Eat your way around the world at these new global concepts in Singapore

Having an icy cup of Thai milk tea is sure to evoke memories of holidaying in Bangkok. Whether you’re trying to beat the heat at Chatuchak Weekend Market, or mall-hopping around Siam Paragon, you’ll easily find a ChaTraMue stall nearby. This tea specialist has opened a flagship store at Paya Lebar Quarter serving cups of its famous milky beverage. On the takeaway-only menu is its iconic cha yen, or Thai tea mixed with condensed milk ($3.80). Sweetness levels have been adjusted to suit local tastebuds, and each drink is also prepped fresh upon order to ensure the quality of each drink. Also worth a try is the Signature Milk series ($5.60) that comes made with fresh milk instead, and soft-serve ice cream ($3.20) in flavours of Thai tea or green tea.

There’s a farm in Cheongyang, South Korea, where muskmelons can be found. It’s a special fruit that’s only available between July and October each year, and each tree is specially farmed to bear just one fruit at a time. The result: an immensely sweet and flavour-packed harvest. This is just one example of prized Korean produce that Brandfit hopes to spotlight. The company helps connect Korea farms and artisanal producers with the global market, and in particular, two eateries in Singapore: Tarte by Cheryl Koh and Meta Restaurant. 

In September, pastry chef Cheryl Koh features three Korean fruits in three special tarts ($13): muskmelon is used in the Master Cho’s Muskmelon on Mascarpone Cream Tart, along with the Korean Shine Muscat Grapes with Shingiwon Yuja Cream tart, and the savoury-sweet Caramel Korean Yellow Pine Nuts with Muhwadam Green Fig Jam tart. 

Meta Restaurant, where chef Sun Kim is best-known for tapping into his Korean heritage to recreate Asian flavours, is also highlighting various seasonal produce. This includes the Ok-dom, or tile fish, that is native to Jeju Island. It gets char-grilled at Meta to let its natural flavour shine, then served with a bed of Korean short-grained rice seasoned with snow crab white soy sauce, sesame oil, kimchi seasoning mix, little neck clams, and burdock. In another dish, the mushroom salad, chef Sun Kim uses wood ear mushrooms from Ansung, the rare white shiitake, and mini oyster mushrooms and dress them with fermented green fig balsamic vinegar, mushroom soy sauce vinaigrette, and cold-pressed perilla oil. More creative, delicious usage of Korea’s produce can be found in Meat’s Chef Tasting Menu and Lunch Menu, available only from September to October.

Joy Luck Teahouse brings to our shores three famed Hong Kong brands. There’s Hoover Cake Shop, best-known for its egg tarts made in two different versions – puff pastry or butter cookie. Kam Kee Café’s version of the pineapple bun has been served to celebrities and dignitaries alike, including former United States Vice President Al Gore and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The buns are best paired with its rendition of Hong Kong-style milk tea. Also available are the fishballs from Hong Kong Fish Balls, made fresh without any preservatives, flour, or additives.

The annual folk festival, Oktoberfest, may be cancelled in its hometown of Munich, but the celebrations still live on in Singapore with Brotzeit’s special menu. Available from September 15 to October 25, Brotzeit hopes to bring a piece of Germany some updated classics – there’s the cold roast pork ($16), marinated overnight and slow-roasted with root vegetables, along with the celebratory giant pretzel, spanning some 23cm long that can come stuffed with tender pork knuckle ($23) or meaty sausages ($28) with pickles and marinated red cabbage. Of course, no celebration is complete without some cold pints. And to commemorate the festival, Brotzeit specially imports an Oktoberfest brew, the Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier (from $11), from a traditional Bavarian brewery. 

Embark on a culinary adventure and explore the lesser-known region of Central Asia with Kafe Samsa. This new all-day dining concept, located within Central Asian restaurant The Nomads, taps on The Silk Road as inspiration, and spotlights the savoury pastry of samsa. These buttery bakes, common in areas of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, can come stuffed with meats or vegetables. Here, they are jazzed-up, in creations that include minced lamb ($8), wagyu beef mince ($8) cooked in its own fat, chicken ($7), mushroom and lentils ($7), and apple ($6). Come nighttime, the space transforms into a wine bar, serving up a selection of Central Asian wine, spirits, and bar bites.

The restaurant was temporarily close during the ‘circuit breaker’ period, but executive chef Kirk Westaway was kept busy with the pop-up stint at Anti:dote. Now, he is ready to head back to the restaurant to whip up a new edition of his Reinventing British menu. Expect modern interpretations of classic British plates this new season, with highlights that include a potato and duck leg pie, barbecued Scottish scallops, and the quintessential Eton Mess. A four-course set lunch starts from $158, and an eight-course dinner begins at $288. 

Portuguese restaurant Tuga has had to delay its opening at Demsey Hill because of the stay-home situation. Now that dining in is allowed, the Taiwan-based concept has finally opened its doors to diners. “We had planned for Tuga as a unique gastronomic and sensorial experience,” says co-founder Carlos Couto. The restaurant will feature dishes like steak with coffee sauce ($68) and pica-pau ($49), which translates to ‘wood-pecker’ beef stew – best paired with wine from the region.