Sips & Bites

Rising from the embers
Sebastian Ng, former chef-owner of the now-defunct Restaurant Ember, has returned to the local restaurant scene with Venue by Sebastian— an 80-seat communal dining concept at Downtown Gallery serving up contemporary European fare. Along with chef de cuisine Jonathan Lee, former head chef at Artichoke, Ng has designed lunch and dinner menus that feature a mix of dishes in sharing portions across nine dish categories: Toast, Fritti & Greens, Pasta, Raw, Cured & Smoked, Pan, Coal & Roast, Sides and Sweets.

Surf’s up
Aloha Poké says “hello” to Bugis Junction, where new flavours such as Kimchee Tako, Black Pepper Tuna and Ginger Ponzu Salmon will be served as daily options. Another seasonal favourite, the Mentai Salmon, will soon be added to the regular menu. Adding to the classic combination of fresh greens, white/brown rice and sashimi-grade fish, diners will also get to select from a variety of superfood toppings such as avocado, pomegranate and flying fish roe.

Nine times a charm
Ramen chain Ippudo has announced the opening of its ninth Singapore outlet at Tanjong Pagar Centre, along with three new side dishes exclusive to the outlet: Aburi Beef Sushi with Ikura, which comes with salmon roe (ikura) and Hokkaido sushi rice; Teppan Chashu Hamburg, featuring chopped pork patty drizzled with home-made teriyaki sauce and topped with a raw egg yolk; and Salmon Katsu, which is essentially thickly sliced salmon sashimi with a crispy deep-fried breadcrumb coating.

Buon appetito in Bali
Bulgari has unveiled its second II Ristorante — Luca Fantin restaurant — at its Bulgari Resort in Bali, helmed by resident head chef Fabrizio Crocetta. Similar to the first outlet in Tokyo at the Bulgari Ginza Tower, the Michelinstarred 36-seater restaurant will focus on offering traditional Italian dinners made with organic, locally grown ingredients paired with refined techniques and creativity. New creations include the tartare with avocado cream and smoked vegetable, Fassone Beef Tagliata Red garlic and grilled vegetables, paired with selections from a list of more than 200 New and Old World wines with predominantly Italian labels.

This article appeared in Issue 784 (June 19) of The Edge Singapore.