Restaurants in Singapore
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A
Au Petit Salut
Au Petit serves up familiar French fare in peaceful environs. Down tenderly cooked beef cheeks, the speciality dish, to the chirping of crickets. An extensive wine list tops the experience off. The set menu (typically three courses) offers similar food to the à la carte menu but with better value.
reviewed
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B
Madras New Woodlands
This enduring vegetarian family favourite is nothing flash to look at, but sometimes you need a break from all that Bolly schmaltz. The banana-leaf thalis (veggie curries, dhal and condiment) are more than generous; the service is gracious, unintrusive and helpful to confused foreigners.
reviewed
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C
Tapas Tree
Among the most popular of the recent Clarke Quay arrivals, this eatery boasts a huge range of classic tapas, a riverside location (though there’s comfy seating inside) and great music (the flamenco trio are fun, though inevitably they’re Filipino). Booking at weekends is essential.
reviewed
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D
Bon Goût
This eccentric place (not to be misread as ‘Bong Out’) is weird enough to be straight out of Tokyo. It’s a second-hand bookshop/CD store/restaurant full of students and literati, reading, laughing and slurping ramen (noodlesoups), Japanese curries and Tiger beer (sometimes all at once).
reviewed
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E
Maxwell Road Food Centre
Generally esteemed as one of Singapore’s best hawker centres, this is in an open-sided food barn with over 100 stalls under the roof. Don’t miss the raw fish congee (Zhen Zhen, stall 54). Can’t decide what to eat? Look for the stall with the longest queues and get to the end of the line pronto.
reviewed
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F
Vansh
An unusual Indian restaurant, in that it's ditched the usual Indian decor in favour of an eye-catching modern design with recessed, cushion-laden seating, Vansh's take on the cuisine is equally impressive. The tandoor offerings are superb - or go on Sundays for all-you-can-eat kebabs and beer.
reviewed
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G
Wasabi Tei
Join the queue snaking out of this 20-seat mom-and-pop sushi bar. The chef is Chinese but he sure can slice raw fish. You’d better make your choices before you sit because seconds and postorder amendments are not allowed. Nazi-like, you say? Nineteen other people will gladly take your place.
reviewed
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H
Rice Table
An uninspired building in Orchard Rd is saved by a restaurant serving rijsttafel (rice table) – a free-flowing buffet of 11 to 20 small Dutch-influenced Indonesian dishes such as daging rendang (spicy beef stew) and gado gado (tofu and beansprouts in peanut sauce).
reviewed
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Marutama Ramen
When the ramen stock runs out, the restaurant closes up for the day. It does happen because it’s that good. Sadly, ingredients are on the skimpy side and you’d best shell out extra for side dishes (S$1 to S$8) or risk succumbing to McDonald’s later. There’s a branch at Liang Court.
reviewed
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I
Pariaman Warong Nasi
Cars roll up for quick takeaways at lunchtime at this corner coffee shop, where you’ll smell the food before you see the crowd waiting to order the Malay dishes. The beef rendang (dry beef curry) and sambal goreng (long beans, tempeh and fried bean curd) are dishes to try.
reviewed
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J
Ah Teng’s Bakery
A great place for breakfast pastries or dim sum and just about the only part of Raffles Hotel you can enter without your wallet trying to make a run for it. With its genteel wooden chairs and marble-top tables, it has the same colonial air, but it’s more reasonably priced.
reviewed
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K
IndoChine Waterfront
The IndoChine cartel’s riverside operation boasts Boat Quay views and sumptuous surrounds – dark leather chairs and glittering chandeliers. The menu is a sophisticated collation of Vietnamese-, Cambodian- and Laotian-inspired dishes. No MSG, colouring or preservatives are used in cooking.
reviewed
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L
Shang Palace
Definitely on the A-list of Singapore’s Chinese restaurants, Shang’s Cantonese seafood and classics such as Peking Duck are well known – and the interior more than matches the food. To sample the ambience without distressing your bank manager, order from the dim sum menu. Book in advance.
reviewed
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M
Eng Seng Coffeeshop
The definitive Singapore dish – black-pepper crab – is so good here that locals are 1) willing to queue over an hour to order and 2) be rudely told how many crabs they can order by the proprietress. The sticky honeylike peppery sauce makes it worth arriving at 4.30pm for an early dinner.
reviewed
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N
Iggys
Singapore’s best restaurant. Period. The suprisingly casual dining room is forgiven when the courses hit the table. Japanese and European sensibilities are meshed together in a tasting menu of epic proportions (eight courses for dinner). The wine list is as impressive as it is extensive.
reviewed
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O
Highlander Coffee
If you’re tired of the weak coffee they call lattes at Starbucks, head here for your fix. Highlander blends and roasts its own beans and the owners, Phil and Cedric, are happy to talk coffee all day. Have a smoked duck ciabatta to accompany the brew. Or sign up for a coffee-making class.
reviewed
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P
Doc Cheng’s
Decked out with curtained booths, high ceilings, soft lighting and chequered tiles, Doc Cheng’s has a discreetly colonial air. The food, however, is decidedly modern fusion. ‘Son-in-law’ egg starter is surprisingly successful, as are dishes like the tandoori trout.
reviewed
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Q
Just Greens Vegetarian
You know you’ve found a good veggie place when meat eaters and monks are prominent among its happy customers. The lunchtime buffet is worth checking out, but you can also order à la carte – the dishes are clearly made with love and the service is generally friendly.
reviewed
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R
Hai Tien Lo
In preparation for a superb meal, savour the spectacular views while riding the external lift up to the 37th floor. A large range of nearly 30 set menus tailored to different tastes and requirements takes the headache out of ordering and allows you to concentrate on the scene outside.
reviewed
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S
Halia
The outdoor deck at Halia is a magical spot. Surrounded by the Botanic Gardens’ ginger plants and twittering birds, it’s perfect for a lazy breakfast, a light lunch, or a romantic dinner. From 3pm to 5pm every day except Sunday, there’s an English Tea, with scones, jam and sandwiches.
reviewed
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Gunther’s
The dining room is akin to a museum crossed with a tomb but the service (immaculate), presentation (classy) and the food (tasty) will soon distract you from the sombre environs. If you can’t decide what to order, the maître d’ does a very good show and tells using the day’s produce.
reviewed
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U
Serangoon Salt-Baked Chicken
In typically Singaporean fashion, Serangoon Salt-Baked Chicken is found nowhere near Serangoon. Also in typically Singaporean fashion, people will travel across town whenever a craving for the wonderfully toothsome takeaway fowl takes hold. Rip it apart with your fingers and devour.
reviewed
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V
Gluttons Bay
Selected by the Makansutra food guide, this bayside collection of the best hawkers (or street-food masters, as they call them) is a great place to start your exploration of the island’s food culture. Everyone has their own favourites – we like the BBQ seafood stall.
reviewed
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W
Imperial Treasure Nan Bei Kitchen
Superb midrange Cantonese and Shanghainese food. The xiao long bao (soup dumplings) here rival anywhere for best in town, while its roast meats (goose and pork) are also excellent and its soups (which change daily) extremely tasty. Perfect way to end a shopping trip.
reviewed
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X
Fosters
Fosters is Australian beer and the staff here are Chinese, but they manage to conjure up some decent Brit pub food (steaks, pork sausages, fish and chips, steak and mushroom pie etc) without the annoying olde-worlde interior design. The leafy outdoor deck is great for a pint.
reviewed