Celebrate SG61 with these National Day-themed food and drinks

There are really only two things that Singaporeans spare no expense on during National Day celebrations — great fireworks for the yearly parade, and celebratory food and drink menus across the island’s coterie of restaurants and bars.

Expect everything from curated menus focused on nostalgic crowd favourites to locavore cocktails that play on regional flora and fauna, right here in a proud foodie capital that often goes so far as to say that eating is its national pastime.

Traditional Letterbox Cake, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore merges National Day culinary theatre with a tribute to its legacy as Singapore’s former General Post Office with a lifelike recreation of the nation’s iconic red letterbox.

Thankfully, there aren’t any letters inside it, though you can expect a rich kopi-scented ganache between layers of almond sponge and yuan yang buttercream. The cake is available only from August 1 to 9 at the Fullerton Cake Boutique, or online. 

Find out more here.

Otah Quiche, PS.Cafe

Park Side, the PS.Cafe group’s newest member in the bucolic Singapore Botanic Gardens, is ringing in the National Day festivities with two inspired makeovers of brunch staples. For starters, there’s the Otah Quiche with a seafood medley of prawns, clams, squid and fish crammed into a savoury egg custard, then baked in a parmesan shortcrust accented with kaffir lime leaves.

Otherwise, there’s also the Lor Bak Eggs Benedict, which trades the customary ham or bacon with soy-braised pulled pork on a bed of toasted sourdough, a poached egg, and a spicy, garlicky sriracha hollandaise.

Find out more here.

Chilli Crab Udon, Sip Sip

Specially for Singapore’s 61st birthday month, CBD dual-concept Sip Sip is broadening its horizons beyond playful European-Japanese nosh with a slice of Singaporean flavours.

The limited-time dishes in question: a riff on chilli crab, pairing pillowy Inaniwa udon with crisp tempura soft-shell crab and a rich chilli crab sauce; and a laksa-accented grilled cheese sandwich melding aromatic laksa leaf pesto, tomatoes, and prawns with mozzarella, emmental, and toasted sourdough.

National Day-inspired beverages, such as the citrusy Calamansi Spritz with matcha or espresso, are also available, along with a festive cocktail.

Find out more here.

Milo Martini, 1-Altitude Coast

The hustle and bustle of peri-celebration Singapore not quite your scene? Say happy birthday to the Lion City with a getaway to the southern island paradise of Sentosa, where you’ll find peace, serenity and local-accented cocktails like the Milo Martini and Bandung Colada Slushie at 1-Altitude Coast’s rooftop bar.

If all that isn’t enough nostalgia for you, get the Warm Pandan Churros & Chendol Sundae at the nearby Sol & Ora for a taste of childhood mixed in with Spanish influences. Available throughout the month of August.

Find out more here.

Coppa di Singapore al Cocco, Grand Hyatt Singapore

Pete’s Place has been a staple in Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping belt since 1973, which is why it’s only fitting for the institution to celebrate National Day with a set menu that marries Italian and Singaporean culinary sensibilities.

Tuck into a spiced-up version of a coastal seafood classic in the Capellini ai Sapori dell’Isola featuring angel hair pasta with tiger prawns, scallops, mussels and a healthy dose of chilli, before cooling off with a tropical treat of Coppa di Singapore al Cocco — a coconut soft serve gussied up with white chocolate and Amarena caramelised cherries. Available August 3 to 9.

Find out more here.

Laksa Donabe, METT Singapore

The Singapore hawker mainstays of laksa and chicken rice will be given new life as Japanese donabes, or claypot rices, as part of the National Day menu at METT Singapore’s Canning Bar & Lounge.

Perfect for a laid-back luncheon over the long weekend, but especially good if you’re trying to leave some room for a collaborative edition of The Governor’s Table with heritage chef Damian D’Silva featuring live rendang and popiah stations along with a selection of his handcrafted traditional kueh (only available on August 2).

Find out more here.

Chempedak Pudding, PS.Cafe

PS.Cafe emerged in 1999 at the start of Singapore’s fledgling brunch scene, and it hasn’t stopped trying to better itself since. Its National Day specials remain as creative and local-centric as ever, with everything from scotch eggs reimagined with sambal, coconut-spiced chicken, crunchy ikan bilis, and toasted cashew nuts, to a rendang mac and cheese jazzed up with a whole braised lamb shank.

Remember to leave room for its ever-popular desserts, including the limited-time pudding revolving around chempedak, a uniquely pongy Southeast Asian fruit. The menu is available across all PS.Cafe locations from August 1 to October 31.

Find out more here.

Chikadee Charm, Yin Bar

Fancy an after-fete cocktail? Head down to Yin Bar at Clarke Quay for a duet of nightcaps distilling two of Singapore’s most beloved flavours into juxtaposing pours. First comes Chikadee Charm, a soulful recreation of the national dish of chicken rice bearing its essential character — savoury, rich, tangy, and aromatic — on a base of Belvedere vodka.

Thereafter, there’s an opportunity to end the night on a sweet treat (or fuel an exciting afterparty) with the Oh My Chendol — a sweet, indulgent nostalgia bomb in a glass. Available July 24 to August 24.

Find out more here.

Roasted Duck Pizza, Lavo

When you’re perched on the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, a National Day dinner at Lavo isn’t just a simple meal — it also comes with an unrivalled view of the festivities, and that’s in spite of its relocation to the National Stadium.

Nevertheless, the Italian feast promises to be mighty indeed, with such a la carte tributes as the Roasted Duck Pizza, the Seafood al Chilli with king clams, prawns, scallops, and a side of crispy mantou and an indulgent starburst of Strawberry Tiramisu.

Find out more here.

Crab Leg Seviche, Sushisamba Singapore

SUSHISAMBA Singapore brings its signature Copacabana brunch to the National Day weekend. Available for just one day on August 8, the festive menu spotlights its arsenal of Peruvian-Japanese flavours with a local twist.

Highlights range from the self-explanatory whole roasted chicken with a side of Hainanese rice to the crab leg seviche, which can only be described as an amalgam of spicy, sweet, tangy, oceanic moreishness not dissimilar to our own chilli crab.

Localised desserts like the Peranakan Bonbons and Sago Gula Melaka Trifle are also available to end the afternoon on a sweet note.

Find out more here.