Singapore's best festive feasts

Christmas plays to two of humanity's strongest traits: consumption and indulgence.

It's the silly season, so don’t deny it, don’t fight it, just give in.

Here’s a selection of the best things in town to feed our basic human holiday needs.

Best Christmas dinners

Holiday dinners can prove a daunting task even for the most consummate host, and definitely out of the question if you use your oven as a shoe rack. Thankfully, the holidays are meant for an evening of dining out somewhere special.

For that small intimate gathering, make your way over to the quaint stained-glass hall of The White Rabbit (39C Harding Road, +65 6473 9965), where a four-course dinner awaits, priced at S$108. Succulent turkey roulade, honey-baked ham and comforting sticky toffee pudding leave us feeling nostalgic and warm.

Fickle diners can try the three-, four- or five-course options at ilLido (27 Bukit Manis Road, +65 6866 1977; reservations@il-lido.com ) for S$58-S$158, allowing everyone to dabble in crab salad with watermelon or turkey supreme with goose liver, apple and chestnut stuffing.

The ever reliable One-Ninety (190 Orchard Boulevard, +65 6734 1110) at the Four Seasons promises an enjoyable group dining experience with four courses at S$95-S$125 (with wine pairing); serving velvety butternut soup with truffle and mascarpone, turkey with chestnut stuffing, and Valrhona chocolate log cakes, everyone leaves happy.

Get a room with a view by trying Stellar @ 1-Altitude’s (Level 62, 1 Raffles Place, +65 6438 0410) four-course menu (S$130, available till December 23). Share an omakase platter of sushi, sashimi and tataki, and come back to shore with a roasted baby chicken with fig stuffing.

 

Best log cakes

It’s by no means new, but the log cake enjoys staying power through flavor and presentation revivals every Christmas season.

We begin our transformative tour of the traditional chocolate log at Antoinette (#02-33/34, Mandarin Gallery, 333A Orchard Road, +65 6836 9527), where their fantastical Theobruma log cake (S$148) takes the form of a 1.8-kilo gray tree stump. The artistically spray-painted façade hides eight complex components such as dark chocolate cremeux, exotic jelly, hazelnut dacquoise biscuit, and flourless chocolate cake.

La Boutique (29 Tanglin Road, +65 6506 6888) at the St. Regis looks toward the brighter side with its Niangbo Blood Orange log cake; an airy chocolate mousse counterbalanced with a zesty blood orange jelly. Own 500 grams of this delight for S$48, or a kilo for S$88.

Continue your fruity journey with 1-Caramel’s (Level 2, 1 Rochester Park, +65 6774 1302) chocolate-orange macaroon log cake (S$65), complete with mango and strawberry mousse.

For the gastronomically-daring, Goodwood Park Hotel (Deli at Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road, +65 6730 1786) has a cheerful yellow D24 Durian log cake, approximately S$58 per kilo.

Best Turkeys

The underrated bird makes a comeback in different manifestations.

Traditional roasted turkey with chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce can be ordered from Four Seasons Gourmet Market (#B2-49 Marina Bay Link Mall, +65 6634 4629) at S188, or order its organic counterpart for S$238.

Taking liberties with tradition, Fullerton Bay Hotel’s (80 Collyer Quay, +65 6333 8388) whole roasted turkey contains a texturally tantalizing celery and pumpkin stuffing at S$228.

Bakerzin (multiple Locations, +65 6333 6647; www.bakerzin.com) offers its own variation with a hearty mushroom stuffing, accompanied with the traditional cranberry sauce on the side at S$106.

Traveling north for the winter, Grand Palki (1 Cuscaden Road, +65 6733 8888) at the Regent and Chat Masala …Too (18 Greenwood Ave, +65 6762 2133) offer up their best version of tandoori turkey at S$158 and S$68, respectively. Grand Palki’s delicacy is shipped directly from India, guaranteeing authenticity in their special blend of spices.

Best edible Christmas trees

Gone are the days of the edible gingerbread houses; this year we embrace sweet trees.

Sweet Spot (Lobby, Marina Bay Sands Tower 3; 10 Bayfront Ave., +65 6688 8588) has created a snow-capped chocolate tree (S$48) this season. Organically stacked chocolate triangles form this almond-studded dark chocolate sensation.

If chocolate is too rich for that post-ham meal, try Da Paolo’s (43 Jalan Mera Saga #01-68 Chip Bee Gardens, +65 6479 0336) Butter Cookie Festive Tree (S$45), studded with balls of candy, the cookies are iced and sprinkled with organic tea leaves.

Take a sweeter route with Canelé’s (B1-K8 Paragon Shopping Centre, 290 Orchard Road +65 6733 8893) macaroon laced Tower of Blessings (S$150) With 58 macaroons of six Christmas flavors, including scarlet cranberry and Yuletide stollen, this tree is worth putting up.

If your appetite can only accommodate a small tree, consider the adorably chubby Christmas Tree Mint Poached Chocolate (S$7.50) at Awfully Chocolate (B4-50 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, +65 6884 6377).

Best festive beverages

Good things come in small packages, so try some concoctions this month that do not require utensils.

TWG (#02-21 ION Shopping Mall, 2 Orchard Turn, +65 6735 1837) offers a new blend of White Christmas Tea (S$45). While TWG’s Red Christmas Tea blends red tea with spices, the White blends Yin Zhen white tea with fruits and soft spice notes.

Hediard (125 Tanglin Road, +65 6333 6683) also introduces its Hediard Christmas Tea (S$49.90) with hints of vanilla caramel swirled with spices.

If you would like a liquid dessert, Sweet Spot’s hot chocolate gift mug (S$28) will do the trick for that 11 p.m. craving: chocolate mix complemented with a candy cane.