The Masses Singapore
POSTED ON Sunday, June 25, 2017 AT 1:03 PM \ leave a comment (0)
one of the folks behind the successful Saveur brand have come up with another affordable experiential dining concept. The Masses is located along Beach Road, where the store comes to life through its almost full height glass facade, vibrant crowds and of course backed by its strong social media following. the place is not very large to begin with, so reservations are strongly encouraged in order to avoid disappointment. similar to their past creations, dinner times and weekends tend to be the busiest and a short wait is expected.



The Masses' theme revolves around dishes of tapas-styled starters that replicate a fusion-European feel. they come in well-presented portions and are priced affordably, which probably encourages groups of patrons to order a few more dishes for good variety. the mains are designed with a slight fine-dining edge to it (akin to underground restaurant Maggie Joan's) but is definitely more competitive to reach out to the masses.



This C n C pasta is one of the signature dishes, it can come both as a starter (small portion) or as a main dish itself. it's actually a cold dish of pasta with caviar and crabmeat, served in a lobster sauce. along with other highly Instagrammable dishes like The Egg, a chawan-mushi like dish served with Ikura, Tobiko (types of fish roe) and potato chips, the starter menu listing for this restaurant rates high on taste and talkability.



probably quite high-risk and exotic at the same time, working on octopus dishes can go very wrong if not done appropriately. The Masses hit the right buttons with their interpretation of their Aus Frementle octopus tentacle, well-presented, grilled to the right tenderness and going well with a Mediterranean aioli sauce, this dish is one of the must-trys when coming to this place. we also tried the salmon confit, that is served with tomatoes, fish skin and pineapples - a pretty refreshing combination.



on to the mains and this simplistic dish surprisingly came out tops. The much reviewed honey garlic miso chicken breast has been featured by most food bloggers and praised for its tenderness and clever food pairing with the honey garlic miso sauce for a tinge of sweetness. and if even chicken breast can be made to taste good, i guess this is a high accolade to be given to a very creative food entrepreneur. We expect greater things to come from The Masses and truly enjoyed our dining experience here.



The Masses Singapore
85 Beach Road, #01-02
Singapore 189694

Opening Hours
Mondays to Thursdays: 12 pm to 9.30 pm
Fridays & Saturdays: 12 pm to 12 am
Sundays: 12 pm to 9 pm

using fresh, seasonal produce and allowing recipes to be simple yet dynamic..

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En Sakaba (Capital Tower)
POSTED ON Sunday, June 11, 2017 AT 5:15 PM \ leave a comment (0)
this Japanese tapas bar has been drawing the crowds at its first outlet at Orchard Central. focusing on its sashimi, small japanese bites and its sakae, the restaurant fuses the Izakaya concept (Japanese bar-top concept) with that of a full-fledged sashimi joint. A couple of other outlets at JEM and Clarke Quay later, En Sakaba opened its Singapore flagship at Capital Tower in Tanjong Pagar recently. being located near the office, we went to check out this increasingly popular concept by the EN Group.



the fit-out of this outlet is in chic gold, a very attractive proposition from the outside and since its opening, always bustling with activity from the CBD faithful. the offerings range from the conventional Donburi and sashimi sets, to the recommended pairings of tapas and their wide selection of sakae. we had a big group on the day and managed to try several of their popular dishes.



The litmus test of all sashimi-grade seafood would probably be the salmon sashimi. We tried the Sokyu Salmon Don where the fish was proven to be fresh and sweet. served with ikura and on vinegared rice, it would be no question that this ought to be a safe and regular choice for most patrons. we tried other interpretations such as the Buri Sashimi Don (yellowtail sashimi rice bowl) and enjoyed the same quality of freshness.



for those who preferred cooked rice sets, the Wakatori Teriyaki Don stood out for its generous portions, well-marinated chicken thighs and poached tamago egg. all rice sets came with salad and a bowl of miso soup to complete the dish, making each set a pretty hearty offering. also with grilled freshwater eel being all the rage these days, En Sakaba has their own Tororo Unagi Kinsi Tamago Don or grilled eel with shredded egg and grated yam rice bowl, which was very good as well.



there are several Japanese tapas dishes available that would make good wine and beer pairings, particularly popular at their Clarke Quay outlet. the more popular one includes this deep fried camembert or breaded cheese bits. other well-received dishes include chicken wings, scallops and the Okinawa pork belly skewers. these options bring about good variety for patrons who would like to enjoy their sakae with different Japanese small bites and against the backdrop of En Sakaba's setting, makes it a very pleasurable experience indeed.



En Sakaba (Capital Tower)
168 Robinson Road
#01-10 Capital Tower
Singapore 068912

Opening Hours
Mondays to Saturdays: 11 am to 11 pm (closed on Sundays)

offering a variety of Japanese influenced tapas that are best paired with sake and beer..

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