JAAN by Kirk Westaway
Level 70, Swissôtel The Stamford | Tel: 9199 9008
Two Michelin-starred JAAN reopened its doors in December following a three-month facelift to unveil chef Kirk Westaway’s new vision, which pays homage to his hometown of Devon in Southwest England. Elegant, warm, layered, and textured, the refurbished space was brought to life by award-winning global hospitality design agency greymatters.
Devon’s uniquely diverse terroir frames the backstory of the main dining hall, with a soothing palette lining the walls and gold mirrored panels on the raised ceilings. The walls are accentuated by textured wallpaper that features abstract brush strokes reminiscent of soft gauzy clouds. A deep blue gradient carpet fills the floor, all coming together to evoke a feeling of standing on the Jurassic-era cliffs and gazing out at the ocean.
Working with French furnishing company Pierre Frey on fabrics, and Muebles Asia, leading manufacturers of wooden furniture in Bali, on the furniture, the 35-seater main dining room includes a mix of banquette and regular seats to create a warm, intimate feeling for guests. Drawing inspiration from natural landscapes, every piece is custom-made to feature organic curves, from the seafoam blue banquettes to side tables in the style of a tree branch.
Another nice touch is the floor-to-ceiling light installation, which features the restaurant's original chandelier made of hand-blown Italian Murano Glass, repurposed and refashioned to look like a sturdy hawthorn tree. With a smart lighting system, the lights are programmed to dim and brighten according to the hour of the day.
For lunch (from $198++) and dinner ($388++), Westaway serves winter menus showcasing the finest British vegetables and cheeses from across the UK, plus a festive guinea fowl dish. More refined yet complex, some familiar favourites are given a fresh new twist with a change in flavours and presentation. His Burnt Leek and Potato Soup is now more brothy, less creamy, and almost mushroomy, while his hallmark Hen’s Egg has been deconstructed with a more graphic presentation.
A personal favourite is the Sweet Onion Tart, featuring a half-roasted onion served over a fennel marmalade, purple aubergine purée, and a crunchy base of baked onion crumble. A few slivers of anchovy on top round out all the delicious flavours in this dish. Another unexpected one is the Guinea Fowl in a meatloaf-type presentation that uses the entire guinea fowl and is topped with Irish pork. Each portion is sliced individually and garnished with a sprinkle of guinea fowl skin crisps before it is finished with a rich sauce made from the trimmings and an apt bit of cranberry sauce for a festive touch.
See also: Best restaurants for Chinese New Year feasting
The other dish that gave us serious winter vibes is the Chestnut, a light and airy chestnut crème and vanilla English custard topped with a rich and aromatic black truffle ice cream.
Red House Seafood
#01-14/16 The Esplanade Mall | Tel: 6336 6080
For 46 years, family-owned and family-run Red House Seafood has delighted diners with its exquisite Singapore Nanyang-style seafood and established a fine reputation as the “custodians of seafood”. Last October, it opened a new outlet at Esplanade facing the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade, with modern interiors perfectly matching its chic location.
Bright and open with a soft nude palette, the lively interiors — designed by local interior design practice Farm — are complemented by Nanyang-style design elements like rattan and timber furniture, plant themes, and wallpaper motifs by local artist Tan Zi Xi. It comprises a central dining hall that seats 66 and two private dining rooms, one with 10 seats and the other with up to 14 seats. For those who enjoy alfresco dining with beautiful views of the Marina Bay waterfront, 50 outdoor seats are available.
One of Singapore’s oldest seafood restaurants, now into its third generation of family-run ownership, Red House has upheld the responsible sourcing, maintaining, and cooking of seafood. Today, its culinary team, led by executive chef Man, ensures that all its imported seafood is fully traceable, expertly cared for, and properly stewarded. The kitchen team personally monitors the living conditions of all the species - water temperature, oxygen level, filtration, and micro-ecosystem - and live seafood is kept away from the public to avoid stressing the creatures.
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Famous for its intoxicating blend of ingredients and flavours indigenous to the region of Southern China while drawing influences from Malay, Indian, and Peranakan cuisine, Red House will serve familiar favourites such as Signature Chilli Crab and Lobster in Signature Creamy Custard Sauce, as well as Esplanade-exclusives like Chicken Satay and Thai Style BBQ Squid with Jelly Fish.
The Chef’s Trio of Squid Platter stands out, featuring squid prepared three ways and served with a delicious homemade chilli dipping sauce. Another must-try is the White Pepper Alaskan King Crab, a hallmark dish where the crab is gently steamed, stewed in white pepper-infused stock, and served with an addictive unsalted butter, hua tiao wine and fish sauce to enhance the overall flavours.
Ocean Restaurant
B1M West Car Park, Equarius Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa | Tel: 6577 6869/ 6688
Ocean Restaurant, the iconic underwater dining destination at Resorts World Sentosa, has reopened with a completely refreshed new look, a new celebrity chef at its helm, and a new menu that reflects the restaurant’s and resort’s commitment to sustainability.
Painfully modern minimalist with a sophisticated Scandi vibe, the restaurant draws its design inspiration from the majestic manta ray, where smooth, curvilinear architectural lines draw the marine environment into the dining room. Together with fabrics and materials that echo a deep sea colour palette, jellyfish pendant lights, chic furnishings and modern ambient lounge music, the dining experience here is immersive, peaceful and uplifting. In addition, cleverly positioned mirror panels (also in the new private dining room) let guests enjoy spectacular vistas of the awe-inspiring marine world wherever they are seated in the restaurant.
As a show of its commitment to sustainability, all the dining tables and chairs, as well as soft furnishings and finishings, are either made with recycled materials or manufactured in environmentally friendly facilities.
Uniquely situated in S.E.A. Aquarium with magnificent views of the Open Ocean Habitat, home to more than 40,000 marine animals, the restaurant welcomes chef-patron Olivier Bellin, chef-owner of two-Michelin-starred L'Auberge des Glazicks in France. A passionate advocate for combining Michelin-starred culinary excellence with sustainable standards, Bellin’s new menu at Ocean Restaurant strongly emphasises responsibly sourced seafood, local produce, and house-grown herbs.
The 50-seater restaurant — open to diners eight years and up — now offers tasting-only menus for both lunch ($148++ per person) and dinner (from $248++ per person) that changes based on the seasons.
Some of the highlights include the Cauliflower Cream, a hot and cold starter of crunchy cauliflower with cold cauliflower puree, warm squid ink sauce and topped with caviar; the Lobster Soup made with poached lobster and foie gras parfait; and the Josper Oven-baked Wagyu Beef served with an anchovy beef jus and seaweed potato confit.
The perfect ending is the Strawberry Pavlova — Bellin’s signature dessert — a meringue shaped like a lighthouse filled with matcha cream and strawberry sorbet.
Wine pairing is also available, where one can request to sample the restaurant’s myriad sustainable wines.
