Check out the latest casual restaurants to grace Singapore’s dining scene, plus revamped menus with reimagined favourites.
Text by: Eris Choo
CHIP BEE BISTRO (New)
Spearheaded by the team behind Projectshop and PS.Cafe, this new spot in Holland Village serves delicious, unfussy food. Dive into a farm-to-table menu of characterful dishes with Australian and European influences: think duck leg confit, steak & frites, pastas and the CB Bistro Burger. Raw offerings like oyster shots comprise Hyogo oysters served with cucumber, melon oroshi (grated melon), and raspberry mignonette); and there is also tuna tartare marinated in kimchi, served with shortgrain and crisped puffed rice and lettuce cups. For something heartier, mains cover dishes like seared murray cod and sticky short ribs. Pair these with the highly addictive French Fries speckled with curry salt.
The bistro has an excellent drinks programme too, courtesy of their partnership with independent craft distillery, Distillius. The focus here is on equatorial aperitifs, liqueurs, and syrups, such as the Arveau–an amaro lifted with ginseng root, calamansi and torch ginger. Also in the launch line-up is Super Pandan, a grassy, fresh liqueur made using a unique fresh extraction process that captures the pure aroma of pandan leaves, sustainably sourced in Singapore. For more information: chipbeebistro.com
IM JAI BY PUN IM
Thai for ‘a full heart’, IM JAI lives up to its name with a soulful menu of Thai classics. Chef Vincent Pang, who traded a career in finance for the kitchen (including stints at Michelin-starred establishments) runs the ship with his mum, making it very much a family affair. The menu pays homage to Thailand’s diverse regions, with starters like Crispy Cloud Egg and jumbo-sized Grilled River Prawns, wild caught in southern Thailand and brimming with prized prawn roe.
Mains feature the Signature Duck Confit Red Curry, marinated overnight and slow cooked for four hours until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, and Pineapple Fried Rice, which combines smoky Chinese sausage with house-made Thai pork floss. Another highlight is the Tom Kha Pla, a spin on the classic fish soup with cherry tomatoes and shredded green papaya. Vegetarians are not left out with choices like Miang Kham (wild betel leaves with condiments and ginger flower) and Stir-fried Melinjo Leaves with Eggs. Bringing a close to the meal are desserts like Bualoy, house-made glutinous rice balls in sweet coconut milk and salted egg lava cream, and Palm Sugar & Coconut Pudding. For more information: imjaisg.com
PO
Tucked within The Warehouse Hotel, PO is where diners can experience all of Singapore’s flavours under one roof. Its new Nanyang Heritage menu features Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian, and Peranakan dishes, presenting a colourful tapestry of how food from Singapore’s myriad cultures have shaped the nation’s rich culinary traditions.
Highlights from the starters section include ikan kerabu (cured yellowtail), Gobi 65 (fried cauliflower florets), puyuh panggang (grilled quail), and Samsui chicken, a popular dish from the 1900s, where boneless chicken is gently poached and served with scallions, crispy ginger, and garlic. From the Eurasian community there’s the Singgang Serani, featuring mackerel stewed in aromatic spices and tamarind, nestled within a toasted rice shell and finished with tomato jelly.
As for mains, look out for Peranakan favourites like sotong masak hitam, where marinated squid is stewed in its own ink until tender, and itek sioh, duck leg confit simmered in tamarind, coriander seed, and dark soy sauce. For more information: po.com.sg
BIBIK VIOLET (New)
The Violet Oon Group has just launched Bibik Violet, a new all-day Peranakan-themed cafe and bakery at Temasek Shophouse. Housed in a beautifully restored heritage building, the establishment serves comforting flavours derived from the everyday dishes of the traditional Peranakan kitchen–the kind you find in a grandmother’s home. Start the morning with traditional favourites like kaya toast, hae bee hiam toast, and mee siam, followed by signature dishes for lunch and dinner, such as nasi lemak, Nyonya laksa, and prawn mee soup.
Not to be missed is the variety of Peranakan small plates like achar, ngo hiang, and kueh pie tee, and heartier offerings like buah keluak pork ribs and udang pedas nanas – perfect with a comforting bowl of rice. There are plenty of nostalgic bakes and Nyonya kueh to choose from too, like the signature orange sugee cake, cempedak cake, kueh salat, and ang ku kueh.
VIOLET OON SINGAPORE
The iconic Peranakan restaurant unveiled this outlet at Dempsey Hill in April. Aside from ever-popular staples like buah keluak ayam and babi pong tay, look out for heirloom dishes that are rarely seen today, even in Peranakan homes. One such dish is the nasi ulam, an aromatic rice salad comprising eight different herbs like lemon basil, Thai basil, and delicate pink ginger flower, tossed with shredded fish, diced prawns, and toasted grated coconut.
For those with a more adventurous palate, try the rich and savoury hati babi bungkus, which features spiced pork liver wrapped in delicate caul fat, then fried until golden brown. Also on the menu are special dishes like hee peow soup (fish maw soup) and sambal belimbing udang (shrimp with starfruit), which are usually reserved for the celebration feast of Tok Panjang. For more information: violetoon.com