A Course For A Cause

 

All dressed up and nowhere to go? No worries, for there’s plenty of good solid reasons to potter out and eat this week, with restaurants serving up meaningful meals for various causes!

FUND RAISING FOR THE FUKUSHIMA 50

The Tori-Tama Group of Restaurants – which run the delicious Japanese izakaya San-Sui Sumiyaki & Bar with its gorgeous al fresco views by Marina Bay Waterfront – is trying to raise $50,000 for the Fukushima Fifty, the heroic engineers who are risking their lives trying to get the nuclear plant damaged in the recent Japan tsunami under control. This is part of their Project Phoenix fund raiser which takes place across all their group restaurants.

 

On Saturday, 23 April, from 7pm – 10pm, the restaurant – which specialises in sake, shochu and grilled sumiyaki (little bites like tapas) – will hold a special Japanese buffet dinner with beer, sake and sochu priced at $113 per person, limited to 113 seats. All takings go to the Fukushima Fifty.

Lots of things are happening on Friday night (22 April) at its other restaurant, Sol Tasca, a tapas bar at The Fullerton Waterboat House. There’s Paella & Sangria Night from 7pm – 10pm that evening, where $60 gets you unlimited sangria, paella and selected tapas – a very good deal, if you ask me! All takings from the sale of Tiger Crystal beers for the day will be donated as well, and for a spot of novelty, Japanese artist Chiho Tamura from Saitama Prefecture will be around from 3pm for a ‘charity drawing session’. He’ll sketch your portrait in 5 minutes for a minimum donation of $10 per portrait.

Sol Tasca
3 Fullerton Road, #01-04, The Fullerton Waterboat House
Tel: 6533 8913

San-Sui Sumiyaki & Bar
One Fullerton, One Fullerton Road, #01-05,
Tel: 6423 1555

 

A REASON TO SMILE

Nothing beats seeing a happy kid smile, but lots of children who are born with cleft lips cannot, and suffer all manner of discimination or rejection. So the pastry chefs at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore and the Singapore Marriott Hotel are teaming up to churn out 10,000 Valrhona Chocolate Banana cakes for sale to raise funds for Operation Smile. This charity sends medical volunteers to countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Laos, China, etc to treat kids with facial deformities, and give them every reason to smile! To date, the charity has sent 33 missions to 9 countries and treated over 2500 kids. Do support this cause, and check out www.areasontosmile.com.sg to order your cakes. It costs $28  for the 500g cakes, and $33 if you want it delivered. Now that’s a great reason too, to eat cake!

 

 

 

 

EATING FOR EARTH DAY

Tsunamis and strange weather also gives cause to reflect on what we’re doing to Gaia, and Novus, the chic restaurant at the National Museum of Singapore, is trying to get diners doing that over its special Earth Day menu, available from now until 23 April.

 

Black winter truffle, Jerusalem artichoke, edible soil, micro vegetables,
Dough infused with molasses creates a tasty, dark edible soil which is paired with truffle.

 

Developed by the restaurant’s Executive Chef Stephan Zoisl, who had spent some time training at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck, the four-course Elements of Life menu is inspired by the four natural elements Earth, Water, Air and Fire, and diners can “expect a feast that triggers the senses as each course unfolds”. I was attracted by the gorgeous pictures of the food. Take a look. It’s priced at $128++…..But for all its worthy intentions, it would be perfect if part of the proceeds went to some cause too….like the Japan crisis?

Earth Day, celebrated on 22 April, is a global effort to raise awareness and inspire appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment. This year’s Earth Day theme, A Billion Acts of Green, recognises the power of millions of individual actions, both small and large, in making a difference towards sustainable living.

National Museum of
93 Stamford Road, #01-02
Tel: 6336 8770