Where to eat & drink: Skai Bar, Tigerlily Patisserie and more

Always on the hunt for new dining spots? We bring you sound bites on where to eat, including new restaurant and eatery openings, the best places for your after-work tipple, and what’s new in the food scene.

All the food news this week: Eatbook is back with a new permanent location, inventive confections at Tigerlily Patisserie, a new Sichuan eatery by Chef Pang, and more.

Eatbox is back with a permanent location

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With the pandemic looming for the past year, food markets and pop-ups have ground to a halt. But you can now look forward to getting your favourite food market grub because Eatbox will be making a comeback this September – and it’s back for good with a permanent location.

Organised by the folks behind the wildly popular Artbox Singapore and Shilin Night Market, Eatbox will take over Tekka Place, which is located right next to Rochor MRT.

You’ll get to wander across the 9,500 sq ft food hall, which will feature 20 booths and four kiosks with international cuisines and fusion fare – think Satay Ummi’s Nasi Lemak, Butcher The Burger Bar’s Butcher Truffle Eggstarter, as well as Okinawa Onigiri’s freshly made Onigiri-Sandwich.

You can also get snap-happy at interactive murals by local artists that’ll be refreshed every six to eight months. Plus, look forward to additional mainstays, featuring a thematic Experience Centre of over 6,000 sqft, as well as a retail and recreational content space spanning 4,300 sqft.

Admission is free. Eatbox will open in September 2021, and will be located at Tekka Place, Annex Building, 2 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218227.

Inventive pastries at Tigerlily Patisserie

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After operating from a cloud kitchen over the past year, Maxine Ngooi, former Head Pastry Chef of Michelin-starred Vianney Massot Restaurant, has opened the doors to her own cosy bakery-cafe located in Joo Chiat.

She’s best known for her refined sweets but the cafe doles out pretty good savouries and sandwiches, too.

There’s the moreish Cream Cheese-Stuffed Garlic & Herb Babka for one, as well as a croque monsieur with a Korean slant – the Monsieur Kim ($15) is sandwiched with kimchi, parma ham and oozy brie, comté and caciocavallo cheese.

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You can also go for the Salmon Tzatziki ($14), a refreshing medley of house-baked ciabatta, house-cured salmon gravlax, dill tzatziki and bursts of citrus, or the delicate Tomato and Artichoke Tart ($7).

If you’re there for sweets, the whimsical terrazzo-inspired Pink Guava and Pear cake ($10) layered with pink guava cream, fresh pear cubes, elderflower liqueur and pear mousse is particularly enjoyable.

But if you love a tart dessert, chef Maxine’s signature Beehive cake with lemon and honey flavours will please your tastebuds.

It’s best to head there early though. It bakes were sold out bakes before 3pm while we were there.

Tigerlily Patisserie is at 350 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427598.

Fiery flavours at Sichuan Alley

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The former chef of Antoinette as well as chef-owner of Pang’s Hakka Delicacies, chef Pang Kok Keong is back with a new endeavour – he’s now partnered with Sichuan Alley to whip up a menu of Sichuan delights.

Start with side dishes like Fried Pig Intestines ($6.50), Pickled Chilli Beef Tripe ($5.50) and Funky Pork Liver ($5.50). The noodles here are star players, handmade by the restaurant’s team after months of learning from an artisan in Sichuan.

Or slurp down noodles developed by chef Pang himself, with new plates like Shredded Chicken Kimchi Cold Noodles ($9) that highlights homemade sesame paste as well as aged vinegar imported from Sichuan.

Or dive into the Signature Dan Dan Noodles ($9), which uses an original recipe. The fusion-style French Red Wine Wagyu Brisket With Truffle Foam ($25) nods to his French cooking background and incorporates a fermented bean paste commonly found in Sichuan dishes.

If you’ve missed his desserts, leave room for the Sweet Jars, which melds French desserts with a Chinese slant.

Sichuan Alley is at 51A Telok Ayer St, #01-01, Singapore 048441.

Shangri-La Hotel Singapore's Nyetimber High Tea Experience is back

Missed dine-in afternoon tea affairs? So have we. And Shangri-La Singapore’s Nyetimber High Tea Experience has returned to The Rose Verandah and the Lobby Lounge.

Wind down at The Rose Verandah, where you can look forward to a rotating three-course set that starts with gourmet sandwiches – think Ocean Crab Meat Sandwich with Confit Garlic-truffle Puree – followed by your choice of mains such as Honey Marinated Black Cod and Braised Short Ribs.

Then, of course, there’s a tiered dessert stand with French pastries and The Rose Veranda’s signature scones.

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If your tastes lean towards Asian and local flavours, make your way to The Lobby Lounge, where you can tuck into bites like River Prawn with Otah Sandwich, Nyonya Hae Bee Hiam And Spanish Tuna Salad on Tartlet, and Black Sesame & Yuzu Macaroons.

Elevate either of your afternoon tea experiences with a tasting flight ($58++ for three glasses) of Nyetimber’s range of English sparkling wines put together by Shangri–La Singapore’s head sommelier Britt Ng – Classic Cuvee, Brut Rosé and Cuvee Chérie.

Also available by the glass and by the bottle.

From now until July 15, 2021. High tea at The Rose Verandah is priced at $78++ per set (serves two) from Monday to Sunday. High tea at The Lobby Lounge is priced at $60 per set (serves two) from Monday to Friday, and $$78++ per set on Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays.

Exceptional wines at Skai Bar

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The panoramic views alone make it a drawcard for a reservation at the contemporary Skai Bar, which is located on the 70th floor of Swissôtel The Stamford.

But to further woo wine lovers, it now presents an extensive wine selection from the Old and New World, with 15 different blends by the glass and over 60 wines by the bottle.

From the New World, you can look forward to full-bodied and fruit-forward wines like Napa Valley’s Stag’s Leap and Beaulieu Vineyard; Australia’s Wolf Bass and Coldstream Hills; and New Zealand’s Squealing Pig.

At the same time, it’s also partnered leading Australian winemaker Penfolds to curate a range of its benchmark wines.

Up for a pre-dinner tipple? Sip on handcrafted cocktails ($25) such as Whiskey Sour, Kir Royale, and Cosmopolitan, before tucking into delectable bites like Kristal Caviar ($150 for 30g),  Foie Gras Terrine ($30), or the Charcuterie Platter ($36) of pork and port terrine, duck rillette, wagyu salami and more.

Skai Bar is at Level 70, Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore 178882.

Dopo Teatro melds Italian and Japanese flavours

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Add Dopo Teatro to your to-check-out list for when you’re craving Italian.

At the newly opened Italian restaurant, you can find Italian classics with Japanese influences and ingredients.

Start your meal with antipasti like the Japan Sakoshi Bay Oysters ($34 half dozen, $60 dozen), Sake Flambé Mussels ($20), or the Dopo Antipasti Platter ($28) boasting truffle mushroom arancini, scamorza cheese fritters, grilled eggplant, and more.

The pizzas are hand-stretched and made with 36-hour fermented dough, and you can choose from the likes of Verde, Margherita Classica, as well as unagi and squid ink pizzas.

And for pastas and mains, you get interesting plates like Seafood Paccheri with Japanese octopus ragu ragu and baby crabs as well as the grilled Kurobuta pork chop (or Maiale Alla Pastria).

From now till July 31, 2021, dine-in and enjoy the opening promo of $79.90++ (U.P $123++) for a set menu for two.

Dopo Teatro is at #01-11 Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Ave, Singapore 038981.

ALSO READ: The weekly grub: 5 things to eat and drink in Singapore this week

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.