Gastromania Feast at Far East Square

“Let the Feast Begin!” is a mega gastronomic bonanza organized by Icon Village, Riverside Point and Far East Square, and brought to you by omy.sg.

Gastromania Feast @ Far East Square
Date: Saturday, 9th July
Time: 11am – 5pm
Venue: Far East Square, 45 Pekin Street
Nearest MRT Station: Raffles Place

I will be introducing 8 different food and dining outlets, so join me on my Gastromania Feast at Far East Square as I savor a variety of culinary wonders right under one roof! Far East Square is a unique enclave located in the very heart of Singapore’s central business district. Opened in 1999, it is a heritage conservation project with a vibrant mix of restaurants, cafes, and pubs, as well as shops, pushcarts and kiosks. Stroll into the development, and you will discover a delightful palate of exquisite flavours at over 30 food and dining outlets. There are also coffee and tea cafes, as well as sandwich, cake and pastry shops, all set within an alfresco environment.

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1) Everyday Chinese Treats in Casual Comforts, Zhou’s Kitchen

Located at the heart of the Central Business district, Zhou’s Kitchen, a homey haven is a new casual Chinese dining concept, catering to the palates and pockets of local diners from all walks of life. I got to try one of their House Specialities, the Braised Pork Shank with Fried and Steam Buns. This flavorful tender melt-in-your-mouth piece of braised pork is great on its own, otherwise you can order some fried or steam buns to go along with it. I personally prefer the deep fried mantou for its crisped exterior and fluffy center, an ideal mix of texture which goes very well with the braised sauce.

Zhou’s Kitchen Braised Pork Shank with Fried and Steam Buns

Zhou’s Kitchen serves a variety of Chinese delicacies such as the Pansit “Xing Hua” Dumplings, “Xing Hua” style Traditional Home-made Noodles, “Fujian” style Meat Roll (Wu Xiang) and Steamed Glutinous Rice with Crab at relatively affordable prices which is ideal for those who want good food at non-astronomical rates. Besides a tempting variety of ala carte dishes, Zhou’s Kitchen offers value for money set meals, Hi-Tea Buffet and Ala Carte Buffet at their various outlets in Singapore.

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2) Legendary Fuzhou Dining Experience, SPRING JuChunYuan

Since 1865, JuChunYuan Fuzhou has stood for the finest in Min cuisine and has impressed dignitaries all over the world. This century-old restaurant with award-winning chefs and dishes from Fuzhou is presented to the Singapore gourmet scene in 2007. Aptly located at Far East Square, SPRING JuChunYuan is housed in a conserved Chinese courtyard (formerly a Chinese school) with a touch of ancient sophistication as you walk through the bamboo-lined walkway leading into the restaurant.

I had the chance to savor the famous Buddha Jumps Over the Wall which was birthed in JuChunYuan Fuzhou restaurant  in 1876. This Chinese delicacy known for its rich taste came in a large earthen specially customized jar with a combination of shark’s fin, abalone, scallops, sea cucumber, fish maw, cuttlefish, pork tendon, flower mushroom amongst other ingredients.

SPRING JuChunYuan Buddha Jumps Over the Wall 

This is my first time tasting an authentic pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and I was blown away.

The star of the next dish is the unique thread-like vermicelli which is specially flown in from Fuzhou to create one of their signature dishes, the Stir-fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon. I like it that this dish is not oily, making it easier on the palate.

Stir-fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon

Make a trip down to SPRING JuChunYuan to experience a slice of Min Culture and history, savoring the various unique and authentic Min cuisine in Singapore.

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3) Distinct Taste of Authentic Padang Cuisine, Garuda

Garuda, established in 1976, is the most successful and one of the largest Padang Cuisine restaurant chains in Indonesia. In a partnership with TungLok Group, Garuda in Singapore is the only franchised Padang Cuisine restaurant outside Indonesia, offering the most authentic fare at various locations in Singapore.

Fried Chicken with Blue Ginger Floss

The fragrance of the blue ginger floss, combined with the tempting flavors of the chicken, makes this dish almost impossible to resist! The meat was juicy, not too oily and the skin was crispy and fragrant! I love this so much, I am making another trip there myself for an Eat-All-You-Can, Buy 1, Enjoy 1 Free Dinner next week! This offer is valid from now till 31st July 2011 which is held in conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival 2011. What are you waiting for? Head on down to Garuda, Padang Cuisine now!

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4) Japanese Charcoal Grill, Shin Kushiya

Shin Kushiya was established in October 2006 to introduce the Kushiyaki dining concept in Singapore. You might be familiar with the term “Yakitori”, this strictly refers to chicken or chicken parts grilled over charcoal on bamboo skewers. A popular snack in Japan usually enjoyed by locals,  “Kushiyaki” is the Japanese term for “Grilled Skewers”, referring to the use of other ingredients such as beef, pork, fish or seafood. Employing the use of Bincho charcoal from Japan, these grilled skewers are then grilled to perfection, maintaining a crisped exterior with all the natural flavors and juices sealed from within. Paired with the purest of condiments – freshly-ground sea salt, sour plum salt, curry salt, cracked black pepper and homemade tare sauce, Kushiyaki is a simple and satisfying pleasure.

Clockwise from Top: Tomato Maki, Ebi Shiso Maki, Buta Bara Yaki Miso, Black Pepper Yakitori, Kuro Goma Heaven, Yuzu Cooler

My meal at Shin Kushiya ended on a sweet note with their signature Kuro Goma Heaven – Black Sesame Ice Cream with Homemade Black Sesame Cream and Chocolate Wafer. I was immediately teleported to Heaven once I tried this!

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5) Hearty Italian Food – Pizza & Pasta, Mont Calzone

With its unique open kitchen concept, you get to see the chef in action at this modern casual dining Italian restaurant while waiting for the food to be served. Mont Calzone is the perfect place for a friendly casual lunch or business dinner. I heard that the Tiramisu is a rare find! I’m a Tiramisu LOVER and I’ll definitely try that the next time I’m there :)

Clockwise from Top Left: Sambal Marinara Pasta, Parma Ham with Rucola Pasta, Carbonara, Smoked Salmon Pizza, Rustica Pizza, Black Truffle Pizza

The Signature Black Truffle Pizza is definitely a must-eat! This hand-stretched thin crust is nice, chewy and not oily, coupled with black truffles and a runny egg set in the center, need I say more? This excellent combination makes me weak in the knees. You can also opt for your pizza to be made into an impressive puffy calzone. Do visit Mont Calzone for their 1-for-1 Large Pizza promotion, valid till 31st July 2011!

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6) Taste of India, Mirchi

Mirchi offers an extensive range of delectable and authentic Northern Indian cuisine, with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to choose from. Favorite specialties include “Tandoori Non-Vegetarian Kebab Platter” which is an assortment of fish tikka, chicken tikka, seekh kebab and prawns spiced with tandoori masala. My favorites include the fish tikka and the prawns spiced with tandoori masala! Both were oven-grilled in a tandoor with just the right amount of spices and the chef cleverly managed to capture and retain the natural taste of the seafood, making them juicy and succulent.

Left to Right: Mango Lassi, Tandoori Non-Vegetarian Kebab Platter

However, I didn’t get the chance to try one of their house specials, the Jaljeera which is normally served with appetizers before a meal or drunk between meals. Jaljeera is popular in Northern India because of its cooling properties which can help neutralize the taste buds when things get too hot!

Mirchi – Taste of India tantalizes the spice of your life at various locations in Singapore!

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7) The original. Since 1911, Hock Lam Beef

Hock Lam Beef has been serving the highest quality Teochew Beef Kway Teow in Singapore. The business spans over 100 years, across 4 generations of the Tan family, and is run today by the original founder’s great-grandchild. The business has maintained its standards and qualities since 1911.

Hock Lam Beef Kway Teow

Till today, they prepared everything, from the 24-hour boiled gourmet soup with herb base to the sliced beef to the homemade 13-ingredient chilli sauce, by hand in-house which distinguishes this original recipe from its competitors. This dish definitely brings back many fond memories when I first learnt how to cook Phở Bò in Vietnam.

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8) Boutique Cupcake Bakery, ONI Cupcakes

This boutique cupcake bakery claims to use only the finest quality ingredients for their cupcakes. With a wide range of flavors, designs and sizes, their custom-made cupcakes will delight most adults and kids. I am a HUGE cupcake fan and definitely looking forward to try ONI Cupcakes. I was introduced to a tray-full of miniature ones and without any explanation on the various flavors by the staff, I picked out the ‘prettiest’ looking cuppie and devoured it.

Assorted Miniature Cupcakes

I’m not able to figure out what’s the rave about these cupcakes. It was rough and dry in texture. I decided to give these cuppies another chance and took another bite, only to my disappointment. The cupcakes weren’t exceptionally good and they lacked a great deal in their service attitude. To date, I’m still searching for the perfect cupcake. Do share with me if you come across one!

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Check out the various ongoing promotions here! Once again, a very big thank you to omy.sg for this wonderful Gastromania Feast at Far East Square!