Make your rezzies for Restaurant Week 2015!

If this Sassy Mama ruled the world, there wouldn’t be just a Restaurant Week; I would declare a Restaurant Year! In fact, why stop there? We could take it a step further and call it a Restaurant Decade! But sigh, until the next Ruler of the World elections, I’ll just choose to be chuffed about the upcoming Singapore Restaurant Week.

This year, Singapore Restaurant Week runs from 14-22 March 2015 with a larger and more eclectic selection of participating restaurants across the island. Most mums know gourmet dining in Singapore is not exactly easy on the wallet, so Restaurant Week is a great time to grab some deals to gratify our refined palates at ‘mouthwatering’ prices.

Throughout this long-anticipated week, 3-course set lunches at select restaurants are priced at only S$25++ and 3 course set dinners are priced at only S$35++.

I was lucky enough to attend the official launch to Singapore Restaurant Week at Canvas, the riverside art space (by day) and club (by night). Six of the island’s top chefs took center stage at this gastronomic soiree of free-flow Champagne, wine and bite-size pieces of goodness to preview what we can expect at this 10^th edition of Restaurant Week. This year’s theme is “Something Old, Something New” with the innovative chefs putting a new and interesting spin on childhood comfort foods.

Chef Hasan De Four from the Caribbean restaurant Lime House and Chef Jean-Philippe Patruno from the Spanish eatery UNA had set up their counters in the outdoor patio area so these were my first conquests. The highlight of the Lime House samplers had to be the snapper ceviche with spiced Escovitch — thin slices of snapper marinated in a mixture of citrus juices and served with Escovitch (Jamaican–style pickled vegetables spiced with cumin, paprika and chili).

UNA stole the show with their Octopus Galician: smoky, tender, slow-grilled octopus served on a bed of absolutely melt-in-your-mouth ratte potatoes with paprika and capers).

I next made my way amongst the hordes of excited food critics and gourmands to visit the Portico counter. Portico’s Chef Nixon Low wowed me with his cold terrine of herbal Bak Kut Teh, a scrumptious twist on the humble soup bursting with interesting textures and flavours – a definite must try! Also worth a mention was his Milo Dinosaur dessert, made less sweet with a variety of complementary textures and Milo powder sprinkled for a crushed cookie taste. YUM!

Lewin Terrace, the Japanese-French fusion fine dining restaurant located in a beautiful black and white house at Fort Canning, served up various Japanese favourites including Ika Somen (squid noodles) with a squid ink potato puree and Buri Daikon — Yellowtail fish served with white radish, soya sauce and ginger.

Finally, it was time to visit Pizza Fabbrica’s corner, where Chef Matteo Boifava (formerly of the world-famous, 3-Michelin-starred Fat Duck) served up platters of delicious crostinis with a variety of toppings including smoked salmon, olives and sundried tomatoes. There were also skewers of olives, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. His showstopper, however, was the uber-popular ‘Birramisu’, a unique spin on the popular Italian dessert Tiramisu prepared with Hitachino espresso stout beer!

In conclusion, the launch party was a success and I’m more excited than ever for Restaurant Week. Tables are limited mama, so make sure to log on to Dining City today and make a reservation for a date night with the hubby or a fun night out with the girls. Of course, there are child-friendly restaurants on offer, too so the little ones need not be left out. This Restaurant Week, here’s a special ‘clink’ from this Sassy Mama’s wine glass to yours! Bon Appetit!

Singapore Restaurant Week runs from 14-22 March 2015 at over 90 restaurants across the island. 3-course set lunch menus are $25++ per person, and 3-course set dinner menus are $35++ per person. Click here for the full list of participating restaurants and to make a booking. 

www.restaurantweek.sg