12 EPICURE NEWS
A collection of unique F&B offerings by the restored Kēsa House brings colour to the hip hood.
Easter specials and new openings: Kēsa House, Masons Table
Billed as "an inviting 60-room flexible-living concept", Kēsa House also offers an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars. One of their tenants is Olivia Restaurant & Lounge, helmed by multi-award-winning chef Alain Devahine, an elbulli alumnus. The Barcelona inspired joint features an open kitchen for an immersive experience. Together with Miquel Sabrià, former star sommelier of nowdefunct Catalunya Restaurant, Olivia offers Catalonian cuisine and a hand-picked selection of Spanish and international wines. Elevated home-style cooking and cosmopolitan, multi-cultural flavours are part of the culinary storytelling. The fresh catch of the day is rustically grilled and accompanied by onions and garlic; Lomo de Buey Wagyu features striploin served with truffle sauce and confit piquillo peppers; and the Envoltini de Bogavante y Aguacate pays homage to the lobster roll from Catalunya Restaurant. #01-03, 55 Keong Saik Road. Tel: 6221 0522
Hong Kong-based The Old Man cocktail bar makes its first overseas foray with a stellar drinks list befitting its number 10 ranking on the World’s 50 Best Bars 2018 list. Each of their nine signature drinks ($17 each) is inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s novels, and includes Islands in the Stream, a clarified pink grapefruit and salted gin tall drink, as well as The Snows of Kilimanjaro, incorporating marshmallow Bulldog gin topped with Gruyere ‘snow’. These were developed by the three original co-founders in Hong Kong, and are carefully replicated in Singapore by partner-head bartender Andrew Yap and his team. The space’s intimate I-shaped bar changes the interaction dynamics, as bartenders work shoulder to shoulder with drinkers right beside them. #01-04, 55 Keong Saik Road. Tel: 6909 5505
Eleven different pastas, eleven different doughs, one daily lasagna — it sounds like a straightforward formula for a pasta-focused diner, but it’s really not. Chef Alessandro Giustetti painstakingly tosses flour and kneads the dough to create a wide variety of handcrafted pastas at Pasta Bar each day. You'll appreciate the labour of love that goes into the Mama’s Baked Pasta al Forno ($30), with smoked mozzarella, eggplant, and prosciutto, and the melt-in-the-mouth Tortelli with Pumpkin and Sage ($30).
If you can only go for one pasta, make it the Lagane with Chickpea ($28), said to be the oldest recorded pasta recipe in the world. Hailing from Southern Italy, the dish features sheets of eggless pasta so you get a silkier texture from a mixture of flour, water and chickpeas. The best way to end the meal is to order the Sicilian cannolo ($15). The light and crisp fried pastry dough is filled to the brim with a smooth sheep's milk ricotta. #01-05, 55 Keong Saik Road. Tel: 6222 0627
Mag’s Modern French Cuisine, formerly Mag's Kitchen, was a stalwart at Circular Road for 23 years, and now blazes a new chapter in its reincarnation. Taking a cue from owner-chef Magdalene Tang’s personalised approach, the front door opens into the kitchen before leading to the dining room. A wine cellar dominates the room, filled with recognisable labels alongside cult favourites such as Sea Smoke, an allocation only Californian Pinot Noir, and Richebourg Grand Cru. The wines and sakes work hand in hand with European cuisine, which is accented with fresh market produce under Tang’s veteran eye. Don't miss the pork belly confit with parsnip puree, rhubarb chutney, edamame beans and sage jus ($38), whole duckling braised with olives ($85), and razor clams with saffron and Pernod broth (market price). #01-06, 55 Keong Saik Road. Tel: 6438 3836