SAINT PIERRE
#01 -01 Central Mall, 3 Magazine Road, Singapore Tel: 6438 0887
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2pm (Mon – Fri) Dinner: 7pm – 10pm (Mon – Sat)
From the minute I arrived at Saint Pierre, it was clear that everything, from the table settings and the service to the food and wine, is thoroughly thought out, perfected, and scrutinized from all angles. And all of this pays off – dining at Saint Pierre was like listening to a well orchestrated gastronomic symphony: my only gripe would be that the service is perhaps a little stiff at times. A wonderful foie gras/mushroom combo came in the form of a terrine infused with porcini oil, in a warm salad of matsutake and shimeji mushrooms – I had never thought about the combination before, but warm juicy mushrooms combine extraordinarily well with the cold, buttery foie. A Flintstone-sized rib of black angus beef for 2 came with an olive, mustard, parsley and Xeres vinegar dressing, oxtail croquette and fresh almonds – and perfectly displayed Chef Emmanuel Stroobant’s flair for blending classical techniques and flavours with exciting modern twist. As perfect an end to a meal as I have ever had came in the form of “Grandma Stroobant’s flourless chocolate cake”, served with a jelly of Armagnac marinated cherries, cherry sorbet and an Oreo crumble, doubtless nothing like how Grandma Stroobant served it, but unbelievable beautiful nonetheless.WINE: The cellar is broad and innovative in with some very high quality Bordeaux and Pauillacs, a very good selection of half bottles, and a good selection by the glass, including the brilliant Krug Grand Cuvee that we sampled with our starters.
THE CLIFF @ SENTOSA
The Sentosa Resort & Spa, 2 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa, Singapore
Tel: 6371 1425 / 6275 0331
Operating Hours: Dinner: 6.30pm – Midnight
For a classic night of oysters and romance, head to The Cliff on Sentosa island resort – possibly Singapore’s most beautiful restaurant. Commanding a terrific sea view over the winking harbour lights and crashing waves, The Cliff hooked me right from the minute I stepped into its uber chi chi designer dining room. And with the menu featuring at least 10 types of oysters, we knew that we were going to be in the mood for love tonight. We started with a dozen of the briny bivalves, and watched with perverse satisfaction as their edges cringed when we squeezed on lemon juice. Starters followed: of a delicious al dente black lentil salad scented with truffle – and of a velvety veloute of asparagus spiked with a piquant, slightly sour quenelle of goat’s cheese which set off the creaminess of the asparagus beautifully. Seafood is The Cliff’s forte, and they have an excellent white and bubbly-heavy wine list, by the glass and bottle, to match with it perfectly: me and the date went bubbly all the way. A terrific entrée of black cod – crispy skinned and melting as only black cod can – served on a pool of lemongrass and coconut enriched walnut and cauliflower puree, was an impressively competent blend of fusion flavours. The ocean trout with watercress and artichoke looked good, but my date went instead for the quirky dish of sea bream paired with green apple and bathed in a tomato and ginger tea – edible, but too much novelty value for me.
GRAZE @ Rochester Park
4 Rochester Park, Singapore
Tel: 6775 9000
Operating Hours: Brunch: 9am – 3pm (Sat – Sun) Dinner: 6pm – Midnight
Whilst the colonial style black-and-white house set amidst lush tropical foliage makes my twee radar go haywire, this is another example of that successful breed that we just can’t seem to get enough of these days – the contemporary Australian restaurant. It seems like the Australians, perhaps because they have a fantastic climate and no significant culinary history of their own to hold them back, have been able to take the very best of Eastern and Western food and combine it into something new, distinctive and very exciting. This was demonstrated very neatly by our starters – crispy pork salad – at a guess hand of pork, braised until soft and then fried until crispy with Asian spices and served with delicious baby leaves – and a soft, savoury lobster tortellini served with a sticky-sweet salmon roe reduction and a fried julienne of lemongrass, ginger and spring onion. King prawns done in three ways and paired with a cold cucumber sorbet simply made us very, very happy. Mains were equally good. A wide selection of plain grilled meat and seafood was on offer but we went for the signature dishes of the crab and citrus linguine – the orange, lime and lemon segments adding a jolting, shocking zestiness to the rich, sweet crab – and the crispy rolled pork hock, glazed with a light sweet and sour sauce – a million miles from the Chinese take-away version. Braised-then-roasted wagyu cheeks served on a bed of coconut-scented rice – its luscious crispy fattiness cut by the addition of fresh, crunchy vegetables – came close to knocking the pork hock off of its post as the best dish of the evening. A smooth, mild cheesecake served with a brown-sugar-glazed wedge of pineapple and a scattering of nut brittle led the pack for dessert, followed by a pair of dark and white chocolate puddings with matching ice-creams: Heaven. The only disappointment of the evening was the wine list – very limited with very few good bottle or glass offerings.
POPPI
Level 2, The Legends, Fort Canning Park, Singapore Tel: 6339 8977
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2pm (Mon – Fri) Dinner: 7pm – 10pm (Mon – Sat) Brunch: 11am – 3pm (Sun)
If you are looking for somewhere to take someone on a first date, then go to Poppi. The location is fantastic, the decor is hushed and sexy, and Chef Chris Millar’s stylish, classic cooking will ensure a return visit. Our appetizers – a warm pigeon tart. with pan-fried foie gras – crumbly, soft and luxurious – and a twice-baked gruyere soufflé – soft, fluffy and creamy – gave us the urge to order the full list of appetizers as our meal. Such urges were soon quelled by my main of duck confit – crispy skinned and meltingly tender – and her lamb shank – soft, yielding and sticky. Desserts were rather safe – a warm chocolate cake and a sticky date pudding – but still delightful. Coupled with the cracking, good value Australian wines on the list, all in all Poppi gave us a night to remember.
GARIBALDI ITALIAN RESTAURANT & BAR
#01 -02, 36 Purvis Street, Singapore
Tel: 6837 1468
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 3pm Dinner: 6.30pm – 11 pm
In my view the best Italian restaurant in town, Garibaldi always exceeds my expectations in everything except the eponymous biscuit department. Its use of Italian seasonal ingredients is simply inspired; green and white asparagus, tomatoes, treviso, Sicilian citrus and white Alba truffles (but once a year) are all treated simply and respectfully. For starters this time, I went for the allo zafferano – Australian spanner crab, a bizarre looking creature I had only seen once before, in Japan, with avocado, orange and saffron sauce: light, refreshing and heady with the inimitable taste of saffron. My friend went for the moscardini in umido – baby Venetian octopus stewed with tomatoes and served on garlic bruschetta -, the octopus smooth as soft cheese, and the tomatoes rich and pulpy – a real bite of Italy. My main of pan-fried duck breast was served perfectly pink and well-rested with wonderful sweet, sticky and tart counterpoints provided by the balsamic vinegar and strawberries. The menu had nine desserts on that night — all of which prompted heavy breathing just upon reading— but I went for that ever-popular classic, the fondente al cioccolato – a molten chocolate fondant – paired with that great friend of chocolate, the hazelnut: in luscious, creamy gelato form. The practiced, attentive service left nothing to be desired, and the interesting Italian wine list had some wonderful Super Tuscans. If only they had served their namesake’s biscuits, it would have been perfect.
IL LIDO ITALIAN DINING & LOUNGE BAR
Sentosa Golf Club, 27 Bukit Minis Road, Singapore
Tel: 6866 1977
Operating Hours: Lunch: 11.30am – 2.30pm Dinner: 6.30pm – 11 pm
On the beautiful island resort of Sentosa, just 10 minutes’ drive from the heart of the financial district of Singapore, is the little gem of a restaurant Il Lido. Commanding a beautiful panoramic view over the Singapore Straits, Il Lido would be worth travelling to just for a relaxing drink at the bar whilst watching the postcard-perfect sunset, but luckily the food is worth travelling for too. The dining room is modern, elegant and sophisticated, the service is unstuffy and helpful, and the food is to die for. The Parma ham and beef carpaccio to start were the real deal: they don’t mind forking out for the good stuff here. My main of homemade tagliolini with lobster in a fresh tomato sauce had the perfect texture – pasta smooth and firm, lobster tender and moist – and was given a welcome twist with the addition of some pungent south-east Asian spices – ginger, coriander, lemongrass and chilli. The veal ravioli again showed a mastery of pasta, and the veal was rich, reduced and melting. But by far the highlight of the evening was beef fillet served with a wobbling, rich bone marrow sauce, spotted on the menu only after I had ordered my prawns, and so hastily tacked onto the end of our meal for us all to share. Bone marrow is such an incredible, and cheap, ingredient – a really clean, clear, jelly-like essence of beef, the perfect foil to the rare, lean, tender meat of the fillet – but sadly a real rarity on restaurant menus.WINE: A terrific list comprised mainly of superb Italian vintages and a short but sweet sampling of French (including some delicious crisp champagne, yum) and Australian wines.
BLU
24′” Level, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Road
Tel: 6213 4598
Operating Hours: Dinner: 7pm – 10.30pm (Mon – Sun)
With its 24th floor views of the cityscape and refined French-rooted fine-dining menu, Blu is a popular place for a romantic rendezvous. The service is discreet, efficient and professional, and the wine list is comprehensive – we went for some sterling New World numbers. Some might complain that the menu is too simple for the price, but even though the ingredients are simple they are of the best quality and dealt with innovatively. My foie gras terrine was made with little else, allowing the foie gras to really shine through, and it was very generously portioned. My date’s braised pork belly with langoustine and truffle cream was another good example of what I like to call “indulgent ascesis” – the title ingredients could practically be the recipe, all of it radiant in its simplicity. A robust, fragrant soup of oysters, clams and mussels with crab ravioli was improved immeasurably by fistfuls of parsley and chervil. A lovely, zingy mid-meal palate freshener of peach sorbet was a welcome touch, one that would be followed up with a delightful home-made mousse after our mains. My wagyu beef tenderloin paired with an onion ice cream was surprisingly good, and my date’s interesting surf and turf option – lamb loin rubbed with cumin and served with delicious crab stuffed peppers -.was a resounding success. A tart gratin of summer berries and a pillow-y soft, warm chocolate cake, shared, brought to close a wonderful meal.
BROTH
21 Duxton Hill, Singapore
Tel: 6323 3353
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm (Mon – Fri)Dinner: 6.30pm – 10.30pm(Mon – Sat)
Broth could not be a more succinct name for this place, it just sums up everything this restaurant is about – light, clean, flavoursome food: everything the Aussies do best. Add to that the picturesque surrounds of Duxton Hill and friendly, attractive, learned staff, and you will have no trouble understanding why this restaurant continues to draw in the punters. Dishes display that mix of flavours and cooking styles from east and west that Australia has managed to cultivate so well, with standard sounding dishes like steaks, lamb chops and squid ink pasta that all tease with their innovative combinations of Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, French, Indian and Malay flavours. The refreshing rice paper cone roll with prawns, mint, radish, mango and chilli-lime dressing presented another great example of this, while the pork cutlet in a rich red wine sauce with apple, prune and walnut salad disappointed simply because of its lack of imagination. The wine list showcased the best of the Australian range, including a brawny Barossa valley number, plus a few Old World picks for the snobs among us. A wonderfully alliterative dish, the Supernova Pavlova, was light as air, crisp and sweet, but for those of you not fussed about their food’s phonetic aesthetic, the dark chocolate and hazelnut liqueur crème brulee, served with home-made pear wine on the side, was probably better.
FLUTES AT THE FORT
21 Lewin Terrace, Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Tel: 6338 8770
Operating Hours: Lunch: Noon – 2.30pm, Dinner: 6.30pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun) Closed on Sun & PH
Situated in the former fire chief’s residence, behind the Central Fire Station, Flutes at the Fort makes an unexpectedly magical dinner location. Yet another one of those delightful modern Australian restaurants, Flutes at the Fort also has a wonderful outdoor bar, which is where we started, supping down an icy mojito in the balmy evening heat. Inside the dining room a strong selection New World wines by the glass tempted us away from the cocktails, and starters of seared scallops with shrimp stuffed egg rolls and a king crab salad got us off to a good start – the scallops soft, sweet and salty with an almost ringing clarity to them, something equally true of the king crab (always a favourite of mine). Seared foie gras, that dish so seemingly unavoidable in restaurants these days, was set apart from the rest by an impressive light and tangy sauce of Rosella flowers, a rare ingredient in these parts, being native to the blistering outback of Queensland. Mains of roast lamb rack, a crispy braised pork belly and succulent wagyu ribeye all looked wonderful, but we went for some of the appetizing array of seafood, all of it bright eyed and invigoratingly fresh – seared cod for me, steamed orange roughy for her, despite my tuts of disapproval because of dwindling roughy stocks. Sweets came on a communal platter enabling us to share four desserts – always a plus – including a stunning apricot crème brulee, with a whole, soft, fragrant apricot nestled at the bottom.
