Tippling Club Singapore

Tippling Club in Singapore’s Chinatown area seems to get more famous year-on-year, consistently ranked as one of the best restaurants in the country – and across Asia. English-born head chef Ryan Clift takes the meaning of the word innovative to a whole new level with unusual, often downright weird combinations and some Instagram-worthy presentation. The cocktails are enough reason to visit too, with an in-house mixologist providing almost as much flair as what goes on inside the kitchen.

After enjoying half a decade of success on Dempsey Hill, this critically acclaimed restaurant is enjoying a new lease of life after moving to the more central Chinatown area (on Tanjong Pagar Road). This level of quality normally comes at a price, and the Tippling Club is no exception; their ‘Classic Menu’ is priced at $160++ ($260++ with wine pairing) while the longer, more flamboyant ‘Gourmand Menu’ costs $265++ ($420++ with wine pairing).

Avoiding any of the normal stereotypes associated with fine dining, the Tippling Club is bright, fresh and quirky, and takes over three shophouses on a smart street in Chinatown.

We also love the semi-open kitchen here, allowing you to see the busy team painstakingly plate each dish, which includes signature creations such as miniature cheese cakes bottled up in prescription bottles, omelette with smoked eel and caviar and the very strange beetroot, horseradish and sorrel juice.

To get the full Tippling Club experience, it’s best to try one of the tasting menus, or go for one of the more affordable set lunches ($43 or $58 for two/three courses). Here are some of the highlights at Tippling Club:

Classic Menu:

Kingfish Carpaccio with yuzu, cucumber, back radish; Scallops with purple garlic, parsley root; Red Snapper with lime tofu, green curry, tom kha veloutte; Kangaroo with liquid onion rings; Chocolate Aero with port and lyo honey

Gourmand Menu:

Snow Crab with liquid onion ring, crème fresh; Razor Clams with purple garlic; Good Bye WD-50 (foie gras with plums); Bacalao (confit egg yolks with bone marrow jus and sea herbs); Lobster with baba ganoush, cauliflower; Mangalica Pork Belly; A4 Toriyama Wagyu Beef; Tippling Cereal (with wild strawberry ice cream, strawberry milk and granola

Cocktail Menu:

Almond Haig Fizz - almond milk, single grain whisky, maraschino, citrus ($22); Wake Me Up Fuck Me Up - vsop cognac, whisky & honey spirit, chocolate bitters, espresso ($23); Purple Drank - vanilla & raisin spirit, curacao, candy gomme, raspberry citrus ($23); Jersey Lightning - whiskey, green apple, cinnamon, vanilla, citrus ($20); 7:23 - single grain whisky, coconut water, citrus, fino sherry (world class 2015 ($20).

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Jaan Restaurant Singapore

aan Restaurant has been at the forefront of Singapore’s fine dining scene since it first opened on the 70th floor of Swissotel the Stamford hotel. Boasting panoramic views of the Singapore skyline, Jaan’s wow-factor starts before you’ve even taken your first bite. And when you do, you’ll be just as impressed.

It’s no surprise that this intimate 40-seat venue has been a permanent fixture on critically-acclaimed lists of ‘best restaurants in Asia’, with its creative French-inspired menu (and numerous detours most notably to Italian and Asian cuisine) delighting even the most discerning of food critics.

Jaan’s five or seven-course set menu brings the finest seasonal ingredients to centre stage to enhance delicacies such as fresh oysters, langoustine, caviar, foie gras and pigeon. Head Chef Julien Royer has a wealth of experience of working at restaurants across France, and has quickly risen as one of the most highly rated French chefs plying their trade in Asia since he took over the helm at Jaan.

The venue itself is quite a grand affair too, featuring giant floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Singapore, and the overall classic décor and soft lighting is met by a more contemporary edge as soon as you look up as the shiny silver installation on the ceiling.

If you don’t want to break the bank, a set three-course lunch is available between 12:00-14:30, priced at $78. However, to really appreciate the whole Jaan experience, it’s best to book a table in the evening, and indulge in one of their ever-changing five or seven course menus ($298-$369 without wine).

Standout dishes include the ‘confit rainbow trout’ cooked using Kurobuta pork with miso caramel and yuzu, the ‘Welsh lamb ‘Provencale’’, ‘hay-roasted pigeon’ with foie gras and ‘artichoke ravioli’ cooked with ricotta and basil.

Jaan Restaurant is easy to find, located in one of the tallest hotels in Singapore. Take the MRT to City Hall, or tell your driver to head to Swissotel the Stamford, then take the elevator to the 70th floor. Reservations are normally needed in advance (especially for dinner) and there is a dress code of no shorts or sandals.

Categories: Singapore

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