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Haute
Stuff
 From
breakfast favourites to streetside delicacies, from food court
cuisines to premium style dining options, Singapore easily
scores as the top gourmet capital of Asia. Kishore Iyengar
eats his way through this never-ending adventure
For
a city the size of Singapore, the number of culinary choices
is amazingly vast and varied. The cosmopolitan and commercial
character of this bustling metropolis adds to the myriad charms
of eating out of the spreads that constantly keep up the attractions
of gourmet thrills.
Kaleidoscopic
Culinary Capers
 For
lunch, food courts are a great option at shopping arcades
and promenades like Center Point, Raffles City and Suntec
City Centre, where a wide variety of local, Chinese, Indonesian,
Korean, Mongolian, Japanese, Malay, Thai and Indian stir-fried
and wok-tossed dishes and curries are on offer. For a
single lunch, you can run up an affordable S$ 12-22 with
a soft drink tossed in. I would strongly recommend avoiding
the fast, synthetic micro-heated snacks of Mac Donalds
or KFC - the other choices are too tempting! |
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Lighting
It Up
 On
top the famed Fullerton Singapore overlooking the Marina
Bay in splendid brilliance is the exclusive fine dining
statement called ‘Lighthouse’, reputed for
eclectic European cuisine and some of the rarest and
great Museum varieties of fine wines anywhere in the
world. Understated class, a discerning and well-heeled
clientele of the Who’s Who, ‘cuisine without
frontiers’ conducted by Chef Justin Quek, and views
of the harbour and beyond holding the exclusive attention
of uppercrust guests, makes the Lighthouse one of the
most celebrated dining restaurants. Lunch is S$ 75 per
person, and dinner is priced at S$ 180 per person. Wines
cost extra, list available on request.
The
Lighthouse, The Fullerton Singapore, 1 Fullerton Square,
Singapore - 049178. Tel: (65) 877-8932/3.
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Mezza9
Marvels
 At
the mezzanine level in the monumental Grand Hyatt Singapore,
is ‘Mezza9’, a signature dining destination
with nine exhibition kitchens, nine culinary options
and perhaps the widest variety of delectable wines.
You can pick and choose your grills from the live display
tables, sit at any of the nine covers and enjoy watching
 the
‘flaming action’ while you savour fine spirits
in fine fettle! Mezza9 is about the Western Grill and
Rotisserie, a Sushi Grill, a Yakitori Grill, the Steam
Basket (Chinese seafood), a European Deli, a Gourmet
Boutique, the Patisserie, the Wine Cellar and a Cigar/Martini
Bar. Meal for two is priced at S$ 150-225, wines extra
at S$ 35-115 per glass.
Mezza9, The Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Road,
Singapore - 228211. Tel: (65) 738-1234.
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Colonial
Class
 At
the Raffles Grill, the experience of fine dining is
exquisite and exemplary. The classical signature palate-dressed
French cuisine is what makes it the finest of the Raffles’
fine dining outlets. Stately dressed beige facades,
palms and vegetation complementing the approach, svelte
covers and an uppercrust feel, add to the evening experience.
Wines here trace their ancestry to the most exclusive
vineyards, the best, finding pride of presence on tables
of connoisseurs here. Expensive, but eclectic.
Raffles Grill, Raffles Hotel, 1, Beach Road, Singapore
- 189673. Tel: (65) 337-7650.
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Horror
Hospitality
Tired of the mundane? Try an altogether
different ‘nerve shattering’ dining experience
in the company of the Devil and some ghoulish creatures!
‘Victims’ are invited to shiver and dine at
Igor’s - The Main Event, Singapore’s and Asia’s
only theatre dining experience. The spiral stairway
to hell is waiting, then the Devil’s Distillery
Bar, next the Demon’s Dungeon and finally the Grand
Haunted Hall. No menus, no a la carte. Just threatened
dishes from which you take your pick. Great entertainment.
S$ 75 per Victim who sits near the stage, S$ 60 for
the queasy stomached covers food and entertainment.
Blood Quenchers and Poisons & Potions cost upward
of S$ 35.
Igor’s - The Main Event, #01-02 Aoasis, 50 Stadium
Boulevard, Singapore - 397796. Tel: (65) 6440-2725.
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8-Sided
Excellence
World-class dining with world-class
wines in an octagonal setting overlooking the waterfront
is what ‘8 On The Bay’ is essentially all
about. This huge 8-sided international culinary address
has the tallest (eight-metre high) wine tower, a stock
of 12,000 wines, grand views of the cityscapes, multicuisine
spread, exclusive wine tasting chambers and a great
ambience set afire with jazz blues, soft instrumental
and heady vocals. Dinner for two is priced at S$ 85-135,
drinks excluded.
8 On The Bay, Stadium Waterfront, Singapore - 397796.
Tel: 6346-8089
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Promenade
Platters
 Walk
up the Boat Quay promenade area bordering the Singapore
River right from the bridge, a bright profusion of eating
choices await you. Stalls, neatly laid out by the Quay
offer cheap snacks and grub, which are hygienic and safe
- Indonesian Nasi Goreng and Saus Cacang, Malay Satays,
Chinese organ soups and Wontons, Vietnamese spring rolls,
Thai coconut curry fish, Indian tandoori greats, and western
style grills, with beer on the side, to wash down the
piping hot dishes. Alternatively, go down to Boon Tat
Street where at Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, the sizzling
coal grilled Kebabs are absolutely succulent and inviting.
A food court elaborates the other regional fare in plenty,
inside the old market. For fish freaks and Chinese seafood
fanatics, Newtons Circus is the right place to steam up
your appetite right in the open! Care for a stout? Try
Molly Malone’s Irish Pub where the Guiness and other
brews are the coldest beers in town, or Chairman Mao Pub
where dancing is no sin! At Wet and Whistle on Boat Quay,
mini-skirted gals urge you to shake a leg at the nightspot,
as in Orange, the disc at Mohd Sultan Jalan, where Wicked
Women reggae till the wee hours. |
Eating
out in Singapore is, undoubtedly, the adventure which never
ends.
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