UrbanWireBy: Letticia Chia and Tan Qiu Ling
Dec 25 marks the invasion of luminarias (a small paper lantern of Christmas significance) on the streets in Mexico, while young children in the Netherlands and the country’s former colonies eagerly anticipate the arrival of Sinterklass, the bishop version of white-bearded, gift-bearing Santa Claus. Here in sunny and snow-less Singapore, we do Christmas the way we know best – feasting! UrbanWire shows you how to munch your way through the holiday, from breakfast to dinner. Here’s to a taste of the Christmas spirit!
Breakfast ~ The Soup Spoon
With branches scattered across the island, The Soup Spoon is an affordable yet accessible option for a hearty start with an array of scrumptious soups, like their popular Boston Clam Chowder and Velvety Mushroom Stroganoff.
Giving you the perfect comfort food to start the day, The Soup Spoon offers a bowl of regular sized soup ($6.10) accompanied by a dinner roll. 3 delicious soups are the main highlights for the yuletide season, including a couple of old favourites.
Beloved of many is the Beef Bourguignon ($8), The Soup Spoon’s twist on late American chef Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon. A concoction of beef, button mushrooms, french beans, sugar snaps, a mixture of root vegetables and a douse of red wine, it’s definitely a must-try.
The stew packs a powerful punch. After the initial taste of the beef stew, the flavour of the red wine will overwhelm the senses with a light salty aftertaste of the french beans. The rich taste of the stew is a throwback to the classic cold Christmas day stews making it a nice start to a day of feasting.
The Brussel Sprouting Chestnut Puree ($6.80) is a perfect way of going vegetarian in anticipation of the meat overload during the holidays. A unique mixture of brussel sprouts and chestnuts, the dish is topped off with cranberry infused crème fraiche. This puree shines the spotlight on the traditional Christmas dinner sidekicks – chestnuts and brussel sprouts!
While not the most attractive of their soups, it certainly has its charms. The consistency is extremely thick, filled with granular bits of chestnuts instead of the smooth yet full texture of their regular soups. The strong taste of the chestnuts almost overpowers the other flavours, but that makes it a good starter dish for anyone trying to ease into brussel sprouts.
The Tuscan Seafood Stew ($8.90) is another returning favourite. Resembling a party on your tongue, this has the most interesting flavour palette of the bunch. With a dash of wine added into the stew, it definitely warms the cockles of your heart, even if you’re not experiencing winter.
Starting off with a light and fresh taste of tomatoes, the chockfull of seafood – especially the shrimps – leaves a tangy aftertaste on your tongue, making it a certain choice for those keeping away from the usual Christmas flavours.
If an early breakfast trip is out of the question, The Soup Spoon offers take-home soup packs that serves two, which you can heat up at home, and taste exactly the same, for a slightly cheaper price starting from $7.40 per pack.
Address: 5 Changi Business Park Central 1, Changi City Point #B1-24/25
For other outlets, please refer to their website.
Opening hours: Mon – Sun: 10.30am to 10pm
Rating: 4/5
Price Rating: $-$$
Note:
- Christmas Soups are available until Jan 4, 2012.
- Add $4.80 to get an upgrade to a set meal for every purchase of a regular or large soup. On top of the soup, the set meal includes a choice of a half salad, half wrap or half sandwich, and a choice of ice lemon tea, a muffin, chips or an apple.
Lunch ~ Oriole Café & Bar
Those in the know recognise that in Singapore, you probably get the best coffee in Oriole. After all, owner Keith Loh beat 23 others to win the Singapore National Barista Championship 2010, and the runner-up is his head barista!
Spice up the holiday with their award-winning Chilli Chocolate Mocha ($6) that combines chocolate with lots of spicy heat! Go on, immerse the cinnamon stick in the coffee. Enjoy the Oriole signature’s foamy richness and fresh roast with a warm spiciness permeating shortly after. The Piccolo Latte ($5.80) and Macchiato ($4.20) are alternatives for those who chicken out of anything spicy.
With 10% of their coffee drink proceeds going into the M.I.L.K (Mainly I Love Kids) fund that helps disadvantaged children and youth in Singapore, you can spread some love in the name of Christmas and do your bit for charity while indulging in these gourmet concoctions.
In Lebanon, which is not far from the birthplace of Jesus, families gather to share the mid-day meal with staples such as the Kibbeh (a sphericalsnack of cereal and minced meat) and the burgur (steamed or par-boiled grains). There, lunch is considered the most important meal during Christmas, so that’s your excuse for a hearty midday meal!
Bringing Christmas tradition from the Middle East to Oriole is Ali Baa Baa ($16), a deceptively simple burger that sees a juicy grilled Turkish lamb patty with tomatoes, onions and haloumi cheese, set between 2 slightly charred pieces of flat bread.
The mildly gamey taste of the lamb might put finicky eaters off, so the baba ghanoush dip at the side is a welcome garnish. A spiced eggplant sauce, the slippery ghanoush also slides down your throat easily. The dip’s smooth texture, together with the exotic patty, is as good as a gastronomic sojourn to the exotic Middle East, where the biblical Christmas story begins.
Warmed Chocolate Amaretti Pudding with Brandy sauce ($10) reminds you of a lava cake, but creamier. The chocolate is not overly sweet and is nicely balanced with the generous amount of sour berries. The Italian amaretti (almond flavoured biscuit) lays in ambush at the base of the pudding, surprising you with an occasional delightful crunch. The brandy sauce adds an extra kick with the alcohol, rounding up the dessert with some very sinful intoxication! Not for the diet-conscious, but we say try it anyway, because it’s Christmas! If you must, share this sinful dessert with a friend.
Address: 96 Somerset Road, #01-01, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites
Telephone: 6238 8348
Opening hours:
- Mon – Tue, 11am – 11pm
- Wed- Thu, 11am – 12am
- Fri- Sat, 11am – 1am
- Sun, 10am – 10pm
Rating: 4.5/5
Price Rating: $-$$$
Note:
- Festive Sunday brunches on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve start from 10am -3pm.
- All-day festive specials are also available from now till Jan 2, 2012.
Dinner ~ Aerin’s Café and Expresso Bar
This open concept café at the basement of Raffles City, next to a water fountain serves modern European cuisine and is known for desserts such as its Rum & Raisin Affogato ($7.50) and Anna’s Pavlova ($9).
Starting from $26++ to $30++, their festive dinner special is a steal. The 3-course set meal lets you choose from 3 tantalising choices such as the Oven-roasted Turkey with Walnut and Bread Stuffing ($26), Seared Halibut Fillet with Green Pea Puree ($28), and Grilled New Zealand Beef Tenderloin ($30).
Starting off dinner with a bang is an artfully tossed salad, the Salad of Prawn, Rock melon & Black Sesame dressing, that tastes as good as it looks. The crunchy greens’ bitter tinge contrasts with the sweetness of rock melon and tender prawns. Topping it off is lightly salted miso-based dressing generously peppered with sesame seeds. The unexpected pairing of the miso dressing with delightfully fresh greens sets it apart from the conventional Caesar or garden salad.
Beautifully done, the halibut is fluffy and moist. Its seared fillet skin adds a nice salty crunch to the dish, with mushrooms as garnish. The smokiness of the tomato sauce is heady and ends nicely with the mildly sour tomatoes. The viscous texture of the pea purée impresses with a sweetness that leaves you craving for more and is an interesting complement to the fillet. Even pea-haters are going to be converts after trying this one!
If you’re expecting Christmas regulars like logcakes or fruitcakes, prepare to be sorely disappointed… but in a good way. The Mascarpone Wildberries with Raspberry Sorbet and Almond Florentines is a modern take on classic Yuletide desserts and best of all, this elegant dessert is not a diabetic hazard with just sweetness powering the whole dish.
The raspberry sorbet catches your eye immediately with its eye-catching festive red. It’s intense icy sourness powers through your palate and gets you hooked on the kick.
Beside the sorbet lies the Mascarpone cake, mercilessly stealing the limelight. If you find the taste of the cake familiar, dessert junkies will tell you that mascarpone is the Italian cheese found in well-loved dessert, tiramisu. Here, the velvety quality of the cheese is served in all its glory without any layered distractions and if you’re craving for some extra sweetness, the caramelized almond Florentines on the side will do just the trick.
Address: 252, North Bridge Road, Raffles City Shopping Centre, B1-11/12
Telephone: 6337 2231
Opening hours: 11.30am to 10.00pm daily
Rating: 4/5
Price Rating: $-$$$
Note:
- Festive dinner set is available until Dec 31.
- Allow 20 minutes of preparation time for Aerin’s apple pie.
Whether you celebrate Christmas at home, or follow our all-you-can-eat guide and spend the entire day out, UrbanWire wishes you a very Merry Christmas!
