Prego at Fairmont Singapore is one of the most reputable Italian restaurants in Singapore, and they are known for signature Italian favourites such as wood-fired pizza. But what we truly love is the all-new Italian Sunday Brunch Buffet—one of the best indulgences if you have a hankering for Italiano-everything.

Prego’s head chef Antonio Facchinetti and his team have introduced a whole new gastronomic experience and the Italian Sunday Brunch happens every Sunday from 12pm to 3pm. It is a massive showcase of Italian fiesta, from cold cuts and premium cheeses to a la minute pasta and grilled meats.

Here are some of the highlights you can expect at Prego’s Sunday Brunch Buffet, and why you should start your year right with a great Italian Brunch.

THE STYLISH INTERIOR

With Parmesan cheese wheels, sausages and Italian Prosciutto as part of the decorations, you would be impressed at how the modern Italian restaurant is still able to keep its traditions strong.

The warm hues in Prego also make for a very relaxed yet casual chic dining atmosphere—perfect for family brunch and couples who are looking to have a romantic date.

It is hard to find a place in Singapore where you can go to for a true Italian communal dining experience.

FREE-FLOW SPARKLING WINE

Sunday brunch is just not the same without some bubbles! And at Prego, you can choose to indulge in free-flow Berlucchi ’61 Brut Franciacorta as part of your feast. The sweet Italian Sparkling Wine is carefully selected to pair with the curated line-up.

So, go on. Drink up because free-flow sparkling wine is the perfect way to spend Sunday afternoons.

THE BEST OF ITALIAN CHEESE AT THE SEASONAL STATIONS

Italians take pride in producing some of the best cheeses in the world. Taste a slice of Italy right here at Prego, where you have creamy Ricotta, milky Burrata and very smooth Mozzarella to indulge in all you want.

The menus for the four seasonal stations in Prego change from time to time based on seasonality. Some of the dishes on rotation are exquisite creations by the chefs which include Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with Truffle Breadcrumbs, Wild Frittata with Mushrooms and Grilled Portobello “Steak” Salad.

An assortment of Italian bread and bruschetta is also part of the line-up.

And just beside the Home-Crafted Rustic Italian Bread & Bruschetta Station, there are more Italian farm cheeses in the likes of Asiago and Taleggio. Those who prefer hard cheeses can opt for these!

LIVE PASTA CRAFTING AND RISOTTO BAR

The star of our Sunday Buffet Brunch goes to the ‘live’ pasta crafting and risotto bar. Visitors get to watch the chefs in action as they masterfully craft out fresh pasta right before you.

The fun part? You get to create your own pasta dish at this station! Choose from various kinds of pasta such as ravioli, spaghetti and squid ink pasta (depending on season).

When you are done, pick a sauce of your choice including Spiced Tomato Sauce with Seafood, traditional Bolognese sauce, creamy Carbonara or the seasonal Truffle cream sauce. There are plenty of toppings to go with your pasta too—mushrooms, peppers, ham etc.

At the risotto bar, you get a generous serving of Black Truffle Risotto from the chef who uses only premium Acquerello Rice—one of Italy’s top risotto rice producer. Needless to say, this was one of the best truffle risottos we had. Every grain was full and plump, and lavishly coated with cream and cheese, then topped off with a generous serving of seasonal black truffle.

The risotto counter showcases the most premium of seasonal produce – expect different seasonal specialties when you return to Prego. *Hint: Asparagus and Roasted King Prawns Risotto next!

MEAT AND SEAFOOD GRILL

Here’s the one station that will get the carnivores all excited—the grill. This is where you can have your meat and seafood grilled a la minute and served warm to you.

Get ready for the wide selection on offer which includes Lamb Rack with Garlic & Thyme, Salmon Fillet with Dill & Lemon, Beef Sirloin with Rosemary and Chicken Thigh with Lemon & Oregano.

FRESH SEAFOOD

If grilled seafood ain’t your thing, go for the oysters, scallops and poached Alaska crab legs instead. This station is the epitome of seafood luxury and the sheer selection will leave you bewildered!

We love how easy it is to slurp up the freshly shucked oysters and dig into the pre-cracked crab legs. Seriously, ready-to-eat fresh crabs is a luxury beyond imagination!

ITALIAN GELATO CART AND ALL KINDS OF DESSERTS

We were blown away by the limelight of the dessert counter. What do you know, it was an Italian gelato cart! Build your very own Italian gelato on a cone with the various flavours.

Did we mention there’s tiramisu as well? You can have a whole tray of tiramisu all to yourself! And that’s not all. The dessert counter also comes with Traditional Cannoli, Wild Berries Pannacotta, Chocolate Salame, Ricotta Cheesecake, among other sweet delights!

Sunday Brunch Buffet at Prego (12pm – 3pm)
Adult: S$128++**, S$98++*
Child: S$49++*

**includes unlimited Berlucchi ’61 Brut Franciacorta, Italian Signature Cocktails, House Wines, Tiger Draught, Juices and Soft Drinks
* includes unlimited non-alcoholic drinks

Prego 
Fairmont Singapore, Level 1
80 Bras Basah Road
Singapore 189560
Tel: +65 6431 6156
Nearest Station: City Hall

This post is brought to you by Fairmont Singapore.

Szdechuan Court is known for serving good Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine, and its location at level three of Fairmont Singapore makes it the perfect place to have a nice meal with family and friends, or to host a business luncheon in an elegant and upmarket setting.

To celebrate Chinese New Year, the chef has specially created several set menus, and we had the good fortune to sample some of his signature dishes.

We started with lo-hei, the tossing of yusheng (raw fish salad which comprise crispy eel, salmon, abalone and lobster), a Chinese New Year ritual in Singapore.

There were classic dishes on the menu including Braised Whole Abalone with mushroom and dried oysters with broccoli, and Sweet and Sour Pork Spare Ribs topped with diced capsicums and pineapples.

The Three Treasures Double Boiled Cordyceps Flower Soup – with mini abalone followed shortly after. It was a simple and comforting soup – the kind which you can have everyday and not get sick of it.

The Crispy Tiger Prawns coated with mild spicy mayonnaise was also very good. In fact, I almost suspected that the chef coated the prawns with heroin, that made them so addictive.

The signature Deep-fried Turbot was the highlight of our meal. The fish, with a superior coriander soy sauce, had a shattering crisp, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We ended our feast with a Pandan Nian Gao topped with coconut flakes.

For Chinese New Year 2013, the chefs at Szechuan Court have specially created a collection of Chinese New Year signatures and seven set menus such as the Gong Xi Fa Cai set ($288++) a 8 course menu for a family of four and the Fortune Set ($888++), a massive 10 course menu for a table of ten.

Szechuan Court & Kitchen
80 Bras Basah Road
Level 3 Fairmont Singapore
Tel: +65 6431 6156
Daily: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Note: This was an invited media tasting.

I first heard of Mikuni Japanese Restaurant during their official opening in September last year. But I had something on and couldn’t make it for the launch party. Time passed quickly and somehow I didn’t get a chance to drop by for a meal.

Fast forward a few months, I received another invitation from Fairmont Hotel Singapore to visit Mikuni for their Winter Robata, a culinary special featuring Hokkaido’s finest produce and flavours.

The restaurant has specially procured the freshest ingredients from the sub-prefectures of Sapporo, Tokachi, Rishiri and Hakodate, to create a 11-Course Kaiseki menu.

We started our 11 course dinner ($280/pax) at Mikuni with a dry scallop paired with the classic Sapporo beer. Second course was Salmon roe with Hokkaido Smoked Camembert Cheese which was presented in a tiny bottle.

One of the highlights was the Potato Pork Gyoza with Mushroom Broth. I was telling my dining companions that this was a bowl of “atas” wonton soup. Jokes aside, it was sublime. I finished everything.

And I am still thinking about how good the Giant Scallop Sashimi topped with Sea Urchin was. We had sake. And more sake…

The Salmon was well prepared, but for me, the mushrooms were even better.

My favourite course of the meal was next. The Hokotate was a clam which came in a special sauce made of sake and onion butter. It was so damn good. Unbelievable.

Mikuni’s sommelier (one of the few who specialises in Japanese Sake) was pouring different kinds of sake to pair with the food. The Potato and Crab Tempura that came next was fantastic. (I am very sure I was still sober by then, so I wasn’t influenced by the sake. Stop looking at me like that, I wasn’t drunk!)

While the Wagyu Beef with Hokkaido Wine Sauce was well received by the others, I felt that it was good, but not amazing.

The visually stunning Abalone and Uni, Seaweed and Shio Gama Yaki.

If you are still not full by now, there’s the Sapporo Miso Seafood Ramen to fill your stomach.

Desserts too, were splendid. I thoroughly enjoyed the Milk Pudding and Apple Cake. What a lovely ending.

Suffice it to say, we had a very good meal at Mikuni Japanese Restaurant. The Winter Robata promotion runs from 1 to 29 February 2012 with set menus priced at $280+++ per person and $350++ per person with sake pairing.

Mikuni Japanese Restaurant
80 Bras Basah Road
Level 3 Fairmont Singapore
Tel: +65 6431 6156
Note: This was an invited media tasting.

For more recommendations, read my list of Japanese Restaurants in Singapore

Most people have the impression that I always eat at fine dining restaurants, but my friends would know that I usually prefer going to casual places that are cosy and provide good food at reasonable prices.

But sometimes if you want a very good meal, you really have to fork out top money for it. JAAN Restaurant at Swissotel is the prime example. I had one of my best meals of 2011 at JAAN. I’m going out on a limb and say that they are among the top restaurants in Singapore.

When you eat in one of those fine dining restaurants, you’re not just paying for the food. You’re also paying for everything that comes along with it: the location, the rent, the service, the plates, the view, and the ambience. JAAN has it all: central location at City Hall; highest restaurant in Singapore; breathtaking view of the city’s skyline; knowledgeable servers who do a good job between the dining room and kitchen; and most importantly, good food.

At lunch time, they have extremely good value for money set lunch: 3 course at $52 and 5 course at $82; and during dinner, there are two different choices, including the 5 course menu for $198 (with wine pairing $318), and 7 course menu for $238 (with wine pairing $418).

And of course, you can also order from the ala carte menu which has five appetisers ($46-52), five main courses ($82-118), and four desserts and cheese ($28-45).

We sat there waiting eagerly for the food to come, while having some wine. The amuse-bouche arrived on our table and I put it into my mouth without hesitation.

We were on a roll. The mushroom soup next was excellent. I took a sip, and the only word that came out of my mouth was: wow. This is coming from a guy who doesn’t fancy mushroom soup.

I didn’t want to fill my stomach with bread, but I couldn’t resist having one, okay two from the impressive selection of bread.

And then, we were served the Trumbetta Zucchini ($49) – burratina, basil, almonds and black olives. In terms of presentation, it was one of the prettiest dishes that I’ve seen.

I thought that the Saint Jacques ($49) – rosemary smoked trondheim bay scallops, reinette apple cider, boudin noir and burnet – was good, but my friend told me she had an even better one at another restaurant.

Still, it was quite a sight to behold, and there was a mini performance when the staff sent this to our table.

The star of the meal, without a doubt, is the Ravioli ($46) – organic hen egg, artichoke, melanosporum truffle and cantal. Chef Julien Royer brought the dish out, and he gave us a generous shaving of white truffles on the spot.

It was hands down the most delicious ravioli I’ve ever tasted.

The Atlantic Cod & Baby Squid ($82) – chanterelles, broad beans and smoked garlic emulsion – was equally splendid.

We couldn’t stop gushing about the food, and on top of that, the wine recommendations from the sommelier were spot on. No one that day could have eaten a better meal than us.

After our empty plates were taken away, we continued with desserts. The Choconuts ($28) – Jivara mousse, peanuts, Macadamia nut ice cream. The perfect ending for a perfect meal.

I was wrong. It wasn’t the ending, I’ve forgotten about petit four. Now we can live happily-ever-after.

It’s been a while since I’ve been surprised and won over by a meal. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been eating plenty of very well executed food but the problem with having a benchmark is that it’s getting increasingly difficult to wow me. But JAAN managed to do just that.

The presentation of the food is flawless. Chef Julien Royer and his team pay attention to every single detail and all the dishes are plated beautifully.

$200/pax (probably more because you are going to have wine) for a meal is not a small sum. 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 was a fine way to splurge during a special occasion. JAAN is, without a doubt, one of the best restaurants in Singapore.

JAAN Restaurant
2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford
Tel: +65 6431 5670
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 7pm – 10pm
Note: This was an invited media tasting.