CEBU, Philippines - Being with someone you love evokes a sensual feast – and it is known that the best way to the heart is through the stomach! Of course, the gustatory delight will not be complete without the eye candy on the venue and the food presentation. Hence, let me walk you through some excellent places for that romantic candle lit dinner or even lunch on top of the world!
Right along shopping lane, Orchard Road, on top of ION Mall, is the Australian celebrity-chef restaurant of Luke Mangan: Salt Grill & Sky Bar with its Mod Oz (Modern Australian Concept). In short, Mod Oz is reflective of a multi-cultural society – like Singapore – that morphs a fusion of the different cuisines, using new ingredients and the best produce in the market with traditional techniques. At the helm is Mangan protégé Chef Shannon Binnie. The view is spectacular at lunch or dinner, while the food is prepared fresh and definitely delicious – notable: truffle oil & parmesan French fries (a gourmet’s delight); aioli dipped char grilled corn on the cob with Manchego cheese (remarkable fragrance!); Barramundi, trout and oysters flown in fresh from Australia; the free range pork belly on a bed of white beans (just lovely!).
Tucked among the crimson flowers of the ginger plants in the Ginger Garden of Singapore’s Botanic Garden is a cozy restaurant aptly called Halia (Malay term for ginger). At the helm is Filipino-Singaporean Chef de Cuisine Reynaldo Arriola who traces his roots to Cebu. Chef Reynaldo trained in the gourmet kitchens of Paris for many years and now whips up dishes distinctly his: “ In Asia, we are fortunate to have a plethora of local spices with unique flavors. I am inspired to introduce the tastes of these ingredients into my creations, to give guests a multi-dimensional palate experience.”
Sure winners, for me, are: the fresh green salad with chunks of ginger-infused foie gras in balsamic, with green apples & fresh figs (a sinfully perfect match of varying tastes), an Arriola signature dish – sautéed risotto soja, mascarpone & parmesan, with poached oysters and seaweeds (the rice grains are al dente with bean sprouts that added crunch to every bite: delightful surprise!), and the pan-seared Challans duck breast! The iced Halia infusion drink of sun-dried ginger and wild mountain honey is a delicious healthy refreshment. Wine pairing suggestions go with the gourmet menu.
Prive on Keppel Island – an entertainment hub on Keppel Bay, near Sentosa – is another dining place ideal for a cozy candle lit dinner a deux, especially on the al fresco deck facing the marina…on a moonlit night with caressing sea breeze. Cuisine is continental with a good range of wine choices.
What is a Singapore stay without tasting what the iconic Singapore Flyer has to offer? Indeed, you can have an unforgettable 4-course dinner while onboard the capsule (one hour – two turns) with the lights of Singapore spreading out before your eyes -- with a butler in attendance! Menu is regularly changed. That night, we had green salad tossed by the butler with fresh fruits in balsamic dressing as we settled down to enjoy the view, then pumpkin soup with freshly baked bread. Entrée was a choice of grilled snapper with pasta and veggies, grilled boneless chicken with roasted potato and veggies or New Zealand lamb rack with fusion mint sauce with roasted potato and veggies. Or a vegetarian potato croquette. Dessert was homemade chocolate truffle cake with fruits. Coffee or tea. Wine pairing is an option, or a menu upgrade custom-made to your preference. Or you can sip the world-renowned Singapore Sling (a 1915 recipe that is available at the Flyer Lounge) while taking the 30-minute cocktails-themed capsule.
Now, for other romantic activities, there is Sentosa Island – of the Resorts World/ Universal Studios fame. Take your pick in the cable car ride from the tropical rainforest atop Mt. Faber to Sentosa: there is the Swarovski-encrusted VIP 7-star VIP cabin, or a 3-course dinner in the Sky Dining Cabin (3 round trips, approx. 90 minutes), or dine before you go, at any of the Mt. Faber restaurants: Empress Jade - Singaporean Chinese dishes, Sapphire (gourmet a la carte) & Black Opal (set menu) - continental cuisine, and Faber Bistro - al fresco continental fare.
In Sentosa, couples can watch “Voyage de la Vie” after dinner at the Festive Grand Theater in Resorts World. It is Singapore’s longest running extravaganza with an international cast from 19 countries. Before that, get a Jewel Box tour and careen down Imbiah Hill in the Luge, or take the Tiger Sky Tower for a leisurely appreciation of Singapore from above or have a golfing day while the missus shop or have a treatment at Spa Botanica of the Sentosa Singapore (a Beaufort Hotel). Anything is possible in the Lion City…including romance.
Come on over, lah! (FREEMAN)