thanks for the report. which end of boat quay is indochine located, and where is the red dot bldg?

Kuranosuke...Indochine is right...almost...next to the Asian Civilizations Museum...and on the same side... There's an MRT station very nearby...the Raffles one. The restaurant opens for dinner. I tried going there for lunch, but it was closed so I had a drink next door at Siem Riep...I think it's called...and which is part of the Indochine restaurant group. I eat regularly at the one on Club Street...at lunchtime... which I like a lot. The Club Street one is upstairs. Happy Travels!

Correction..."Reap". Happy Travels!

thanks guen. its on my list.

Marmot, delighted to hear you enjoyed your recent culinary adventures in Singapore.
The Chinese restaurant at the Four Seasons is one of my favorites too.....the new chef there does a killer Peking duck. After you have the crispy skin in the pancakes, they take the meat away and make it into duck rice.
Papillon sounds intriguing.....I will have to put it on my "must try" list.

Ken, Indochine is on the other side of the river from Boat Quay. If you walk across the bridge in front of the Fullerton Hotel and turn left it's right there, attached to the back of the Asian Civ Museum. The same people operate Forbidden City, which is on Clarke Quay. That's the one rumored to have big service problems.

lindsey, thanks for the info. i went to the acm last year, and never noticed the restaurant. there're not open for lunch, right?

i think i will also try the peking duck and see how it compares to china house. the best peking duck i've had is here in hnl, and i've even had it in beijing. looking forward to see how they prepare the duck with the rice. it is porridge style(congee), or is it like in fried rice?

kuranosuke, The whole address of Papillon is 28 Maxwell Road, #01-02 Reddot Traffic Building, telephone 6327 4177.

marmot, thanks for info on the papillon restaurant. if i find any good ones, i will post it here.

A great article on Singapore restaurants (NYTimes, registration required). You Fodorites were certainly on the money. I can't wait until my next trip.

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/10/0...el/01next.html

4 out of 8 of my recommendations made the NY Times list. Not to shabby!

Jumbo Seafood is a good choice for Singaporean chili crab and pepper crab. Wine is available. I also like The Marmalade Pantry at Palais Renaissance. Din Tai Fung is only half as good as the one in Taiwan IMO. Love reading the reviews!

Just back from another short visit to Singapore and some fine eating. Our first two choices didn't work out: Iggy's was booked (next time I need to anticipate) and we decided to put of Les Amis au Jardin until we could get there early in the evening.

We went back to Papillon. The food was really, really good. We tried both repeat and different selections and the consistency and artistry was as excellent as before. The wine list is also exceptional and not overpriced. They'd managed, if halfheartedly, to warm up the decor a bit -- some candles and holiday decoration.

The staff seemed worried though. Not enough business. Go to this restaurant now. despite the excellence of the food -- and a mention in a NYTimes article -- it just doesn't seem to be attracting a local clientele.

On the next night we wanted something less formal and not so MUCH food. The concierge recommended Sage. The decor was pleasant and the menu inventive but the food was decidedly second rate. Way too complicated and overly handled. The service was friendly but excessivly so -- I don't know that I've ever had a waiter squeeze my shoulder! I would give this one a thumbs down.

We also had two exceptionally good lunches at the Four Seasons Chinese restaurant. I adore Cantonese food and often get taken to wonderful local places by Singaporean colleagues, but I generally avoid Chinese restaurants when it's just the two of us. The other big groups always seem to be looking at us with sympathy -- Don't you have any friends or family? :)

Bumping up for Paris41.

Marmot,
Gave Sage a try for lunch the other day. A friend had recommended the $25 3 course set lunch. I liked the ambiance.....very bright and open. In our case the food was good but the service was agonizingly slow. Like you, I think I will be recommending other places.

We also recently had dinner at new Italian restaurant called La Strada. It's operated by the Las Amis folks in the space just up the street from Shaw Center, where they used to have a deli/takeaway type place. Food, wine list and service were all outstanding. It was pricey but not as expensive as Garibaldi's. Dinner for 4, not including the wine was about $280.

Also went to a fabulous holiday party at Flutes over the weekend. A group of friends bought out the restaurant for the night. The old chef is back (he had a some legal problems that caused a prolonged absence) and I can't say enough good things about the food and service. Still one of the top spots for a romantic dinner in Singapore.

Lindsey-

First, thank you for the information on the Mekong trip with Vietnamstay.

Second, we will be in Singapore for a few days and were looking forward to Crystal Jade's HUI CUI in Ngee Ann City, but alas, it is no more. It's now CJ Jiang Nan Cuisine. Have you been? I'm wondering how heavey it is on the Cantonese, which is not our favorite and if they've kept many things on the menu from Hui Cui.

Also, can you explain the difference between CJ Xiao Long Bao La Mian and CJ Kitchen?

Lindsey, thanks for the updates. I'll be back in Singapore in January and am already planning. (I live in a restaurant vacuum.)

Twofortheroad,
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiaolongbao specialises in hand made noodles, the kind where the chef spins it in his hands from a block of dough many, many times till it breaks down into silky strands. Xiaolongbao is a shanghainese steamed dumpling with minced meat inside, eaten with vinegar and julienned ginger. Crystal Jade Kitchen specializes in noodles (not the handmade type), congee and other types of local HK cuisine. Not to be confused with Crystal Jade Palace - which serves haute cuisine. There is also a Crystal Jade Ginseng which serves Korean food. Hu Cui is now known as Crystal Jade Jiangnan, and it's Shanghainese cuisine (Jiangnan is the province Shanghai is located in). They also serve dimsum at lunch.

The best place to locate all Crystal Jades are in Ngee Ann City along Orchard Road (5 restaurants). There are now 27 Crystal Jade restaurants in Singapore, including one at Changi Airport Terminal 2.

Incidentally, the competitor to Crystal Jade is now Imperial Treasures, opened by one of their former management executives who took 30 employees with him. Check it out.

For Marmot and all other foodies, restaurant reviews by a local Singaporean professional www.chubbyhubby.net is written exceptionally well and he has got droolworthy photos posted up.

Enjoy !

Thank you so very much Yvonne_c for clearing this up. CJ Xiaolongbao is the one for me. We'll be in Singapore early January.

I do read Chubby Hubby & Umami & Dim Sum Dolly, and many others, but my favorite is Travelling Hungryboy. I feel I can believe his reviews because he is unknown to the house. I went to The Whampoa Club in Shanghai a few months ago based on Chubby Hubby & Umami's glowing reviews & I was more than underwhelmed. I reread CH review when I returned, & I saw that his wife assisted J Leung in writing his cook book & that they were personally attended to by J Leung. Umami was also. This makes a big difference. I would rather read unbiased reviews. Ruth Reichl would go to restaurants in disguise when she was reviewing for the New York Times. The food & service that she got would be more relevant to me.

I'll be back in Singapore next week and have finally been able to confirm two seats at Iggy's. They made me sign an onerous cancellation agreement (evidently they confiscate your first born if you don't show) that made me wonder if it's worth it. Is it?

Also, my husband is allergic to shellfish -- particularly shrimp, prawns and lobster. Is he going to have a problem with Iggy's limited menu?

I'm up for experiementation but I have enough tension in my life . . . :)

Well, I did go to Iggy's and it was spectacular! I've experienced so many attempts at this type of cuisine all over the world from Bali to New York, but this is the REAL THING! Every course was astonishing. The decor was lovely and soothing and the service understated and perfect. We were there for hours.

The bad news is what's the point of getting addicted to a restaurant that costs and arm and a leg and you can't get a reservation?

We also went to Les Amis Au Jardin and were somewhat disappointed. (Maybe it was just in comparison.) They only offered a four course fixed menu and it seemed overly intellectual. The food was very interesting, but didn't have that deliciousness that you expect at that price.

The wine steward was confused and inattentive. The whole place more musty than charming. The overarching concept -- location, clientele, cuisine -- has so much potential, but I think they've let things slip, gotten off track. The management needs to get this place back up the level with their reviews.

I'm leaving again in a few hours for three nights with a customer. I'm thinking one of the restaurants at Raffles, Le Papillon, and maybe something new for me. La Strada sounds interesting, or Flutes.

Please keep those suggestions coming.