As Singapore’s 51st birthday draws nearer, we round up the best places which have created something special for the occasion.
Important occasions such as Singapore’s 51st birthdays are always best celebrated with food. And so, it’s not surprising that a number of restaurants and bars have created tantalising drinks and menus guaranteed to please the palate and welcome Singapore’s birthday. Here are some of them.
Ash & Elm
9 August, 12pm to 3pm
If you want your National Day celebration to include unlimited caviar, there’s no other place to head to but Ash & Elm. The buffet restaurant at Intercontinental Hotels Singapore is the only restaurant with a caviar station, but that’s not the only reason to head down there.
It also has three culinary stations that serves up hearty roasts and grills, plus unlimited helpings of hearty plates, some of which are the braised beef cheek, Boston lobster risotto and chargrilled Iberico pork loin, served a la minute. Making the trip here extra memorable is the charcuterie and cheese room, as well as an endless supply of Perrier Jouët to toast Singapore’s birthday.
Ash & Elm | Intercontinental Hotel Singapore, Lobby Level, 80 Middle Road, S(188966) | Call 6825 1008 | Email intercontinental.dining@ihg.com
Café Mosaic
5 to 9 August, lunch and dinner
Celebrate the holiday with the family and head to Café Mosaic for its gastronomic spread of international and local fare. Begin by appreciating our local delicacies—laksa, bak kut teh, beef rendang, Singapore rojak and chicken rice. Complete the meal with heavenly desserts such as the red velvet cake decorated with a Singapore flag, assorted nonya kueh and durian cake.
Known for its international spread, it will still be part of the buffet, so you can savour its fresh seafood on a bed of ice or the hearty mains of steamed king snapper, mushroom aglio oglio al pesto and more. When you drop by for lunch on 9 August, there will be a string of activities for the young and old; these include teh tarik making sessions, balloon sculpting and face painting.
Café Mosaic | Level 1, Carlton Hotel Singapore, 76 Bras Basah Road, S(189558) | Call 6311 8195 | Email café.mosaic@carltonhotel.sg
db Bistro & Oyster Bar
Now until 9 August, 12.30pm-5.30pm
The popular ‘Burgers of Independence’ make a comeback at this French-American restaurant to welcome Singapore’s 51st year of independence. There are three offerings on the menu that celebrate different nations: One is The National, the restaurant’s own adaptation of the Singaporean burger with a twist. Other than the perfectly grilled patty, what makes it so mouth-watering is its aged cheddar bun that’s soaked in meat juices. The set comes with coconut jackfruit sundae and Tiger beer, too. There’s also ‘The Frenchie’, a classic sirloin burger which comes with Kronenbourg and macaron sundae; as well as ‘The Yankee’, another classic sirloin burger paired with Budweiser and peanut butter sundae.
db Bistro & Oyster Bar | B1-48, Galleria Level, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands | Call 6688 8525
Lobby Court
1 to 31 August, afternoon tea
There’s no need to rush to enjoy Lobby Court’s National Day afternoon high tea offering for it’s available all throughout August. That means you have a month to delight in its three-tiered afternoon tea, which consists of familiar local favourites with a modern twist. Some of these are the chilli crab in tomato bun, beef rendang herb bun and mini croissant with otak otak.
Your afternoon here won’t be complete without pastries, so savour some of the creative desserts on the spread too. Popular favourites are always the rainbow cake, durian cheese cake, pandan scones and kueh lapis.
Lobby Court | 22 Orange Grove Road, S(258350) | Call 6213 4275 | Email dining.sls@shangri-la.com
Man Fu Yuan
9 August, 12pm to 3pm
Nothing beats tucking into a galore of freshly-made dim sums to celebrate Singapore’s 51st birthday. And that is exactly what you will get at renowned Cantonese restaurant, Man Fu Yuan, plus so much more.
Other than dim sum chef Simon Poon’s handcrafted dim sums—most popular are the minced pork dumpling with scallops and crystal dumpling with preserved vegetables—you can also feast on other signatures such as the hearty soup of braised beancurd with fish maw and shredded chicken in thick broth as well as the braised eight-head abalone with garden greens in oyster sauce.
Man Fu Yuan | Intercontinental Hotel Singapore, Lobby Level, 80 Middle Road, S(188966) | Call 6825 1008 | Email intercontinental.dining@ihg.com
Jamie’s Italian
1 to 14 August, lunch and dinner
Jamie’s Italian puts a twist on our favourite chilli crab to spice up our upcoming National Day celebration. What you get is a wok-fried Sri Lankan crab that’s swimming in a rich and spicy homemade chilli sauce.
What makes this so special? It’s an intensely rich sauce that’s made with white wine vinegar, brown sugar, tomato puree, lemongrass and coriander. The ingredients are slow-cooked to form an intensely rich sauce that pairs well with the sweet and meaty crab. To add an Italian touch to your meal, warm chilli crab focaccia bread is served instead of your mantou buns.
Jamie’s Italian | 1-165-167 VivoCity, VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk, S(098585) | Call 6733 5500 | Visit jamiesitalian.sg
Zafferano
9 August, dinner only
Zafferano’s head chef, Marco Guccio felt inspired to celebrate National Day, so he has created a four-course dinner menu of contemporary Italian dishes. It starts with the light and refreshing Hokkaido scallop ‘tartare’ topped with sea urchin mayo, tomato jelly and avruga caviar; followed by hearty ‘Caserecce’ pasta with lamb ragout, ricotta and winter black truffles.
For mains, you have the option to choose the oven-baked Atlantic cod or the slow-cooked veal cheek. The meal ends with the smooth red and white vanilla and strawberry ‘panna cotta’ with white chocolate tuille, specially made by chef as a patriotic nod to the occasion.
Enjoy the meal as you watch the live screening of the National Day parade at the restaurant. And afterwards, go to the al fresco area to catch the colourful fireworks display.
Zafferano | Ocean Financial Centre, 10 Collyer Quay, S(049315) | Call 6509 1488
LeVel 33
9 August, dinner only
One of the best places to catch the fireworks display is at LeVel 33, located in the heart of the CBD. While waiting for the colourful display, take advantage of your time here and have some of executive chef Jimi Tegerdine’s exclusive Singapore Platter.
Big enough for two diners, the platter presents an appetising spread of black vinegar roast pork, chicken rice arancini and pickled chili mayo, cereal prawn with lemongrass emulsion, beef and hazelnut satay and soy and pan seared coconut brioche and pandan jam. Of course, LeVel 33 completes your experience with its potent but refreshing version of the Singapore Sling, craft beers and wines.
LeVel 33 | 33-01 MBFC Tower 1, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1, 8 Marina Boulevard, S(018981) | Call 6834 3133
Hai Tien Lo
6 to 9 August, lunch and dinner
What does Hai Tien Lo have for you for the National Day festivities? The answer: A lot. From 6 to 9 August, you can celebrate early with its National Day set menu of oriental delights. Executive chef Lai Tong Ping makes it enticing with dishes such as the classic whole abalone with sea perch fillet in abalone sauce, braised broccoli with crabmeat and pan-fried scallops and combination appetiser platter of sliced barbecued beijing duck and crispy prawns with salted egg.
On the big day itself, you can partake of its dim sum brunch featuring an extensive variety of handcrafted dim sums and signature dishes. Interested to join the feast? If so, make sure you try braised scallops with crabmeat and mushrooms—one of chef’s specialities—as well as the steamed spinach dumplings with prawns and fragrant minced garlic and pan-fried rice rolls with dried scallops in chef’s signature homemade XO chilli sauce from the dim sum spread.
Hai Tien Lo | Level 3, Pan Pacific Singapore, 7 Raffles Boulevard, S(039595) | Call 6826 8240 | Email celebrate.sin@panpacific.com
Aqua Luna
1 to 31 August, various timings
Park Hotel Alexandra’s Aqua Luna is feeling patriotic about our country’s 51st birthday, so it’s offering two perennial favourites—Singapore sling and chilli crab—for the whole month of August.
Tuck into a fresh and meaty blue swimmer crab sitting in an indulgent homemade chilli crab sauce. Use the chilli crab flatbread it’s served with to mop up the excess sauce. Refresh the tastebuds with another iconic creation—Singapore sling. Do all these this while enjoying the view of the infinity pool and tree canopy of the Southern Ridges.
Aqua Luna | Park Hotel Alexandra, Level 7, 323 Alexandra Road, S(159972) | Call 6828 8885