Set in the midst of Singapore’s Botanic Gardens, this restaurant occupies a refurbished colonial style-house decorated by local artist Chua Mia Tee. The cooking is imaginative contemporary French, with starters such as grilled langoustines with caviar and mango accompanied by a bonito gelée, and Alaskan crab in a radish "ravioli" dressed in a honey-mustard vinaigrette. Main courses include sea bream baked in a salt crust with truffle butter, a lobster scented with curry leaves, and roast suckling pig with a side of crisp skin, cider apples and a small salad. If your appetite is ambitious, you can order a seven-course tasting menu. There is also a three-course table d’hôte menu. The wine list is extensive — and expensive.
Overview
From Andrew Harper
Southeast Asia continues to enthrall and delight. Very few areas of the world offer such a profound sense of peace; most return from their visits stirred by the beauty of the landscape and the generosity of their hosts. Our most recent trip included a visit to Burma, which has languished under a military dictatorship for 40 years, and as a result, received just 200,000 visitors last year. The country is safe for foreigners, but there is no outside cell reception, local airlines are prone to delay, and credit cards and ATMs are nonexistent. Sadly, the money the regime gains from tourism is a small percentage of the revenue it earns from Burma’s vast natural resources, so the potential for leverage is minimal. However, the Burmese people themselves welcome the opportunity to share their exceptionally beautiful and culturally fascinating country.
Hotels
All recommended hotels in Asia - South East
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Amandari Exotic and captivating sanctuary in dramatic highlands setting overlooking Ayung River Gorge near fascinating artists’ village of Ubud. |
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Amankila Distinctive luxury resort descending tropical hillside to a beachfront bluff above Badung Strait, in a conservative eastern regency seldom seen by Western tourists. |
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Amanusa Refined resort set on a knoll overlooking the Bali Golf & Country Club, 20 minutes south of Denpasar airport. |
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COMO Shambhala Estate Astonishingly lavish health retreat in a setting of supreme natural beauty, overlooking the deepest and most spectacular section of the Ayung River Gorge, 15 minutes by car from the highland town of Ubud. |
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Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan Sophisticated and creatively designed hideaway nestled along the banks of the Ayung River amid a sloping palmstudded forest and terraced rice paddies, 10 minutes down the gorge from Amandari. |
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Amanjiwo Serenely exotic resort cloister looking out to heroic and mystical Borobudur (the largest Buddhist monument in the world) in verdant rural heartland of Central Java, an hour from Yogyakarta. |
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The Dharmawangsa Unique and beautifully appointed 100-room Rosewood boutique hotel in peaceful Kebayoran Baru residential neighborhood, 15 minutes from the chaotic downtown Central Business District. |
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Amanwana Unique first-class wilderness retreat secluded off north coast of Sumbawa on jungly island (designated as official nature reserve), an hour by floatplane east of Bali. |
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Raffles Hotel Le Royal Renowned and historically charming hotel restored by the owners of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel, in Cambodia’s mellow French-flavored capital. |
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Amansara Intimate villa enclave sequestered in a restored streetside guest house that once belonged to King Norodom Sihanouk. |
Dining
All recommended restaurants in Asia - South East
AU JARDIN LES AMIS
EJH Corner House, Singapore Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre, 1 Cluny Road
Singapore
259569
Malaysia
US$85
BAAN KHANITHA
This Bangkok favorite occupies a converted house that offers outdoor seating and a traditional Thai atmosphere. The menu covers a wide range of Thai dishes, and the curries, especially those with seafood, are excellent. The level of spice intensity can be adjusted to suit your palate. The extensive wine list is particularly strong in sparkling wines, which go very well with this food. Unlike many upscale Thai restaurants in the city, the Thais themselves patronize this one, so it is always full, and reservations are essential.
69 South Sathorn Road
Bangkok
10120
Thailand
US$60
BLUE GINGER
One of the great culinary traditions of Singapore is Peranakan cooking, a striking blend of Chinese and Malaysian styles (also known as Nonya and Straits-Chinese). It is generally considered the province of home cooks, but Blue Ginger has brought it to the fore in this handsome restaurant set in a restored shophouse. Peranakan cooking relies heavily on spices. House specialties include braised chicken flavored with a blend of seasonings and cooked with Indonesian black nuts, deep-fried eggplant with chili paste and soy sauce, and sautéed prawns with coarse black pepper and soy sauce. This is an upscale restaurant that will nonetheless give you a real taste of local cuisine.
97 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore
088518
Malaysia
US$40
BO.LAN
Inspired by time working with David Thompson at nahm in London, Duangporn Songvisava and Dylan Jones opened this sleek, sophisticated restaurant dedicated to preserving the traditions of Thai cooking using the finest ingredients. The menu is full of authentic dishes such as a salad of herb-fed chicken with wing beans tossed with a chili dressing, stir-fried pork with fragrant kaffir lime leaves, and a red curry with chicken and pickled bamboo.
42 Soi Pichai Ronnarong
Bangkok
Thailand
US$55
HAI TIEN LO
The stunning views of the city and harbor from this 37th-floor aerie alone make a visit worthwhile. The food here is Cantonese, with some of the standout preparations being deep-fried prawns with wasabi mayonnaise, and over-the-top crisp Peking duck skin served with seared foie gras. The restaurant is also noted for its wonderful dim sum. The wine list is good, with most of its selections coming from New World wineries.
Pan Pacific Hotel, 7 Raffles Boulevard
Singapore
039595
Malaysia
US$120
INAGIKU
For top-quality Japanese food, this is the place to go. Where you sit determines what you eat. There are a sushi and sashimi bar, a teppanyaki area and a tempura counter, as well as private tatami rooms and the main dining room. The sashimi platter is a swirl of exquisitely presented seafood that includes swordfish, yellowtail, salmon and tuna nestled on ice packed into a seashell. The tempura assortment is just as impressive. A notable dish is the lobster in special creamy “Inagiku” golden sauce. Choose from among a good selection of wines and sakes.
Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Road
Singapore
189560
Malaysia
US$120
NAHM
Chef David Thompson is the author of the encyclopedic “Thai Food.” He also opened the first Thai restaurant to earn a Michelin star, nahm at The Halkin hotel in London. Here in Bangkok, he builds on that success with dishes such as minced prawn and cucumber salad, and a sublime curry of coconut and turmeric with blue swimmer crab and southern lime
Metropolitan Hotel
27 South Sathorn Road
Bangkok
Thailand
US$65
SHANG PALACE
The menu at this handsome contemporary hotel restaurant is devoted to classic Sichuan and Cantonese dishes, with nods to other regional cuisines. For variety, opt for the combination of Chinese barbecued meats, soy sauce-cooked chicken and roast duck. Or try the seafood combination with deepfried squid in a mixture of salt and chili, fresh fish in a spicy Sichuan sauce, or scallops gently baked in wine. The wine list draws from the extensive cellar in the hotel.
Shangri-La Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu
Bangkok
10500
Thailand
US$70
SUPATRA RIVER HOUSE
A prime location in Bangkok means being on the Chao Phraya River, and this lovely restaurant has one of the choicest riverfront spots of all — almost directly across from the peaked roofs of the Grand Palace. Once home to a Thai woman of consequence, the house has been transformed by her daughter into an airy, inviting place with a large river terrace. The menu features classic Thai dishes, and we particularly recommend the selection of house hors d’oeuvres — deep-fried shrimp with rice noodles, a zesty chicken salad in a crisp pastry dish, and vegetarian spring rolls with a refreshing dash of mint and a chili sauce. Supatra’s version of the classic shrimp soup with lemongrass is perfect.
266 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arunamarin Road
Bangkok
Thailand
US$55
THANYING
Here, you’ll find authentic Thai food in a serene, elegant setting. Prawns in a red curry sauce come with just the right bite of heat. Deep-fried grouper is classically prepared and perfectly spiced. Also try the papaya salad, a skillful blend of sweet and salty with a nice touch of nuttiness from fragments of toasted coconut. The dessert buffet is hard to pass up, with custards, tapioca and the sweetest seasonal fruits.
Amara hotel, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore
088539
Malaysia
US$30-$50
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