Sentosa & SingaporeDESTINATION DIGEST

JANUARY - MARCH 2020

P O W E R E D B Y

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Singapore EventsJANUARY - MARCH 2020

25-26 Jan

8-9 Feb

11-19 Jan

28 Jan

Chinese New Year

Thaipusam

Singapore Art Week

Ludovico Einaudi: Seven Days Walking Singapore

The Lunar New Year is celebrated city-wide, but head to Chinatown to snap away at the most spectacular street decorations. The city’s famous Chingay Parade is held 31 Jan-1 Feb.

Held during the full moon of the 10th Hindu calendar month, Thaipusam is celebrated with elaborate piercing ceremonies and street processions in Little India, and at other Tamil temples around Singapore.

Art Week takes flight with 70+ artists exhibiting at venues across the city. Events include Light to Night Festival, which sees the Civic District illuminated, and art walking trails.

Known for his luscious film scores and bestselling solo album, the Italian classical musician makes his Singapore debut with a multi-sensory performance at The Esplanade.

Chinatown

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple / 15 Tank Rd / Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple / 397 Serangoon Rd / thaipusam.sg

Public events island wide / See site for dates and times / artweek@nac.gov.sg / artweek.sg

Esplanade Concert Hall / 1 Esplanade Drive / +65 6828 8377 / from 8pm / esplanade.com

HOT HAPPENINGS

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iLight Singapore

A dazzling highlight of the Singaporean cultural calendar, this pace-setting festival features installations dotted around the Civic District, Fort Canning Park, Marina Bay and the River.

Singapore EventsJANUARY - MARCH 2020

6-29 Mar

Until 5 AprUntil 22 Mar 2219 Future’s Imagined at

ArtScienceSingapore Biennale

Much of 2019’s Bicentennial celebrations charted the rich 200-year history of Singapore, but this exhibition peers into the future, inviting visitors to explore how the world will change in the next 200 years.

The National Gallery and Gillman Barracks are among the many spaces showcasing local and regional talents as part of the art biennale.

ArtScience Museum / Marina Bay Sands / 6 Bayfront Avenue / +65 6688 8345 / 10am–7pm Mon-Sun / marinabaysands.com/museum

singaporebiennale.org

HOT HAPPENINGS

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Locations across Singapore / 7.30pm-11pm daily, extended hours on weekends / info@ilight.sg / ilightsingapore.sg

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LUXE LovesJANUARY - MARCH 2020

LUXE LOVES

Iggy’s

1-V:UFat Cow

Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck

Ignatius Chan’s eponymous restaurant continues to wow with its haute mod-Euro fare and intimate setting. There are just 42 covers but tables are refreshingly well spaced for private whispering (those craving sociability can still bag a spot around the communal perch). Tasting menus only but there’s a clever option to stop after either the first, second or third main courses (with prices adjusted accordingly), plus excellent Burgundy-leaning wine list.

Perched atop sibling The Outpost Hotel, new day-to-night beach club and restaurant 1-V:U serves up Asian-global fare from its communal menu with a side of DJ-spun sounds and spectacular views. Adults only. Guests of The Barracks Hotel are entitled to 20% off the a la carte menu and drinks.

Forget the Medical Centre address and focus instead on the fabulous steaks putting the ooh into umami at this Japanese teppanyaki grill. Private rooms are available, but book a counter seat to catch the action.

Sibling Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine (Orchard) might dazzle with its Michelin Star, but this glowing golden jewel is our pick for a mid-Orchard refuel. Like it says on the tin, Peking duck is the highlight (served and carved at the table) but the fine Cantonese menu also covers barbecue and dim sum. Slick service.

Hilton Hotel / Level 3 / 581 Orchard Road / +65 6732 2234 / lunch & dinner Tue-Sat / iggys.com.sg

The Outpost Hotel / Level 7 / 10 Artillery Avenue / Sentosa / +65 6513 7708 / restaurant 6.30am-9.30pm Sun-Thu, till 10pm Fri-Sat / day club & rooftop bar 11am-1am Sun-Thu, 11am-3am Fri-Sat / 1-vu.sg

Camden Medical Centre / #01-01/02 / 1 Orchard Blvd / +65 6735 0308 / lunch & dinner daily / fat-cow.com.sg

Paragon / #05-42/45 / 290 Orchard Road / +65 6732 7838 / lunch & dinner daily / imperialtreasure.com

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LUXE LovesJANUARY - MARCH 2020

LUXE LOVES

Dempsey Cookhouse and Candlenut

Odette

Burnt Ends

Be sure to book ahead for a coveted spot at sceney Cookhouse, which pulls an upscale crowd with Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s fresh, zingy palate-pleasers. Over at neighbouring Candlenut, Malcolm Lee’s elevated Baba-Nyonya fare earned the accolade as the world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant.

Located in the spectacular National Gallery, Odette’s dreamy, creamy interior is reminiscent of 1930s Hollywood, but Julien Royer’s clever interpretations of classic Gallic are bang up to date. Named after Royer’s grand-mère, Odette holds 3 Michelin stars and bagged the number 1 slot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2019. The frequently changing set 4, 6 or 8 course menus feature a few greatest hits alongside new creations, all made with top-notch ingredients, natch. As one of Singapore’s hottest tables, you’ll need to reserve several weeks in advance.

This hip Aussie thriller has been smoking, slow-roasting and grilling for several years now and shows no sign of cooling down. There are only 18 seats and it’s no res except at early sittings so rock up, add your name to the list and pop around the corner for drinks at Potato Head.

17A Dempsey Rd / +65 1800 304 2288 / lunch & dinner daily / comodempsey.sg/restaurant/candlenut

#01-04 / 1 St Andrew’s Rd / +65 6385 0498 / lunch Tue-Sat, dinner Mon-Sat / odetterestaurant.com

20 Teck Lim Rd / Chinatown / +65 6224 3933 / lunch Fri-Sat, dinner Tue-Sat / burntends.com.sg

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3 Day / 2 Night Heritage ItineraryITINERARY

EXPLORE

National Gallery Singapore

COMO Cuisine Dempsey

Smoke & Mirrors

National Kitchen by Violet Oon

Botanic Gardens

A F T E R N O O N

M O R N I N G

If you only have time for one of Singapore’s galleries or museums, make it the National Gallery. This showstop-per architectural union of the former Supreme Court and City Hall, connected via a vast, elegant atrium and sleek modern skywalks is worth visiting for the design alone. Inside, you’ll find the largest stash of modern Southeast Asian art in the world.

Join Pilates-honed green queens upping their antioxidant levels with COMO’s nourishing east-west superfood bowls. Try the therapeutic organic coffee brews with adaptogens – the ‘Alarm Clock’ made with Fair Trade coffee, MCT oil, maca root, ghee and coconut cream is heavenly.

Perched atop the National Gallery, Smoke & Mirrors serves superbly crafted cocktails and stagger panos of the Esplanade, Marina Bay and CBD. Inside is dim-lit, slinky glam, but you’re here for the view, so book ahead for a rattan chair on the terrace.

In keeping with the heritage theme, reserve a table at Vi’s nostalgic prettily tiled Peranakan nook instead. The tan-talising menu draws on family recipes repping hybrids of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian dishes – go hungry!

Make an early start and get thee to the beautifully man-icured and lush Botanic Gardens, host to tropical flora, fauna and the truly lovely Ginger and Orchid Gardens. You might want to leave by 11am to prevent wilting.

D AY 1 – C I V I C D I S T R I C T

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L U N C H

S U N S E T

D I N N E R

Singapore might attract attention for its C.21st skyline, convenience and connectivity, but the island state has a rich and rewarding history. This 3-day itinerary gives you a snapshot of the city’s heritage, spanning colonial-era civic architecture to the colourful shophouses of Chinatown.

Wanting more? Download the LUXE Singapore guide for more itineraries.

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EXPLORE

Sri Mariamman & Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Southbridge Rd

Olivia, Keong Saik St

Tippling Club, Tanjong Pagar Rd

Duxton Hill

Monument Lifestyle, Duxton Rd

Littered with Books, Duxton Rd

Tong Mern Sern Antiques, Craig Rd

Native, Amoy St

D I N N E R

M O R N I N G

A F T E R N O O N

Chinatown is home to a clutch of temples, and these two are within a chopstick toss of each other – the OTT but marvellously monikered Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is also a museum of Buddhist art, while the eye-catching Sri Mariamman is Singapore’s oldest Hindu temple.

This relaxed, rustic terracotta and raw-brick restaurant showcases el Bulli alum Alain Devahive’s nuanced take on Catalan cuisine. Particularly good set lunches.

Three breezily-converted shophouses are home to Ryan Clift’s envelope-pushing tour de force. Tongue-titillating plates are paired with equally inventive cocktails. Book a seat at the counter to watch your dishes being assembled in the kitchen. Zing!

Skip back up Keong Saik and cross over to Craig Rd, where on the left you’ll spy a stairwell to Craig Place car park... up you hop to exit amid the pic-pretty enclave Duxton Hill home to eateries like Lucha Loco and Kilo Kitchen.

Stock up on Cali surfwear, grooming prods, decor and gifty accessories at this laidback dude’s den. The petite cafe out back pours a decent cup of joe, a strapping Samovar tea, and an impeccably appointed artisanal toast.

Book lovers rejoice at this charming nook shelving a sharp edit of fiction, non-fiction and children’s lit, plus a neat range of made-in-Singapore souvenirs.

Back on Craig Rd, this ramshackle treasure trove of colonial bits n’ bobs is guarded by the fearsome Mr Keng. He’s well up on prices, but it’s still worth a good poke around.

Vijay Mudaliar’s elevated works of drinkable art have earned him a spot on the ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’ and his scientific concoctions made from wild foraged ingredients are truly original. For a locally inspired tipple, try The Peranakan – a punch of jackfruit rum, laksa leaves, goats milk, candlenut and gula melaka. Cin cin!

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L U N C H

Talk to the hotel’s Equerry team about booking a Jeep or Mercedes E Class limousine at a chargeable fee.

D R I N K S

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EXPLORE

Fort Siloso

Hide Masa

Tangerine, Resorts World

ESPA, Resorts World

M O R N I N G

D I N N E R

A F T E R N O O N

C.19th Fort Siloso Sentosa was an important coastal defence; today it’s an interactive museum with exhibits of WW2 memorabilia. There are free guided tours of the fort, underground tunnels and recently renovated Surrender Chambers every 2nd and 3rd Saturday of the month until the end of March.

A mere skip from your suite, culinary maestro Hide Masa’s contemporary blond-wood fine-diner serves elegant interpretations of Japanese cuisine with French influence. Guests of The Barracks Hotel are entitled to 10% discount. Terms & conditions apply.

History lesson ticked, zip to Resorts World for an afternoon of R&R. The tranquil, verdant Tangerine at Resorts World showcases Thai super chef Ian Kittichai’s delicately spiced salads and meat plates.

You’ll be hard pushed not to surrender at this sumptuous haven of relaxation and rejuvenation. The wide array of facilities includes Turkish hammam, vitality pools, forest onsen-style pools, rock saunas and crystal dream rooms... book a day pass and enjoy a 1-for-1 offer exclusive to guests of The Barracks Hotel, plus 15% off body and face treatments. Contact the hotel’s Equerry team to make your advance reservation. Terms & conditions apply.

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D AY 3 : S E N T O S A

D AY 1 : C I V I C D I S T R I C T

D AY 2 : C H I N AT O W N

D AY 3 : S E N T O S A

L U N C H