Velocity@Novena Square may be known as the dedicated sports and active lifestyle mall (that is where I get my sports attire and shoes from), but it is also a mall of “international eats”.
This is especially when travelling is not quite possible now, and we still want to savour that authentic taste from our favourite countries.
From A-Roy Thai (Thai cuisine), Lao Beijing (Northern Chinese fare), HuLuRuk (Korean Noodle House), Gyu-Kaku (Japanese BBQ), to Fatburger & Buffalo’s (American-style burger and wings), you can ‘travel-the-world’ here.
Here are 9 of the favourites:
A-Roy Thai Restaurant
Velocity@Novena Square #03-61/64
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Authentic Thai Food Cooked By Team Of Thai Chefs
The family place A-Roy Thai Restaurant serves authentic and reasonably priced Thai food. It has gathered its own following, with many of its customers becoming regulars.
Signature dishes you can expect include Lemongrass Salad, Seafood Otah in Coconut, Steam Seabass and Thai Chendol with Coconut Ice Cream. Every ingredient is carefully handpicked and most are delivered fresh from Thailand, including herbs and spices.
Go for flavourful meal with their Pla Krapong Nueng Ma Now or Steamed Seabass with Spicy and Sour Soup ($35.90). The combination of spicy and sour flavours of the soup matched with mildly flavoured fish will make your palate pop up.
Complement your fish with an order of Ho Mok Maphrao Aon or Seafood Otah in Coconut ($18.90) served in an attention-grabbing coconut shell. The combination of seafood is made into a thick curry where the coconut cream is the predominant flavour.
Cool down from the spicy flavours with Thai Chendol with Coconut Ice Cream ($6.90), a colourful rendition of an iced dessert with blue and green pandan jelly. Topped with a dark red paste of beans over a scoop of coconut ice cream. Indeed Aroy!
Tomi Sushi
Velocity@Novena Square #02-76/77
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Savour Japanese Niigata Specialties with Maguro (Tuna) Special
Tomi Sushi originated in 1954 from the Niigata prefecture, where the climate produces the best-known rice brand Koshihikari. It is also the region with the best sakes and delicacies from the sea.
This season, celebrate all-things-tuna with their maguro promotion (till 27th of December).
Recommended is their Maguro Zanmai or Assorted Tuna Sushi ($29.50, U.P. $59), a selection of different kinds of sushi featuring the Southern blue fin tuna – prized for its rich and and melt-in-the-mouth meat.
Tomi Sushi brews its own traditional soy sauce for sushi and a special sauce only for sashimi; paired with the freshly imported fish and 100% Niigata Koshihikari rice.
If you love grilled fishes, the Maguro Kama Shioyaki ($28.50, U.P $38) is a sea-salt grilled blue fin tuna collar featuring a special salt from the rough seas of Japan. The salt’s mild and richer taste makes it a suitable seasoning for this lean yet fatty cut of tuna.
Also available at a promotional price is the Aburi Salmon Roll ($18), to enjoy the smoky taste of the torched salmon and the crunch of fresh cucumber slices.
Guzman y Gomez
Velocity@Novena Square #01-68/69
Opening Hours 10:30am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Celebration Of All Things Latin, For Mexican Flavours In Every Bite
Celebrate the season with Latin flair at Guzman y Gomez, the casual dining concept serving traditional Mexican favourites like burrito, quesadilla, tacos, and nachos.
Dishes are all made-to-order with ingredients prepared fresh daily.
Try their famous $3 Taco, a chipotle-seasoned hard-shell taco filled with Australian minced beef. Adding flavours and textures are shredded iceberg lettuce and Australian Jack cheese.
Another popular choice is the Burrito Bowl ($10.90 for reg, $7.90 for mini). Choose from a variety of fillings, ranging from the mild to spicy chicken to pulled pork and beef, to vegetarian-friendly tofu ranchero (natural bean tofu stewed with tomatoes, corn, pepper, chillies and spices.) They also offer brown rice as healthier option.
Get some Nachos ($13.50 for regular, $8.50 for mini) made with GYG’s corn chips, melted Australian Jack cheese, vegetarian black beans, salsa, guacamole and filling. Get your crispy corn chips topped with slow-roasted and tender hand-pulled beef, seasoned with GYG’s Guerrero marinade.
Hana-K
Velocity@Novena Square #02-25
Opening Hours: 10am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
For Korean Stone Pot Rice, Noodles, Porridge and Side Dishes
In the mood for Korean food? Stop by Hana K-Food, a specialty restaurant serving authentic Korean fare since 2013. (I spotted a real ajumma cooking up a fare.)
This traditional Korean resto is a proponent for healthy eating. And so you can find in their menu nutrient-loaded dishes like Ginseng Chicken Soup, Kimchi Soup and Bibimbap.
Boost your immunity and nourish up with samgyetang or Half Ginseng Chicken Soup ($16.00), a soup that marries health benefits and flavour. This fragrant dish is made with whole small chicken stuffed with sticky rice and other ingredients in an herbal broth.
For your main dish, go for the Bibimbap ($14.00), Korean’s famous rice dish loaded with meats, carrots, bean sprouts, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, and topped with a sunny side up egg. Top up additional $2 for beef/ pork/ chicken bulgogi to go together.
Mix them while sizzling hot with Korean red pepper paste gochujang for a spicy, piquant flavour.
For your drink, sip some Hana K-Food’s specially created onion water for a change.
Harry’s
Velocity@Novena Square #01-59/60
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10.30pm, Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Singapore’s Most Well-Established Bar and Dining Chain
Harry’s is known for its Flatbread Pizza, coming in flavours of Beef & Pepperoni ($26), Hawaiian ($22), Mushroom & Truffle ($24) and Margherita ($20).
Kick off the festive season with their Year-End Special Ruby Turkey Flatbread Pizza ($26).
This sweet-savoury pizza is specially made with premium ingredients like diced turkey meat, Brussel sprouts, onion confit, and cranberry jam.
The fresh-baked Christmassy flatbread is beautifully dotted with ruby red jewels of cranberries complementing the green arugula leaves, all on a crispy thin base.
Velocity@Novena Square Promotion:
Pair your pizza with Heineken beer to complete the celebration. Get 2 pints of Heineken at $24 (U.P $28) or 4 pints of Heineken at $44 (U.P $56).
Limited to 1 redemption for every set of Ruby Turkey Flatbread Pizza purchased.
Tamago-EN
Velocity@Novena Square #01-90
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Delight in Golden Okinawan Egg Dishes and Desserts
What makes Tamago-EN special is that it only uses the freshest eggs imported from Okinawa. Rather than conventional heat sterilisation, the eggs go through a unique process of UV sterilisation. (Tamago-EN eggs are so fresh you eat it raw.)
Their egg-centric menu features the uniquely golden orange egg yolk of Japanese eggs. When used in dishes, these eggs give that fuwa fuwa (fluffy) texture.
Go for the Beef Stew Omelette with Rice ($16.80), a Japanese-style beef stew served in a large bowl with steamed butter rice.
The chunky pieces of beef in a savoury gravy is best mixed with the rice tossed with chicken & vegetables. Enjoy this hearty entrée topped with the beautiful-yellow omelette.
Have a sweet ending in the form of the Homemade Egg Pudding ($5.80) – made with fresh Japanese eggs, which becomes a soft and creamy gloop set in a glass jar.
The eggy flavour is complemented with sweetness from a drizzling of caramel sauce, topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
HuLuRuk Myeon House
Velocity@Novena Square #01-84/85
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 11:30am – 10:30pm (Fri, Sat, PH)
Korean Noodle House with Kalguksu (Knife Noodles) and Steamed Dumplings
Huluruk is a Korean noodle specialty house, and the recipe is said to be pass down from an old Korean lady “Halmuni” (which means grandmother in Korean slang).
Her Myeon Soup business started out in 1945, as the noodle courses and side dishes were her late husband’s favourites.
Available on its menu includes the seldom-seen-in-Singapore Kalguksu aka Knife Noodles ($12.80 – $15.80), Volcano Fried Rice ($10.80 – $13.80), and Korean Steamed Dumplings ($6.50 – $7.50 for 6 pcs) similar to a Xiao Long Bao – wrapped with chilli crabs, pork, or kimchi within.
The thick black sauce of the Jjajang Myeon ($10.80) was quite ‘legit’, also included with pieces of pork cubes. The noodles were cooked till too soft and wet for my liking though, otherwise would have been a better mix.
Ichiban Boshi
Velocity@Novena Square #02-13/14
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:00pm Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 10pm Last Order 9:30pm (Sat – Sun)
Modern Japanese Cuisine with Wide Selection of Sushi, Fresh Sashimi and Variety Set Meals
No two Ichiban Boshi restaurants are the same, and at Velocity@Novena Square the specialty is Sakana (Fresh Fish).
Savour quality fishes imported directly from Japan, such as their Tai Acqua Pazza ($28.90) that comes with Japanese sea bream, clams and a melange of vegetables in house special broth.
For those looking to indulge in a hearty meal this festive season, keep an eye out for their festive special of Spicy Chicken Sugiita-yaki Gozen ($27.90) that is available for a limited period till 28 Feb 2021.
The chicken steak comes with light spicy marination on a Japanese cedar wood, complete with seared scallop & salmon sashimi with truffle oil, fried Quorn® meat-free ball wanton, mini rice bowl with salmon flakes & salmon roe, chawanmushi, miso soup and kanten fruit jelly.
The other recommended festive meal is the Rosemary Nitzuke Maguro Steak Gozen ($25.90), featuring tuna steak & vegetables with rosemary sweet sauce, pork skewer with long bean & quail egg, chicken meatball, noodles with Quorn® meat-free ball & poached egg, green salad, chawanmushi, miso soup and kanten fruit jelly.
Milksha
Velocity@Novena Square #02-51/52
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Taiwanese Unique Milk Beverages Brand with NEW Cocoa Ice Blended Series
As the leading bubble tea brand in Taiwan, Milksha offers unique beverages using 100% natural milk and natural ingredients.
If you are not sure what to choose, some of their best-selling items include Earl Grey Tea Latte, Fresh Taro Milk, Valrhona 100% Cocoa Milk, Refreshing Orange Green Tea and Brown Sugar Milk.
During this festive period, chocolate-lovers can delve into the world of chocolate with Milksha’s newly introduced Milksha’s Cocoa Ice Blended ($4.80) and Cocoa Ice Blended with Sesame Pudding ($5.20).
Both are blended with 100% Valrhona cocoa powder and fresh milk, then topped with cocoa nibs for that crunch as you take that sip. The sesame pudding which is made fresh daily in stores, lends a wobbly finish to the rich beverage.
Promotion:
Get any 2 cups from the Christmas series for $8.80 and any 3 cups for $12. (Series includes Valrhona 100% Cocoa Milk, Cocoa Ice Blended and Cocoa Ice Blended with Sesame Pudding.)
The Season of Gifting (from now till 27 Dec 2020)
Redeem exclusively designed Gift Wrappers and Spin & Win chance(s) with $60* spent ($50* for U-POPP members). Earn up to 3 spins when you purchase at selected outlets.
^Maximum 3 spins per redemption per day.
Redeem a Cheese Cutlery Set with $180* spent ($150* for U-POPP members).
*Max. 3 same-day combined receipts. Terms & conditions apply. While stocks last.
Visit www.velocitynovena.com for more details and other promotions.
* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Velocity@Novena Square.