{Media Invite + Giveaway} Family Saturday @ FIV五 Square

Over the last weekend, Audrey’s family and mine had an enjoyable time spending a Family Saturday @ FIV五 Square, the latest flagship outlet under the FIVE Bar Group.  Fronting the familiar corner of Great Eastern Centre located along Pickering Street, FIV五 Square opened in June 2015 after a mammoth operation of transforming the iconic restaurant into what it is right now.

I fondly remember those days when my colleagues and I would walk across from our office at NTUC Building over to Hans for a nicer lunch when project deadlines were not up to our necks.  Now, the same prodigious 13,000 square feet of F&B space right in the heart of CBD, previously Hans, has been converted into a 300-seater self-service gourmet food hall and bar called FIV五 Square.

Catering to busy executives and families around the area for lunch and dinner, The Bazaar also feeds the merry-makers drinking at the adjacent The Bar, The Wine Cellar or The Recess, a whisky room serving premium and some rare selection of whisky.  Centrally located within FIV五 Square with a upmarket bistro-style décor, The Bazaar offers a wide range of gourmet cuisine from five highly reputable restaurants serving quality local noodles, Japanese decadence, hearty Korean Bulgogi, healthy Salads & Grills and last but not least, sexy Spanish Tapas.

The Bazaar

The Bazaar is also the first to roll out a fully-automated self-service ordering and payment kiosk which is integrated with a SMS system which sends you a message once your food is ready for collection.  This is perfect during mad lunch hour on weekdays where you can look for a seat while your order is being prepared.  Don’t forget your trademark packet of tissue when you leave to collect your order though!  Smart ordering system with payment mode via cash, Nets or even credit card conveniently located just at the front of each food stall also helps to cut down waiting time and labour costs which made the quality of food being served truly value for money.  Think restaurant quality at cafe prices.

Cinqo Tapas

Cinqo Tapas is a spin-off from the popular Five Tapas Bar at Cuppage Terrace that recently completed their refurbishment works.  At Cinqo, expect to sample local inspired tapas with some other selection of the hot-selling items such as the garlic cockles ($6), bacon mushrooms ($6) and whole pork knuckle ($28).  For lunch, Cinqo serves up two different Paellas (from $9.50) cooked fresh daily – the traditional seafood staple is available daily whilst the Paella of the day varies.  These special Paellas include several Asian-inspired flavours such as the Claypot Rice Paella, Hainanese Chicken Rice Paella and Thai Pineapple Rice Paella which fuses local flavours with European ingredients and cooking styles; a definite must-try!

We tried the Pineapple Rice with Chicken Floss which was both appetising yet has a deep fragrance to the rice.  The addition of chicken floss topping was a hit with the kids who asked for more.  The large prawns were very fresh as well and I miss my “personal prawn peeler” as he had to attend class and could not join us.

Cinqo Tapas not only offers tapas and paellas.  Check out their range of hand-tossed thin-crust pizza although the kids’ favourite – Hawaiian Pizza seems to be missing.  We were told that the crew are working on curating a special kids’ menu in order to cater to their dietary needs (as if all the play and entertainment is not enough!  Haha!!)

The Seafood Pizza In Chilli Crab Sauce though not oven-fired, does pack a generous serving of seafood selections at affordable price.

Omnivore by The Soup Spoon

A healthy concept from the folks behind The Soup Spoon – Omnivore offers hearty salads for the Herbivores ($6.80), perfectly grilled meat platters for the Carnivores ($16.80) and a combination of both for the Omnivores ($12.80). There are numerous combinations of sausages, pork cutlets, chicken breast, steaks, sauces and salad dressings to choose from to create your own perfect plate of healthy goodness or go for the Carnivore sample platter ($24.80) to try everything!

Omnivore Chicken Thigh with Herbibowl Half Salad first won our hearts with the plating.  The chicken thigh is awesomely tender and juicy with every bite.  Served with a generous portion of greens, it certainly is a great value-for-money. This dish definitely won good credits from Audrey too!

Omnivore Chicken Thigh with Herbibowl Half Salad (served with Ponzo Miso Butter Sauce)

Right now, the dish is on promotion at all-day price of $8.80 nett (U.P. $12.80).  So we would SAys!, go for it soon for a yummilicious and filling meal.

For a larger group, the Carnivore Sample Platter will go very well with the icy-cold beer on tap (tell you more about the icy-cold beer later!!).  Young executives who can afford the luxury of a chillax session after a long day of work can expect to share succulent sample cuts of Grilled Pork Cutlet, 100% NZ Grass Fed Flank Steak, Bratwurst Sausage, Chicken Thigh & Chicken Breast + Housemade Sauce.  Here, the steak is well-cooked which was a little tough for me.  However, the chicken thigh meat is again, succulent and well-received when paired with the Ponzo Miso Butter Sauce that came with our platter.  Don’t miss out the sausage too!

Gogibox

Gogibox, the first quick-serve Korean food concept in Singapore, serves a tasty, wholesome Korean meal.  Bulgogi—literally meaning “fire meat”— will make any anyone fall in love with Korean meats.  There are about 7-8 kinds of daily freshly grilled bulgogi to choose from.  Gogibox also offers 3 kinds of Korean fried rices: kimchi, prawn and bulgogi marinade.

Gogi Plate

Gogibox’s signature, Gogi Plate ($8.50) comes with 1 choice of Korean fried rice, 1 choice of bulgogi, fried egg and a side of salad.  You can add more meats for $1.80 each meat.

Gogitaco

If you are opting for lighter bite, try their Gogi Taco ($6.80), the Korean’s interpretation of the Mexican taco, or Gogi Dog ($6.80), a combination of American hot dog with bulgogi.  Snacks like fried dumplings and chicken pops drizzled with choice of Korean sauce is also available for the mid afternoon break.

Gogidog

Gogibox’s full menu can be found here.

Teppei Syokudo

This bowl of Kaisendon ($16.00) looked SO FRESH! and SO INVITING! that I literally finished ALL THE SASHIMI to myself during the food tasting session.  Audrey’s hubby was also busy picking up the pieces of fatty salmon and tuna cubes for us since the sauce-marinated thick & chunky sashimi cubes struck our chords.  Haha!  There were also a handful of coin-sized scallops that’s certainly cannot be missed too.

As I am googling for more information, I just realized that THIS TEPPEI SYOKUDO AT FIV五 SQUARE BELONGS TO THE TEPPEI RESTAURANT that I have been watching on Facebook ever since I saw my friend remarking about how difficult it was to try and get a slot to dine in at it’s Tanjong Pagar outlet that only serves 22 seats.  My friend lamented that he waited for months and still was not able to get a slot until his friend could not make it at the last minute and gave it to him.  Goodness!

Previously I was just curious and watched with amusement over the announcements made on Teppei’s Facebook Page as I did not dare to eat sashimi until recently my first slice of salmon belly when we were at Triple Three, Mandarin Orchard Hotel.  I did not venture further until 2 months later when Triple Three invited us for media tasting.  It was the really awesome Maguro and Kampachi from Tsukiji Thursday Seafood Market (Triple Three’s Daily Delights) that really drew me to love sashimi and I actually have a recurring craving to keep asking for more ever since.  Now, I stalk the highly raved Teppei Restaurant’s Facebook for an Omakase feast.  >.<

In short, the hottest favourites from Teppei Restaurant is now available at FIV五 Square and is known as Teppei Syokudo.  This is a must-try (!) stall when you are at FIV五 Square.  Don’t say I never highlight this!

How should I begin to describe the taste and texture of the popular Katsu Don ($15.80)?  The crust is not oily and the meat is full of savoury flavour.  Simply said, I loved it and I know my hubby would as well.  I shall leave it for you to find out.

Here’s one more photo – to make your keyboard flood.  Just look at the heap of fish being served.  Now I know.  Now. I. Know!!

Grub Noodle Bar

I have long heard of GRUB Noodle Bar‘s Seriously Good Beef Noodles at it’s ex-location along Rangoon Road but never gotten around to visiting the area at all because of the inaccessibility.  I was actually secretly excited seeing the famous noodle bar at FIV五 Square and looked forward to try the MSG-free beef broth made by slow-cooking beef bones and vegetables.  Indeed, the soup is deeply-flavoured and full of natural flavour!  It resembles what my hubby’s granny made for me 9-10 years ago when I was preggy with Jiejie and our loving Ah Ma was still pretty active in the kitchen.

We had the Dry Noodles with Beef Brisket ($10.90) that was served with 100g of the best quality beef ranging from either pasture-fed brisket to the premium cut sirloin ($11.90 – soup / $13.90 – dry).  The oh-so-good beef balls…………made with 100% beef chuck serves a good firm texture that stood out the moment I took a bite.  Combined with fresh preservative-free egg noodles with a QQ texture, and an accompanying special chinchalok chili sauce, I am 101% sure my hubby would not mind to bring me for a return visit because he is one big beef noodle lover!  I told myself to return soon too because by the time I gotten down to trying the noodles, it had already became cold because I needed to serve both the kids first before I could help myself.  😦

If you don’t eat beef, GRUB’s Pork Noodles ($7.90-$12.90) which comes with a bowl of fresh egg noodles, pork mince, 100% pork meatballs and a hearty miso pork broth would be a great choice, especially for kids who may not like the strong beef flavour.  Choose from regular pork collar or upgrade to the premium Kurobuta pork collar for a treat.

Aside from Beef and Pork Noodles, GRUB Noodle Bar also serves a variety of flavoured french fries and snacks which we did not manage to try as we were all too full for the day.  Certainly, it will be on our order list the next time we visit, which I foresee will not be too far in the future.  I heard the Mentaiko Fries is their best seller!

Get a Kang Kong Salad tossed with Nonya Achar & House Dressing FOR FREE(!) when you spend $9.90 at Grub Noodle Bar (FIV五 Square).

Source

Drink Stall

The drink stall offers a large selection of hot and cold beverages and snacks where one can expect to find at our neighbourhood coffeeshop/foodcourt.  I saw some nicely chilled bottles of cold pressed organic juices from Hic Juice on display and wondered why I did not explore properly before settling for Iced Milo.

From now til 30 Nov ’15, keep your food stall receipts for 50% off drinks!  Enquire about the T&Cs at the Drink Stall 🙂

Family Saturday @ FIV五 Square

Weekdays at FIV五 Square can be a crazy crowd.  For the family and for those not working/staying near Raffles Place, it would be a very good idea to visit on Saturday.  Between the hours of 12 noon to 7pm on every Saturdays, FIV五 Square transforms into Wonderland!  With a totally different crowd compared to weekdays, Saturday dining is casual at a relaxing pace with loads of fun and activities to engage with everyone in the family.

From a ball pool with a slide to the kiddy space at the Toddlers Corner for 4 years & below, the spacious area caters to busy toddlers who seeks some fun so that parents can take a break from child-minding and actually can enjoy their meal with a peace of mind.

Toddlers Corner (for 4 and below)

Having the ball pool all to himself after the toddlers have all left. ❤

The more mobile future F1 drivers would be keen in the lane-free lobby at Great Eastern Centre or outdoor walk way for a fast & furious race with each other.  See who’s battery runs flat first!  ^.^

Did you see the Bouncy Castle in the background?  We were early and our kids had the entire castle to themselves for a good while before others joined in.  It’s a mad house in there with uncontrolled period of play.  I was worried that they went bouncing straight after their lunch but apparently my concerns were unfounded.  “Just relax aside and chill, Mum!”  -.-

As if having entertainment is not enough for the kids, FIV五 Square made sure to provide FREE candy floss for them as well!  If you look at the picture carefully, it’s not simply any kind of sugared candy floss.  They use FOX’s hard candy and are well familiar with the mixing of flavours which they cleverly used to pique the children’s curiosity as they patiently wait for their treat to be ready.  Every child awaits in anticipation of the nicest-tasting sugar treat from Uncle Mok in the photo below. ❤

Have I already mentioned that all kids’ play are FREE?!  Now CHEER for an afternoon of we-time with your hubby while the kids get to play to their hearts’ content too!

Artisan Market

While the children were playing and the men having their chat, we scouted around at the different stalls selling a myraid of handmade items ranging from cards to accesssories, from terrarium to handmade soap and personalised leather bags.  The entire area at The Bazaar and The Bar was abuzz with activities from the trade happening at the Saturday-only Artisan Market that coincides with Family Saturday to cater to the niche market of quality handmade items.

The Artisan Market provides a platform connecting creative individuals to artistry lovers – a marketplace where people buy and sell an eclectic mix of handicrafts and interesting products.

The Bar

The Bar is the raison d’être for FIVE – synonymous with the renowned $5 food and drink specials offered all-day-every-day.

FIVE has come a long way from the humble first outlet at Collyer Quay.  The Bar delivers the FIVE tradition of offering all day happy hour and a great environment for merry-making that doesn’t break the bank.

Beer on tap from chilled beer kegs served at 4-6 deg Celsius is a common practice at most bars.  However at FIV五 Square, they made it a point to maintain their beer kegs at almost 0 deg Celsius with the supply kept in a dedicated freezer room instead of underneath the beer taps.

Inside the Cold Room.  I am amazed that the photo turned out well with sharp focus because I was totally shivering and nearly died inside the cold room.

I had even learnt to tap my own beer after a quick demo.  Cool, right?!  My ultra fresh and fruity 1664 Blanc French wheat beer straight from the tap at almost 0 deg Celsius embodies the aroma of citrus, lemon and coriander spices which will appeal to a light drinker like me.  I hardly drink in the past decade but I just had to finish my own half pint of beer that day because……erm, no food wastage, RIGHT?!

Sports screenings on large televisions and ‘Live’ local bands performances every night promises to entertain whether you are flying solo or in a large group, in a space that can accommodate up to 300 merry-makers comfortably.

The Wine Cellar

The Wine Cellar is located at the away from the hustle and bustle of the Bar, in a charming little corner overlooking the busy cross junction into the CBD.  It is the perfect spot to watch the world go by while sipping on some wine at any time of day.  The Wine Cellar lists over a hundred labels of quality wines which are available for a tête-à-tête between friends or for takeaway as gifts or for parties.

The Recess

The Recess is a premium whisky bar that brings the ultra-secretive speakeasy experience to the masses.  The name is a play on words literally meaning going into a hole in the wall, to take a break from (work) proceedings.  The Recess features a wide selection of premium and rare whiskies in an elegant setting without the exorbitant prices.  Best of all, you don’t need a password to get in to this charming 50-seater space, you will have to find the door though!  During weekday, we were told that FIV五 Square lunch crowd actually spilled into The Recess as part of dining area too.

Check out the aged 21-year old Hibiki from Japan that won the World’s Best Blended Whisky award at the 2014 World Whiskies Awards.

It is no secret that whisky has attracted the Liquor Connoisseur and very much appeals to a growing population of the younger generation as well.  Previously dominated by Scotland, the Japanese is taking over world dominance with their premium range.  Though no alcohol lover, this is my second chance getting acquainted with a whisky bar with the previous chance during my work for a local 6* hotel.  I would say that whisky-appreciation is a very different class of it’s own and there is a whole depth of knowledge to be acquired if one is to venture into it.

Accessibility & Car-Parking

Via Car : $3.30/entry, parking is a breeze on Saturdays with ample parking lots at Great Eastern Centre

Via MRT : Chinatown / Telok Ayer / Raffles Place

About FIV五 Square

1 Pickering Street, Great Eastern Centre, #01-03 Singapore 048659 (Map)

Web | Facebook | Tel : 8798 0245 | Email: square@fivebar.sg

Operation Hours: 10am – 12am on Mondays to Saturdays (Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays)

<<< GIVEAWAY FOOD VOUCHERS >>>

Thanks to FIV五 Square for the warm hospitality and sponsorship, we have 2 x $20 FIV五 Square vouchers to be given away to our readers!

To take part and qualify, please make sure all the following steps are completed:

1) {Compulsory} COMMENT on this blog post with your Facebook Name and your email address.  Answer this question : Which dish would you try at FIV五 square?

2) {Compulsory} LIKE SAys! Happy Mums and FIV五 Square on Facebook.

3) {Compulsory} LIKE and SHARE this Facebook post with the caption “(Tag 5 Friends) Check out Family Saturdays at FIVE Square!” on your wall.  Set your post to PUBLIC so that we are able to verify your entry.

Terms and Conditions:

• Giveaway ends 27 October 2015, Tuesday at 11.59PM.
• Winner(s) will be notified by the email provided under the blog comments and must reply within 48 hours, failing which, a new winner will be drawn, without notice.
• Prizes and redemption details will be released upon confirmation of winners’ details.
• This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.
• Incomplete entries will be disqualified without notice. Decisions are final and no changes/disputes will be entertained.
• All information is solely collected for the purpose of this giveaway and we will not send unsolicited emails to your inbox unless you have opted to subscribe to us (on the right!).
• This giveaway is in no manner associated with any social media accounts except our blog.

Best of luck and we hope you’ll have a Fun Family Saturday at FIV五 Square very soon!  From this review, you would easily have guessed that I’ll return for my Kaisendon and Seriously Good Beef Noodles soon.  ❤

Thank you for joining us on SAys! Happy Mums.  If you liked what you read on our blog, please follow us on Facebook for the latest updates.  We hope to see you back again soon.

~ SAys! Shirley 🙂

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[Updated 28 Oct ’15]

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations fellow foodies!  See you at FIV五 Square soon!  We will be in touch via email ASAP.

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