June 2015

176 286

WINE&DINE
176 June15
Recently opened, modern-European
eatery FYR Cycene and Drinc
(pronounced “Fire Kitchen and Drink”)
sets itself apart with an affordable menu
of grilled meat and seafood, all expertly
prepared in a special Josper charcoal
oven using lychee wood. Expect a fun,
casual vibe (we couldn’t get enough of
the Justin Timberlake tunes pumping
through the speakers); the rustic décor
is playfully complemented with cheeky
wall murals depicting the caveman’s
discovery of fire – essential, obviously,
to the meat’s preparation). And, while it’s
clear that these folks have a great sense
of humour, they’re also super-serious
about their food, and this shows in every
single dish, right down to the smoky-
sweet tastes and perfectly paired spices.
To start, we opted for the vegetarian
baked aubergine and chickpea
ragout ($10) – delicious eggplant
topped with chickpea stew and gooey,
melted Parmesan cheese; the baked
half bone marrow ($15) is another
popular choice. For mains, we loved the
five-spice half chicken, striploin and
Asian-spiced tiger prawns sharing
platter ($55), which comes with a choice
of dipping sauces (black truffle, tomato
cilantro salsa and foie gras), a salad with
a wonderfully spiced java curry dressing
and a choice of buttered cassava or
mashed potatoes (both equally delish).
You also can’t go wrong with the spiced
red snapper with sambal belacan
($25), a perfectly prepared, deboned
whole fish paired flawlessly with its
accompanying sauce.
Wash it down with house-made sodas
and teas ($4.50), like apple rosemary
and hibiscus mint or grilled fresh fruit
juice ($4.50), which has an unusual,
caramelised flavour that comes from
grilling the fruit before juicing it.
Even if you’re beyond full, you
definitely should order the baked
pistachio melt and pandan ice cream
($10), a pistachio-flavoured lava cake
that melts in your mouth. Either that, or
consider coming back just for dessert.
19 Boon Tat Street.
FREE-STYLE FUN
When we got wind that the team behind popular small-plates spot, Lolla, was
opening a sleek new spot on Keong Saik, we couldn’t wait to get our tummies over
there for some taste-testing – and, proving equally as stylish as its sister restaurant,
Lollapalooza definitely didn’t disappoint. With a farm-to-table “free-style” concept
centred on sharing plates (both small and large) – including plenty of meat and
seafood options prepared in the open kitchen’s wood-fired oven – the menu doesn’t
conform to any specific type of cuisine. Rather, it changes daily based on the chef’s
creative whims and the freshest seasonal ingredients available.
So, though we can’t tell you exactly what to expect, you can safely look forward
to delicacies along the lines of roasted lamb hearts (yeah, you read that right;
$18) and dog cockle tartare (don’t worry, it’s a type of clam; $30), alongside less
unusual choices like roasted kingfish loin ($38) and crab and avocado salad
($28). We especially loved the generously portioned, delectably salty crab and
sun-dried tomato flatbread ($18) and a heaping serving of scrumptious hand-torn
pasta with pancetta and garlic
greens ($30) – we just couldn’t get
enough of either.
Enjoy it all with a glass or bottle
of wine from the well-curated
selection – the house red was one
of the best we’ve had in Singapore
– and finish things off with one
of the fun dessert choices;
white peach sorbet ($9) tickled
our fancy, and the Tasmanian
leatherwood honey ice cream
($9) sounded interesting, as did
the treacle tart with cinnamon
whipped cream ($19). And, since
the whole lineup of dishes changes
daily, there’s all the more reason to
return for more flavourful surprises.
We can’t wait. 1A Keong Saik
Road.
FIRE UP YOUR
APPETITE