Exquisite Dining in Singapore: 10 Unique & Unusual Dishes You Need To Try
PUBLISHED July 18th, 2019 07:00 am | UPDATED July 29th, 2019 08:24 pm
Singapore is Southeast Asia‘s premier foodie paradise, and each day brings new possibilities as restaurants around the island compete to create the most novel dishes to tickle the whims and fancies of diners. From the savoury to the sweet, it’s these unique twists that stand out from the rest. In partnership with UOB Dining Advisor, here are 10 special dishes and menu for exquisite dining, along with special promotions for UOB Cardmembers!
Fried Crispy Rice and Orzo Pasta, Crystal Jade Palace
This new dish from Crystal Jade Palace might look like their signature fried rice, but it’s really fried pasta masquerading as rice. To elaborate, orzo is a type of wholewheat pasta that resembles rice, but with more firm al dente texture. Expertly fried for maximum wok hei, the Fried Crispy Rice and Orzo Pasta (S$26) also sees fresh prawns, bell peppers, caramelised bits of char siew, and a sprinkling of crispy sakura ebi and deep fried rice grains for crunch in every spoonful.
UOB Promotion: S$10 off total bill with every spend of S$80*, S$2 or S$20 signature dishes with min. spend^, 12% cashback in Jpoints#
Crystal Jade Palace is located at 391 Orchard Road, #04-19 Takashimaya, Singapore 238872, p. +65 6735 2388. Open Mon-Sat 11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm, Sun 10am – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm.
*^Valid from 1 Jul 2019 to 30 Dec 2019 from Mon-Fri, excluding eve of & PHs
^Promotion differs for the respective participating concepts
#Valid till 31 Dec 2019. Valid for UOB Jadeite Members only
Crispy Pork Sambal Aioli, Thevar
Thevar is a modern Indian restaurant along Keong Saik Road, and their Crispy Pork Sambal Aioli (S$14) is the crispy pork dish you never knew you wanted. Pork jowl is first brined, slow-cooked, then deep fried with South Indian sambar spices before being served with jalapeño pickles and a coconut sambal aioli in a herbaceous betel leaf. Juicy, crisp, and tender, you’ll never find something like this in an ordinary Indian mamak.
UOB Promotion: None yet, but check out this review of Thevar on UOB Dining Advisor.
Thevar is located at 9 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089117, p. +65 6904 0838. Open Mon-Sat 5pm – 12am. Closed Sun.
Noodle Soup with Fried Pork Chop, Din Tai Fung
You’ve surely tried the famous Xiao Long Baos from Din Tai Fung, or even one of their popular egg fried rice creations. But now, we want you to order their springy handmade noodles instead. The minced pork in bean sauce ones are great, as is the fragrantly sweet spicy noodle originally created for Thai taste buds. The most unusual though, is Noodle Soup with Fried Pork Chop (S$11.80), featuring crispy fried pork chop marinated with complex spices. Slurp up this delicious twosome with gusto!
UOB Promotion: 15% off noodle selection (Mon-Fri 3pm – 5pm), valid till 31 December 2019
Din Tai Fung is located at more than 20 outlets islandwide.
Le Indomee Royale, Loof
Have you really been to Loof if you haven’t tried this secret menu item? Available only from 9pm, Le Indomee Royale (S$18) is everything you’d expect in a supper sesh at the trendy rooftop bar on Odeon Towers. Think carbonara pasta piled with parma ham, truffle oil, shaved grana padano, runny egg yolk – only with Indomee hidden under all that. It’s an outrageous creation, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
UOB Promotion: 20% off a la carte food (5pm to 8.30pm) and $8 housepour spirits and wines (8pm to 8.30pm) from Mon-Sat, valid till 30 April 2020
Loof is located at 331 North Bridge Road, Odeon Towers #03-07, Singapore 188720, p. +65 9773 9304. Open Sun-Thu 5pm – 1am, Fri-Sat 5pm – 2am.
Impossible Vegetarian, The Clifford Pier
Bibimbab, the Korean Stone Bowl Rice (S$29) has now been reimagined with Impossible Meat, which is not actually meat. The same goes for the Crispy Impossible Beef Chinese Pancake (S$27) that is somewhere between a murtabak and a meat bun. Sounds incredible? We think so too. They’re just two of The Clifford Pier’s newly introduced Impossible Vegetarian section, which sees mostly oriental dishes with ‘meat’ that tastes a lot like beef. It’s good for the planet, and your tastebuds too.
UOB Promotion: 15% off daily Afternoon Tea, a la carte lunch and dinner food bill (or 20% for UOB Reserve, Visa Infinite, Privilege Banking, Empire, and Lady’s Solitaire Cardmembers), valid till 30 December 2019 for dine-in only
The Clifford Pier is located at The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326, p. +65 6597 5266. Open Mon-Fri 12pm – 12am, Sat 11am – 12am, Sun 11am – 12am.
Mentaiko Risotto, House of MU
We don’t see pink risotto often, but when we do, you can be sure our cameras at at the ready. The purists might balk at the Mentaiko Risotto (S$26), but we like it just the way it is: drenched in generous scoops of spicy cod roe sauce and slightly softer than al dente. It’s also topped with pan-seared scallops, because there can never be too much umami. As expected of House of MU, where comfort food is at its best.
UOB Promotion: 10% off a la carte food and drinks bill, valid till 31 August 2019
House of MU is located at 11 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 239010, p. +65 6732 1011. Open Tue-Thu 12pm – 10.30pm, Fri-Sat 12pm – 12am, Sun 12pm – 10.30pm. Closed Mon.
Singdog with Achar, MO Bar, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
The much-talked-about MO Bar doesn’t just serve up wicked drinks. Their bar grub is delish too, especially with Singdog (S$26) in the menu. A hearty combination of Nyonya sausage and feisty achar is topped with copious amounts of sambal mayo, scallion, and dried shrimp, the star is the special sausage made with all sorts of Peranakan spices. Along with Tasmanian crab somen noodles and octopus naniwazu puffs, they make a great accompaniment to MO Bar’s creative cocktails. Check out this review on UOB Dining Advisor.
UOB Promotion: 15% off total food bill, valid till 30 December 2019
MO Bar is located at 5 Raffles Ave, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore 039797, p. +65 6885 3500. Open Sun-Thu 11am – 1am, Fri-Sat 11am – 2am.
Liberian Peanut Chicken Stew, Kafe UTU
A stew with peanut butter might sound strange in Singapore, but it turns out to be a thing in West Africa. The Liberian Peanut Chicken Stew (S$28) is a heaping Sakura chicken thigh cooked with natural peanut butter, smoked fish, and habanero – all on a fluffy bed of basmati white rice. You will surely sweat, but it’s worth it. Kafe UTU also serves a vast number of unique African favourites: Lamb Heart in chimichuri sauce (S$20) and Macanese Chicken with mango salsa (S$29).
UOB Promotion: None yet, but check out more perks of owning a UOB Card here.
Kafe UTU is located at 12 Jiak Chuan Rd, Singapore 089265, p. +65 6996 3937. Open Wed-Thu 10am – 5pm, 6pm – 11pm, Fri 10am – 5pm, 6pm – 1am, Sat 9am – 5pm, 6pm – 1am, Sun 9am – 5pm, 6pm – 11pm.
Savoury Soufflés, Soufflé
Because how often do you get authentic soufflé in Singapore? Light, airy, and full of goodness, you’ll find fascinating savoury creations such as Lobster Soufflé (S$28), freshly-baked and accompanied by a rich lobster bisque poured over. Our favourite? The Laksa Soufflé (S$23) that offers a taste of traditional Singapore flavours with fresh prawns and a rich laksa sauce. To accompany your meal, there’s a range of carefully-curated wines from France.
UOB Promotion: 10% off total bill, valid till 17 February 2020
Soufflé is located at 5 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089591, p. +65 6690 7562. Open Mon-Sat 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm, Sun 11am – 10pm.
Hati Babi Bungkus, Folklore
When it comes to heirloom heritage food, Folklore is hard to beat. After all, it’s where MasterChef Singapore judge Damian D’Silva has preserved recipes and techniques from a bygone era, reflecting the major cuisines of Singapore. Most novel is Hati Babi Bungkus (S$20), a dish of minced pork and liver marinated and wrapped in pig caul fat (that thin membrane that protect the internal organs) before being served with pickled mustard leaves. Check out this review on UOB Dining Advisor.
UOB Promotion: 15% off total food bill, valid till 31 March 2020
Folklore is located at Destination Singapore Beach Road, 700 Beach Rd, Singapore 199598, p. +65 6679 2900. Open daily 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 9.30pm.
For more dining deals, honest reviews, and foodie guides, visit thediningadvisor.com.
This post is sponsored by UOB Cards.
Top Image: Loof
