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To me, home-grown Grub has always been synonymous with Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.  After all, the park was its home for nine years before the cafe shut in 2022.  So it is only fitting that Grub returned to the park – albeit with a new concept and location (near Carpark A) – in April. Its two other outlets are at Junction 8 and Novotel Singapore on Stevens.   Here, it is all about the pasta made fresh on-site. Menu highlights include the spicy tomato-based amatriciana reginette (flat, ribbon-shaped eggless pasta with waves on either side of the noodle) with guanciale ($21); and basil pork gigli (short-cut fluted eggless pasta with ruffled edges) with minced pork, long beans and holy basil ($19), a dish that brings to mind Thai flavours.  I like that these two pasta styles are not too thin and provide a good al dente bite. The ruffled edges also hold ingredients and sauces perfectly.  Other types of pasta – bucatini (spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the centre), tagliatelle (long, flat pasta) and tagliolini (a thinner version of tagliatelle) – also feature in other dishes.  Hearty mains include grilled seabass with housemade dill oil and dashi beurre blanc ($22); and grilled Kurobuta pork collar ($28) – both served with creamy mashed potatoes and corn succotash.  If you are there for light bites, try the burrata salad ($16), crispy calamari ($12) and addictive har cheong gai poppers ($12) served with a housemade sambal belachan that needs to be bottled and sold.  Finish the meal with a classic tiramisu ($12), Basque burnt cheesecake ($9) or cinnamon churros ($9). Grub Pasta Kitchen, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park River Plains (Carpark A), 1380 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 : Bishan/Ang Mo Kio 11am to 3pm, 5 to 10pm (weekdays), 8.30am to 10pm (weekends) WhatsApp 8891-9298 I first tried executive chef Maksym Chukanov’s food at Qin Restaurant & Bar in January, shortly after he joined the 88-seat restaurant.  At that time, I felt his food had a more European slant to it, quite different from how the restaurant started in 2021 with a creative spin on Asian cuisine.  Don’t get me wrong, it is still solid cooking from the former Cure and Ce La Vi chef, just veered in a different direction.  The one thing I remember, though, is the grilled Danish langoustine with punchy tom yam soup.  It remains on the refreshed six-course dinner menu ($198++) and is even better now. The soup is served in a glass rimmed with calamansi gel adorned with edible flowers, which adds a layer of flavour and texture to the rich broth.  There is also a four-course dinner at $148++. Chef Chukanov, 34, has found a good balance between Asian and European elements.  Both menus start with a range of small bites, including a smoked petuna trout with horseradish in a kueh pie tee shell; and housemade milk bread with gula melaka glaze.  They also offer another star dish – aged Australian quail with spring alliums and scallion “hua juan” (flower rolls in Chinese) bao. The quail breast is served with a Sichuan pepper sauce, just enough for that added kick. Its deboned legs are dipped in kecap manis and covered in puffed quinoa for extra crunch.  The meal ends on a refreshing note with freshly shaved ice kacang over rhubarb jam and whipped mascarpone topped with rhubarb compote; followed by a Japanese strawberry jam with Hokkaido milk sorbet gently balanced with sweet Japanese shoyu.  Lunch menus are available at $58++ (four-course) and $88++ (six-course), and you can head to the bar for drinks on the fifth floor.  Qin Restaurant & Bar, Level 4, 10 Cross Street Telok Ayer Noon to 3pm, 6.30 to 10.30pm daily WhatsApp 9459-2388 for reservations Since 2021, One Farrer Hotel has made a smart pivot to opening its villas for private dining.  Called Nest at One Farrer, this concept has proven to be a popular option for small corporate functions and those who want intimate gatherings.  With the recent introduction of the hotel’s new chef de cuisine Gerald Liau, the menus have been refreshed.  Chef Liau, 33, has worked his way through restaurants here including Tippling Club and Lerouy, and garnered experience from a year at the three-Michelin-starred Gion Sasaki in Kyoto.  It is a promising start for him so far – the food is a lot better than what I had a year ago at Nest.  New executive menus (only for those booking the Havens rooms, four to 12 people) are priced at $78++ for a three-course lunch and $138++ for a five-course dinner.  My favourite dishes from the dinner menu are the rich corn soup (add $18++ for lunch) paired with a sizeable scallop and prosciutto; and tenderloin (add $18++ for lunch), gently perfumed with truffle.   For lunch, the halibut is paired with green and white asparagus, while for dinner, the fish is served with coconut veloute, creamy pumpkin and caviar.  While the menus for the Havens rooms are fixed, they can be customised – according to your budget and number of guests – if you book the hotel villas (minimum spend applies).  And, if you foresee a food coma on the horizon, the hotel offers guests the option of a one-night stay in the villas at preferential rates. Nest at One Farrer, Level 20, One Farrer Hotel, 1 Farrer Park Station Road Farrer Park Noon to 2.30pm, 6 to 10pm daily 6705-7828 or e-mail