Guriru – Japanese Charcoal Grilled Seafood [MEDIA INVITE]

Guriru is a new concept by Japanese food guru Chef Teppei Yamashita (Chef and Owner for Restaurant Teppei) in collaboration with Anangram Food Lab. Guriru focuses on charcoral-grilled seafood concept, inspired by Japanese Hamayaki or fisherman’s grill.

Guriru

Guriru is nestled at the poolside of NUS Alumni Association, providing a good place to chill out and unwind after a busy day at work. You can almost treat it like your own poolside BBQ party hosted by a professional chef, loaded bar and seated almost 50 people.

The Poolside View

Following the recommendation from Brenda, our super friendly and knowledgeable service staff, we focus our order on the Hyogo oysters.

The Evening Atmosphere

Hyogo Oyster ($10 for 3 pcs, $19 for 6 pcs). It is served 2 ways, sashimi with homemade ponzu sauce; and grilled with butter or original shoyu sauce.

The Hyogo Osyer Sashimi & Grilled Shoshamo

For the sashimi version, the oysters are fresh, plump and juicy. The shoyu together with the fresh lemon juicy brought up the natural sweetness in the oysters. It was just so “shiok” when you slurped those oysters.

The Hyogo Osyer Sashimi 

Frankly, I am not a fan of grilled oysters. I always find that grilled oysters lost the plumpness and juiciness of oysters. However, it is a good option for those who do not eat raw stuff. You can still taste the natural flavour of the oysters, but the brininess and sweetness seem to multiply a few times.

Grilled Hyogo Oysters

Grilled Hyogo Oysters

Guriru Oyster Rice ($18). Chef Teppei signature dish for Guriru. The rice is soft and tasty from infused with a special sauce created by Chef Teppei. The Hyogo oysters remain plump and juicy, while the subtle aroma accentuates the umami in the overall dish.

Guriru Oyster Rice

Guriru Oyster Rice

Black Tiger Prawn ($6.50 for 1 pc, $25 for 5 pcs). Grilled to perfection with garlic butter. It is crunchy and bouncy, while the lovely smoky aroma just hits when you bit into the prawns.

Black Tiger Prawn

Shishamo ($9 for 5 pcs) - grilled with original shoyu sauce. If you love the deep-fried shishamo, you will love this grill version. The small fishes are plump and their tummy is filled with eggs. The grilled produces a crisp exterior and induced a smoky aroma in the fish. The shoyu sauce removes any traces of fishiness in this dish.

Shishamo

Whole Squid ($16). Highly recommended by our host Eunice. I heard a tale from the fishermen, one way to tenderise your squid is to whack it against the rock. Our squid probably faces a similar fate, though I am sure the professional chefs have their secret. It was nicely grilled, tender and succulent. There was a little chewiness at the end, making it a delicious squid.

Whole Squid

Kurobuta Pork Belly ($12). A must-order here. It is slow-cooked for 4 hours, finished on the grill for the charred and smoky finishing touch with the yakitori sauce. The pork belly is soft, tender, yet with a bit of bite and slowly melts in your mouth. The sweetness of the yakitori sauce gives it a touch of caramelisation plus the delicate sweet ending. Yummy!!

Kurobuta Pork Belly

Meltique Beef ($18). The beef is grilled to medium-rare, delivering a juicy and succulent texture. I like the finishing of the garlic chips, but not so fond of the drizzling of the yakitori sauce as it tasted very salty. Instead of pouring it on the plate, they can finish it by a quick brush of the yakitori sauce on the beef, before slicing.

Meltique Beef

Prosciutto Pizza ($21). Thin and crispy pizza dough, topped with tomato sauce, prosciutto, arugula and travel. The toppings are a tried and tested classic combination, however, Chef Teppei added a truffle twist to it.

Prosciutto Pizza

Prosciutto Pizza

We also tried Guriru snacks such as Crispy Salmon Skin ($9), Fugu Mirin Boshi ($14), Eihire ($12) and Kawa Ebi ($10). The salmon skin is crispy and packed with umami flavour. Once you started in this, you just can’t stop. While the Eihire is light and crispy, I prefer the Fugu Mirin Boshi. The marinated puffer fish slices are slightly sweet, aromatic and chewy. The flavours remind me of Singapore Bak Kwa.

Crispy Salmon Skin

Fugu Mirin Boshi

The Kawa Ebi is just awesome. The mini prawns are plump, crispy and lightly seasoned. Once you drizzle the lemon jus on top, the flavours just come alive. Yum Yum!!

Eihire

Kawa Ebi

For the finale, Chef Teppei serves us cinnamon ice cream with foie gras and drizzle with foie gras sauce. The flavour combination is unique, while the foie gras is grilled till crisp. The sauce is bold and it can easily overpower the flavour of the ice cream. I think this dessert is still a work in progress, it will be interesting to see the final products.

Cinnamon Ice Cream with Foie Gras

For the drinks, I tried their mocktail Aki-Momiji ($8) – Lychee, lime and soda. It is refreshing.

Aki-Momiji

Yuzu Highball

Overall, we enjoy our dinner at Guriru. The food and drinks are great and reasonably priced, plus the service is good. Instead of your traditional formal restaurant, Guriru presents a relaxed and chill poolside ambiance. The fresh Hyogo oysters, Guriru oyster rice, Kurobuta Pork Belly, Kawa Ebi and Prosciutto pizza are our picks. We’ll definitely return to try the rest of their menu. Kanpai!! Cheers!!

The Grill Master

Thank you, Eunice (Eloquence), Chef Teppei and Team Guriru for hosting us!

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 8/10

Budget per Person: $1 1 - $25; $26 - $50

Guriru

2 College Road

Level 1

Singapore 169850

T: +65 9010 7020

W: https://www.guriru.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/guriru.sg

IG: @Guriru.sg

OH:

Mon - Thu: 12.00 – 23.00

Fri – Sat: 12.00 – Midnight

Hamayaki menu from 16.00

Lunch menu from 12.00 – 16.00

Closed on Sunday

Menus available online

[CLOSED] Central Thai ECP –Thai Food with An Awesome View [MEDIA INVITE]

Central Thai at East Coast Park (‘CT’) is a Halal Thai restaurant located within a short walking distance from East Coast Park Area F. If you are coming from the city direction toward the airport, it is at end of East Coast Park. It is not even close to the East Coast Lagoon or the East Coast Seafood Park.

Central Thai Entrance - Early Evening

Centra Thai Entrance - Evening

The “secluded” location offers a great view of the Singapore Straits. The crowd is minimum and the parking is also free, almost like your own private beachfront. Occupying a sole property, CT offers indoor and al-fresco dining settings. To avoid the hot scorching weather in the early evening, LD and I decided on air-conditioned indoor seating. However, once the sun set, I suggest you choose the al-fresco seating area to enjoy the cool breeze.

The View - Early Evening

We started the meal with Thai Prawn Cake ($9 for 2 pcs, $17 for 4 pcs). They are huge and each one of them is about as big and as thick as my palm. The exterior is crispy, while the interior is bouncy. The seasoning is sufficient, LD and I did not even dip it in the sweet chilli sauce provided.

Thai Prawn Cake

Thai Prawn Cake

Thai Prawn Cake

Clear Tom Yum Prawn Soup ($18 for Regular, $25 for Large). We have the regular size. The broth is robust and tangy but not overly spicy. The prawns, sliced fish and mushrooms are fresh. LD feels that the soup can be spicier and more sour, however, I like this mild version. It is acceptable to those who can’t take too much heat.

Clear Tom Yum Prawn Soup

Thai Spicy Basil with Minced Chicken ($16 for Regular, $21 for Large). At first, the dish looks super spicy, especially with the bright red colour covering the chicken. However, LD assured me that it is not the case. The minced chicken is juicy, while the heat is more of a sambal-like. Not that full-blown spiciness like in other Thai restaurants. It can do with a bit more basil though.

Thai Spicy Basil with Minced Chicken

Steamed Seabass with Spicy Lemon Sauce ($34 fresh, $42 Live). When this dish reaches our table, it just looks very appetizing. Once it reached our table, the smoke just keeps coming out from the boiling broth, giving this dish a mystical arrival and the WOW factor.

Steamed Seabass with Spicy Lemon Sauce 

The fish is so fresh, and the flesh is soft and velvety, while the broth is aromatic, tangy and acceptable spiciness for me. Basically, both of us devour the whole fish and left it with bones only. A complement to the chef!

The Flesh

Stir-fry Four Heavenly Kings ($16 for Regular, $20 for Large). Lady fingers, eggplant, petai and long bean, cooked with onion, capsicum and prawn paste sambal. It is aromatic, LD like it but I don’t like any of those vegetables.

Stir-fry Four Heavenly Kings 

Pineapple Fried Rice ($14). It was one of the best dishes of the night. The rice is al-dente, fragrant and evenly coated with the fried eggs. The diced pineapple is evenly spread, while the cashew nuts and prawns added different crunchy textures to the dish. A must-order dish here. LD commented that it is a childhood type of must-eat Thai dish when she is young and it has been a while since she had a decent one like Central Thai’s.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Pineapple Fried Rice

Pineapple Fried Rice

Our dessert is Mango Sticky Rice ($8.50). It is served with pandan-flavoured sticky rice. The mango is sweet and bursting with flavour. While the pandan sticky rice is a touch too soft (like being overheated in a microwave). The mango and sticky rice taste good with coconut milk.

Mango Sticky Rice

Mango Sticky Rice

For the drinks, I have the Iced Thai Milk Tea ($4.60) and LD ordered Thai Lemon Grass ($4.60). We ask for our drinks to be less sweet and they acceded to our request. Both the drinks tasted very solid and the portion is very big. If you come in a big group, you should order the drinks in a tower.

Thai Lemon Grass & Thai Milk Tea

The décor of the restaurant is simple, functional and Thai-inspired. I like the natural light entering the indoor dining area during the day.

Indoor Dining Area

Al Fresco Dining Area

Overall, we like the food at Central Thai. They are tasty and delicious. However, for those who like their Thai Food bold and super spicy, you need to inform the service staff when you ordered. The current spiciness level is targeted towards a family-friendly level. Our picks are Thai Prawn Cake, Steamed Seabass with Spicy Lemon Sauce and Pineapple Fried Rice. Cheers!

Evening Atmosphere

Thank you very much, Parveen for the invite and Central Thai team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 7/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)

Ambiance: 7/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50

Central Thai – East Coast Park

1300 East Coast Parkway

East Coast Park Area F

Singapore 468964

T: +65 6443 5510

W: https://www.centralthai.com.sg/

F: https://www.facebook.com/CentralThaiSG/

IG: @Centralthai

OH: Daily, 11.30 – 22.30

Menu Available here

Picanhas’ X Panquecas’ – Steak & Pancakes For The People [MEDIA INVITE]

Picanhas’ is a steak house known for serving the secondary cut of Brazilian picanha steaks, which uses a rump cap cut. Although it is part of the under-used cut of the beef, it is very popular in Brazil or part of the cuts served in Brazilian Churrascaria (Brazilian Bbq).

Picanhas' 

In May 2022, the folks at Picanhas’ opened the dessert-focus outlet, Panquecas’ next door, offering their signature items in sweet and savoury variations. Combining their ethos from Picanhas’ and Panquecas’, their motto is “Steak and Pancakes for The People”.

Picanhas' X Panquecas' Menu

LD and I tried the current special at Picanhas’, The Royal Couple ($78) consists of 200g picanha steak, 200g Angus ribeye, garlic mashed potatoes and chimichurri sauce.

The Royal Couple

Cooked to medium-rare, they look irresistible. The picanha steak is almost lean but has a nice light chewy texture. It reminds me of the texture of thickly sliced ox tongue. Meanwhile, the Angus ribeye has a nice marbling to it, with the fats in the middle. It is tender, succulent and easily melts in your mouth.

Picanha steak with chimichurri sauce,
Potatoes & Brussel sprouts

The mashed potato is creamy and velvety, while the homemade chimichurri sauce has a nice twist of spicy kick in it. LD and I notice that salt seasoning on the steak can be a bit heavy, so if you prefer a lighter seasoning, you might want to ask them to put less salt or put the salt on the side.

For the sides, we choose Potatoes ($7) & Brussel Sprouts ($7). The potatoes are double-cooked and drizzled with sriracha mayo. It has a crispy exterior with a soft and moist interior. I like the creaminess of the potato, though I am not used to the mayo.

Potatoes

The Brussel Sprouts are also double cooked, where the second part is deep-fried in oil seasoned with beef fats. The exterior of the sprouts almost tastes like the outer layer of a shallot. However, LD and I find the deep-fried of Brussel sprouts do not work for us. I think we will prefer Picanhas’ festive Brussel sprouts, boiled, tossed with charcoal butter, smoked sea salt and garlic bits.

Brussel Sprouts

Next up is Mentaiko Pasta ($19). Unlike regular pasta, the black colour pasta is made from crepe sheets, topped with onsen egg and chilli oil. On the side, it has mentaiko king prawns and furikake. The pasta has an underlying sweet & spongy texture, combined with onsen egg and chilli oil it becomes a sweet and savoury mix. The prawns are big, juicy and delicious. It is a creative and unique dish.

Mentaiko Pasta

Mentaiko Pasta

On a side note, I tried the pasta with chimichurri sauce, it was an awesome pairing.

Crepe Pasta with Chimichurri Sauce

The desserts are the creations of Panquecas’, the name which means pancakes in Portuguese. We started with Apam Balik ($14), Panquecas’ version of our local pancake. The moist crepe is loaded with ground roasted peanut, sweet corn emulsion, pasty cream and peanut butter crumble. It is super delicious and such a flavour bomb. The soft serve vanilla ice cream also topped with ground roasted peanuts gave a smooth and milky touch to the desserts. Yummy!!

Apam Balik

Apam Balik

The Velvet ($15) – Velvet-Red Crepe, Cream Cheese, Almond Biscuit Crumbs, Strawberry Pastry Cream and Lemon Glaze. Inspired by red velvet cake, this dessert is a flavour overload. You have different flavours such as sweet, creamy, cheesy, savoury and a touch of tanginess from the lemon while being balanced with the soft serve vanilla ice cream. It is a good dessert, but it was too overwhelming for us after finishing The Royal Couple.

The Velvet

As a Muslim Owned restaurant, Picanhas’ does not serve alcoholic beverages. Instead, we have a lovely mocktail such as Virgin Mojito ($12) and Alcohol-Free Wine, Elivo Zero Zero Deluxe Red ($12 per glass/ $48 per bottle) - 60% Tempranillo, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Alcohol-Free Wine, Elivo Zero Zero Deluxe Red, Virgin Mojito & Popcorn

Earlier in the day, the service staff deliver a bowl of homemade popcorn as our appetizer, after we placed our order, to enjoy with our drinks.

The Indoor Atmosphere

The décor of the Picanhas’ is gastropub like, with an open kitchen replacing the bar. The service at Picanhas’ is definitely the highlight. They are a friendly bunch that are genuinely pleased to chat with you and also provide services from the heart. As we were seated outside, we can see the crew interact with passers-by like their regular customers or their buddies. Awesome.

The Open Kitchen

Al-Fresco Seating Area

Overall, it was a pleasure dining at Picanhas’ and Panquecas’. The picanha steak and ribeye combo are a must-try, while their Apam Balik is just a flavour bomb. Will definitely return for these two great dishes. Cheers!!

The Regular Menu

Thank you very much, Parveen for the invite and Picanhas’ & Panquecas’ awesome crew for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 7.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation) - They are Super Awesome

Ambiance: 7.75/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

Picanhas’

90 Club Street

Singapore 069458

T: +65 9122 4326

W: https://picanhassg.com/

F: https://www.facebook.com/Picanhassg/

IG: @Picanhassg

OH:

Tue – Sun, 12.00 – 15.00; 17.30 – 22.00

Closed on Monday.

Panquecas’

92 Club Street

Singapore 069460

T: +65 9754 1909

F: https://www.faebook.com/panquecassg

IG: @Panquecassg

OH:

Tue – Sun, 12.00 – 15.00; 17.30 – 22.00 

Closed on Monday