$50-80

FIFTYTHREE
The menu: Thanks to chef and owner Michael Han, the dishes on offer are well-executed and beautifully presented, with three options for each course. Our entrée of sashimi-style scallops with Earl Grey and lavender granita, balls of compressed watermelon, crisp chicken feet and passion fruit coulis was simply stunning, as were the mains of crisp pork belly with red cabbage puree and braised Wagyu cheek with asian pear ($10 supplement). Desserts don’t disappoint either. Give the five-spiced fried pineapple with brie ice cream a go ($5 supplement) or the Amedei Chuao chocolate ice cream with cassis leather and fresh berries ($10 supplement).
The damage: $53 for three divine courses.
The verdict: We’d gladly lunch here everyday, if we could. The space is understated and elegant (which makes it ideal for a business lunch or an intimate meal with a special someone), the service is exemplary, but above all, the carefully-prepared posh nosh is stellar. As a real bonus, the portions here are generous. We suggest setting aside at least a good hour and a half to get the most out of this experience.
53 Armenian St., 6334-5535. Mon-Fri noon-2pm.

LES AMIS
The menu: With eight starters, five mains and six desserts to choose from, they’ve certainly got their bases covered. We highly recommend chef Armin Leitgeb’s signature lightly-smoked eel “tiède,” with crispy pork croûton, shaved horseradish and Dijon mustard emulsion and homemade ramp leaf pasta with poached Maine lobster and chanterelles ($12 supplement). Other winning items include Hungarian goose foie gras ”parfait” with Gewürztraminer jelly and black Périgord truffles ($20 supplement) and charcoal-grilled Wagyu ribeye with Périgourdine sauce ($25 supplement). End your meal with rhubarb textures and tarragon-scented ice cream or be adventurous and try the pickled Hawaiian papaya, with frozen curry, ginger and lime.
The damage: It’s $70 for three and $88 for four (two appetizers, a main and one dessert) courses. Both sets include coffee or tea.
The verdict: We grant that lunch here doesn’t come cheap, but then again, you’re getting more than just fabulous food. The setting is exquisite.
#02-16 Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Rd., 6733-2225. Mon-Sat noon-3pm.

MAJESTIC RESTAURANT
The menu: Expect chef-owner Yong Bing Ngen’s signature style of modern Chinese fare with a twist, exemplified in dishes such as a combination platter of Peking duck skin, pan-seared foie gras and crispy soft shell crab with mangoes. Other dishes include double-boiled shark’s fin soup with black truffle, honey-glazed rack of lamb with XO carrot cake and stewed noodles with shredded abalone, mushrooms and truffle oil.
The damage: $40/60 per person for the five-course premium and deluxe set lunch respectively (for a minimum of two people).
The verdict: There’s just something about Chinese food that makes it bettersuited for bigger groups (we think four is the ideal number). While the food is good and service commendable, larger portions wouldn’t hurt.
G/F New Majestic Hotel, 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6511-4718. Daily 11:45am-3pm.

SAINT PIERRE
The menu: The daily set lunch changes weekly, while the executive set lunch enjoys a daily update. We sampled the three-course daily lunch (with four different options for each course), as well as the executive set lunch (no choices, so it’s perfect if you’re indecisive). On our visit, starters such as roasted king prawn with lemon jelly or their classic pan-fried foie gras with port sauce ($8 supplement) were offered, while mains included white miso-crusted black cod with squid ink emulsion and low temperature-braised pork jowl with wasabi-pea velouté. For dessert, we had the choice of chestnut ice cream with white chocolate ganache or an assorted cheese platter ($8 supplement).
The damage: The daily set lunch costs $52 for three courses, while the executive set lunch ($75) has four courses (both come with coffee or tea). If you‘re just looking for a quickie, there’s the option of a main and dessert ($32) or a starter and main, with coffee or tea for $42 (but as far as we’re concerned, what’s the point in that?).
The verdict: The daily set lunch here has options aplenty, twelve in just three courses—you’ve got to love that. It’s also an understated, quiet space ideal for an intimate meal, although we’d only recommend it if you’ve got time to spare (our meal lasted about two hours). Truth be told, it’d be a crime to rush through a meal like this.
#01-01 Central Mall, 3 Magazine Rd., 6438-0887. Mon-Fri noon-2pm.

TIPPLING CLUB
The menu: Treat yourself to chef Ryan Clift’s scrumptious molecular gastronomy fare, without hurting your pocket. It’s a three-course lunch deal, with four different options for each course. We kicked things off with pan-seared Hokkaido scallops, cauliflower brûlée and sakura ebi; for mains, a hearty garden pea risotto with crisp bacon chips or pan-fried kingfish on a bed of beetroot-kuzu noodles. As a delightful finale, a snowball of white chocolate and coconut mousse with yuzu curd proved hard to resist.
The damage: Three courses will set you back $55, but trust us when we say, it’s entirely worth it.
The verdict: Lunches here aren’t quite as full-on as their five- or 10-course dinners, but on a Saturday afternoon, we reckon that’s a good thing. Plus, that just means we have a little more space in our bellies for their tasty cocktails.
8D Dempsey Rd., 6475-2217. Sat noon-2:30pm.

Over $80

ANDRE
The menu: In keeping with the philosophy of a degustation menu, their lunch is prixe fixe, with three appetizers, one main course and a dessert. There are no choices whatsoever, so come with an open mind and be prepared for whatever chef André decides to craft. On our visit, we indulged in creations such as smoked salmon served with white peach and tomato salad, Hijeki seaweed and basil flower sorbet, bruleed foie gras jello, périgord black truffle coulis with chives and slow-roasted Japanese Omi short rib beef with celery root puree and mushroom polenta Bianca.
The damage: It’s one of the steepest lunches, at $125 for five scrumptious courses.
The verdict: For a five-course meal, it’s surprisingly quick (we were in and out in just an hour and 15 minutes). The service was beyond reproach, the clientele is well-coiffed and the food superb. Our only gripe is that it’s on the pricy side of things. Then again, if you’re coming here, that shouldn’t be an issue.
41 Bukit Pasoh Rd., 6534-8880. Mon-Fri noon-4pm.

IGGY'S
The menu: It’s a standard four-course deal here, as standard as it gets at Iggy’s anyway. They switch things up every one or two months, depending on what’s in season. We were offered a hot and cold entrée to pick from (naturally we ordered both), pea flan with mint and parmesan or a divine oyster with shiso leaf, encased in sea essence jelly, with mascarpone and pickled discs of cucumber. That was followed by a pasta course of squid ink tonnarelli with fried calamari and tomatoes or vegetarian lasagna. For mains, three offerings: Spring vegetables (for herbivores), quail with black beans and white asparagus, or charcoal-grilled Wagyu with tapenade, okra and yukon gold potato ($40 supplement). For the sweet-toothed, three different options such as yogurt panna cotta with raspberries.
The damage: $85 for four courses (one starter, a pasta dish and a main, followed by dessert). Not the most expensive, but certainly not cheap either.
The verdict: The crowd’s a little older here (mid-40s, plus or minus 10 years) and it’s a pleasant experience overall, with mostly competent wait staff (although they neglected to ask us how we’d like our beef done: For the record, medium-rare please) and good quality fare. The entire affair lasted a pleasurable 90 minutes.
3/F Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Rd., 6732-2234. Daily noon-3:30pm.

KUNIO TOKUOKA 
The menu: Michelin-starred chef Kunio Tokuoka prizes freshness and simplicity above all else; you could say his philosophy is: Balance, balance and balance. Both lunch sets, the five-course and kaiseki, don’t really give you options, although the former allows you to pick from assorted sushi, seafood shirashi donburi or tempura udon for mains. The latter is undoubtedly more filling, but at $450 a pop, you’d certainly hope so. Seasonal offerings include fresh scallops and ikura with homemade chirizu sauce, a tantalizing spread of the freshest sashimi and charcoal-grilled Wagyu with shaved foie pate.
The damage: $120 for the five-course set lunch or $450 for the seven-course kaiseki menu.
The verdict: Is it absolutely delicious? Without a doubt. But unless you’re Miss/ Mr Moneybags, we’re not entirely convinced the jump from $120 to $450 is worth it. Ideally, you’d charge it to your company or have your sugar momma take you.
#02-139 Crockfords Tower Lobby Level, 26 Sentosa Gateway, 6686-3633. Daily noon-3pm.

KURIYA PENTHOUSE
The menu: Centered around what’s fresh at the fish markets and seasonal products from Japan, you’re entirely at the mercy of head chef Yoshihiko Koezuka. Fortunately, you’re in good hands. We were lucky enough to sample some homemade white miso mousse with ikura, raw nore sore (baby eels) and hotaru ika (firefly squid) tempura. The procession of courses continued with Shikoku sugar tomatoes and tomato sorbet, toro (tuna belly), uni (sea urchin) and tai (sea bream) sushi and finally, luscious strawberries and a wedge of insanely sweet and intoxicating musk melon.
The damage: The seven-course lunch goes for $120 and comes with a welcome drink, as well as tea or coffee. There’s also an eight-course chef omakase set for $150.
The verdict: We took about two hours to get through our seven courses, so forget about it unless your boss is out of town or you’re armed with an arsenal of excuses for why you’re only back in the office when everyone else is getting ready to leave.
#12-02 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Rd., 6509-4222. Daily noon-3pm

Aburiya
#01-03 The Quayside, 60 Robertson Quay, 6735-4862.

Each table is kitted out with its own grill.

Aburiyatei
#01-10 The Quayside, 60 Robertson Quay, 6836-5370.

A small yet authentic yakitori joint with a wicked variety of dishes.

Akanoya Robatayaki Restaurant
#01-01 Orchard Parade Hotel, 1 Tanglin Rd., 6732-1866.

This lively robatayaki is not for wallflowers. Expect an evening of rowdy banter, laughs and plenty of sake.

En Grill & Bar
#01-59/60 UE Square, 207 River Valley Rd., 6732-6863.

Great food and even better drinks. The grilled rice ball is on our list of 50 things to eat before you die.

Hide Yamamoto
#02-05 Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave., 6688-8513.

Robatayaki is one of the four menu choices available, and it's divine.

Ippudo Tao
#01-55 UE Square, 207 River Valley Rd., 6887-5315.

This second outlet of the Japanese ramen joint serves kushiyaki.

San-Sui Sumiyaki & Tsuki Bar
#01-05 One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Rd., 6423-1555.

Given its posh zipcode, you can be sure this is no smelly hole-in-the-wall.

Takumi Restaurant
2/F Marina at Keppel Bay, 2 Keppel Bay Vista, 6271-7414.

A success in Tokyo, this robatayaki and teppanyaki restaurant can get crowded, so make sure to call ahead for a table.

Browse all Japanese restaurants in Singapore

How tricky is that for you as a chef? Any tips to share?
I don’t think it’s that tricky at all. What’s important is the quality of the produce and to bring out as much flavor as possible. I just try to keep it pure and simple, definitely seasonally and locally sourced, organic where possible. Experiment with different spices, fruits and vegetables, even marinating something can do wonders. I would also say reading recipes from various sources, as well as trial and error, because practice makes perfect. One of the easiest things to have is a well-stocked pantry, so you have ingredients such as spices readily available to you at home. Then the cooking process isn’t so laborious and all you need to do is pick up fresh ingredients.

So you cook healthy, but do you eat healthy as well?
I’m a bit of a salad freak. I love tomatoes, avocadoes, romaine lettuce and sweet corn, so I always make salads around those ingredients. I don’t have a real hankering for junk food. I just need to do more exercise and stop eating too much, that’s my problem. I’m not a big beef eater. I would never order a steak unless I was in a steakhouse. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever cooked a piece of steak at home in my life.

You travel quite a bit, what are some particularly memorable meals you’ve had?
Grilled lamb brains in Morocco where they have a big night market. I was a little starved for some good street food. In Thailand, you’re always getting weird and wonderful things such as bugs and rice roaches. David Thompson uses rice roach fish sauce in this particular green chili relish and it imparts the most unusual flavor, but if you have it by itself, it just tastes like ammonia. It’s terrible. I did a charity dinner with Jean Georges, David Thompson and Neil Perry in Bangkok. David took us out for dinner after and made us all eat the actual rice roach. It was in a salad and they had the rice roach fish sauce, as well as pounded up rice roaches.

Chef Amanda Gale will be in town on Apr 11-15 for Superfoods Revolution: Cuisine for Life. She’ll be cooking up lunch and dinner at One-Ninety (G/F Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, 190 Orchard Blvd., 6831-7250) with organic ingredients from SuperNature (#01-21/23/27 Park House, 21 Orchard Blvd., 6304-1338), and conducting three cooking demonstrations ($120) on Apr 12-14, 4-6pm.

Chatterbox
Open Since: Jan 1971
This local food institution is where you can try their widelylauded, award-winning Hainanese chicken rice, with some spicy chili sauce, fragrant rice and tender meat. Also worth trying are the lobster or seafood laksa and rojak. Be warned: Dishes here don’t come cheap.
5/F Mandarin Orchard Singapore, 333 Orchard Rd., 6831- 6291.

Gordon Grill
Open Since: Jan 1964
Fitted out in shades of cream and latte, Gordon Grill is one classy place to bring your wife (or that chick you’ve been trying to impress all year). The emphasis here is on clean, elegant flavors; highlights include the steamed garoupa fillet and chilled angel hair pasta with king crab, seaweed and caviar.
Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Rd., 6730-1744.

Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant
Open Since: Aug 1956
Palm Beach touts itself as the creator of Singapore’s famous black pepper crab, making its situation next to the Merlion along the Singapore River particularly apt. The Coco Lobo (lobster with vermicelli in superior stock), double-baked crab and chili crab are signature treats.
#01-09 One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Rd., 6336-8118.

Pete’s Place
Open Since: Jan 1973
The fact that Pete’s Place has been around since 1973 must mean it’s doing something right. Resembling a cozy, family-run trattoria, it serves up similarly rustic fare such as the seafood-laden cioppino and pizza pam pam (a two-inone special comprising a half calzone filled with mortadella, mozzarella and ricotta; and a half pizza with minced sausage, cherry tomatoes, fresh chili and mozzarella).
B/1 Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Rd., 6732-1234.

Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant
Open Since: Jan 1977
Singapore’s oldest revolving restaurant specializes in genuine Beijing cuisine—something you cannot easily find elsewhere. Besides the spectacular view, their signature dishes such as the crispy barbequed Peking duck and shredded scallops with fish and egg whites are also stunning.
201 Keppel Rd., 6272-8822.

Raffles Grill
Open Since: Jan 1923
Even though Raffles Grill has been around forever, the impeccable service, old world ambiance and a gourmet menu that reads like poetry all remain. From caviar, duck liver, lobster medallion to prime steaks, the food is one rich culinary delight after another.
G/F Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Rd., 6412-1185.

Rendezvous Restaurant Hock Lock Kee
Open Since: Feb 1935
Over seven decades ago, Rendezvous started out as a small coffeeshop selling Western cuisine. Its Chinese owners then took a gamble and introduced Sumatran nasi padang; the rest, as they say, is history. Today, this grand old dame is still drawing crowds for its famous spicy curries. The juicy beef rendang, chicken curry and sambal sotong are musts.
#02-72/75/77/92 The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen St., 6339-7508.

Rang Mahal
Open Since: Apr 1971
This long-standing fine dining Indian restaurant is still impressive after all these years. Serving regional Indian cuisine (North, South and coastal), signature creations are the tandoori masala oyster, hot stone tandoori lamb chops, tandoori salmon tikka, smoked bharta (aubergine) and lal mirch ka paneer tikka (spicy cottage cheese). There are excellent and extensive vegetarian options, too. For a contemporary yet traditional vibe, we’d recommend the elegant Rang Mahal anytime.
3/F Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Blvd., 6333-1788.

Samy’s Curry Restaurant
Open Since: Dec 1970
Since 1970, Samy’s has been offering finger-licking curries in their very unassuming and casual environment, and the profusion of trendy eateries in this area hasn’t made a dent in their popularity. Don’t miss the house specialties: The fish head curry, along with Samy’s famous masala chicken, mysore mutton and tandoori prawns.
25 Dempsey Rd., 6472-2080.

The Tiffin Room
Open Since: Apr 1910
Hands-down the oldest of the lot, The Tiffin Room’s antiquated surroundings and ceiling fans whirring slowly overhead is redolent of the colonial era and almost seems like a place untouched by the passage of time. The food here is good too; the mulligatawny soup, butter chicken, Hyderabad fish and spinach with cottage cheese are ever delectable.
G/F Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Rd., 6412-1190.

Au Jardin EJH
Corner House, Singapore Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre, 1 Cluny Rd., 6466-8812.

Barracks Café
8D Dempsey Rd., 6475-7787. Cicada 7 Portsdown Rd., 6472-2100.

Halia Restaurant & Villa Halia
Ginger Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Rd., 6476-6711.

Onaka @ Body With Soul
44 Rochester Park, 6778-0246.

Poison Ivy Bistro
100 Neo Tiew Rd., 6898-5001.

PS. Café
28B Harding Rd., 9070-8782.

ROAST at One Rochester
1 Rochester Park, 6773-0070.

If you’re a coffee nut like us (there’s no shame in it), you’ll already know that the 2011 Singapore National Barista Championships (SNBC) are taking place from Mar 21-23. Organized in conjunction with Tea & Coffee World Cup Singapore by the Singapore Coffee Association (SCA), the latest edition of the competition comes at a time when specialty coffee culture appears to be making something of a breakthrough here.

Says Victor Mah, President of SCA, “The event aims to raise the profile of the barista to that of a recognized professional, where local baristas can gather and share their passion and interest.” There’s no doubting that the competition is a big deal—aside from the title, the winner of this year’s SNBC will go on to represent Singapore in the World Barista Championship (WBC) at Bogota, Colombia in June—and participants deserve all the plaudits that come their way.

Australian Harry Grover, owner and head barista of so-hip-it-hurts 40 Hands (#01-12, 78 Yong Siak St., 6225-8545) in Tiong Bahru, knows how important the competition is elsewhere. “It’s a big thing to win it in Australia and it opens up a lot of doors,” he says. “You have to do a lot of training, serious training, to compete in something like the SNBC. You don’t just rock up and do it, and it does add credibility to your CV.”

However, it’s far from clear that the set-up here in Singapore is the best platform for giving the scene a boost. The scene is still in its infancy, and some of those leading the charge haven’t been here all that long. Given the nature of our service workforce (a large percentage of which is foreign), the requirement that foreigners work in the coffee industry here for two years before they’re eligible to enter (it’s open to all Singaporeans and PRs, regardless of how long they’ve been in the industry), hardly encourages top-notch competition; even if the rule is necessary for the event to qualify as a WBC preliminary. Perhaps the rules in place could be changed in recognition of the fact that while foreign baristas may be newcomers to the industry here, they’re no strangers to the coffee industry where they hail from.

Says Grover, “I feel like the NBC is a little more unknown here as the industry is still fairly young. There just seems to be a bit more emphasis and pride placed on baristas as a profession back home. There aren’t a lot of career baristas here, especially local ones. I’d really like to see it available for my foreign employees, who see being a barista as a career, especially as they’re adding value to the coffee scene here.”

That said, the competition will still be graced by some undoubted talent. One person who knows what it takes to win is Keith Loh, coffee maestro, reigning champion of 2010’s SNBC and owner of Oriole Coffee, including its newest outlet Oriole Espresso & Brew Bar (#01-23/23A, Republic Plaza, 9 Raffles Place, 6438-3843). He’s a rare breed, as most business owners simply don’t have the time to train for something as intense as this. “To be honest, I don’t actually train that much physically,” he says, “but I keep running over details in my head. And of course, experience helps. I don’t go into a competition thinking it’s an individual effort. My whole organization rallies behind me to give me the time to train.”

Loh is looking forward to defending his crown this year. “I really have to focus as expectations are a lot higher and the pressure’s even greater as I’m in the position of having to defend my title. I have everything to lose. After all these years of being a barista, I still believe I’m my biggest competitor.” He’s quick to add, “It’s not just about winning. At the end of the day, it’s all about my passion for coffee. And it’s a platform to improve the specialty coffee community as a whole and raise the level of professionalism and quality of coffee offerings in Singapore.”

Asked whether he thinks the rules need changing, Loh suggests the SCA “try to be as inclusive as possible, but the idea is for the participants to give back to the coffee community here.”

There may be some truth in that: If someone could just turn up, participate (maybe even win) and then leave, the scene as a whole would be poorer. Although, in theory, a Singaporean or PR could do just that, they’re arguably more likely to be permanently committed to the scene here.

Yet there’s no question that many of the young baristas working at the likes of 40 Hands are just as passionate about their work, and about building the scene here, as the people who’ll be competing in the coming days. We just have to hope they’ll stick around long enough to one day go head to head with them.

The Tea & Coffee World Cup Singapore runs from Mar 21-23 at Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre—Hall 401 (1 Raffles Blvd., Suntec City, 6337-2888) and includes workshops, tastings and auctions. Entry to the National Barista Championships is free, but space is limited. Find out more and register at www.tcworldcup.com/singapore or email [email protected].