Singapore’s best places to eat and drink

Peranakan national treasure
Chef, author and restaurateur Violet Oon is an ambassador for Peranakan cuisine, whose food is a national treasure featured in the National Kitchen restaurant in the National Gallery Singapore. Oon has two other outlets in ION Orchard and Jewel Changi Airport that also champion nyonya classics like chicken and potatoes simmered in traditional curry powder, curry leaves and coconut cream and crisp fish slathered in fire-engine-red sambal. The restaurant’s decor channel vintage Peranakan opulence and you can buy cakes like the pandan gula Melaka cake to take away.
Various outlets; Phone: +65 9834 9935; violetoon.com

Jypsy @ One Fullerton

Modern waterfront cafe
The PS Café crew pioneered the expat-friendly, Western-style café in Singapore and their newest venture is Jypsy on the water at Fullerton Bay. The sea of rattan and plump colourful pillows has a Bali-beach-club vibe with a view across the water to Marina Bay Sands. The “J” in the title nods to its modern Japanese menu with crispy shrimp rolls, salmon tacos with wasabi mayo and Jypsy oyster shots with picked wasabi and orange ponzu sauce; cocktails pick up the theme with a yuzu gin fizz or honeydew melon sour.
One Fullerton complex, 1 Fullerton Road; Phone +65 6708 9288; pscafe.com/jypsy-one-fullerton

Drunken Farmer

On-trend local wine bar
The natural, or naked, wine craze has hit the Lion City and one of the best examples is Drunken Farmer, riffing on the idea of the drunken kung fu master. This is a natural wine store with a few locations and a wine bar in Joo Chiat Road in the east set in a revamped coffee house stripped back to the exposed concrete with industrial light sculptures. The team behind Drunken Farmer is the famous Tiong Bahru Bakery and they are using their baking skills to turn out sourdough pizzas like a 'shrooms and goats cheese and anchovies and pesto. The natural wine list is long and globe-spanning and the staff know their way around it.
185 Joo Chiat Road; Phone +65 6877 4884; drunkenfarmer.sg

Mr Stork

Sultry new rooftop bar
With its tropical nights and multitude of skyscrapers it is no wonder Singapore loves a rooftop bar and one of the latest offerings is Mr Stork in the Andaz Hotel. This garden oasis has near 360-degree views of the Marina Bay area and offers guests the option of candle-lit tables separated by lush greenery or quirky tipi huts designed to look like the carriers that Mr Stork is fabled to use for his delivery of babies. The bar has batch cocktails, house craft brews or country-inspired tipples whipped up from the central island bar like the Amrita, gin, guava, lemongrass and mint that will transport you to India.
5 Fraser Street; Phone +65 6408 1234; hyatt.com

Open Farm Community

Farm-to-table in the city
Urban farming is a big buzzword in Singapore at present with farm gardens springing up all over town. One of the biggest is the Open Farm Community with a huge plot surrounding a rustic-chic kitchen where you dine under a canopy of fairy lights. The dishes are all designed to hero the produce such as cauliflower “wings” in tamarind miso with sesame and spring onions or grilled sweet corn with smoked chilli honey and lime. When protein does turn up you might find some Fremantle octopus with chimichurri or short rib in mole. Cocktails also celebrate the farm with a tom yum sour packed full of herb-infused vodka with ginger and lime.
130E Minden Road; Phone +65 6471 0306; openfarmcommunity.com

Revival

High-concept highballs by the river
Revival sets itself the over-the-top task of turning major works of art from key art movements in history into cocktails. At a secret-door location in Robertson Quay this lush, split-level bar has a menu divided up into periods of art history, so if you pick Edvard Munch’s The Scream from the Expressionist period you will get Ardbeg whisky, Los Arcos tequila, Codigo 1530 Blanco tequila, chipotle distillate, Ancho Reyes, red capsicum, lime and agave with the chilli salt “rim” appearing as dots around the side of the glass. Embrace the artistry.
205 River Valley Road; Phone +65 9488 3726; revivalbarsg.com

Lau Pa Sat

Venerable hawker market for the city crowd
The Lau Pa Sat (old market) hawker market is one of the grander offerings with its ornate, high-ceilinged cast iron roof that has been protecting diners for over 150 years since it was the first wet market on the island. There is a huge range of Singaporean, Indian and Korean stalls but the best thing is to join the back of the longest line. In this case it is Thunder Tea Rice, a dish from the Hakka region of China. A blend of spices including green tea, mint, coriander and basil are pounded together and turned into a tea that is served on the side of a bowl of your own creation with rice, vegetables and proteins like crisp battered fish, then spoon in as much or as little of the tea as you like.
18 Raffles Quay, Singapore; no phone; laupasat.sg

328 Katong Laksa

Legendary spicy soup stall
For over two decades, 328 Katong Laksa has been dishing out this famous Singapore staple; they even beat Gordon Ramsay in a Hawker Heroes cook-off, a feat that is proudly displayed in store. There is a short dim sum menu with chilli crab bau and har gao, but the main event here is the laksa in one style only, no going off menu. It is a rich, hot-and-spicy laksa broth with coconut milk, vermicelli noodles and fresh seafood. The original is on East Coast Road in Katong, but there are branches around Singapore that are all amazing.
51 East Coast Road; no phone; 328katonglaksa.sg

Hawker Chan Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle

The one plate of chicken rice to have
Hainanese chicken rice vies for the title of national dish of Singapore, poached chicken served with rice seasoned in chicken stock with sides of chilli and fresh cucumber. At Hawker Chan, chef Chan Hon Meng puts a slight twist on the dish, marinating the chicken in soy sauce and serving the sliced bird with the soy-chicken broth poured over the rice. The result got Chan a Michelin star and the title of “cheapest Michelin-starred meal in the world” and makes his bright Chinatown restaurant a must-visit stop for foodies.
21 Tampines Street; Phone +65 6272 2000; liaofanhawkerchan.com

Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Breakfast of Singaporean champions
A divisive breakfast dish that teams toast soldiers filled with sweet pandan jam (kaya) and slices of ice-cold butter chunks then dipped in coddled eggs topped with soy sauce and white pepper, Ya Kun Kaya Toast is one of the best in town. Order a Set A that pairs the above with a kopi (coffee with sweetened condensed milk) and marvel at whoever thought of this crazy-but-amazing combo. Other chains like Fun Toast, Killiney Road Kopitian and Toast Box also do a solid job.
Various locations; yakun.com