We revisit tried and tested restaurants in Singapore that have recently been refreshed and reintroduced. But despite their new location or renovated interiors, one thing remains unchanged: The commitment to serving the best.
SUMMER PALACE
Summer Palace, which has served generations for over 40 years, recently reopened its doors after an extensive and much-needed renovation. Today, the Cantonese fine dining restaurant, located at Conrad Singapore Orchard, boasts interiors that exude lightness, serenity, and elegance. In addition to the refreshed space, the restaurant now features a craftsmanship-driven beverage program, which includes an exciting menu of punchy tea-infused cocktails, as well as a wine list that will pique the curiosity oenophiles with its selection of fine Chinese wines from boutique growers and artisanal vintners.
When it comes to the food menu, expect nothing but the best from Executive Chef Liu Ching Hai and his team. Guided by the ethos of color, aroma, and taste, the menu is comprised of classics, such as Peking duck, char siew, an assortment of roast meats, as well as an exquisitely handcrafted selection of dim sum by Chef Leong Kwok Sing. Then there are the nourishing double-boiled soups, a mainstay in most Cantonese menus, made with superior stock simmered for 12 hours, as well as stir-fried favorites and seafood dishes made with the freshest produce that’s delivered daily.
ICHIGO ICHIE
After spending close to four years at Robertson Quay, a new chapter begins for Ichigo Ichie at its new home in Claymore Connect. At its current location, the fine dining kappo restaurant can better highlight Chef Akane Eno’s personal passions of food and art; where she is able to entertain guests while surrounded by a collection of art pieces and fine Japanese crafts. Meanwhile, Chef Eno’s artistry is translated into the seasonal specialties she creates, crafted from some of the most celebrated, high-quality Japanese ingredients.
To mark the new chapter of the restaurant, Ichigo Ichie presents a unique tea-centric menu. While guests can sip on a variety of flavorful teas, they can also enjoy a creative exploration of the nuances of teas through ingredient pairings. Experience these creations in dishes like lotus root, burdock root, okahijiki, and tairagai with roselle tea jelly and pickled roselle, or the deeply smoky lapsang souchong soy-marinated tuna with grain mustard. One of the highlights at Ichigo Ichie is the donabe rice and on our visit, we were able to enjoy an unagi donabe with Japanese white corn that is deeply fragranced by Dong Ding oolong tea. To finish, look forward to the toasty flavors of genmaicha in ice cream form, served together with the season’s best fruits.
KOTUWA
Kotuwa’s recent move to New Bahru, Singapore’s latest lifestyle and creative hotspot, allowed it to expand its space, which is now reminiscent of a vibrant Sri Lankan home. In addition to an expanded dining room, the restaurant now features an outdoor bar where guests can sip and savor artisanal arracks, and work their way through an exciting cocktail menu created by Head Bartender and Colombo-native Ashaka Harith.
Standout cocktails include Uncle Percy, which pairs Short Story white rum with Ceylon arrack, soursop, and coconut, and The Souvenir, which features Colombo 7 gin, pickled mango, and ginger flower.
The new tipples were definitely designed to pair well with a variety of snacks, such as Devilled Cashews with curry leaves and chili salt, as well as deep-fried specialties like the panko-crumbed Mutton Rolls and Sri Lankan patties filled with spiced banana blossom. Beyond bar bites, Kotuwa’s menu is a treasure trove of delicious discoveries, which include mains like Jaffna Duck Curry cooked in a coconut gravy, Malu Baduma, or crispy jade perch served with sour curry and fresh pomelo, and the signature Crab Curry, featuring Sri Lankan mud crabs prepared two ways – with cumin, fenugreek, coriander, and cinnamon or doused in garlic butter, green chili, and Ceyloneses pepper. Make sure to order the plain or egg hoppers to mop up the delicious curries.