Binge – Awesome Value Christmas Feasts

Christmas and the festivities often mean inflated prices all around town. But you don’t have to bust your budget with these simplyfab deals we sniffed out. Thank goodness for restaurants and hotels who are firm on doling out good value. And trust us to pick out only the swanky spots…

Heart Bistro

This ultimate tai tai hang out is serving up a classy, classic Christmas in its spacious spot in Palais Renaissance. Start with a glass of warm Christmas spiced wine, followed by an appetiser of cured carpaccio of salmon with a dijon dill dressing or Slow roasted pumpkin soup with aromatics + honey. Mains is a choice of roasted turkey roll stuffed with porcini mushrooms + chestnuts with a giblet sauce or roasted shoulder of lamb with a caper mint sauce. End off with Christmas pudding with brandy caramel. See, you don’t need to stuff yourself like a turkey to have a great Christmas – here’s all the good things rolled in a nice, healthy, bikini-friendly menu. (May we suggest a girls’ afternoon out? First a shopping spree or a facial at Sothys next door, then an elegant slither over to the restaurant for yums. How’s that for picking up the Christmas spirit?) The menu is priced at $43++ for lunch, $53++ for dinner. $68++ on Christmas eve and New Year’s eve.

By the way, if you want to get a turkey for Christmas lunch, here’s one of the best takeaway deals in town - $100 per bird (4kg) in Szechuan peppercorn with Chinese wine & giblet sauce.

atrium @ palais renaissance

390, Orchard Road, B1-08/09/10C

Tel : 6737-2148

Wangz Hotel
Away from the crush of the Orchard Road crowds, this relatively new family run boutique hotel is a quaint spot to find some tranquility. It’s great for a Christmas date as there’s lots of old streets nearby to walk around, and a cute rooftop bar for sundowners with a view before heading downstairs to Nectar for dinner. At $140++ for two, their 6 course Christmas eve menu starts with pan seared duck foie gras with caramelised pineapples, a roasted tomato soup with sweet peppers and spinach dumplings, then a green apple sorbet. Main dishes is a choice of beef wellington with mushrooms and asparagus with sherry wine sauce, or red snapper and scallops with carrots and orange confit. End with a raspberry logcake with gingerbread panna cotta.

231 Outram Road

Tel: 6595 1388

Email inquiry@wangzhotel.com

Klapsons, the Boutique Hotel

Until Christmas Eve, this boutique hotel in Tanjong Pagar is serving up a nice little ‘semi buffet’ in its avant garde restaurant, Lucas. A cosy spot, it’s a favourite for corporate do’s, so make sure you call ahead for reservations before turning up with your colleagues! For $48++ at lunch and $68++ for dinner, pick on a spread of appetisers, soups, salads and desserts on the buffet table. You then choose a main course – Duet of Maine Lobster Tail in Vermouth and Normandy Butter and Pan Seared Supreme of Chicken with Glazed Blueberries on Parsnip Puree and Organic Baby Spinach or ‘55’ Degree Veal Tenderloin with Pan Seared Foie Gras and Glazed Raspberries with Baby Vegetables and a Morel Port Wine Sauce to be served. Lunch includes a little gift for each guest, while dinner includes an additional glass of wine.

Lunch is priced at $48++ per person with every paying diner entitled to a Christmas gift, and is available from 12noon to 2.30pm. The semi-buffet spread is also available during dinner, priced at $68++ per person with every paying diner entitled to a glass of house pouring wine and a Christmas gift.

15 Hoe Chiang RoadTel: 6521 9001 

Email fnb@klapsons.com

Jade Restaurant

Bet you didn’t expect Jade, the incredibly polished fine dining Chinese restaurant at The Fullerton Hotel, to be listed among places to go for great value. But it is and it does. I just keep wondering why more people don’t rave over it like I do. The food is great, the presentation splendid, and the service is perfect and the setting just blows you away – and none of it pretentious, and just the way I like it. Plus, all this is immersed in one of the most historical settings in Singapore. This Christmas, do it Chinese style under the able hands of Master Chef Leong Chee Yeng, a young, super creative force in my books, thank you. Ask for the festive six-course dinner (from $88 per person) which I am assuming is served in single portions, gorgeously plated western style as is their usual practice. Here’s what’s on the menu – Sliced Roasted Suckling Pig, Braised Shark’s Fin with Baby Abalone and Scallop in Golden Broth, Sautéed Sliced Turkey with Foie Gras, Shimeiji Mushroom and Capsicum and Pan-fried Wagyu Sirloin Steak with Barbeque Sauce Served with Fragrant Fried Rice with Bacon, Pumpkin and Ginger. You know, you always get absolutely great value from Chinese food. Available only on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

1 Fullerton Square
Tel 68778188

Szechuan Court

Speaking of Chinese, Szechuan Court at Fairmont Hotel is hiding another wonderful talent in the form of Chef Sebastian Goh. He’s got some Yuletide meals going on with Christmas set menus from S$78++ per person. Expect Salmon Tartar with Smoked Duck Roll; Braised Shredded Fish Lips, Dried Scallop and Turkey in Superior Thick Broth; Slow-Boiled Tonic Soup with Fish Belly, Fish Cartilage and Thorny Sea Cucumber;; Grilled Wagyu Beef Roll with Golden Mushroom and Avocado Mocha Ice-Cream with Bird’s Nest. On Christmas day and eve, guests get treated to complimentary servings of Christmas turkey and ham and live carving station too. If grandma is coming along, how about Christmas Day dim sum buffet at $33.80 per person (kids at $16.80)?

80 Bras Basah Rd 

Tel: 6837 3322

Introbar

Of course, Christmas is when we all get as stuffed as the turkey, so it’s forgiveable if we just want to meet up for a drink. Head to Swissotel The Stamford's street-level drinking hole, Introbar in the Equinox Complex, and fuel up on Moët & Chandon Brut at a pretty happy price of $84++ per bottle, or for a bit of pink indulgence, Moët & Chandon Rosé at $105++ per bottle. Chin Chin!

80 Bras Basah Rd
Tel: 6837 3322
- Ee Waun

Continue reading...

Binge – Fabulous Food at Heart Bistro

When William Tan told me last year that he was going to open a restaurant serving “healthy food”, I didn’t get over-excited. I imagined lentils, dehydrated rice, hay and birdseed – nothing with taste or temptation. But after many enthusiastic emails from William, I finally got behind the wheel of my Honda Jazz and sped down to Heart Bistro at the basement of Palais Renaissance one afternoon. (For the record, this is where Marmalade Pantry used to be.)

And you know what? Not only was Madam proven completely wrong about the hay and birdseed, lunch turned out exceedingly well indeed!

Situated in the basement atrium just outside the CYC boutique and my facial salon, Sothys, Heart Bistro is an airy, spacious and cheerful restaurant.

Firstly, William set me straight about this ‘healthy food’ business. “It’s not so much healthy food, but wholesome food,” he clarified. “The menu here is wholesome food, global cuisine.” Yes, it defies labeling, but as we SimplyFab ladies view it, there’s no need to angst and ponder – just eat!

Lots of yummy stuff on the menu. Madam started with a juice called “Botox” ($7) comprising watermelon, grapes and mint which was a little sweet, but nice. I’d rather have wine though, but his juice menu is extensive, humorous (lots of funny names like Fit and Fab, I feel good, etc) and creative so I just had to try.

From the kitchen helmed by his young and painfully shy chef from Hong Kong rolled out really good food. First up was a trilogy of tofu, homemade tofu made with vegetables blitzed into the soy, so it’s not smeared on top but integrated. Flavours change daily, but what I had included bell pepper tofu, and mushroom. I forgot the last one, I’m afraid. They were all very smooth and full flavoured. I also enjoyed the Hawaiian sashimi poke ($14), a rare find in Singapore’s menus! But what really stood out for me was the pickled tea leaves with tomato and mung bean salad ($14). Ooh, it was absolutely fabulous! Crunchy and springy, with a little pickled, tangy saltiness and lovely Oriental flavours. If you’re on a diet, this would make dieting delicious. I could have this every day! (No pretty picture though...)

For mains, the roasted black cod with baby spinach and edamame in ginger broth ($28) was very light, with largely traditional Chinese flavours. If you want a full lunch that doesn’t weigh you down, hungry but watching your weight, this is a very nice indeed. The cod was moist and flavourful, and the meat came off tenderly in its natural layers. The soup was a light consommé, but very tasty and not too salty.

My vote though goes hands down to the braised beef cheeks ($34). Two rotund cheeks (above) sitting primly in an unctuous, rich sauce, so tender it just falls away and melts in your mouth, opening up into big, robust, meaty flavours. It’s an absolute must-have, especially if you’re a meat person. One of the nicest mid-priced beef cheeks around. I believe this will be a winner for the guys (– though I must say this place continues to be dominated by ladies-who-lunch with a sprinkling of men when I was there). Other lovelies on the menu that caught my eye were the duck ragout parppadelle ($22), crabmeat and shrimp sandwich ($18) and twice-cooked short rib of beef in a merlot reduction ($38).

I had a lovely light carrot cake for dessert – good for sharing – but will also potter back one day to try the signature sticky date pudding with ice-cream (right) which comes highly recommended and chilled cream of double-boiled milk with berries ($12, below). Definitely worth checking out also is the list of ‘Nice Cakes’.

 

Open all day, it also serves light little tea sets from 3pm – 6pm: $9 for coffee and cake; $12 for quiche and caffeine, or $22 for a platter for two with free flow caffeine. Heart Bistro also serves brunch on weekends and holidays from 10.30 pm to 4.30pm, priced at $32++ for three-courses including caffeine. It’s perfect for those who like brunch but don’t want to gorge. For the record, there’s also a decent kid’s menu every day, so good for heaving the tots along, too.

All in all, a place I would go for a quiet, civilized and particularly yummy meal. With good value and good food, you don’t need a deep tai-tai bank account, yet it is perfect for those tai-tai immersion moments! This goes down onto my list of Little Treats.

atrium @ palais renaissance

390, Orchard Road, B1-08/09/10C
Tel : 6737-2148
- Ee Waun

Continue reading...