If the way into a man’s heart is through his stomach, then the same could be said for a Singaporean. Here to put the adage to the test are 12 restaurants serving locally-inspired food for National Day 2023.
Without fail, iconic dishes are reimagined into all sorts of forms. Chilli crab gets turned into burgers at Black Tap and Eggslut, and stuffed into Din Tai Fung’s xiao long bao. Chicken rice is transformed into rolls and a Gin & Tonic at Opus Bar & Grill, and salted egg yolk is used to flavour Crossroad’s seafood boil.
At Swensen’s, it is nasi lemak that offers inspiration. For National Day 2023, the long-serving restaurant chain has upgraded the nasi lemak burger and serves it with traditional sides, together with dry laksa linguine and a burger ice cream. For 15 Stamford, Hokkien mee gets decadent with an injection of lobster, kueh heavily influences pastries at The Marmalade Pantry, and Goodwood Park Hotel looks back into its food archives for an afternoon tea set done in collaboration with the National Museum.
Luke’s Lobster takes a different route by partnering with a local artisanal butter brand on two seasonal rolls, while Level33 serves rendang sliders with a view of the fireworks. While Artemis Grill keeps to their Mediterranean roots, they present beef tartare and Moroccan lamb chops backed by a sweeping panorama of the celebrations below.
Celebrate Singapore’s food culture at these 12 best restaurants with National Day 2023 menus:
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In his typically outrageous style, chef Alvin Leung has prepared a decadent Hokkien mee for Singapore’s 58th birthday at his restaurant 15 Stamford. The lobster Hokkien mee is decked with fat slabs of lobster meat and octopus, twirled around umami-filled noodles and plated as part of the crustacean. Additionally, the restaurant is serving a National Day afternoon tea set (S$56++) filled with local treats from chilli crab tartlet to pandan scone.
S$115++ (serves 2)
Throughout August 2023
(Image credit: The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore)
From the 40th-floor, Artemis rolls out a three-course dinner menu with panoramic views of the National Day celebrations. The set opens with a choice of appetisers including burrata with black figs and prosciutto di Parma, beef tartare, hamachi crudo, and Fremantle octopus. For the mains, options range from black cod with bouillabaisse to Moroccan lamb chops with cauliflower saffron pilaf rice. A supplementary sharing platter is also available: Australian F1 1.1kg Wagyu côte de boeuf. Finish with a choice of three desserts such as sticky date cake, chocolate and coconut rice pudding, and apricot tart.
S$98++ per person
9 August 2023
(Image credit: Artemis Grill & Sky Bar)
Black Tap is known for its audacious burgers and milkshakes, and their National Day specials are similarly larger than life. The SG pepper crab burger is stacked with black pepper-rubbed soft shell crab and black pepper slaw, while the National Day CrazyShake (S$23++) pays tribute to bandung with red and white star sprinkles on a vanilla frosted rim, as a slice of red and white cake, whipped cream, crescent icing cookie, red sprinkles, and a red cherry balance precariously on top.
From S$23++
Throughout August 2023
(Image credit: Marina Bay Sands)
Crossroads is great for people-watching, even better for a seafood buffet dinner. From now till the end of August, the Orchard Road restaurant has Asian-inspired dishes such as white pepper baby lobster, salted egg yolk crab, and crab karaage. They also have a customisable Fisherman’s Pot station, which offers a classic seafood boil tossed in chilli crab or salted egg yolk sauce.
From S$78++ per person
1 June to 31 August 2023
(Image credit: Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel)
Din Tai Fung turns the crab meat xiao long bao local. The popular restaurant chain is bringing back their steamed chilli crab & pork xiao long bao, featuring a fiery chilli crab-based broth encased in a delicate skin folded 18 times. The limited-time dish comes in four pieces, and is also 40 percent larger than a regular xiao long bao. Available for dine-in only at all their locations.
S$11.50 for 4 pieces
1 July – 31 August 2023
(Image credit: Din Tai Fung)
This collaboration between Eggslut and Jumbo Seafood takes the classic chilli crab into its next evolution. The chilli crab sandwich pairs Jumbo’s sweet-spicy chilli crab sauce with Eggslut’s soft scrambled eggs, crunchy baby romaine lettuce, and brioche buns. Pair it with the Chilli Crab Slut, which layers the same sauce between a poached egg and potato purée, topped with chives and served alongside slices of crusty baguette for dipping. Both dishes are available at Eggslut’s Scotts Square and Suntec City locations.
From S$12++
7 July – 30 September 2023
(Image credit: Eggslut)
The historic Goodwood Park Hotel has teamed up with the equally storied National Museum on an afternoon tea set based on the museum exhibit ‘Now Boarding: Experiencing Singapore through Travel, 1800s – 2000s.’ It features popular hawker and restaurant fare from the 1950s to 2000s, as well as classic dishes from Gordon Grill’s past menus dating back to the 1960s, which are reinterpreted into bites such as prawn cocktail, kueh pie tee with mini whole abalone, mulligatawny soup, and sherry trifle. Museum visitors can also get two complimentary pieces of the hotel’s signature D24 durian puffs when they present their admission tickets.
S$40++ per person (minimum 2 people)
9 July to 19 November 2023, 3-5pm
(Image credit: Goodwood Park Hotel)
Level33 promises a front-row spectacle to the National Day celebrations plus unlimited servings of local inspired dishes, house-brewed beers, wines, and the iconic Singapore Sling. Amid a sweeping view of the parade, aerial display, and fireworks, dig into rendang sliders made with Westholme wagyu short ribs, beer-brined charcoal grilled soy chicken wing based on BBQ chicken wings, and ice cream sandwiches with flavours like milo and stout. Savour them alongside fresh beer from the tank and Singapore Sling cocktails topped with a foam made with Level33’s blond lager.
S$268++ per person
9 August 2023, 5-9pm
(Image credit: Level33)
In the spirit of Singapore’s 58th birthday, Luke’s Lobsters partnered with local producer Atas Butter on two seasonal lobster rolls. Founded by a former Silicon Valley engineer, Atas Butter’s products starts with fresh cream free of any preservatives, which are then churned and hand-shaped in Singapore. The cultured butter is found in the umami-rich kombu butter lobster roll, while the mala butter lobster roll packs a sweet-spicy punch.
From 1 August 2023
(Image credit: Luke’s Lobster)
A celebration demands champagne, and Opus Bar & Grill makes it appropriately seasonal by serving the sparkling wine with Singapore-leaning dishes during Sunday brunch throughout August. Expect items like Hainanese chicken rice roll, satay bee hoon, Australian prime rib marinated with biryani spices, and chilli crab capellini. The menu also features resolutely traditional dishes like rojak, nasi goreng, bak kut teh, grilled assam pedas squid, and roast duck. Finish with desserts of pandan chiffon cake and Nyonya kueh, and sip on a chicken rice G&T.
From S$118++ per person
Every Sunday throughout August 2023
(Image credit: Voco Orchard Singapore)
Nasi lemak burger was all the rage when it launched, but Swensen’s deemed it worthy of improvement. Their version returns with two toasted brioche buns holding a coco-mayo-slathered chicken thigh patty, and accompanied by traditional sides of ikan bilis, peanuts, sambal. For National Day, the restaurant chain is also serving dry laksa linguine, salted egg yolk chicken, and a burger ice cream, which nods to the nostalgic ice cream sandwich. The limited-time dishes are available at all Swensen’s outlets.
From S$8.80+
14 July – 30 August 2023
(Image credit: Swensen’s)
Local delights are turned into dainty bites in The Marmalade Pantry’s Singapore Heritage Afternoon Tea Set. Sweet offerings include the kueh salat petite cupcake, gula Melaka mousse cake, and pandan cream puff. For savouries, it encompasses beetroot rojak shooter, Hainanese chicken quinoa, and coconut cake with sambal prawn mayo. There are afternoon tea essentials, of course, from truffle egg mayo sandwich to the restaurant’s signature plain and raisin buttermilk scone with clotted cream, house-made berry jam, and ginger yuzu marmalade. The set is available at The Marmalade Pantry’s Downtown, ION Orchard, and Anchorpoint locations.
S$78++ for two
1 August – 31 October 2023
(Image credit: The Marmalade Pantry)
(Hero and featured images credits: Voco Orchard Singapore; Marina Bay Sands)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore
