulls on pants because the in-laws are coming over for dinner. Then one fine day, Rhubarb decides the heck with it, it doesn't want to wear a suit anymore. It wants to embrace its inner bistro. But like the husband who just wants to wear his comfy boxer shorts regardless of who visits, it doesn't go down well with the people who set the standards. Rhubarb's dropping of formalities may have cost it its star, but guess what – nobody's crying about it. In fact, Encore by Rhubarb is just what we need: Michelin-level cooking without the Michelin-star stuffiness and price. After all, it's still the same chef – the genial Englishman Paul Longworth, who's been cooking French classics with the kind of self-effacing sincerity that must have kept this low-key restaurant going for the past decade. Realistically, the revamped Rhubarb is a product of the times – a much-needed pivot in times of uncertainty. It has got rid of its round dining tables and installed comfy banquette seating. There's nothing that wins us over more than walking into the restaurant and being invited to sit anywhere we want – not the tiniest table we're used to being shunted to at other restaurants. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up There's nothing fancy, and there's a charming retro feel about the decor and the menu which looks like it got its fonts at a discount. But it's the price that catches our eye: S$48 for a three-course set lunch, S$88 for a four-course set dinner. And on the a la carte menu, the most expensive main is S$48, unless you spring for a 400 gm ribeye for S$168. The lamb shoulder, at S$228, serves three to four people. We're there for lunch, so we alternate between the set (with no supplements to sneakily hike your bill) and the a la carte. A quaint touch is the individually foil-wrapped pats of butter that come with warm, fresh olive focaccia and skinny baguettes. Cured salmon slices topped with orange segments. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT For the set lunch, start off with a very pleasant and proper-sized portion of cured salmon – three thick-cut slices of firm, deep-red flesh topped with orange segments and paired with a creamy, tangy white sauce garnished with salmon roe. Filo pastry wrapped pork belly and apple with creamy whipped potato. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The main is no slapdash pasta or roast chicken either. It's a meticulously prepared pulled-pork belly, pressed and cut into thick rectangles and wrapped in still-crisp filo-like pastry – rich but not fatty, dressed in a simple brown sauce and finished with a slice of green apple and puffed pork crackling. Light-as-air whipped potato comes on the side, along with a little salad. Smoked cod roe and seaweed crackers. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The a la carte menu is a little more fancy, with addictive seaweed crackers the perfect kind of chip to scoop up creamy smoked cod roe (S$12) – a sort of taramasalata meets Korean supermarket in the most positive way. Poached toothfish with squid, clams and chickpeas. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Poached toothfish is cod by any other name (S$48), but it's a thick, fleshy specimen that flakes silkily into an even-tempered tomato-based broth that's mellow and tangy-sweet, with clams, tender squid and chickpeas for companionship. Assorted cheese, home-pickled grapes and preserved kumquats. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The set lunch ends with your pick of chocolate pot, bergamot posset or coconut sorbet, but you can also get your own mini cheese platter of whatever the chef has on hand. It's supposed to be tete du moine that day, but he's run out, so he gives an assortment of three types. You know he's put thought into the choice because of the long description that comes with each one, including a very ripe goat's cheese with a name we can't remember or pronounce. Instead of the usual condiments, you get home-pickled grapes and preserved kumquats, bought from a nearby market for a quirky local touch. Bergamot posset with blackberries and sorbet. PHOTO: JAIME EE The bergamot posset (S$16) from the a la carte menu is simple, yet good. It's a light citrusy panna cotta covered with fat blackberries, and sorbet which does what it does without any fuss – end your meal on a sweet note. In other words, Encore by Rhubarb impresses by not trying to impress you. It's just simple, honest food, prepared with integrity and gives you your money's worth. It's a familiar story that just doesn't get old. In fact, it gets better. Rating: 7
Business Times
31-07-2025
- Business Times
Jumbo group serves up Cantonese fare at Xing Yue Xuan
NEW RESTAURANT Xing Yue Xuan B1-201 Resorts World Sentosa WEAVE 26 Sentosa Gateway Singapore 098138 Tel: 8031-0096 Open daily for lunch and dinner: 11.30am to 3pm; 5.30pm to 10.30pm DON'T be mistaken that the lines of people plonking themselves outside Xing Yue Xuan – or even the Jumbo Premium restaurant next to it – are waiting for a table. They're just victims of an affliction that seems to strike anyone who sets foot into WEAVE: an uncontrollable urge to sit down. Now, WEAVE – that new lifestyle destination in Resorts World Sentosa – is really big. And it's not even fully open yet. But whether you're there to peep at Pierre Herme, buy a bun at Standard Bakery, or grab a coffee at Coach cafe, you will not find a place to sit anywhere. Anything that remotely resembles a flat surface is already covered by a shorts-clad bum that acts like it paid for season parking with either a cheap drink or a thick skin. The consolation is that you don't have to worry too much about getting into Jumbo Premium, which elevates its familiar chilli-crab-and-everything-else playbook. It's the new baby, Xing Yue Xuan, that intrigues us more. The discreet frontage reveals a scaled-down, intimate, fine-dining Chinese restaurant with private rooms if you want even more secrecy. The manager and servers share an eager-to-please demeanour in the way they try to make you feel at home. It's hard to resist their unpolished earnestness, and their flexibility in letting you swop out dishes in their set menus. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Possibly targeting casino high rollers rather than the hand-held fan-toting hoi polloi, Xing Yue Xuan is predictably on the pricey side. Tasting menus are at S$158 a head, and a smallish a la carte menu touts starters priced from S$8 for a poached chicken roll to S$78 for an individual serving of lobster pao fan. That makes the tasting menu reasonably good value, and a convenient greatest hits compilation if you don't want to trawl through the menu. It's designed to be posh Cantonese with some modern touches, but its finesse is sporadic. It's as if chefs from Jumbo's more-forgiving kitchens were given the directive to go upmarket, causing some mental short-circuitry in the process. They try a little too hard, with shaky attempts at innovation and a 'more is more' approach to seasoning and preparation. A platter of three bites to start off the meal. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The meal starts off well enough, with a welcome cup of tea and a crispy tart filled with apple and avocado tossed in a Thousand Island dressing. The 'trio starters platter' (S$18 a person if ordering a la carte) keeps up the momentum, with a sweet, marinated cherry tomato, a roulade of poached chicken rolled with a ginger-spring onion mixture, and a crunchy nest filled with fluffy egg white tossed with a bit of crabmeat and faux caviar. Comforting double-boiled fish maw soup. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The highlight is the piping-hot, double-boiled fish maw and kampong chicken soup (S$38 a la carte). It is comforting and collagen-rich, enhanced with morel mushrooms and gelatinous fish maw. Seafood pumpkin soup. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT A creamy seafood pumpkin soup (which they let us switch to) tastes oddly like the previous broth blended with pumpkin, with fine strips of sea cucumber. It grows on you after a while. Or it might not. The 'fuss-free' chilli crab, so named because the portion comes already shelled. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT You can top up S$38 a head for Xing Yue Xuan's 'fuss-free' crab, which is proof of where the chef's heart lies. Jumbo's signature chilli crab hits the spot with its savoury, spicy sweetness, and comes with deep-fried mantou on the side. It's called fuss-free because this half-crab portion comprises a shelled claw and some crab meat (S$78 a la carte). Steamed crab in custard and pumpkin broth. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT But the steamed version disappoints, with the less-than-fresh crabmeat unable to hide in a steamed egg custard covered by pumpkin broth, with two pie tee shells on the side looking like they were told to show up to offer moral support. Spinach and cordyceps flowers in superior broth. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT A rather thoughtful steamed mound of spinach and cordyceps flowers would have worked better if the vegetables weren't overpowered by an intense superior broth super-boosted by Chinese ham. And the lobster noodles were unfortunately done in by a too-sweet seafood gravy. Braised lobster noodles. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Go for the lobster pao fan instead, which comes as part of a performance by your server, who carefully lays fresh shellfish meat into a stone bowl, then pours in some boiling hot broth before topping up with some crispy bits and drops of flavoured oil. The mix of tender lobster, rice, broth and crunchy textures is a satisfying end. The piping-hot lobster broth with rice. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT A dessert of mango panna cotta and cute cookie shaped like a lion's face are pretty average. The mango panna cotta and lion-shaped cookie for dessert. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Xing Yue Xuan is still getting its bearings, so give it some time to evolve, lighten up and shape its identity. It's literally Jumbo repackaged for a well-heeled clientele, but it's got to do more if it wants to win them over from the other side. Rating: 6
Business Times
17-07-2025
- General
- Business Times
Almost-cheap bistro classics at the Plump Frenchman
NEW RESTAURANT The Plump Frenchman #01-20 Guoco Midtown II 20 Tan Quee Lan Street Singapore 188107 Open for lunch and dinner Mon to Sat: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm; 5:30 pm to 11 pm. Lunch only on Sun: 11 am to 3 pm. SO WE know about not trusting a skinny chef, but it does feel like The Plump Frenchman is unapologetically thumbing its nose at thin Gallic men who can cook rather well. But we also understand that The Plump Frenchman sounds infinitely more appetising than, say, The Ozempic Frenchman or Intermittent Fasting Gent. A name like The Plump Frenchman takes you back to when butter was good and you could be fat and happy without anyone shaming you into a clean eating regimen. French chefs were rotund with twirly moustaches and appeared in cartoon form in Ratatouille. Bistros had red-checkered tablecloths and served French onion soup in tureens, while escargots swam in melted butter like assassins aiming for your arteries. The Plump Frenchman retains some of that retro DNA in its menu, but visually it has all the sterile charm of a tenant in a generic downtown mall. It tries to project intimate neighbourhood appeal, but at best it has chicken rotisserie chain vibes with a wine list and token wicker chairs thrown in. It might feel different at night, but in the blinding noonday heat, the casual eatery is a welcome reprieve for office workers thrilled to find an affordable, sit-down lunch alternative to their daily diet of salad wraps or economy rice. The Plump Frenchman is a Zouk Group initiative helmed by Robuchon alumnus Lorenz Hoja, and it answers the current call for bona fide cooking at an accessible price point. The food is more reliable than fancy, and not everything meets the mark, but you can't quibble with the pricing, and there are some genuine moments of delight. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Already, people have gotten the memo, with online reservations seemingly booked up a good two weeks in advance. Set lunches start at S$25 for a main and dessert, up to S$47 for four courses. Appetisers start at S$13 for anchovy toast, and a whole rotisserie chicken can be had for S$34 – granted, it has no pedigree, but it's still a far cry from the over S$100 you're used to paying for a French breed served in a cocotte with koshihikari rice on the side. Beetroot and feta cheese salad. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Here, the mantra is no fuss, no muss – get fed and leave full. Service is friendly, if sometimes draggy and inexperienced. The S$35 three-course set lunch is your best deal, so long as you're not tempted by fancier proteins like salmon for an extra S$10 or S$15. Hefty chunks of tender beetroot feature in a too-tart salad to start, tossed with feta cheese, pickles and a bit of couscous. But it gets the appetite going. Spicy and smoky mini squids stuffed with chorizo sausage. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT A la carte chipirons (S$16) is a gem – effectively transporting you to a Spanish tapas bar with the paprika-infused smokiness of mini squid stuffed with chorizo and seared in chilli oil till nicely charred. Bouncy, with just enough heat to tickle your nose, this is a clear winner. Piping hot French onion soup. PHOTO: THE PLUMP FRENCHMAN Above shelves of colourful pickles is a blackboard of specials, including French onion soup (S$18). They warn you that it takes half an hour to prepare, so order it the moment you sit down. You understand why because the soup is served really hot. It's so hot you could go home and come back next Tuesday, and it would still be simmering at a lava-like temperature. It's not so much soup as it is a thick onion gravy, a potently rich brew hiding the real prize – a thick slab of toast already soaked and softened, with a heavenly layer of thick, melted cheese that's gooey and crunchy at the same time. Points off, by the way, for the slice of cold, powdery sourdough bread and butter that cost us S$8. Rotisserie chicken is a staple dish on the menu. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The demi poulet (S$17) or half a rotisserie chicken – a rack of birds slowly turning in their oven is an entertaining sight – is perhaps more appealing to non-Asian palates who fancy well-cooked breast meat. We're on team thigh, especially with the chilli sauce that kicks things up a notch. Ratatouille and soft-cooked eggs. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Meanwhile, our set lunch ratatouille is a hearty if predictable stew of eggplant, onions, tomatoes and red peppers, with two soft-cooked eggs coddled enticingly in the middle. Baked custard clafouti and pot au chocolat. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Desserts are simple pleasures: a tiny pot au chocolate is a dreamy match of intense chocolate cream and a smooth vanilla layer on top; and clafouti (S$11) from the a la carte menu. This long-lost pudding is literally a hot favourite: wobbly baked custard studded with tart cherries and smothered with vanilla cream. Neither a drain on the wallet or intellect, The Plump Frenchman has no ambitions apart from feeding people well. If you ask us, it's a philosophy that's well worth the calories. Rating: 6.5
Business Times
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Thevar 2.0 shows off mod-Indian cuisine in a new light
NEW RESTAURANT Thevar 16 Mohamed Sultan Road Singapore 238965 Tel: 9750 8275 Open for dinner Tues to Sat: 6 pm to 11 pm; lunch on Sat: 12 pm to 2.30 pm POOR Grandma Thevar. She got played. While her name may have been invoked when her precocious progeny Mano needed an origin story for his fledgling mod-Indian restaurant back in 2018, he doesn't really need her anymore. It's not a bad thing. Two Michelin stars and a steady creative evolution later, what comes out of Thevar's kitchen now is his (and his team's) and his alone. Namely, a deliberate, confident, follow-my-own-path playbook that isn't bound by tradition or even authenticity. The spirit of Thevar restaurant may be Indian, but other than that, anything goes. Besides, if Thevar's granny knew he was turning pani puri into carrot-derived candy shells filled with fruity bursts of ginger and tomato, she might have whacked him in the head. And so it is that we enter Thevar 2.0, which sees the chef Thevar moving into his new digs at Mohamed Sultan with the verve of a guy who finally got his own apartment after having crashed at his friend's place for the past seven years. After making do – and doing well – at Meta's hand-me-down premises in Keong Saik, you can see Thevar's delight in turning the new place into his personal universe. Cue discreet South Indian design features and tiny artworks, mood-lit dining room, shiny kitchen and even a happy 80s playlist featuring A-ha and Blondie. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Thevar 2.0 may mark a new chapter, but it is also the completion of its first. Much of the current menu originated in Keong Saik, the weary surroundings of which couldn't do justice to the sophisticated collection of precision bites developed over the years. Now, the decor matches the food, and the whole combination packs a punch. A trio of snacks to start the meal. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The menu price is still the same at S$298, and since we haven't been back in a long while, even the old signatures feel fresh. Namely, an opening snack of crispy-melty, deep-fried piece of pork belly, smeared with sambal aioli and wrapped in a betel leaf. It's part of a trio that sets the tone for the meal – inventive, yet familiar. A chewy idli pancake gets a Nordic twist with dill yoghurt and cured ocean trout; and a miniature chaat explodes in a mix of crunchy shell, tart tamarind, tomberry tomatoes and other little bits and bobs. Thevar himself isn't there when we visit – he's briefly hospitalised at the time – but the well-oiled team led by head chef Shan delivers without a single hiccup. Vadai with smoked eel. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Vadai is pressed into a mahjong tile shape and topped with smoky grilled eel for the token Japanese twist, but still a worthy bite. And then, of course, there's the old favourite of Chettinad chicken roti – pulled chicken curry that's creamy and rich and stuffed into a taco of lightly toasted naan, which holds its shape and texture as you polish it off. Lobster in ishtu sauce. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT A plump lobster tail has a ceremonial bath in turmeric water before being set in an ishtu sauce – a spiced, creamy coconut gravy with a hint of yuzu and cubes of nashi pear and pumpkin seeds for crunch. Little buns are convenient sponges for the remaining sauce. Indian abalone porridge. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT Good as it is, it's outshone by an incredibly tender piece of Jeju island abalone that must have been given better massages than a cow in Kobe. Steamed till it gives up all resistance and is left with just enough bite, it's laid over a bed of Indian khichdi made with koshihikari rice that's infused with heady spices. Think Korean abalone porridge with a Bombay accent. Mysore spiced rack of lamb. PHOTO: THEVAR The meal is such that you still have room for lamb biryani, a tender Mysore-spiced lamb rack served with three condiments – spicy sorrel chutney, homemade achar and a marsala-scented butternut puree. A dollop of fruity-bitter raita is served separately like a shy neighbour, but this is a party for everyone: Mix everything up with the excellent lamb and the biryani rice on the side. The delicate basmati is mixed with bits of meat, cranberries and nuts, and the only thing wrong about it is the stingy amount. Pre-dessert of soursop sorbet and rose granita. PHOTO: JAIME, BT For dessert, a waif of a pastry chef brings out a pre-dessert of soursop sorbet on rose-flavoured granita, which hides little surprises of aloe vera, grapes and mangosteen. It's perfumed, fruity, slightly bitter and is a refreshing prelude to the main dessert. We're challenged to detect the savoury element in the scoop of kulfi ice cream made with roasted dates and coffee. It turns out to be fried onions, but we just can't tell. No matter. This quirky combination that tastes like banana cake and not-too-sweet ice cream with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese actually works. Petit fours of financier, mochi and caramel tart. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT The final sweet ending is worth the wait – a cardamom-spiced financier, fruity cream-filled mochi and a sticky-chewy toffee caramel tart. So far, so flawless, but herein lies the crux: Technically strong, Thevar 2.0 also feels safe in its comfort zone. As it progresses, it needs to grow, break more barriers and take some risks. Either way, Grandma would be proud. Rating: 7.5
