Binge - Mother’s Day Feeds: 21st Century Or Traditional?

The mention of Mother’s Day seems to bring out stereotypical ideas of what a mom should like. Often, traditional meals with equally traditional entertainment - multicourse Chinese dinners with Peranakan pantuns for entertainment, for example. That would work perhaps for our mothers…and indeed, it may not be a bad time to give old mom a treat together with her grand kids. But how about delectable yummy mummies of the 21st century….like us? 

Where’s the free-flow martini sessions in honour of the glorified household slaves? Or a decadent girls night out so we can take a well deserved break?

Lots of Mother’s Day deals out there, and while there’s nothing that truly deeply cooks my goose, I have attempted to lay out the goodies for you, according to deals good for our Moms, and treats for 21st century ladies like us. Here goes:

FOR YUMMY MUMMIES

If you like a bit of posh with your oysters and deep sea crustacean, go to The Greenhouse at The Ritz Carlton. Lots of good food afoot. At the Greenhouse, the International Seafood Buffet Dinner (9 & 10 May) serves the usual buffet line of briny suspects and much more, but here’s the treat – unlimited drinks including beers, juices, free-flowing Vintage Prosecco and house pour red and white wines best paired with the assortment of farmhouse cheeses. Like water into wine!

$84 per adult, S$42 per child (6-12 years of age)

For those who say chocolates are better than sex, ditch the guy and get a better one. 

But seriously, if you like your chocolate so much, go for the Chocolates and Nuts Weekend Afternoon Tea Buffet (9&10 May, 2.30pm – 5pm) at the Chihuly Lounge, also at the Ritz. 

The spread dials up the calories with desserts such as Manjari chocolate soup with tea-infused pear, ivory and lemongrass chocolate jelly with pineapple chutney and Guanaja chocolate rice pudding with sour cherries compote and vanilla chantilly, and others, as well as pastries, and unlimited servings of hot or iced vanilla hazelnut tea and chocolate orange.

$40 per adult and $20 per child (six – 12 years of age)

For reservations, call 6434 5288 or email rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com

I haven’t tried the brunch at Carousel, at Royal Plaza on Scotts, but many friends have said it was good. 

Tragically, I just got word from the hotel – from the horse’s mouth! – that they are stopping brunch, the last spread being on Mother’s Day! 

So pick up the phone and make your reservations NOW! At $98++ with free flow Champers ($60++ without bubbly), it’s a very good deal. 

For the final blast on 10 May, they’re rolling out a massive buffet spread with every conceivable station you can expect – mezze, Japanese, rotisserie, chicken rice station, cheese, Asian favourites, BBQ, dim sum, hot pot, three dessert stations and lots lots more.

Call 6589 7799 or email carousel@royalplaza.com.sg for reservations…NOW

Speaking of Carousel, the bakery Gourmet Carousel – which I always thought was rather underestimated for its creative confections – have turned out some really cute sweets for the occasion. 

This sweet-as-pie heart-shaped Ispahan ($7 each - $48 for 1kg) and whimsical chocolate lollipop bouquet ($12 pcs for $45) are pretty enough to replace the usual bouquet, don’t you think?

Available from 4-10 May.

And finally, how about a progressive five-course dinner at BLU, on the stunning top floor of Shangri-La? 

Just the place to go for your fancy your foams, airs, dust and edible membranes. It’s a gastronomic roller coaster ride with Chef de Cuisine Kevin Cherkas, who dishes out super ingenious cooking with a gobs of theatrical humour, if you are lucky enough to be attended to by him. 

For Mother’s Day, he rolls out a five-course menu at $130 per person, available for dinner on 9 May. All mothers dining on the special set menu will receive a gift.

Call 6213 4598 for reservations

FOR THE TRADITIONAL MUMMY 

Restaurants with en suite shopping mall! How convenient is that? 

Hit the shops with good old Mum by 10am before the crowd comes in, then potter over to the Plaza Market Café at the Fairmont Hotel for a long slow brunch-tea (9 & 10 May, 12pm- 4.30pm). 

Asian food never fails to hit the spot – on the menu are Baked Mini-Mutton Rendang in Flaky Puff Pastry, Shallow-fried Prawn Chee Chong Fun, Braised Kong Bak with Steamed Chinese Bun, Roti Prata, Nyonya Laksa, Pulut Hitam, Putu Mayam with Brown Sugar and Fresh Coconut, and other toothsome delights…..plus sangria too. Need I say more?

$39.50++ per adult (inclusive of Sangria Punch); $19.00++ per child (6 - 12yrs)
Call 65 6431 6156 or email:dining.singapore@fairmont.com

If Mummy likes her Chinese delicacies, haul her off for a luxe Bird’s Nest Weekend Brunch at the Four Seasons’ Jiang Nan Chun. 

Available throughout May, including Saturdays, it features a spread of 100 appetisers, soups, dim sum, main courses and desserts in unlimited servings, and the Bird’s Nest Special menu of 41 dishes such as bird’s nest with winter-melon and shark’s fin soup, steamed cod with bird’s nest and minced ginger and bird’s nest porridge with dried scallop.

$63++ per adult, $32++ per child; Call 65 6831-7220 for details and reservations

Then there’s the all the you can eat a la carte lunch at Pan Pacific’s Hai Tien Lo (Level 37) from 1- 10 May, at $68++ per adult, ($38++ for children between 6-12 years old) or an a la carte buffet brunch at Keyaki restaurant featuring teppanyaki, sushi, robatayaki, tempura.

Call 6826 8240 or email celebrate.sin@panpacific.com

And how about a bit of uppity uppity culture? At the Shangri-La, the Rose Verandah – the quintessential bastion of femininity – is dishing out an afternoon tea of international cuisines and desserts, together with an ikebana exhibition by Ikebana International, Singapore Chapter, on 9 & 10 May.

Ladies from the association will also be there to mingle. $45 per adult and $23 per child. Add $13 for free-flowing Domaine Ott Rose Wine, Charlotte Street Shiraz Cabernet and Semillon Chardonnay. Call : 65 6213 4486 for reservations.