Where To Eat & Drink: A New Sando Shop, A Pop-Up Festival With Free Ice Cream & More

When renowned American chef Nancy Silverton’s Osteria Mozza made a celebrated return to our shores earlier in June at Hilton Singapore Orchard, fans were disappointed that its pizzas weren’t on the menu — not yet anyway.

Come Sep 1, 2022, the Californian-Italian restaurant will finally drop its pizza menu with 10 signature flavours. Think familiar favourites (from $34++) like the hearty Fennel Sausage, Burrata and Pizza alla Benno, an elevated version of the Hawaiian pizza, with speck, thinly shaved local honey pineapple, jalapeno, tomato and mozzarella.

And they’re all made with a new dough recipe that Silverton has perfected over the years. Two types of flour are used for the dough, before going through a long fermentation process and into a custom wood stone over. Diners can look forward to an airy, puffy cornicione, a deep sourdough flavour and a crisp base. Pizzas are served exclusively during lunch.

Also served only for lunch is an array of classic American-style salads. They include the popular Nancy’s Chopped Salad ($26++), the Shrimp Caesar ($30++) and the Roasted Chicken Salad ($26++).

Osteria Mozza is at Level 5, Hilton Singapore Orchard, 333 Orchard Road, Singapore 238867. Lunch is available Mon – Sat (12pm to 2.30pm), and dinner from Mon to Sat (5pm to 10.30pm). Closed on Sundays. Visit Hilton Singapore Orchard’s website for reservations or more information. 

Lifestyle destination South Beach Avenue houses a slew of cool F&B spots, and a new addition is coffee bar Waga Waga Den. It’s owned by the Black Carvery group which also helms the nearby Black Cow and Shatoburian at Palais Renaissance. In case you’re curious, its name is derived “wagyu beef” and “wagashi” (Japanese sweets).

All glass walls with dark accents and a magnificent marble-topped counter that anchors the space, seating’s scant inside the stylish joint, but there are tables and benches on a wooden patio outside.

The house blend coffee uses a mix of single-origin Brazilian and single-origin Guatemalan beans that are of a medium roast and low acidity. A specialty’s the Cloud iced cappuccino ($8) capped with cloud-like air bubbles and a dusting of chocolate powder. It’s a smooth brew, but a touch less milk would make for a more pronounced coffee flavour.

Similar to it is the Concrete Coffee ($9), an iced mocha crafted with a house blend of dark and raw chocolate. Or sip on the Dirty Oat Matcha ($8), which uses ceremonial grade Uji matcha for an earthy full-bodied cuppa. Other beverages include Espresso ($4), Black ($5), White ($6), Cortado ($5), Mocha ($7) and Cold Brew Hojicha ($7).

For a post-lunch sugar fix, the Waga Cheesecake ($15) made with Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean and boasting a melty centre is a rich treat. But if you’re after something less indulgent, go for the soft jiggly Warabi Mochi ($8) coated with toasty kinako or roasted soybean powder. I didn’t try these but there are savoury bites (available from 11am) such as Charcoal Brioche ($5), a Sandwich of the Day (from $12), and seasonal baked goods (from $7).

Waga Waga Den is at 38 Beach Road, #01-14 South Beach Tower, Singapore 189767. Opens Tues to Sat, 8.30am to 3.30pm. Closed on Sun & Mon.

Sando shops are sprouting and one of the kids on the block is Gyu San located within Guoco Tower at Tanjong Pagar. Chef Tomoyuki Kiga, formerly of Akira Back, and chef Linh Lam, one of Singapore’s few female butchers, form the duo behind the concept. What sets this space apart is that it’s also a butchery, and has an extensive range of Japanese wagyu cuts — over 55, in fact. You’ll get prime selections like striploin, tenderloin and ribeye, as well as secondary cuts like the oyster blade, flank, and tri-tip.

The Gyu Katsu Sando is the star of the menu, with a panko-breaded and deep-fried A5 Japanese wagyu steak wedged between lightly toasted shokupan, and a smear of wasabi aioli adding a kick. Your choices run from the Gyu San house cut ($32), striploin ($48) and the chateaubriand ($62), all right from the butchery.

You can also go for the Tamagoyaki Katsu Sando($18) with a thick omelette, Ebi Katsu Sando ($28) which has a freshly minced shrimp patty paired with housemade tartare sauce. There’s even a Fresh Fruits Sando ($12) for a dessert option, with seasonal fruits and housemade whipped custard cream.

If you have room for sides, make it the Wagyu Chips ($8). Like the katsu sando, thinly sliced russet potatoes are fried in rendered wagyu beef fat.

Gyu San is at 7 Wallich Street, #01-03, Guoco Tower, Singapore 078884. Visit its Facebook or Instagram page for more information.

California cult ice-cream brand Coolhaus is launching in Singapore. And in case you aren’t acquainted with the brand, it was founded in 2009 at the Coachella Valley Music Festival by Natasha Case and Freya Estreller, and boasts a legion of fans that includes celebs like Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, and Zendaya.

Its luscious ice creams are made with food technology startup Perfect Day’s animal-free whey protein, which it says produces 97 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional dairy. According to the brand, it isn’t just entirely animal-free, but also lactose-, cholesterol-, hormone- and antibiotic-free.

It’s introducing six of its delicious flavours in Singapore with #TheNewCoolSG pop-up festival at Suntec City Mall, West Atrium from Sep 16 to 18, 2022 (Fri to Sun, 11am to 9pm).

And here’s the cherry on top: It’s dishing out 3,000 free scoops of its signature flavours with a slew of fun customisable toppings each day. Plus, come in your festive colour blocking best for the Instagram photo contest to win cool prizes. Take a snap at its photo booth or other gram-worthy spots and share it on Instagram with the tags @CoolhausSG and #TheNewCoolSG.

Each day, visitors get the chance to win a set of six pints to take home in all six flavours. Additional prizes are to be won at onsite contests throughout the event.

Visit its Facebook page for more information.

Folks after plant-based foods now have one more option – Happiee!, the latest brand by Singapore-based manufacturer Growthwell Foods. Apart from retail products spanning the likes of plant-based “chicken nuggets” and “fish sticks”, the brand has also teamed up with various restaurants around the island to offer dishes made with Happiee!’s range.

One of them is Hui, a restaurant along the idyllic Rochester Park strip that serves Chinese-French flavours, and it’s got three Happiee! plant-based dishes on the menu. Hands down my favourite is the Squid Pasta, which uses lightly charred and crisp konjac ‘squid’ atop angel hair pasta that’s perfumed with truffle oil and bits. Springy, slightly crunchy and lightly crisped on the top, it almost tastes like the real deal if you aren’t paying close attention.

With the Salt and Pepper Prawn, the texture of the prawn (also made with konjac) is more reminiscent of a firm springy prawn paste. Stir-fried with onions, spring onions and chilli, the dish is rather moreish and perfect for sharing. Mala lovers will adore the Mala Pop Corn Chicken (made with soy protein). While there’s still a hint of soy flavour, it’s rather addictive – think perfectly crispy chunks of chicken with a distinct mala aroma, spices and crunchy peanuts.

As of now, only the Chickiie Popcorn’s available for retail (alongside Fishiie sticks and patties) online and at selected supermarkets, but we sure hope the rest will be made available soon as well.

Happiee! is available at major supermarkets – FairPrice, Cold Storage, Prime Mart, Hao Mart, Redmart, FairPrice Online & selected restaurants.Visit Happiee’s website for more information. Hui Restaurant is at 10B Rochester Park, Singapore 139259.