The 2017 food and drink guide to savour local flavours with a twist.

Local food will no doubt be the highlight of this year's National Day celebrations, as seasoned chefs across the island go the extra mile to create special menus featuring our favourite local dishes with a twist. And bartenders didn't miss this chance to showcase their creativity with locally-inspired drinks, too.

(Related: Where To Find The Best Food And Drink Festivals In Singapore)

Here are a few options to whet the appetite. 


Aquamarine

August 1 to 9, dinner
Drop by Aquamarine on August 9 for dinner, and don't forget to book a table at the al fresco area for a good view of the fireworks.

The buffet highlights include wagyu beef short rib satay, kueh pie tee with seafood filling topped with laksa espuma, and a mini tandoor chicken slider with mint jam and prawns. Don't miss the dessert spread to get your fill of the signature durian pengat, a sweetened puree made from the flesh of the fruit, as well as the durian mousse cake and Malay kuehs. The experience will be sweeter if you’re celebrating your birthday this month, because you’ll dine for free while your guests enjoy 30 per cent off the bill.

For information and reservations, please call 6845 1111 or email aquamarine.marina@meritushotels.com.


Ce La Vi

August 5 to 13, dinner
Ce La Vi’s panoramic view of the Marina Bay is like no other, especially when the night sky is lit up by the fireworks. That is, of course, a bonus to chef Joseph Sergentakis' five-course National Day menu, which he hopes is enough reason to celebrate.

Starters are a choice of either the lobster-pomelo mille feuille, the barbecued duck consomme or the foie gras; while the main course is an option between a slow-cooked Tasmanian salmon with lemongrass emulsion and a grilled black cod paired with clams and Chiang Mai sausage. The sweet finish comes in the form of a blond chocolate mousse with muscovado streusel, but if you crave something local, opt for the inspired kaya and burnt butter toast crafted with premium Namelaka honey and lemon sorbet.

For information and reservations, please call 6508 2188 or email reservation-sg@celavi.com.


Latest Recipe

August 1 to 31, dinner
Head to Latest Recipe in Sentosa if you want to get away from city crowds and tuck into classics such as the black pepper crab, bak kut teh and salted egg yolk crab—all made with premium ingredients. 

But pace yourself as there’s also a live station dedicated to serving all your local favourites, from Singapore-style laksa to the stir-fried Hokkien mee and prata with vegetable or dhal curry. 

For information and reservations, please call 6818 3305 or email latestrecipe.singaporesentosa@lemeridien.com.


Monti

August 5 to 8, lunch and dinner 
Trust Monti's head chef Felix Chong to craft a menu of all-time Singaporean favourites with an Italian twist. You'll surely appreciate innovative dishes which include the Iberico pork satay, crackling pork belly with lychee sambal dipping sauce and beef rendang sliders.

Head mixologist Joseph Millar is also offering cocktails with a local touch. His creations are the Dino Rock, concocted with Bailey's, bourbon, and Milo powder; and Bando, a mixture of Baileys, spiced rum, rose-infused evaporated milk, rose water bitters, rose syrup. All the offerings will be presented in a setting similar to a hawker centre, complete with various food and drink stalls within The Fullerton Pavilion.

For information and reservations, please call 6535 0724 or email reservations@monti.sg.


Peach Blossoms

August 1 to 9, lunch
Our National Day guide won’t be complete without some dim sum. Which is why it's worth noting that Peach Blossoms' National Day lunch set includes its Dim Sum Combination, a platter of signatures including the deep-fried scallop and banana wrapped with mashed taro; steamed scallop dumpling with XO chili sauce; and deep-fried fresh prawn spring roll with mango.

The four-course set lets you sample other signature dishes too, such as the double-boiled fresh ginseng with black chicken and Singapore chilli crab with yuzu noodles. 

For information and reservation, call 6845 1111 or email atriumlounge.marina@meritushotels.com.


Nutmeg & Clove

August 1 to 31, 5pm til late

Nutmeg & Clove, no. 30 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars this year, took inspiration from Singapore’s floral and fauna and William Farquhar’s book, Natural History Drawings: The Complete William Farquhar Collection, Malay Peninsula 1803-1818, when they crafted new cocktails using local herbs, flowers and spices.

The King and Queen is a different take on the classic cocktail, Milk Punch, but given a Singaporean twist with the use of durian and mangosteen. The Galangal Beer is bartender’s version of Moscow Mule, and is a spicy mix of Mount Gay Black Barrel infused with galangal, house-made pear syrup, fresh lime and house-made galangal ginger beer.

Similar to Scotch Sour, Oh My Jasmine is concocted with jasmine-infused syrup and matcha, while the Bay Side uses Botanist Gin infused with bay leaves for a herbal take on South Side. These are also the bar’s Cocktails of the Month, which means that you can have them at 1-for-1 during Happy Hour.

For information and reservation, please call 9389 9301 or email events@nutmegandclove.com.sg.


Silver Shell Cafe

August 9, dinner
For one night only, chefs here are pulling out all the stops to bring diners a worthy Singaporean-themed buffet spread, complete with all-time favourites such as bamboo chicken biryani, Singapore chilli crab with mantou buns and fish head curry. Not only that, the chefs have include DIY stations for rojak and mini claypot steamboat, perfect for those who want to tweak their dishes. 

As for dessert, it extends beyond the usual offerings to include an assortment of durian-inspired sweets, such as a white chocolate durian cake, durian pengat and durian creme puff. Have these with the restaurant's celebratory cocktails—Rasa Rose, Kopi O' Clock and Chendol Rum—created just for the occasion. 

For information and reservations, please call 6371 1966 or email fbreservation.sen@shangri-la.com.


Sprmrkt

August 1 to 31, lunch and dinner
Chef-owner Joseph Yeo’s Heritage Menu is a three-course lunch featuring Singapore’s beloved dishes. His version of satay, for instance, features cubes of twice-cooked chicken marinated with kecap manis, cooked over charcoal and served with savoury peanut sauce.

One of the options for the main course is a version of a hawker staple—the Hokkien mee— reimagined as a pasta dish using tagliatelle (in place of yellow noodles), enhanced with smoked ham stock and tossed with pork belly and squid. Vegetarians are not forgotten and can look forward to the ‘Lei Cha’ Thunder Tea risotto. Roti & Kopi, a medley of gula Melaka, pandan ice cream and kaya drizzled with coffee-flavoured syrup, serves as your grand finale.

For information and reservations, please click here.


Smoke & Mirrors

August 9, 5pm until late
Not only will you have one of the best views of the National Day celebration from the rooftop of the National Gallery, you can also enjoy head bartender Yugnes Susela’s unique version of the Singapore Sling. Aptly called Old & New Sling, the sweet and refreshing tipple is a combination of rye whisky, cassis liqueur, orange juice, bitters and bubbles.

Follow that with Teh Peng, Susela’s version of the familiar beverage. This one's sweet and smoky, thanks to the combination of Monkey Shoulder whisky, egg white and chai.

For information and reservation, please call 9234 8122 or email reserve@smokeandmirrors.com.sg.


Una

August 1 to 26, dinner
In line with the celebrations, Una has jazzed up its offerings with an exclusive National Day menu of Spanish-Singaporean creations, served alongside its regular a la carte menu. A lip-smacking start to the meal is the sauteed gambas with laksa paste, cooked with chunky tiger prawns are stir-fried with a piquant homemade rempah (spice paste)

Fans of Hainanese chicken rice, you'll love the Paella de Pollo de Singapur, a hearty dish of fragrant bomba rice studded with roasted chicken cubes and cucumber and spiced up with the housemade chilli.

For information and reservation, please click here.