Saturday, January 28, 2012

Where to go when in the mood for good tapas & sangria

There’s something about authentic Spanish tapas that makes you want them once in a while. If you’re in Singapore, there’s no reason why you can’t have such delectable eats. Hie off to one of the best Singapore restaurants in Duxton Hill for muy delicioso tapas. The place is known for quirky shops and cobbled-stone streets. One of the popular hangouts in a shophouse is Sabio Tapas Bar and Restaurant.

I asked a couple of co-workers to join me for dinner there and they gleefully said yes. `Let’s eat and get drunk,’ they said. The ambience at Sabio’s is boisterous in a charming kind of way. It makes you feel glad to be part of a party with friends. So different from formal restaurants with a pretentious feel. There’s a long bar and a stunning mural customers won’t miss while enjoying little platefuls of their Spanish tapas.

Sabio tapas bar serves the island’s best sangrias. My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed the refreshing alcoholic fruit punch while feasting on Jamón ibérico belotta, olives stuffed with anchovies. We also stuffed ourselves with eggplant caviar on roasted garlic toast, sardines in tomato sauce, and mussels in a cream sauce. The sardines was a far cry from the canned stuff we’re familiar with.

For our main entrees, we ordered prawns in olive oil & garlic, plus manchego cheese and Paella Valenciana. We learned that fresh ingredients are flown in regularly from Spain. We thought we didn’t have room for dessert but we just had to have Catalan custard.

It was one of a handful of Singapore restaurants to perfectly chill out over delicious tapas and sangria. Service can improve. Nonetheless, Sabio tapas Bar and Restaurant let us have a great time. It’s a terrific watering hole and certainly one of the Singapore restaurants worth visiting.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Fun at the Tiffin Room

Dining in one of the most celebrated grand hotels is but a dream for many people, including me. As fate would have it, though, I was invited to the bridal shower of an officemate at the historic Raffles Hotel’s Tiffin Room. It’s one of the best places to eat in Singapore.


I was excited to attend the bridal shower party, and thrilled that it was happening in a posh hotel. The décor and ambience of Tiffin Room echo the hotel’s pre-World War II glory days. It’s like being whisked back to a bygone era. The afternoon event aptly was entitled “one hot, sexy affair” – a unique concept masterminded by my officemate’s maid of honor. After the fun & games and opening of bridal shower gifts, we excitedly headed for the buffet spread. There were fresh oysters enough to get anyone in a sexy mood, a sprinkling of French cuisine, salads & soups, and spicy Indian fare like colorful curry dishes.


The dessert table carried enticing tiramisu (I must say I’ve been seeing and eating a lot of tiramisu in the most promising and popular places to eat in Singapore), kesar kulfi (creamy Indian ice-cream with pistachio nuts and saffron) and other sweet offerings.


As can be expected, service was warm and courteous in the Tiffin Room. The hotel staff members were ready to assist. It was a suitable venue for a bridal shower. Everybody had a fun time and went home happy and full. I’d love to go back and savor the buffet spread and try south Indian spring chicken cooked with coconut at the Tiffin Room. The place is just perfect for those looking for good venues to get together with friends. It’s one of the nice places to eat in Singapore. 

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Pleasing our tastebuds in Sentosa

Visiting a popular island resort in Singapore can be a thrilling experience. Couples and other individuals visiting Sentosa, in particular, are delighted to find that the destination has several Singapore restaurants serving diverse cuisines and offering a god view of the scenery. Sentosa challenges the palate to discover new possibilities. Couple-friends of mine recently were recently in town en route to Sentosa, and we decided to dine at The Garden at the Sentosa Resort & Spa.

The Garden is one the gourmet Singapore restaurants that puts emphasis on innovative and wholesome foods prepared using healthy natural ingredients like grapeseed or olive oil. It’s the place to be for vegetarians and organic food lovers. We ordered watermelon soup with mint, ginger and cucumber, and for the main entrée, organic chicken rice (ginger-soy marinated chicken breast) topped with crisp rice cakes, and beef tenderloin with asparagus, and soya milk panna cotta for dessert. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at The Garden. The ambience was lovely and the dining staff courteous. Who would have thought healthy food can be so delicious! The restaurant offered good value for money.

One of our dining companions mentioned that one of the other must-visit Singapore restaurants in the area is Il Lido, which she said has several scintillating Italian dishes and meals. If delectable dishes like crab and watermelon salad with fennel, champagne risotto with prawns and sweet peas, and veal ravioli with sage and truffle sauce sound enticing to you, that may be just the dining spot for you. Hubby and I loved Sentosa and we agreed that next time we visit the place, we’d go for some pizza and pasta in a restaurant called Trapizza. Indeed, there are lots of Singapore restaurants that look promising and it’s up for us to discover the most satisfying ones.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Time to Indulge & Enjoy Exotic Food

Call me adventurous… Every now and then, I like to indulge in exotic eats in one of the promising Singapore restaurants in town. While eating at food centres and coffee stalls are easier on the budget and enjoyable, an occasional lunch or dinner in one of the elegant fine dining Singapore restaurants can be a great experience.

Good food is best savored in the company of friends or family, so with a friend in tow, we headed towards Duxton Road to a dining spot called Casa Mediterranea, which is situated inside a quaint boutique hotel. The place had an old-world appeal, and there were noticeably large paintings hung on walls awash in warm Mediterranean hues. We walked on thick carpets and settled on comfy upholstered chairs then checked out the menu, that consisted of home-style dishes that were not that exorbitantly priced.

We began our meal with delicious tapas, bite-sized morsels that tickle the tastebuds. For the main entrée, we enjoyed the sumptuous Paella Valenciana, another Spanish-inspired dish spiced up with saffron. The prawns, squid, sausages and mussels in it more than satisfied our rumbling stomachs. For dessert, we had decadent Chocolate Trio with chopped nuts and a tinge of orange flavor. We saw other enticing dessert options on the menu, like the Greek dessert Baklava which we planned to try the next time we visit the dining destination. We’re also planning to enjoy good wine when we return. We’ll also probably try the buffet, which is understandably priced higher but offers an assortment of succulent eats a foodie can desire.

Dining in such Singapore restaurants with a cozy ambiance and good service is definitely something to look forward to and enjoy. I hope to continue my food journey, and the next time around I also intend to visit some Singapore restaurants with both classic dishes and all-time favorites like spicy chilli crab and mouth-watering pizzas with the freshest ingredients.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Enjoying a lavish meal in one of Singapore’s best dining destinations

Singapore can serve up lots of heart-stopping culinary pleasures. It’s hard not to fall in love with the destination. I’ve been collecting wonderful memories of topnotch grub which I’ve enjoyed by my lonesome, or in the company of friends, family, or colleagues. The best Singapore restaurants offer cuisine as delectable as it is varied, highlighting a fascinating heritage. You can go to the bustling food stalls, choose your chow, and have the cooks prepare the dish for you. Or you can go classy and check out the restaurants in Singapore hotels. Whichever way you get your gastronomic thrills, you can be sure that Singapore can deliver.


For a cool, plush and elegant dining option, Raffles Hotel retains a top spot.It has long been drawing business travelers and tourists. I was fortunate to have been invited to a special birthday celebration held at the magnificent hotel frequented by well-traveled out-of-towners. Anyway, the grand colonial style hotel is where the Long Bar Restaurant can be found. We weren’t surprised to find the floor strewn with peanut shells. Long Bar carries the usual pub meals and the popular Singapore Sling. If you enjoy dining in elegant Singapore restaurants, don’t miss out on Raffles Hotel’s dining options.

Our gastronomic journey did not end with the drinks at Long Bar. We were heady with delight when we proceeded to enjoy a juicy steak dinner at the steakhouse. Unless I have extra funds, I don’t think I’ll be going back there soon on my own. Overall, it was a memorable dining experience and I can say now that I’ve set foot in one of the best Singapore restaurants.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Discover the Simplest & the Best Singapore Restaurants

When hunger pangs strike, leave it to the food stalls located all over Singapore to come to the rescue. Simple can be the best. There’s something for everyone – Indians, Chinese, Thais, and other nationalities – at popular food stalls in Singapore. How to spot them? Go where the crowds queue. When visiting popular fine dining restaurants in Singapore, keep an eye out for food places nearby that serve simple to intriguing specialties.

Office workers, locals, and other hungry souls dart to the food centers to enjoy tasty and affordable eats served with no fanfare. Whatever diners prefer -- Chinese dimsum, spicy chilli crabs, pizza with delicious toppings, Thai Style steamed fish, Japanese eats, spicy Indian fare, or a drink like refreshing milk tea -- there are food stalls and restaurants in Singapore that cater to every taste. For a friend of mind who works near Margaret Drive Hawker Center, there’sthe convenience of getting such tasty delights as fish head curry, chicken rice, popiah (fresh spring rolls) that’re nice & thin and have delicious filling. Lucky soul!

For most of us who have to walk or get ride to reach good places to eat in Singapore, it’s the delicious finds at the end of the journey that makes commuting worth it. At Bukit Timah, for example, there’s a dining place called Por Kee Eating House located across Tiong Bahru Market that serves the best tofu dish I’ve ever tasted, great tasting spicy chilli crab, juicy pork ribs, and other good eats not all restaurants in Singapore can whip up so skillfully. The place to go to really depends on what you’re hankering for. Want oodles of noodles? One of the best places to visit, if dining at first-class Cantonese restaurants in Singapore is but a remote dream, is the Chomp Chomp Food Centre at Serangoon Gardens, with stalls of seafood dishes, western foods, satay stalls, chicken rice, and desserts like ice kachang and fried carrot cake. Really worth trying and adding to your food memories.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Exploring Chinatown Singapore restaurants


Chinatown Singapore is an interesting place to visit if you’re in the city state and looking for something to ingest. The place has several popular attractions for people who happen to be just wandering around or really looking for good Singapore restaurants. If you’re in the Chinatown district, you just might stumble into this coffee shop where you can get your fill of an exceptionally good cup of Joe -- Nanyang Old Coffee. Feel the wonderful aroma of Singapore coffee wafting in the air as you approach the outlet, and prepare to be amazed.

Singapore coffee is like no other. Even those who barely drink coffee may be hooked to the freshly roasted, ground and brewed pick-me-up beverage at Nanyang Old Coffee.  Diners in the area also go for `runny eggs’ and kaya toast.  Customers who drop by the coffee shop also get to see cultural artifacts that the store owners have set up in some sort of coffee museum at the back of the food & beverage outlet. There are lots of other Singapore restaurants, of course, to get your brew of Singapore-style coffee.

Have a craving for something Italian? If you’re at Chinatown midday or for dinner and ready to splurge, there are Singapore restaurants like Senso Ristorante & Bar. Thrilling can best describe dinner at Senso. You may worry a bit about an expanding waistline given the restaurant’s large servings, but with glorious eats like margherita pizza, pan-fried buffalo mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham, olive pesto, and chili mayonnaise, and beef fillet in rocket and Gorgonzola sauce, plus heavenly desserts, one can get carried away. With an ambiance that’s conducive to eating and good service, you feel like you just gotta bring a special friend over to share good eats. Fun, family pizza places do exist also in nearby destinations.