Empress

The Privé Group have rolled out their first Cantonese restaurant, Empress at the back of the Asian Civilizations Museum with a beautiful view of Boat Quay and the Singapore River. Empress Bar is alfresco and looks on to the water for drinks with a view while Empress restaurant inside is all geometric patterns and modern mood lighting stepping away from the traditional often bright Chinese restaurant interiors. The menu offers traditional dishes alongside some surprisingly modern and Western offerings – there’s even a whole section for salads like the Kale, Broccoli and Lotus Crisp Salad ($16). Highlights include the Triple Roast Platter ($28), of Crackling Roast Pork, Char Siew, and Sweet and  Sticky  Pork  Ribs and the wonderfully tender Seared Angus Tenderloin Cubes ($32/48/64). We like that brown rice is offered alongside white, or try something different: Fried Brown Rice ($20/30/40) with mushrooms, pine nuts and Goji berries. Our favourite ‘Westernisation” of the menu has to be the dessert menu, which steers well away from mango purees and jelly and instead delights with everything from a deliciously sticky, Sticky Date and Longan Pudding ($12) with superfood goji  berry  swirl  ice  cream, to  a flavourful Cempedak Crème Brûlée  ($13) topped  with  fresh  and dried  jackfruit.