Bar Bites

Chef introduced this item on the new Hell's Kitchen district menu in this fashion: minced pork something something... soft-boiled quail egg something something... with potato something something... fried in Knickerbocker beer batter... with Irish whiskey sauce.

Really not quite sure what he said exactly, but he sure knew how to reel me in. It's like he telepathically delved into the part of my brain that lists all my most beloved things to eat and created the pinnacle of my stomach's desires.

Needless to say, I was very pleased.

Soft, fluffy pillow of fried dough with a lightly crisp glaze of bacon-infused maple syrup, crowned with crunchy crystals of bacon and served with fragrant espresso cream sauce. This is gold.

Sweet, sweet dreams, everybody!

Was at Manhattan yesterday night for a preview of their new Hell's Kitchen district menu (launching today!), and I swear my eyes were gleaming when I saw this.

PASTA.

And not just any ordinary pasta dish, this one is spectacularly good with al dente penne and chunks of shredded duck confit luxuriating in a rich Italian cheese sauce and showered with herbed breadcrumbs.

Manhattan sure pulls out all the stops whether it's with cocktails or food, and for that, this magical bar ranks tops in my books.

Beef, jalapeños, cheese, bun. Each mini burger a delightful little snack to wash down with beer.

Sweet potato fries for another sweet Fry-day with a long weekend ahead to boot. WHOOHOO!!! 🎉🎉🎉 Super looking forward to the social activities I have lined up for the next two days!

Crabby patties! 😍😍😍 My love for crabcakes will never die. These golden-brown nuggets of shredded blue swimmer crabmeat and mashed potato are simple, but lipsmackingly tasty and truly satisfying.

Wednesday = special deals for women that the men don't get.

Priced at $88++, this "grown-up" all-nighter set for four to six pax includes an assortment of sweet and savoury canapés, 6 bottles of Strongbow apple cider, and three verrines of apple cider jelly, cream and fruit.

Rushing reports and crunching numbers and wishing I had this huge-ass pizza to stuff my face with right now.

No wood-fired oven to bake this big baby, but the house-made crust is perfectly thin, crispy and yeasty. Evenly sprinkled across the top are shredded basil, rocket leaves, sun-dried tomatoes and melted mozzarella. Good stuff.

C is for Chicken (Slider)! This is one of the items on KPO's Ladies Night "High Tea" Set ($88++ per set), which comes with assorted sweets, savouries, and 6 bottles of Strongbow cider.

Who'd have thunk that a bar could dish up a rendition of this local fave that is capable of trumping those peddled at actual hawker centres? The price is about quadruple the usual, so I'm not sure how many people are willing to shell out that much for hawker food. But man, those lard-garnished noodles stir-fried with umami prawn stock and served with homemade sambal are dope.

A sneak peek at what's coming up at the bar with arguably the most coveted view of Marina Bay. This platter built for sharing among 4 pax comprises fried chicken drumlets (marinated in flour, garlic, dry mixed herbs and mustards), wagyu sliders, and US-imported tater tots.

The wagyu sliders of juicy beef, gruyere, sriracha aioli and house-made buns are lipsmacking – they may be fun-sized, but a burger is a burger and a good burger is a good burger and these are good burgers.

The only gastropub in Singapore to offer 15 "seasonal" craft beers on tap – they're stocked in limited quantities so once sold out, it's near impossible to taste the same brews again – and incorporate beer in just about all their dishes. These are two of the hottest faves: a thick lipsmacking dip of crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce, cream cheese, sour cream and India pale ale (IPA) served with nachos; moist fillets of snapper soaked in ale before being battered and fried and dished up with garlic fries. In both dishes, the subtle bitterness of the beer adds another layer of complexity that I found quite refreshing and very addictive.