With Valentine’s Day just two weeks away, the question on everyone’s mind: where to go for a romantic date?

Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, I’d suggest celebrating it the weekend before, or a few days after. Unless both of you have violent objections and insist on celebrating it on the actual day, it really doesn’t make sense to pay so much just because it is February fourteenth.

As such, this post is mainly on romantic restaurants in Singapore which I think are worth trying; you can also use it as a guide for other special occasions. (I’m not including the details of Valentine’s Day set menus. If you want to find out more, please call the respective restaurant to check their Valentine’s Day promotions.)

Here are some suggestions on where to go for Valentine’s Day Dinner 2012.

Otto Ristorante

I’ve been hearing good things about Otto Ristorante, but somehow I never got the chance to try it. I finally went there recently, and I’m happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Otto Ristorante has a 5 course degustation menu at $88/pax, which in my opinion, is great value for the quality of food.

It is definitely going into my list of must-try Italian restaurants in Singapore.

28 Maxwell Road
#01-02 Red Dot Traffic Building
Tel: +65 6227 6819

Bar & Billiard Room

Take a day off and enjoy lunch with your partner at the Bar & Billiard Room at Raffles Hotel. I like the nostalgic feel of the restaurant, and the buffet selection offers a wide variety of choices. Buffet lunch from Mon to Sat is $60++/pax, while dinner is $75++/pax.

1 Beach Road
Raffles Hotel
Tel: +65 6412 1816

Brasserie Les Saveurs

If you’re going to do brunch, do it in style in one of the most posh settings in Singapore.

Brasserie Les Saveurs at The Regis is easily one of the most romantic French restaurants in Singapore, so why not come here for an early Valentine’s Champagne Brunch this coming Sunday?

At $170++/pax, the Champagne Brunch Buffet at Brasserie Les Saveurs is not cheap. But what you get is a wonderful experience with free flow of champagne.

29 Tanglin Road
The St. Regis Singapore
Tel: +65 6506 6888

Bistro Soori

Bistro Soori is a cool, cosy, informal restaurant with a small open kitchen and a few tables, which makes you feel as though you are dining in a friend’s place. The prices aren’t too high (although not too low, either), and you can have a good meal without spending ridiculous money. It was one of the best meals that I had in 2011, and I think you will like it too.

2 Teck Lim Road, Singapore
(Near Outram/Tanjong Pagar)
Tel: +65 6438 3802

Halia Restaurant

Halia Restaurant is located in the Ginger Garden of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and it has been known as one of the most romantic restaurants since opening in 2001. While prices are rather steep, it is the perfect place for a special date.

1 Cluny Road
Singapore Botanic Gardens
Tel: +65 6476 6711

Hummerstons Restaurant

One of my favourite new restaurants is Hummerstons restaurant at Robertson Quay. The food is competent, and reasonably priced. Definitely worth checking out.

11 Unity Street
#02-14 Robertson Walk
Tel: +65 6737 8863

JAAN Restaurant

If money is no object, go to JAAN Restaurant at Swissotel The Stamford.

JAAN by Chef Julien Royer is, without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in Singapore. Of course, I can’t afford to eat there all the time, but for a lavish meal like this, enjoyed with a amazing view of Singapore’s skyline – it is indeed a fine way to splurge during a special occasion.

2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6431 5670

Keyaki Japanese Restaurant

Keyaki – at the rooftop Japanese garden on level 4 of Pan Pacific Hotel – is a traditional fine dining Japanese restaurant. For dinner, you can either eat at the Teppankayi counter, order ala carte or go for the 8 courses Kaiseki dinner set ($160++/pax).

The Japanese Restaurant currently has a very good brunch deal on weekends (12 noon to 2.30pm): 10 course kaiseki set brunch featuring Japanese cuisine prepared in various styles is available for just $60++/pax. Feast on the selection which includes daily kobachi, three types of appetisers, assorted sashimi, steamed egg custard, assorted tempura, teppanyaki beef or pork with fried rice, dessert.

7 Raffles Boulevard
4/F Pan Pacific Singapore
Tel: +65 6826 8335

Recommended : Valentine’s Day Food Gift Ideas

Which is your favourite restaurant for a romantic date? How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day 2012? I want to hear from you!

Bistro Soori is one of those off-the-radar restaurants that you will never know of unless someone recommends it to you.

It is a cool, cosy, informal restaurant with a small open kitchen and a few tables, which makes you feel as though you are dining in a friend’s place. The prices aren’t too high (although not too low, either), and you can have a good meal without spending ridiculous money.

The meal that we had at Bistro Soori was a revelation. The food was simple and unpretentious, prepared with just enough care that you know you are dining at a restaurant where Chef Benjamin McBride and his team take their food seriously.

At lunch time, they offer a great set lunch at $39 (you can also choose to order ala carte); and during dinner, they have a different menu with slightly higher prices, and it ranges from $15-21 for starters, $25-39 for main courses, and $12 for desserts. There’s also the option of ‘Omakase‘, with 5 course at $105, and 6 course at $130.

The menu at Bistro Soori is simple, with a few selection under each category. For starters, you can choose between Scallop with truffle Vinaigrette ($19) and Duck Rillette ($15). You will also be tempted by the Karaage Fried Prawn ($18) and Slow Roasted Pork Belly ($18). I did.

For main courses, the Roasted Pork Tenderloin ($28) sounds good on its own, but you will eventually want to go for either the Brown Butter Maine Lobster ($38) or Rack of Lamb ($34); or both. Desserts too, are special. Pandan Souffle ($12), Almond Milk Panna Cotta ($12), and Cognac Creme Brulee ($12) will make sure that you end the meal on a sugar high.

If you’re one of those people that likes to watch their food prepared, the bar counter is just the place for you.

Together with a glass of champagne, the Karaage Fried Prawn with Cherry Tomato ($18) was a great way for us to start the meal.

While I liked the pairing of poached pair with foie gras, I thought that the Foie Gras Duo ($21) was only decent. I probably had better foie gras before. Or maybe because it was overshadowed by the other starter – Slow Roasted Pork Belly ($18), which without a doubt, was the highlight. It was by far one of the best roasted pork belly I’ve had.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the Slow Baked Salmon ($34) with corn pudding. A slightly different rendition of the Slow Baked Salmon (with corn, chilli, shallot, lime) is available on the set lunch menu.

Among the main courses that we had, my favourite was the Rack of Lamb ($34). I’m sure the staff thought I was some sort of hungry ghost the way I attacked it, but it was really quite good.

The Beef Duo ($39) is the best way to enjoy the best of both worlds. The steak was fair, but nothing to write home about.

Like how all good meals end with desserts, we had Chocolate Tart ($12) with lemon curd and Pandan Souffle ($12). The Chocolate Tart came highly recommended, but we didn’t like it as we felt that it was too dense and heavy; not something that you would want to eat after a heavy meal. Thankfully, we had the Souffle to save the day. It was magnificent: the pandan flavour was fascinating and the souffle was done just right.

Since I went to Bistro Soori for dinner a while back, I’ve been recommending it to my friends. It was one of the best meals that I had in 2011, and I think you will like it too. Reservations are highly recommended.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Bistro Soori
2 Teck Lim Road, Singapore
(Near Outram/Tanjong Pagar)
Tel: +65 6438 3802

Note: This was an invited media tasting.

Wow. Another year just passed by like that. This year was a big one, and I couldn’t have done it without you guys. Thank you for being here.

I ate a lot last year, and I managed to travel quite a bit as well. Like what I always say, travelling is just an excuse for me to eat more. So I’m not surprised that some of the best meals that I had last year were during my travels.

To be frank, it’s quite difficult to impress my jaded palate nowadays. You see, the problem of having too much good food is you will always have a benchmark to compare against, and this will lead you on a (never-ending) quest for something equally good, if not better – which is often quite impossible.

Thankfully, I’ve had several really good meals throughout the past 365 days, and I hope that I’ll be able to share with you more good food this time next year.

So for now, here are the 10 Best Meals that I had in 2011.

New Year Resolution in 2012: Eat more!

JAAN Restaurant in Singapore

Ever since Chef Andre Chiang left JAAN, the fine dining restaurant at Swissotel the Stamford – ranked #39 in S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010 – had struggled to fill his shoes. After eating there recently, I’m happy to say JAAN’s talented new Chef de Cuisine Julien Royer is the right person to lead them to greater heights.

The food was very, very good. It is one of the few meals I had in 2011 that made me sit up and take notice. JAAN is definitely one of the best restaurants in Singapore, and as long they stay on track, I’m sure it will not be long before they are back among the best restaurants in the world.

2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford, Singapore
Tel: +65 6431 5670
Mrt: City Hall Station

Café des Fédérations Bouchon in Lyon

When I was planning my Europe trip, Lyon wasn’t even in the picture. I wanted to visit some of the cities that I’ve always wanted to go – like Madrid, Venice, and Prague. After I figured that it is impossible to squeeze in all of them, I decided to keep it within the area, and Lyon – known as the food capital of France – immediately came to mind.

I’ve read a lot about the bouchons in Lyon; everyone raved that the best food in France could be found there. The Bouchon is a Lyonnais version of the classic French bistro. I’ll be writing a separate post on the food that we had, to cut the long story short, I had one of my best meals in 2011, if not my life, at Café des Fédérations.

8-10, rue Major Martin, Lyon
Tel: 04 78 28 26 00
Metro: Hotel de Ville

Bistro Soori in Singapore

Another really good meal that I had was at Bistro Soori. I wasn’t expecting much before going, and boy was I blown away by the food. It has a cosy and intimate setting, and some of the dishes – Pork Belly, Rack of Lamb, and Pandan Souffle – that we had were outstanding.

Sometimes, good things happen when you are least expecting them.

2 Teck Lim Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 6438 3802
Mrt: Outram Park Station

Zubuchon Lechon in Cebu

The lechon from Zubuchon is quite easily one of the best things that I’ve ever eaten. Utterly delicious.

One Mango Mall
General Maxilom Ave, Cebu City
+63 32 2395697

Prive Restaurant in Singapore

One of my favourite restaurants in Singapore is Prive at Keppel Bay. They serve good and unpretentious food. The meats that we had from the Josper Grill menu (prices range from $52 for Kurobuta Pork to $75 for the 280g Ribeye Cap) were fantastic. Definitely worth a try if you are in Singapore.

2 Keppel Bay Vista
GF Marina Keppel Bay, Singapore
Tel: +65 6776 0777
Mrt: Harbourfront Station

Cerveceria Catalana in Barcelona

Among the tapas places that we ate in Barcelona, Cerveceria Catalana stood out for serving good tapas at reasonable prices. It was one of the best meals that we had during the 5 days there. Just in case you are wondering, the jar of sangria you see in the picture doesn’t have anything to do with my choice. I’m completely sober as I write this.

236 Mallorca, Barcelona
Tel: 932 16 03 68
Metro: Passeig de Gràcia

Antoinette Patisserie in Singapore

Antoinette, without a doubt, is my favourite patisserie in Singapore. I lurveee Chef Pang’s creations and if I lived near the Lavender area, I could imagine myself dropping by the Parisian tea salon every other day. Try the Antoinette Chocolate Earl Grey Cake.

30 Penhas Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 6293 3121
Mrt: Lavender Station

Dinner at Martell’s Château de Chanteloup

I had many good meals during Martell’s Pure Gourmet tour, but the highlight was definitely the risotto that we had during one of the dinners. Paired with a glass of cognac, it was out-of-this-world-good. I can never see risotto in the same light again.

Naughty Nuri’s Warung in Bali

Naughty Nuri’s Warung is famous for its pork ribs, with many people calling it the place to go for the best pork ribs in Seminyak. It was so good that I polished off the whole rack by myself.

Jalan Batubelig 41 Kerobokan Kelod
Kuta Bali Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 847 6722

Pierre Herme in Paris

What do I need to say about Pierre Herme? It has always been my dream to visit the famous patisserie in Paris, and what a moment it was. After having the desserts from Pierre Herme, life will never be the same again.