West side story

WEST SIDE STORY These latest Japanese eats in Jurong are worth the trip. WEST SIDE These latest Japanese eats in Jurong are worth the trip.

Don Don Donki at JCube has been drawing the crowds as soon as it opened in November and the buzz hasn’t worn o . Housed in the basement, the Japanese discount chain’s seventh outlet is split into a supermarket and a 360-seat food court. What’s enticing people: crispy takoyaki (octopus balls) from Gindaco, with long queues at peak hours. Not forgetting grilled unagi don (from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market) and an okonomiyaki corner, with rows of the Japanese pancake being griddled.  ere are also ramen chains Marutama and Tonkotsu King, as well as mackerel specialist Sabar.  e supermarket has its own sushi bar o ering sushi burgers and oden. Don Don Donki is opening another outlet, focusing on lifestyle products, at Jem in January 2020.

FA_Oishii24_Ad Makita_A5.pdf 1 26/11/2019 11:26:16 AM #B1-51 JCube, 2 Jurong East Central 1. The supermarket opens daily from 8am to midnight and the food court from 10am to 10pm. Over at Jurong Point, the multi-concept &Joy Dining Hall opened in October and o ers a ordable Japanese meals. Four stalls sell ramen (try the tomato cheese one), homestyle meals, beef bowls and yakitori, while two standalone eateries o er pizza and sushi. Getting your food is high-tech here — you either order and pay at a digital kiosk or with a QR code on your mobile phone. What’s high on  avour: the thin-crust pizzas at the Pittarino restaurant.  ey’re baked fast — 90 seconds! — in a special oven. Try the Bismark, with ham, spinach, soft-boiled egg, mozzarella and Parmigiano cheese. Or go for the gyudon sets at Osaka beef specialist Roman.Tei. Made up of tender beef steak, beef slices or roast beef, the sets come with miso soup and vegetables, and hot dashi broth to pour over your beef bowl.

#B1-47 Jurong Point, 1 Jurong West Central 2, 11am to 9.30pm daily

WH I MS IC A L B R E W S

When American craft beer culture meets fresh Vietnamese produce, you get Heart of Darkness. Already one of the most popular artisan breweries in Ho Chi Minh City, this gastrobar’s fi rst international outpost brings Saigon’s vibrant craft beer scene to Singapore. INSPIRED BEERS With names such as Primeval Forest Pilsner and Kurtz’s Insane IPA, the beer line-up at Heart of Darkness reads more like a movie catalogue or fantasy game than a menu.

This is not surprising, given that the gastrobar was named after a classic Joseph Conrad novel about a sailor’s journey up the Congo River. Partner and CEO John Pemberton and Head Brewer Duane Morton are both avid readers and travellers, and this inspires many of their creations. An award-winning brewery that’s created more than 400 beers since its inception, Heart of Darkness also gets some of its creative energy from collaborations with international breweries such as Evil Twin, Two Roads, Behemoth, Fourpure, Gweilo and Magic Rock as well as local breweries such as Brewlander, That Singapore Beer Project, Daryl’s Urban Ales and Rye and Pint.

Today, the bar at Heart of Darkness offers 30 brews on tap at any one point, including 10 core beers, 10 limited releases, fi ve guest taps and fi ve local collaborations. Perennials include the effervescent Futile Purpose Cucumber Pilsner, the Dream Alone Pale Ale sparkling with notes of Heart of Darkness is a prolifi c brewery and has made over 400 beers since its inception.

tangerine, mango, peach and blueberry, and a beautiful Director’s Cacao Nib Porter. This last decadent beer features cacao nibs sustainably sourced from small local Vietnamese farmers and goes well with chocolate dessert.

In January 2020, two new golden brews will be introduced as part of the gastrobar’s core range — the Sunset Kumquat Pale Ale and Mellow Pomelo IPA. Their bright fruity notes are perfect for the hot tropics.

NEVER-ENDING CHOICES Like cuisine, many of these beers are seasonally inspired and feature ingredients at their freshest. These include a special edition Hot & Cold Chilli Pilsner enlivened by a touch of heat from Vietnamese chilli ( ) and a Gliding Dusk Passion Fruit beer that will also be available in January.

Delicious bites at this gastrobar include Chorizo Sausage Rolls, paprika sausage, minced pork and herbs wrapped in handmade puff pastry, Crispy Salted Caulifl ower with sour cream and dill, and bite-sized Sliders, which come with a special one-for-one deal on Mondays.

No wonder it is nearly impossible to try Heart of Darkness’ full range within a single session. To cover more ground, order a fl ight for sampling or ask bar manager Desmond to make recommendations and suggest food pairings. With such unique characters, ingredients and names, Heart of Darkness has a beer for literally every personality type, time of day, weather and mood.