After five years of calling its cosy corner “meating spot” on Amoy Street home, Singapore’s foremost Argentinian steakhouse boCHINche by local lifestyle collective Spa Esprit Group has moved out of one Chinatown dining enclave to claim its stake in another - this time along the popular Club Street stretch. The new location boasts a larger dining hall decked out with a fresh look inspired by tribal design, an open kitchen and grill that flanks the entire length of the restaurant, and a refreshed menu designed by head chef Fabrice Mergalet to bring the age- old steakhouse experience to the modern age.
With a bigger location comes bolder ambitions as boCHINche continues to elevate the steakhouse experience in its new home. Ingredients, from trusted staples to regional specialties, are sourced seasonally from around the world to ensure the best products all year long. Modern cooking techniques such as sous vide, lacto fermentation, and infusions allow the kitchen to develop new dishes with unexpected ingredient and flavour combinations that draw inspiration from culinary traditions beyond Latin America, and across the world. Beyond its prized steaks, lighter, brighter flavours and more varied protein options have been introduced to widen its appeal. One thing remains unchanged since day one - steaks are cooked using traditional grilling techniques over charcoal fire to achieve a lightly charred crust and smoky aroma that best highlights the natural flavours of the beef.
Easily spot the restaurant on 27 Club Street with its textured facade cladded in panels of rustic recycled wood pieces. Step into the space and immediately notice the difference as tribal design-inspired interiors exude an undeniable masculine elegance, contrasted with quirky, fun elements throughout. A nod to soviet modernism design, clean, elegant lines of wood panelling, marble surfaces, and brass fittings are further accentuated with warm lighting in the 66-seater restaurant designed by the group’s creative director Jerry Sparks.
“boCHINche has been like that trusted old friend that never lets you down through the years. We’ve grown beyond just being that Argentinian restaurant or a traditional steakhouse - and have truly carved out a unique identity in Singapore’s dining scene that I believe will stand the test of time, and flourish even into even bigger and bolder possibilities from this point on,” shares Cynthia Chua, founder and Chairman of Spa Esprit Group.
Pre-meal nibbles come in inspired morsels packed full of flavours. Crispy Argentinian Spring Rolls (S$14) are filled with tender, richly flavoured chopped pig ears, cut with an aromatic mix of jalapeño, piquillo, scallion, and coriander. A trio of hand-cut beef, chicken and sweet corn Empanadas (S$5 each) continue to be boCHINche’s signature crowd-pleasers, with the addition of a new flavour that elevates the quintessential ham and cheese pairing with rich provolone cheese, smoked ham, sweet confit onions and pimento.
While meats are the main event at boCHINche, a new selection of standout starters offer bright respite for those seeking a lighter touch for their meals. A plump, milky ball of artisanal Italian Burrata (S$29) is paired with a medley of fermented tomatoes that cut through each creamy spoonful with refreshing fizzy pops on the palate, dotted with avocado mousse and edible orange cosmos. Quail (S$28) offers more than just a beautifully charcoal grilled bird with earthy flavours of salt-crusted roasted beetroot, crunchy roasted hazelnuts and tangy berries brought together with a rich buttermilk sauce. A classic Spanish risotto-style Bomba Arroz Verde (S$27) is topped with grilled Argentinian prawns, while raw scallop bites are folded throughout the rice and glazed with a stock made using seafood trimmings, resulting in a satisfying, creamy consistency while still remaining blissfully dairy-free.
From the famous wood and charcoal grill, a combination of cherry, apple and jarrah wood lends an irresistible flavour to a proud selection of carefully selected, grass-fed beef imported directly from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Japan. While Argentinian beef remains the heart and soul of boCHINche, a renewed emphasis has been placed on the brand being an authority on high quality cuts of beef from around the world. A dry-aging fridge allows beef to be dry- aged in-house—typically for 35 to 38 days—using traditional methods, with an added coating of beef tallow that helps enhance the aging process while introducing new dimensions of flavours.
A thoughtful, 50-odd-strong-label wine list completes the steakhouse experience, with 10 labels available by glass and carafe. Designed around the philosophy of pairing wines and cuisine of the same origin, the list features 30 Argentinian labels—mainly from the key region of Mendoza—ranging from the quaffable to the bold and robust. The list is split between a selection of natural wines sourced from Drunken Farmer, while the rest remain conventional for their big, robust flavours that are best enjoyed with aged meats cooked over charcoal fire.
Moving away from the traditionally formal and somewhat intimidating wine bars, Club Street Wine Room has been designed as an inviting space, beckoning imbibers and diners alike to drop in any time for a glass of wine and a delicious bite.
Club Street Wine Room breaks the norms with its dynamic directory that offers something for every palate, appealing to traditionalists, fans of natural wines and adventurous tipplers alike. The diverse repertoire invites imbibers to go on a journey of discovery, exploration and experimentation for a swirling good time.
Brought to you by the people behind Lucali BYBG, Proper Slice BYBG is a New York slice joint off Gemmill Lane, serving honest pizza by the slice, Stromboli, Garlic Knots and Meatballs. Find comfort in Proper Slice's food creations.
Nicoline Italia has come to Singapore after thirty years of experience in the pursuit of exclusive design and elevated standards, entirely Made in Italy. After its footprints in Italy and the United States, Nicoline Italia has now expanded to Asia, headquartered in Singapore.
Nicoline Italia boasts an avant-garde prototype laboratory that collaborates closely with internationally renowned designers to produce every piece of sofa, attentive to the finest details to ensure the highest comfort with exquisite design. Every single piece is handmade by our talents from the cut, stitches to the upholstery utilizing their sophisticated techniques and innovation.
Each sofa set is unique, tailor made with your preferred leather and/or fabric, your desired leg and the modular configuration.
Nicoline Italia’s tanneries are highly qualified and certified, providing only “raw leather” (un- treated leather) originated from Europe. It presents itself as a higher quality leather compared to the “raw leather” created in the South America. Particularly, the exposure to the sun and climate factors negatively influence the quality of the South American raw leather.
DANI and MASTROTTO, the tanneries Nicoline Italia uses, are worldwide recognized as amongst the best in the market and are also environmental friendly with ‘zero impact leather’.
Gruppo Dani achieved total CO2 compensation, and is involved in a program of reforestation in partnership with Azzero CO2, an accredited energy service company.
Gruppo Mastrotto, engages an approach that represents the milestone of sustainable development based on all actions of environmental, social and economic responsibility.
Leathers are tanned without the use of heavy metals in compliant with the law ISO 15987 that establishes a 0.1 % of maximum quantity of chrome allowed during the process of tanning.
The craftsmanship of leather is totally made in Italy and the tanneries are certified as “Leather from Italy Full Cycle”.
View Nicoline Italia's gorgeous sofa collections at their new showroom located at Level 6 Chevalier House, 23 Genting Road.
After introducing authentic Vietnamese flavours with its pho and authentic street food dishes, Mrs Pho delves deeper into Vietnamese cuisine with a new concept – Mrs Pho House – that serves up traditional charcoal hotpot and Vietnamese festive delicacies in an interior that is reflection of a Vietnamese home. The best of Vietnamese hospitality is presented over communal family-sharing style dishes and hotpot where the freshest meats, seafoods and vegetables are cooked over charcoal fire.
Mrs Pho House brings to the table broths, ingredients and side dishes prepared to true Vietnamese heirloom recipes by a third-generation female Chef Linh from Vietnam.
With influences from Chinese and French cuisine, Vietnamese food differs with crisper flavours but with just as diverse layers. Extending on what Mrs Pho Kitchen has to offer, Mrs Pho House intends to bring the full depth of Vietnamese cuisine to diners from appetisers and mains to dessert.
“All the dishes I’ve created are drawn from my memories of my childhood,” shares Chef Linh. “The Lemongrass Chicken is made from the same recipe as my mother used and the Butter Quail always makes me laugh when I think of all the quails I have stolen from my mother as she was preparing them. I also have creations of my own that I would like to share, like the Bun Cha that I ate a lot of in my younger trainee days and has perfected over the years.”
Trained in France at Michelin restaurants, Le Grand Vefour and Le Pre Catelan, Chef Linh is proud to be returning to her roots and serving up traditional Vietnamese dishes from her childhood, including a signature Crab Bisque Soup as sold by her own mother’s famed crab noodle soup street stall in Saigon.
Chef Linh comes from a long lineage of chefs, each having spent time in the mecca of cuisine – France. Her grandmother was trained in Ferrandi in 1920 and was among the first to incorporate French techniques in Vietnamese cooking. Fate didn’t smile on her time in France, which she had to cut short and return to Vietnam, but she successfully inspired her granddaughter to also pursue her culinary craft in Ferrandi.
Making it to France was not an easy journey, especially monetarily. To save enough money, Chef Linh worked for six years in Singapore, tiding herself over with foods she knows best – Vietnamese cuisine.
After over 2 years in France, Chef Linh returned to Singapore, a natural decision motivated by her love for the country. Her hopes of bringing authentic Vietnamese dishes are materialised with Mrs Pho House, a hotpot and Vietnamese specialty concept restaurant that replicates the dining ambience of a Vietnamese home. On the menu, she has put a medley of festive dishes usually only enjoyed during special occasions in Vietnam.
When summer descends on Italy, the outdoors burst with activity and the word on everyone’s lips is “grigliata”.
Grigliata is the outdoor grill cook-out dreamed of in foodie heaven. A larder of the season’s finest produce sizzling on a bed of burning charcoal. The company of family and friends. Luscious wine and overwhelming hospitality.
The Italians have honed this summer ritual to perfection, and adored and honoured it like religion for generations. Now imagine sitting down to this cornucopia of flavour and life ... and you are at Griglia Open Fire Italian Kitchen.
Griglia is a brand-new contemporary Italian grill restaurant nestled on the ground floor of a conservation shophouse in charming Craig Road. As its name promises, diners at Griglia will be treated to the tastes, sensations and emotions of the grigliata in a casual setting-- and fall in love with the magic of the Common Flame.
Typically, guests bring along their favourite dishes to a grigliata. Multiple courses are enjoyed over a long afternoon, leisurely savouring appetisers and side dishes while sipping tasty wines, before embarking on the main course; meanwhile the charcoal fire perpetually glows in one of the oldest cooking styles known to man.
The grigliata celebrates fresh seasonal produce, cooking it over hot coals and open flame to accentuate the natural inherent flavours. Grigliata dishes are less intense and more Mediterranean in flavour, consisting of meats, seafood, fish and seasonal vegetables and fruits seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper, lavished with olive oil marinades and judicious squeezes of lemon.
Griglia prepares these same recipes using traditional as well as modern methods, making them even lighter and more refreshing. The menu conceptualised by Andrea De Paola, Chef Partner of Griglia & Group Executive Chef of Food Concepts Group, is based on classic grigliata dishes from different regions of Italy with additional recipes from his family and friends. By offering a wide selection of food, and serving it smaller sharing portions, diners are encouraged to order and taste many dishes in the style of the ‘bring-your-own’ grigliata.
At Griglia almost all the ingredients, and not just meat, fish and seafood, are cooked with the cast iron charcoal grill. This stunning equipment, made-to- measure for the open kitchen, brings out the intrinsic flavours of the fresh seasonal produce. Meanwhile the warm and cosy restaurant is constructed and clad in the raw materials of the grigliata – wood, bricks and metal.
Food and aesthetics work together to honour the element at the crux of the grigliata and the restaurant -- the Common Flame that draws people together in the embrace of Italian hospitality; fostering human bonds over food and fire, and creating moments that beget enduring memories.
The menu is conceptualised by Chef Andrea De Paola, and executed by Head Chef Federico Schiraldi. To showcase the culinary essence of the grigliata, the dishes are based on its classic recipes, with flavours made lighter and more refreshing and presented in a refined contemporary style using handcrafted Mediterranean-style tableware.
Griglia serves antipasti, artisanal salumi, main courses, sides, cheeses and desserts, and carries an extensive range of more than 100 wines from different regions, with up to 85% from Italy. Cocktails focus on different flavours of Negroni, Spritz and Gin & Tonic. Traditional Italian digestives, such as limoncello, amaro and grappa are also served.
Marks & Spencer, the iconic British retailer, has relaunched its Wheelock Place outlet and also recently opened a new store at 313@Somerset bringing an even bigger and better range of clothing, food and home products to fans in Singapore.
The revamped Wheelock Place outlet offers a contemporary look and feel, with all-new interiors designed around an optimised shopping experience. The store’s design showcases the very best of the British brand: over 3,800 premium food products including its top-sellers and all-time favourites in addition to over 1,000 chilled food products as well as fresh fruits and vegetables; a full range of home products and the much- loved clothing range.
The new 8,000 square feet Food Hall at M&S Wheelock Place is its biggest ever in Singapore, and will highlight the outstanding quality and freshness of M&S food. This revamped space offers foodies access to the best of M&S’ mouth-watering food with the addition of over 500 new chilled lines focusing on cheeses, deli, fruits, yogurt and fresh vegetables. Over 3,800 food products are now available in store, including:
M&S’ popular chilled prepared meals inspired by popular world cuisines such as Indian, Chinese and Italian as well as staples like pasta, rice and noodles;
British favourites including Scottish Smoked Salmon, Beef & Lamb expertly sourced for M&S from farms in New Zealand, Cheddar Cheese, Shortbread, Scones and Crumpets;
A new cheese barge will also showcase the retailer’s best cheese selection ever, with new and improved cheeses handpicked from Europe’s best cheesemakers and added to the existing range, including Marmite Cream Cheese, Luxury Smoked Cheese and Bavarian Smoked Cheese; Matching your cheese with the amazing new wine range ‘Found’ that uncovers hidden treasures from the world.
Chef Damian D'Silva is back on the dining scene in his latest concept Damian's Cookhouse. He and his team will be presenting various heritage dishes, cooked from the heart and satisfies the soul.
10% discount for curbside pickup at OUE Social Kitchen, Downtown Gallery.
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