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with harissa sauce, potato hash with crème fraîche and caviar,
and prawn shumai dumplings with spicy ponzu. These small,
delightful, delicious bites are full of flavour and ideal for
sharing – though you may not want to.
The larger plates are likewise big treats. The wagyu
tobanyaki with smoked bonito and apple ginger soy is sweet,
salty, and silky, and the aged duck breast, paired with fragrant
plum and cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), is a delight. Add a side
of blackened crispy eggplant (think Korean fried chicken
but without the chicken) and baby corn over coals,
with a lick of shiso butter on top, and this is one
whimsical journey you won’t want to end.
Luckily, there’s more to come, with a
divine selection of desserts en route. From
wood-fired plums with sour cream, lime jelly,
and red shisho ice to the yuzu grape with
mandarin sherbet, thyme, and kyoho
grapes, the choices will excite and delight
the palate. But if you have room for only one
(poor you!), then order the dragon egg with
chocolate mousse, yuzu curd, and soy caramel
ice-cream. As theatrical as it is delicious, this dessert
virtually insists that you be camera-ready when it arrives at
your table. (You’ve been forewarned.) Finish your gastronomic
odyssey with ‘the greatest espresso martini of all time’, which
might just be the greatest espresso martini of all time –
content in the knowledge that although your adventure might
be over for now, this is one trip you’d be happy to take again
and again.
IF YOU HAVE
ROOM FOR
ONLY ONE
DESSERT, ORDER
THE DRAGON
EGG.DO
ODETTE
Housed in the National Gallery Singapore and run by
chef Julien Royer, this French fine-dining
establishment has four-, six-, and eight-course
menus that change regularly. However, stand-out
examples include scallop tartare and the rosemary-
smoked organic egg that arrives in grand fashion
over billowing dry ice. But this restaurant isn’t just
smoke and mirrors. Since opening in 2015, it has
received two Michelin stars, Restaurant of the Year
at the recent G Restaurant Awards, and a spot
(number 28) on the 2018 World’s 50 Best
Restaurants list.BURNT ENDS
This modern Australian barbecue restaurant just
received its first Michelin star – and understandably
so. With dishes such as flatiron steak with burnt
onion and bone marrow and Western Australian
marrons in a kombu beurre blanc, the food is
intense, robust, hearty, and satisfying. Make no
mistake: this is not your average steakhouse.Gardens by the Bay is nothing if not extraordinary. Singapore
has taken 18 ‘supertrees’ – each from 25 to 50 metres tall- and distributed them across more than 100 hectares of
newly cultivated greenery on reclaimed land. With their huge
concrete trunks topped with more than 200 species of
tropical flowering orchids, ferns, and climbers, these man-
made vertical-garden structures look like a settlement of
alien pods, particularly as dusk falls and they begin to twinkle
green, blue, pink, and purple to the rhythm of music. Do
yourself a favour and don’t miss this architectural,
technological, and natural marvel.
Haji Lane in Kampong Glam might be one
of the narrowest streets in Singapore, but it’s
also one of the best for shopping. Located
in the city’s Arab Quarter, this petite street
boasts dozens of quirky and colourful
boutiques showcasing independent
designers and selling both new products
and vintage goods. Don’t miss Bar Stories
(cocktail heaven!), Mondays Off (great gifts),
and Shop Wonderland (a cafe and lifestyle
store that lives up to its name).
The Singapore Flyer is Asia’s largest observation
wheel, and this novelty is well worth a trip, particularly at
sunset as the sky turns a vibrant pink. The wheel carries you
165 metres off the ground in one of the 28 UV-protected
capsules that hold as many as 28 people. Feeling hungry?
Try the Singapore Flyer Sky Dining flight, which consists of
a four-course dinner served over two 30-minute rotations
as well as your very own in-flight butler.
Odette, National Gallery Singapore.INDULGE | The lion city