Singapore hotels, restaurants
Dec 2nd, 2006, 04:57 AM
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Singapore hotels, restaurants
We're going to do a short stop over in Sing and after doing some research, seems the Sing Air stopover hotel prices are actually quite good. For those of you who've been, would you chose the Oriental, Ritz or Raffles Plaza? I don't think we need to be near lux shopping on Orchard Road (did a biz layover at the 4S 6 years ago and don't remember thinking it was all that special for the cost).
Any favorite dining out spots? I remember a post of places people didn't like but can't seem to find it.
Any favorite dining out spots? I remember a post of places people didn't like but can't seem to find it.
Dec 2nd, 2006, 05:17 AM
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For dining choices, here's an article in the Business Times:
Business Times - 12 Sep 2006
SINGAPORE 2006: TIME OUT
Eat and be merry
DAVEN WU presents a Singapore food guide for the indecisive gourmand
IT IS impossible to go hungry in Singapore. The city is an astonishing melting pot that blends the regional flavours of China, the chilli heat of the Indian sub-continent and the pungent herbs and spices of South-East Asian gardens with the robustness and flair of European kitchens.
And thanks to a returning diaspora and large expatriate population from London, Paris, Sydney, New York, the city's dining scene has been infused with an additional layer of sexy, cosmopolitan dining rooms that include everything from contemporary Indian delicacies and Korean stews to sassy South American barbecues and everything in between.
For most first-timers to Singapore, the dining experience will probably begin along the Orchard Road belt, particularly in the ritzy hotels and marbled shopping emporia.
But the best foods in Singapore - home grown or happily assimilated into the cooking pot - are to be found further afield in quarters such as Katong (known for its Peranakan classics), Serangoon Gardens (hawker fare), the East Coast (seafood and pepper crabs) and Little India (rust red curries and creamy dhals).
However, if the noisy, bustling coffeeshops and open air hawker centres that cram street corners and little side lanes prove to be a little overwhelming initially, there are more salubrious settings - most notably in hotels, bars and restaurants along Rochester Park, Club Street, Orchard Road, Purvis and Seah Streets - where foie gras, endless rounds of chilled G&Ts and starched table linen are the order of the day.
Business Times - 12 Sep 2006
SINGAPORE 2006: TIME OUT
Eat and be merry
DAVEN WU presents a Singapore food guide for the indecisive gourmand
IT IS impossible to go hungry in Singapore. The city is an astonishing melting pot that blends the regional flavours of China, the chilli heat of the Indian sub-continent and the pungent herbs and spices of South-East Asian gardens with the robustness and flair of European kitchens.
And thanks to a returning diaspora and large expatriate population from London, Paris, Sydney, New York, the city's dining scene has been infused with an additional layer of sexy, cosmopolitan dining rooms that include everything from contemporary Indian delicacies and Korean stews to sassy South American barbecues and everything in between.
For most first-timers to Singapore, the dining experience will probably begin along the Orchard Road belt, particularly in the ritzy hotels and marbled shopping emporia.
But the best foods in Singapore - home grown or happily assimilated into the cooking pot - are to be found further afield in quarters such as Katong (known for its Peranakan classics), Serangoon Gardens (hawker fare), the East Coast (seafood and pepper crabs) and Little India (rust red curries and creamy dhals).
However, if the noisy, bustling coffeeshops and open air hawker centres that cram street corners and little side lanes prove to be a little overwhelming initially, there are more salubrious settings - most notably in hotels, bars and restaurants along Rochester Park, Club Street, Orchard Road, Purvis and Seah Streets - where foie gras, endless rounds of chilled G&Ts and starched table linen are the order of the day.
Dec 2nd, 2006, 05:18 AM
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Here, we sample some of the best that Singapore has to offer in this category.
There are some very good Cantonese restaurants in town. The newest kid on the block is the Majestic (Level 1, New Majestic Hotel, 31 Bukit Pasoh Road. T: 6511 4718) where the austere (if a little noisy) dining room draws a crowd of ladies who lunch and society big wigs with a menu of fat, flash-fried prawns dipped in wasabi sauce and lobsters baked in Carnation milk. Chef Chan Chen Hei's crispy skinned chicken at his eponymous digs - a cavernous space stuffed with antiques and bric-a-brac (Chef Chan's Cantonese Cuisine, Odeon Towers, #01-02/08. T: 6250 3363) - still wins rave reviews, while the newly renovated Cherry Garden (The Oriental Hotel, 5 Raffles Avenue. T: 6885 3538) charms with an unbeatable combination of quiet service, fragrant double boiled soups and roast meats.
A few streets away from the Majestic is Ember (Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Road. T: 6347 1928) where the talented Sebastian Ng serves up a thoroughly eclectic modern European menu including pan-seared scallops with Parma and orange and tarragon vinaigrette; and a mean seabass with smoked bacon ragout and truffle-yuzu butter sauce.
More classical is Le Restaurant (3B River Valley Road, #01-01 Clarke Quay. T: 6336 1800), an unexpected find upstairs from the nude and shimmy show from Paris, Crazy Horse. Here the vibe is thoroughly French (though the menu is Continental) where plush seats and banquettes are coupled with a knowledgeable sommelier and must-try homemade pastas (especially the nutmeg scented gnocchi). Around the corner is the perennially fabulous Coriander Leaf (3A River Valley Road, #02-12 Clarke Quay. T: 6732 3354). Here, the pan-Asian menu skates across a wonderland of cuisines, from Iranian classics and Vietnamese ricepaper rolls to melt in the mouth garlic naans and saffron scented snapper.
After a six-year absence, Anderson Ho has burst back onto the scene with his new Le Papillon (28 Maxwell Road, #01-02 Reddot Traffic Building. T: 6427 4177). His modern European menu includes little blocks of chilled watermelon topped with dollops of creamy Meredith goat cheese, pesto and pinenuts, and a divine pan-fried filo parcel of braised oxtail and sauteed mushrooms. Equally good is Saint Pierre (#01-01 Central Mall, 3 Magazine Road. T: 6438 0887) which boasts an Asian-influenced French menu, a bewildering spread of foie gras and the closest thing that Singapore has to a celebrity chef in Belgian Emmanuel Stroobant.
Increasingly, restaurateurs are opening in lovely bucolic settings, framed by tropical trees and century-old buildings. At Poppi (Level 2, The Legends Fort Canning Park, 11 Canning Walk. T: 6339 8977), Australian chef Christopher Millar's Sunday brunch features dim-sum sized portions of scrambled eggs topped with Sevruga, shellfish bisque and little cones of newspaper filled with tiny tiles of fish and chips. Another Aussie, Steven Hansen, has created a little slice of Europe with his restaurant Broth (21 Duxton Hill. T: 6323 3353) in a quiet street lined with tall leafy trees and turn-of-the-century shop houses. A few blocks away, My Dining Room (81 Club Street. T: 6327 4990) is quietly triumphant with an understated modern European menu of homemade gravlax, lobster lasagne and an intriguing baked smoked duck.
There are some very good Cantonese restaurants in town. The newest kid on the block is the Majestic (Level 1, New Majestic Hotel, 31 Bukit Pasoh Road. T: 6511 4718) where the austere (if a little noisy) dining room draws a crowd of ladies who lunch and society big wigs with a menu of fat, flash-fried prawns dipped in wasabi sauce and lobsters baked in Carnation milk. Chef Chan Chen Hei's crispy skinned chicken at his eponymous digs - a cavernous space stuffed with antiques and bric-a-brac (Chef Chan's Cantonese Cuisine, Odeon Towers, #01-02/08. T: 6250 3363) - still wins rave reviews, while the newly renovated Cherry Garden (The Oriental Hotel, 5 Raffles Avenue. T: 6885 3538) charms with an unbeatable combination of quiet service, fragrant double boiled soups and roast meats.
A few streets away from the Majestic is Ember (Hotel 1929, 50 Keong Saik Road. T: 6347 1928) where the talented Sebastian Ng serves up a thoroughly eclectic modern European menu including pan-seared scallops with Parma and orange and tarragon vinaigrette; and a mean seabass with smoked bacon ragout and truffle-yuzu butter sauce.
More classical is Le Restaurant (3B River Valley Road, #01-01 Clarke Quay. T: 6336 1800), an unexpected find upstairs from the nude and shimmy show from Paris, Crazy Horse. Here the vibe is thoroughly French (though the menu is Continental) where plush seats and banquettes are coupled with a knowledgeable sommelier and must-try homemade pastas (especially the nutmeg scented gnocchi). Around the corner is the perennially fabulous Coriander Leaf (3A River Valley Road, #02-12 Clarke Quay. T: 6732 3354). Here, the pan-Asian menu skates across a wonderland of cuisines, from Iranian classics and Vietnamese ricepaper rolls to melt in the mouth garlic naans and saffron scented snapper.
After a six-year absence, Anderson Ho has burst back onto the scene with his new Le Papillon (28 Maxwell Road, #01-02 Reddot Traffic Building. T: 6427 4177). His modern European menu includes little blocks of chilled watermelon topped with dollops of creamy Meredith goat cheese, pesto and pinenuts, and a divine pan-fried filo parcel of braised oxtail and sauteed mushrooms. Equally good is Saint Pierre (#01-01 Central Mall, 3 Magazine Road. T: 6438 0887) which boasts an Asian-influenced French menu, a bewildering spread of foie gras and the closest thing that Singapore has to a celebrity chef in Belgian Emmanuel Stroobant.
Increasingly, restaurateurs are opening in lovely bucolic settings, framed by tropical trees and century-old buildings. At Poppi (Level 2, The Legends Fort Canning Park, 11 Canning Walk. T: 6339 8977), Australian chef Christopher Millar's Sunday brunch features dim-sum sized portions of scrambled eggs topped with Sevruga, shellfish bisque and little cones of newspaper filled with tiny tiles of fish and chips. Another Aussie, Steven Hansen, has created a little slice of Europe with his restaurant Broth (21 Duxton Hill. T: 6323 3353) in a quiet street lined with tall leafy trees and turn-of-the-century shop houses. A few blocks away, My Dining Room (81 Club Street. T: 6327 4990) is quietly triumphant with an understated modern European menu of homemade gravlax, lobster lasagne and an intriguing baked smoked duck.
Dec 2nd, 2006, 05:18 AM
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Kissed by water, a view of Marina Bay and washed by sea-breeze, Pierside (One Fullerton, #01-01, 1 Fullerton Road. T: 6438 0400) is a breath of Sydney chic, thanks to its sleek, blond interiors. House favourites include oven roasted miso cod and a glistening teriyaki-glazed pork rack.
Iggy's (Third floor, The Regent Hotel, 1 Cuscaden Road. T: 6732 2234) continues to rack up accolades for its bold, counter-dining, set-menu-only experience. The menus change, but past triumphs have included a char-grilled seabass nuzzling truffle gnocchi and rosemary oil, an imaginative pina colada souffle, and a champagne jelly and sorbet with elderberry foam and lemon zest.
But if there's power in being beautiful, then PS Cafe (28B Harding Road. T: 6479 3343) has all the bases covered with a sexy clientele, views of lush tropical foliage through double-volumed windows and a perky cafe menu of English roast beef with tarragon sour cream and an understated beef ragout studded with mushrooms and tiny spatzle dumplings. Bookings are essential.
For a taste of contemporary India but without the frou-frou, book a table at Song of India (33 Scotts Road. T: 6836 0055) set in a beautifully restored black and white bungalow and Keralan-inspired gardens. Here, chef Milind Sovani turns out a nuanced spread of pan-Indian cuisines with a slight bias towards his native north. A highlight is the Lucknowi classic gilawat kebab in which lamb pate is blended with cardamom, ground rose petals and raw papaya and then pan-seared to achieve a state that approximates foie gras.
Unexpectedly, Italian restaurants abound in Singapore. The Da Paolo group makes the mark with consistently thoughtful interpretations of traditional favourites in slickly designed interiors: Il Giardino (501 Bukit Timah Road, Cluny Court. T: 6463 9628) and the newly opened Da Paolo Bistro Bar (3 Rochester Park. T: 6774 5537) lead the pack with a nice spread of home-made pasta, simply done seafood and antipasti.
Deep in the suburbs is Valentino's (11 Jalan Bingka. T: 6462 0555), a family-run trattoria where squid ink pasta, golden carbonara and vitello tonnato (paper thin slices of pork loin braised in a stock of white wine, garlic and bay leaves) are served up with brio. La Strada (1 Scotts Road, #02-10 Shaw Centre. T: 6737 2622) hits all the right notes with flawless service and a menu by Aussie chef Leandro Panza - including a crumbed pork cutlet paired with a fruit compote and macerated, pickled pork belly - that has all the trappings of a classic in the making.
The island of Sentosa too is worth the trek if, for no other reason than its view of the sunset over the tropical tree line from the balcony of Il Lido (Sentosa Golf Club, 27 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa. T: 6866 1977). Beneath a Marc Wanders chandelier, dine on Michele Pavanello's homemade pasta with creamy sea urchin, and a superb tiramisu. Down the road, The Cliff (Sentosa Resort and Spa, 2 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa. T: 6371 1425) continues to lure the beau monde with its restrained Yashuiro Koichi interiors, views of the South China Sea and cardamom-flecked Maine scallops.
No trip to Singapore is complete without a sampling of Nonya dishes, a glorious fusion of South-East Asian herbs and spices and Chinese flavours. The Katong quarter, especially along the East Coast Road stretch, is ground zero for the best Nonya in town with entire streets lined with restaurants and al-fresco eateries that are always packed. True Blue (117 East Coast Road, T: 6440 0449) may be small but its setting - a two-storey shophouse in a neo-colonial French style - is a warm entree into a world of fried spring rolls scented with five spices, dense chicken stews studded with tropical nuts and deliciously tart salads of baby pink prawns and banana flowers.
For a convenient smorgasbord of Asian favourites - think dim sum, curry noodles, Hainanese chicken rice, grilled satay, Indian curries and nonya desserts - The Line (Shangri-la Hotel, 22 Orange Grove Road, T: 6213 4275) and Straits Kitchen (Ground floor, Grand Hyatt, 10 Scotts Road, T: 6416 7114) fit the bill. Designed respectively by New York-based Adam Tihany and Super Potato, each venue boasts a dizzying spread of a la minute home-grown favourites. Quite perfect for the indecisive gourmand.
Iggy's (Third floor, The Regent Hotel, 1 Cuscaden Road. T: 6732 2234) continues to rack up accolades for its bold, counter-dining, set-menu-only experience. The menus change, but past triumphs have included a char-grilled seabass nuzzling truffle gnocchi and rosemary oil, an imaginative pina colada souffle, and a champagne jelly and sorbet with elderberry foam and lemon zest.
But if there's power in being beautiful, then PS Cafe (28B Harding Road. T: 6479 3343) has all the bases covered with a sexy clientele, views of lush tropical foliage through double-volumed windows and a perky cafe menu of English roast beef with tarragon sour cream and an understated beef ragout studded with mushrooms and tiny spatzle dumplings. Bookings are essential.
For a taste of contemporary India but without the frou-frou, book a table at Song of India (33 Scotts Road. T: 6836 0055) set in a beautifully restored black and white bungalow and Keralan-inspired gardens. Here, chef Milind Sovani turns out a nuanced spread of pan-Indian cuisines with a slight bias towards his native north. A highlight is the Lucknowi classic gilawat kebab in which lamb pate is blended with cardamom, ground rose petals and raw papaya and then pan-seared to achieve a state that approximates foie gras.
Unexpectedly, Italian restaurants abound in Singapore. The Da Paolo group makes the mark with consistently thoughtful interpretations of traditional favourites in slickly designed interiors: Il Giardino (501 Bukit Timah Road, Cluny Court. T: 6463 9628) and the newly opened Da Paolo Bistro Bar (3 Rochester Park. T: 6774 5537) lead the pack with a nice spread of home-made pasta, simply done seafood and antipasti.
Deep in the suburbs is Valentino's (11 Jalan Bingka. T: 6462 0555), a family-run trattoria where squid ink pasta, golden carbonara and vitello tonnato (paper thin slices of pork loin braised in a stock of white wine, garlic and bay leaves) are served up with brio. La Strada (1 Scotts Road, #02-10 Shaw Centre. T: 6737 2622) hits all the right notes with flawless service and a menu by Aussie chef Leandro Panza - including a crumbed pork cutlet paired with a fruit compote and macerated, pickled pork belly - that has all the trappings of a classic in the making.
The island of Sentosa too is worth the trek if, for no other reason than its view of the sunset over the tropical tree line from the balcony of Il Lido (Sentosa Golf Club, 27 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa. T: 6866 1977). Beneath a Marc Wanders chandelier, dine on Michele Pavanello's homemade pasta with creamy sea urchin, and a superb tiramisu. Down the road, The Cliff (Sentosa Resort and Spa, 2 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa. T: 6371 1425) continues to lure the beau monde with its restrained Yashuiro Koichi interiors, views of the South China Sea and cardamom-flecked Maine scallops.
No trip to Singapore is complete without a sampling of Nonya dishes, a glorious fusion of South-East Asian herbs and spices and Chinese flavours. The Katong quarter, especially along the East Coast Road stretch, is ground zero for the best Nonya in town with entire streets lined with restaurants and al-fresco eateries that are always packed. True Blue (117 East Coast Road, T: 6440 0449) may be small but its setting - a two-storey shophouse in a neo-colonial French style - is a warm entree into a world of fried spring rolls scented with five spices, dense chicken stews studded with tropical nuts and deliciously tart salads of baby pink prawns and banana flowers.
For a convenient smorgasbord of Asian favourites - think dim sum, curry noodles, Hainanese chicken rice, grilled satay, Indian curries and nonya desserts - The Line (Shangri-la Hotel, 22 Orange Grove Road, T: 6213 4275) and Straits Kitchen (Ground floor, Grand Hyatt, 10 Scotts Road, T: 6416 7114) fit the bill. Designed respectively by New York-based Adam Tihany and Super Potato, each venue boasts a dizzying spread of a la minute home-grown favourites. Quite perfect for the indecisive gourmand.
Dec 2nd, 2006, 07:36 AM
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If it were me, from those hotels, I'd choose Raffles The Plaza. It's an ideal location, above a nice shopping center and an MRT station. I always use the MRT to get around in Singapore.
A couple of my favorite restaurants: Doc Cheng's located in Raffles Hotel for pan-Asian food; for French food, Les Ami au Jardin, located in the botanical gardens. There are an assortment of interesting restaurants in Cjimes, also right in the Raffles City/Raffles Hotel area. Ther is an Indian palce whose name I have forgotten in the Raffles City complex that was excellent.
A couple of my favorite restaurants: Doc Cheng's located in Raffles Hotel for pan-Asian food; for French food, Les Ami au Jardin, located in the botanical gardens. There are an assortment of interesting restaurants in Cjimes, also right in the Raffles City/Raffles Hotel area. Ther is an Indian palce whose name I have forgotten in the Raffles City complex that was excellent.
Dec 2nd, 2006, 12:42 PM
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We could not get into Iggy's earlier this week despite staying at the Regent. It is a small restaurant and if you wish to go I would make reservations well in advance. I did like the Song of India. Interesting take on Indian food and quite tasty. It is abit expensive but the $28 lunch fixed price menu is an excellent meal.
Dec 2nd, 2006, 04:17 PM
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jenskar, I just bumped and added to my thread on my Singapore restaurant odyssey. The problem is that there are just too many good choices!
I've been staying at the Four Seasons for years so it just seems like home to me.
Have fun and let us know what you like.
tkic2, Thanks for posting that review. More ideas for next time!
I've been staying at the Four Seasons for years so it just seems like home to me.
Have fun and let us know what you like.
tkic2, Thanks for posting that review. More ideas for next time!
Dec 2nd, 2006, 05:02 PM
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Thank you all so much -- seems like a foodie paradise. Too bad we'll only have a few meals to eat. I am pasting all this to notes and will go read marmot's thread next. Thanks tkic for the reviews and mjs for the reservation tip.
Kathie, I was leaning towards Raffles/Plaza so nice to hear you liked it. We're going to see what the friends/fam rate is for the 4S and then decide.
Kathie, I was leaning towards Raffles/Plaza so nice to hear you liked it. We're going to see what the friends/fam rate is for the 4S and then decide.
