Christmas always means lots of family feasting, and this year, without any travels, all the more we should treat ourselves to some superb meals to conclude the otherwise gloomy year.
Planning a gathering and want somewhere centralized and convenient for everyone to meet? There are 9 restaurants at Shaw Centre for you to check out and celebrate Christmas at. Everyone knows Shaw Centre for its cinema but their F&B options are way better and more exciting. You can go there for 2 meals a day x one week and still not get bored of dining there, because there is just so much to eat!
There are cuisines of different sorts to please all kinds of palates and to spice things up, they’ve got festive specials and promotions all lined up. Here are 9 restaurants at Shaw Centre and Shaw House where you can celebrate Christmas with your loved ones over good food.
BISTRO DU VIN #01-14
Established in July 2009, Bistro Du Vin is fully committed to delivering a truly authentic dining experience a la French style. From the furnishing to the memorabilia decorating its walls, Bistro Du Vin is cosy and homely. On its menu is a plethora of French dishes—from the classics such as Coq Au VIn to the bistro’s interpretations of popular choices.
If you are seeking a quiet spot when in town, Bistro Du Vin makes a nice destination for a hearty meal. There will be Christmas specials—including Pâté en croûte Richelieu and the Turbot Entier Grille—on Bisto Du Vin’s blackboard that are available from 21st December 2020 to 4th January 2021. Tuck into an appetizer of Pâté en croûte Richelieu (S$32), which is really pastry crusted pork, veal and foie gras terrine.
The star of the Christmas menu is the Turbot Entier Grille (S$98). A whole turbot is grilled Mediterranean-style and includes baby winter vegetables, confit garlic & lemon oil. It weighs approximately 900g and it feeds 2 pax. This was so memorable for us, and for a brief moment, it felt like we were dining in a hole-in-the-wall bistro in Saint-Germain, Paris.
CAFE DE MUSE – DESSERT BAR #02-K4
This is one of the best spots in Orchard Road to people watch and enjoy a leisure afternoon tea with your girlfriends. Cafe De Muse – Dessert Bar on level two overlooks Orchard Road with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and their All-day High Tea Set is affordably priced at S$25+/pax from 10am to 9pm.
What is Christmas without some sweet treats, right? Never mind that we do not have the European Christmas markets with their mulled wine and candies; Cafe De Muse – Dessert Bar offers an array of Bingsu—made from 100% fresh milk—including Cookie & Creams, Fresh Mango, Fresh Melon and Green Tea.
It is an inexpensive place for desserts and tea because we can all do with some sweet treats to brighten up our December. It has been a dull year with the pandemic but desserts and a nice date with our loved ones will make everything better, even if it’s just for a while.
I WANT MY NOODLE #03-14/15
If your folks are the traditional kind who are not into Christmas and European food, not an issue. Shaw Centre has this unassuming restaurant called I Want My Noodle and they specialize in, well, noodles.
Known for their egg noodles that are handmade every morning, they contain no preservatives and colouring, and there is this amazing springiness in every strand that we love.
What you must try is the signature Bak Chor Mee. Quite unlike your usual minced pork noodles, their version is spicy and generously tossed in black vinegar. The handmade noodles are shaped to be slightly curly, and this allows the noodles to be more evenly coated with the seasoning. Every mouthful is hence robust in flavour with a nice, spicy aftertaste.
We also enjoyed the Asian Duck Confit. Seasoned with herbs, it reminds us of the Balinese-style dirty duck—crispy skin, tender meat. The owner of I Want My Noodle has an Indonesian mother-in-law, and many of their recipes come from her. It is safe to say this is a place for some simple and comforting Indonesian food.
Photo Credit: Kausmo
KAUSMO #03-07
Derived from the word “Cosmos”—a system of thought—Kausmo is a concept promoting thoughtful cuisine by challenging food norms that bring about unnecessary food wastage. Set in a homely setting that resembles someone’s dining room, Kausmo aims to repurpose fruits and vegetables that are overstocked, over-ripened, and oddly-shaped and sized.
Chef Lisa Tang will be presenting two menus this festive period—SURF 6-course Menu (S$100++ per person, available from 1st December 2020 – 12th December 2020) and the TURF 6-course Menu (S$125++ per person, available from 15th December 2020 – 2nd January 2021).
Grab a friend who’s mindful about his/her impact on the Earth and enjoy an intimate meal at Kausmo. Look forward to thoughtful dining and intricate plating; we especially loved the Scallop Carpaccio with Hazelnut Brown Butter.
LA STRADA #01-13
Helmed by head chef Dalton, La Strada serves reimagined classic Italian dishes in a comfortable yet modern setting. This is a great venue for a Christmas date with your partner. If Italian fare is your thing, you would love the multi-course experience in this cosy ristorante.
For their Christmas Set Menu, it is very reasonably priced at S$100++ per guest, and it includes a glass of sparkling wine or mocktail each, an assortment of antipasti, a choice of main and desserts.
There is an optional course of pasta with a supplement, too. La Strada’s famed carbonara—cooked with truffle butter, slow-cooked egg, parmiagiano and ham—is available with a supplement of S$15, and you should totally top up for this option.
For the dessert, the tiramisu is an uncontested choice. We love how generous they are with the coffee liqueur, and the mascarpone is so smooth and fluffy.
LINO PIZZA AND PASTA BAR #03-23/24
Lino Pizza And Pasta Bar is a 70-seater restaurant that serves classic and reinvented Italian-inspired dishes. This no-frills restaurant is one of our favourites in Shaw Centre; we will never say no to their quality, affordable pizza.
Look forward to a 12” Christmas Pizza at S$28++. Centered with a burrata, the pizza is show-stopper. Complete with peach, ham, onions, tomato passata and basil, this light-flavoured pizza is sure to please both young and old.
For Christmas this year, the team Lino Pizza and Pasta Bar has created a value-for-money Festive Bundle ($80++ for 3 – 4 persons) which comes with choice of two appetisers, a 12” Christmas Pizza, choice of two pastas, a 400g whole Burnt cheesecake with candied orange and 4 drinks.
Lino Pizza And Pasta Bar’s Christmas menu is available from 1 to 25 December 2020.
TARTE BY CHERYL KOH #02-12/13
Tarte by Cheryl Koh is well-loved for their artisanal tarts that are baked from scratch daily. The selection varies, and they source for seasonal ingredients from around the world.
If you are looking to pick up some festive bakes, the Blackforest log cakes (S$50, serves 4-6) makes a great gift. With a base of chocolate sponge cake, Morello cherries are layered with kirsch cream. The taste of the alcohol is pretty strong though, so it may not be suitable for kids.
We also loved the Blackforest tarts (S$13 for 8cm) that’s filled with dark chocolate chantilly, kirsch mousse, morello cherry jelly and kirsch soaked cherry.
There is also the Caramelized mixed nut tart (S$11 for 8cm, S$45 for 16cm, S$85 for 24cm). Comprising a mix of almonds, hazelnut, cashew nuts, pine nuts and pistachios, it is topped with a spiced caramel sauce.
XI YAN SHAW #03-12/13
Xi Yan Shaw offers a creative and iconic reinvention of Chinese cuisine. If celebrating Christmas isn’t your thing but you want a spot in town for a family gathering, consider a meal at Xi Yan.
Start your meal with Xi Yan’s most popular signature. Tomatoes aren’t always the most exciting, but at Xi Yan, Japanese Momotaro greenhouse tomatoes are served with a housemade wasabi sesame sauce. They are S$10 for a small tomato and S$16 for a large, and these tomatoes are so sweet and refreshing.
We were all in awe of the Black Truffle Roast Chicken (S$40 for half and S$80 for whole). The Chicken is infused overnight with black truffle, then roasted with fresh black truffle. Upon serving, the dish exudes a savoury fragrance. Shred and mix it to achieve an even stronger flavour; everyone at our lunch table loved this.
Do also try the basil green pepper corn prawn spaghetti (S$26). Fresh prawns are fried with green peppercorn, dried red chilli and basil, then the pasta is tossed in a la aglio olio style.
8 Korean BBQ #04-20/21
Located at the fourth level of Shaw Centre, 8 Korean BBQ—known for its signature Mangalitza pork—is a full-service restaurant with sleek industrial decor serves which serves as a great intimate setting for a meal with friends or family.
As their signature dish (which also inspired their restaurant name), the eponymous 8 Colours Set features eight thick slices of Hungarian Mangalitza pork which has been marinated with eight flavours that range from Wine—the lightest in taste, to Red Pepper Paste; the most flavourful of the lot.
Have a different Christmas celebration by having your favourite Korean food. You can enjoy the 8 Colours Set with a Korean Army Stew for only S$98.
This post was brought to you by Shaw Centre.