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Curious to see your dishes being prepared? Grab a seat at the kitchen counter of these restaurants.
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Esquina
This tapas bar situated in a shophouse is edgy, buzzy, and perpetually full. The a la carte menu here is divided into basic categories based on origin —soil, sea, land— and features many classic Spanish ingredients. Warm thyme and onion bread make a toasty arrival, setting the stage for a glorious spread of smoked bone marrow butter. While other restaurants are content to bake the marrow in the bone, Chef Andrew Walsh takes things up a notch by folding caramelised onions and bone marrow cubes into butter seasoned with salt and lemon juice. The result? A silky, utterly addictive spread that makes sharing a woeful virtue. Esquina’s signature Spanish Breakfast dish is given a playful twist, swapping bravas sauce for a warm mushroom purée topped with potato espuma, all served in topless eggshells nesting in hay.
16 Jiak Chuan Road. Tel: 6222 1616
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Burnt Ends
Australian Head chef Dave Pynt fronts this sleek restaurant that truly pushes the contemporary barbecue concept. An 18-seat horizontal counter flanks the open kitchen, affording diners a close-up look at all the culinary magic unfurling behind the scenes. The menu shifts daily according to the ingredients that Pynt is able to get his hands on. Leek topped with hazelnut and brown butter makes for a perfect starter while the Burnt Ends sanger is one glorious hot mess of burger featuring tender pulled pork shoulder and coleslaw streaked with spicy chipotle aioli.
20 Teck Lim Road. Tel: 6224 3933
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L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Robuchon L'Ateliers the world over sport black surfaces with rouge trimmings – the culinary equivalent of what Christian Louboutin does with his signature red-soled stilettos. While the vibe here is somewhat mysterious and coy, the kitchen hides no secrets. Saddle up behind the kitchen counter for classic or tasting portions of French fare accented with Japanese ingredients. Le Langoustine sees the flesh of the shellfish deep-fried in a delicate wonton skin and lifted with a herbaceous touch of basil. There's also La Grenouille, a frog's leg ravioli that underscores its importance in both French and Chinese culinary canons. Potato puree, sieved multiple times and whipped with cream and butter into a velvety cloud, pays such a beautiful homage to the humble ingredient.
8 Sentosa Gateway, Hotel Michael Level 1. Resorts World Sentosa. Tel: 6577 7888
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Bam!
Bam!’s appeal lies in its casual setting, the centrepiece being the open kitchen and the long steel bar that frames it. Executive chef Pepe Moncayo describes his cuisine as “simple food”, but the food that appears on the plate is anything but. Although the menu is Spanish, subtle Japanese influences make their appearance, most of which align themselves beautifully with the sake-pairing menu. Signature dishes include cold capellini with Japanese wild tuna o-toro and kampong egg with baby sotong and chorizo.
38 Tras Street. Tel: 62260500
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FOC Restaurant
The restaurant is divided into two cosy areas: the main area features tables for smaller groups of diners as well as the bar counter and kitchen, while the secondary area houses tables that can seat larger groups, and comprises a private dining room hidden behind red theatre hall-inspired curtains and glass doors. Must-try dishes include grilled octopus sprinkled with paprika powder and drizzled with oil; black squid ink Mediterranean paella; and a watermelon gazpacho that's perfect for vegetarians. On the menu are 22 speciality cocktails concocted with a range of unconventional, homemade ingredients such as cornflake vodka, paprika cream and popcorn-cachaça vodka.
40 Hongkong Street. Tel: 6100 4040
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