Habibi-san

For Mother’s Day the chosen location was Habibi-San for I knew our empress dowager, who loves tapas after our brief travel experience in Barcelona, would also love these Middle Eastern-Japanese fusion small and big plates concept.

The family easily declared that this was one of the best meals we’ve had in SG so far for 2021. Warranted that it has only been half a year but that stunning iberico main would be hard to contend against. One bite and I commented “I’ve haven’t had such good iberico pork in a very long time”.

Declaring the main show first shouldn’t discount the fun delicious array of small plates that you’d need rounds (emphasis on the plural) of pita for.

We shared the babagnosh, chickpea hummus, Mentaiko taramasalata, burrata and Brussels sprout. Each spectacular in its own right and something home-cooks can forget about recreating. Im specially mentioning the Brussels sprout as I had a benchmark version from Nassim Hill Bistro; when I thought this greens couldn’t be done any better Habibi-san’s version surprises with Japanese elements like kinnogomadre and bonito.

Concluding - a meal at Habibi-San felt paradoxically rustic yet grandiose; don’t let the casual setting fool you for the food here was real fine.

The Mister’s very own Middle-eastern Izakaya joint along Haji Lane, now delivering to your doorstep during this pandemic. Visually, now that I’ve laid them all out, his food seem to reflect the vibrant colours of the art murals along Haji Lane.
Everything was super yum and my favourites were the:
- Mentaiko Taramasalata Dip, XO, housemade labne, briny sweet tobiko, crispy shallots
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts, banging Kinnogomadare sauce, red cabbage pickles, jalapeños, bonito
- Burrata di puglia, ashtray tomatoes, yuzu, daikon salsa, basil oil
- Stockyard’s angus ribeye 300g, mechoui rubbed, garlic ponzu jus, fresh wombok slaw

$10 islandwide delivery
#FTrecommends

A nice change from the usual Greek meze made from cod roe, their Mentaiko Taramasalata ($13) had a pleasant tang from the housemade labne (Greek yogurt cheese) which worked surprisingly well with the blend of mentaiko and XO sauce - expect hints of spice and fishy-savoury goodness. Perfect with their toasty pita bread ($3/ per piece), the luscious dip also came embellished with tobiko, crispy shallot, and chives which really gave it that extra oomph. Much love for the warm pillowy dough, which was great on their own!

Oops, long overdue photos from my visit to Habibi-san but no worries as this Middle Eastern izakaya got us covered with curbside pickup and deliveries available - Habibi-san! on your couch. 

Topped with a good amount of billowing bonito flakes, their Roasted Brussel Sprouts ($16) were right up my alley with the sweet greens being properly charred yet remaining tender and moist. The smoky flavour of the exterior was exceptional and went superbly with the nutty kinnogomadare (Japanese sesame dressing), savoury katsuobushi, tangy red cabbage pickles, and jalapeño. Flavourful and well-balanced, the combination was certainly addictive.

restaurant tip: ask the restaurant what’s available out of the menu😎‼️and at @habibisansg they have this TRUFFLE BAKED BRIE 🧀✨ the baked part is super chewy and on the tough side - not your usual cheese texture! Then inside is like your cheese pull stick. Quite addictive with the truffle infusion and savory mushrooms🤤

An umami explosion!

The “kibbeh nayyeh” at Habibi-San is a play on the traditional Levantine mezze in which instead of raw spiced lamb, we have raw wagyu mixed with a tangy wasabi-yuzu vinaigrette. And in place of pita, we have a contrasting crunchy senbei cracker as the base.

All refreshing and hearty at the same time! It’s definitely a must-have!