Three new CBD spots to get your lunch fix

We all know the singular importance of  the lunchtime ritual, especially if you work in or around the bustling CBD. It’s that precious one-hour (or two for some) breather when you can loosen your shirt collar, talk shop, and vent about a difficult client you to your sympathetic colleagues. And the food must be so distractingly good that you can forget your woes momentarily. Here are three new eats that will satiate your needs.

Pasta Supremo

You don’t need another scientific study to tell you that carbohydrates can make you happy – this new pop-up restaurant in Suntec City offers carbs in spades. Created by Shawn Kishore of Taiwanese-inspired eatery, The Salted Plum, Pasta Supremo serves handmade fusion pastas at accessible prices (another bonus point). The pasta bowls are highly customisable and range from $8 to $20, depending on the ingredients you pick. This isn’t to say that the most affordable pick is subpar. For $8 you get a base pasta paired with a sauce (from a choice of three pastas and four sauces). The pasta comes in three lengths and colours: long (activated charcoal), short (beetroot), and curly (blue pea). Add a few dollars and you can boost your meal with protein-rich toppings like premium Wagyu Karubi and confit garlic prawns.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the choices? Then go for their signature ‘Haus’ pastas. Our favourite is the mala-inspired Prawn Olio Olio ($20), curly shaped pasta served with lap cheong and tobiko, and dotted with Sichuan peppercorns for a hint of heat. The Supremo Porky Marinara ($15) is a unique take on the classic Italian-American marinara meatballs recipe as it’s flavoured with hua diao wine and five-spice powder (a smart way to appeal to local palates).

A hearty bowl of pasta may not be ideal if you are heading straight for a meeting after lunch (cue the food coma). But if that’s not an issue, fill up on carbs and complete your meal with the stellar pistachio creme ($6), smooth panna cotta topped with house made pistachio brittle.

#01-365/366/373/374, Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard. 6909 8138

Little Creatures

Little Creatures has been brewing artisanal beers in Australia since 2000. Their Singapore outpost at Club Street opened last year, and displays several in-house brewing vats as well as a selection of 11 beers.

But, of course, we are not recommending alcohol to get you through a day in the office. Little Creatures has carved out a corner from its 5,500 sq ft venue to house a small takeaway counter, offering grab-and-go deli and pastry items for busy executives (you can also enjoy the food in the dining room or at the quaint al fresco tables outside the brewery).

What’s also new is an in-house coffee roastery, launched in partnership with Schibello Coffee. A major player in Australia’s coffee scene, Schibello roasts their beans with the same level of attention that Little Creatures pays to their brewing. Their bestselling espresso roast exudes strong dark chocolate aromas with hints of orange, while dolce roast presents a lighter profile with hazelnut and berry notes. The unique Kenyan blend, on the other hand, shares many similarities with earl grey tea.

Complete your pick-me-up with a selection pastries, salads or sandwiches. Try the smoked chicken sandwich ($8), which is slathered with punchy paprika mayonnaise and stuffed between two slices of foccacia bread. The beef pastrami variant ($8.50) is another standout – the mustard mayo’s sharpness cuts through the saltiness of the cured meat, while the arugula adds a peppery note.

Little Creatures, 36 Club Street. Tel: 6239 0350.

Kafe Utu

For those working in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, this new addition to the Duxton estate is a breath of fresh air; Kate Utu offers African cuisine, a rarity and curiosity in Singapore.

Owner Kurt Wagner, who has lived in Liberia, Sudan and Kenya, shares authentic recipes from his family’s kitchen at this restaurant in Jiak Chuan Road. The first floor of  this three-storey shophouse unit (decked out in African furnishings) offers high tables, while the upper floors features a variety of large tables and couch seats.

The restaurant dishes out all-day brunch items, which include twists to classics, such as Curried Avocado ($18). It’s the ‘Mama Africa’ section of the menu, however, which features four curry-based dishes (each served with fragrant coconut rice), including Swahili Fish Curry ($29), Liberian Peanut Chicken Stew ($28), West African Spicy Greens ($28), that should interest you. We recommend the Caribbean Goat Curry ($28); ours arrived within five minutes, boasting tender meat bathed in a habanero pepper infused curry broth. The fried plantains ($12) make for a good sharing plate; it’s mildly sweet and crispy, and is sided by a fruity mango and habanero dip. For a quick boost of energy before returning to the office, pick up a bottle of UTU ink cold brew ($6) which is made with Ugandan coffee beans and reveals a strong, dark chocolatey flavour.

Kafe Utu, 12 Jiak Chuan Road. 6996 3937