01: La Brasserie
Fullerton Bay’s newly revamped La Brasserie, adorned with shades of vibrant orange and dramatic grey draperies, introduces a new menu of French Brasserie classics and Southern French fare with Mediterranean influences. The aubergine caviar tartine made with charred eggplant, herbs and Roma tomatoes offers a refreshing start to the meal, as with the balik salmon which is cured and smoked in house. The dishes are accompanied by wood-fired bread imported from the famous Poilane Bakery in Paris. Other classics include French duck confit and an indulgent 500g cote de boeuf. For dinner, steaks are accompanied by nine choices of mustard – a treat for those looking to spice up the usual red meat offering. For a casual night, go for the buckwheat galettes with a choice of ham and cheese, mushrooms and spinach or a personalised combination of four ingredients. Sit back with a glass of French red and soak in the evening views of the adjacent Marina Bay waterfront.
The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 80 Collyer Quay
Tel: 6597-5288
02: il Cielo
il Cielo explores a contemporary direction to Italian cuisine with its new chef, Yohhei Sasaki. Formerly of three-Michelin-star Ristorante Da Vittorio in Lombardy, Italy, Sasaki introduces a revamped menu of Italian flavours with Japanese touches. Take for example, the kinmedai carpaccio: sashimi cuts of kinmedai, served with seaweed tuile, Madeira wine dressing and pink grapefruit snow or its signature Hokkaido sea urchin spaghetti, an umami-rich dish with shaved bottarga from Sardinia and yuzu juice. There are classic Italian dishes as well that better reflects the chef’s culinary training in Italian kitchens, such as the roasted t-bone lamb with hearty sides of Sicilian caponata and mint pesto, or the roasted Maine lobster with fregola cooked with seasonal greens. Do leave some space for desserts. Sasaki’s deconstructed take on the tiramisu is an indulgent treat with mascarpone cheese and creme fraiche mousse piped into a wine glass with wild berries and bits of charcoal meringue.
Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Road
Tel: 6730 3395
03: Folklore
Perhaps, one of the best ways to experience ethnic heritage is through home recipes: nostalgic dishes with personal touches lasting through generations within families. Using his family recipes, chef Damian D’Silva has taken the challenge on headfirst with new restaurant Folklore. Dishes mostly recall D’Silva’s own Eurasian and Peranakan backgrounds. The flavourful Peranakan chap chye (his grandmother’s recipe) is braised in a rich pork and prawn stock. There’s also the must-try dish of singgang: wolf herring (a bony fish that takes D’Silva more than three hours to debone) cooked in a non-spicy homemade rempah.
Destination Singapore Beach Road, 700 Beach Road
Tel: +65 6679 2900 / +65 9021 9700
04: Chikin
Launched by the team behind Cantonese tapas bar Sum Yi Tai, new bar Chikin promises to be just as quirky with its offerings. Its name, chicken in colloquial Japanese, hints at the yakitori offerings on its menu. Skewers are grilled over a binchotan; but the kitchen team forgoes the traditional savoury tare sauce and instead spices them up with Szechuan mala sauce. While less spicy options of skewers are available, the bar’s selection of cocktails such as the Sake Sangria with pineapple, honeydew and grapes or the Old Fashion of whisky and oolong are great options for tempering the heat. Kushiyaki dishes are also offered, such as Meltique beef from Australia with leek and other grilled vegetables of gingko nuts and San Marzano tomatoes.
6 Bukit Pasoh Road
Tel: 6910 2742
05: Nami
This elegant restaurant occupies the space on the 24th level of Shangri-La Hotel’s newly renovated Tower Wing. With great views of the city, it is an ideal spot for business dining. There are also counter seats where you can watch the chefs prepare your meal. Head chef Shigeo Akiba, who hails from the Japanese city of Yokohama, has more than 30 years of culinary experience under his belt. His career highlights include preparing the wedding banquet for Japanese royalty. Fresh ingredients are flown in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji, Kyushu and Hokkaido for his menu. Aside from the standard sushi and sashimi, a range of hot dishes such as succulent pan-fried tuna head with sweet soy sauce, and Japanese saga wagyu beef sirloin A4 with Kyoto vegetables and dashi broth are served.
Level 24, Tower Wing, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Tel: 6213 4398
