Open For Business: 7 Well-Loved Restaurants In Singapore With A Brand New Look
Start the year right at these newly reopened dining hot spots.
By Wong Ah Yoke,
In the last three months, a flurry of restaurants have reopened after closing for an overhaul. For many, it was pure coincidence that their renovations took place during the circuit breaker from April to June, when dining-in was banned.
But Long Beach Seafood Restaurant said it took advantage of the slow business in the middle of last year to rejuvenate its outlets. Its Dempsey branch was closed for a complete makeover for three months, but reopened in November after partial renovations.
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An alfresco area will be added at a new pavilion that is being built next to the existing building, in response to greater demand for outdoor dining because of the pandemic.
Long Beach also made minor upgrades to three other restaurants at East Coast Seafood Centre, Stadium Boulevard and IMM in Jurong. They include adding partitions between tables for more privacy and safer distancing. A fourth outlet at Robertson Quay opened in August after the Stevens Road branch closed.
Over at Ion Orchard, Chinese restaurant Taste Paradise said it had planned its renovation and confirmed the new design months before work started in July, which was when it renewed its lease.
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Others, such as Kitchen Table at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, Min Jiang at Goodwood Park Hotel, Si Chuan Dou Hua @ Kitchener, and Peach Blossoms at Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, made their plans as far back as one to two years ago.
But Covid-19 triggered some adjustments. For example, seating arrangements had to be reconfigured to meet the 1m safe distancing rule between tables.
Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay and Parkroyal Beach Road, which relaunched their buffet eateries under new names – Peppermint
and Ginger respectively – also changed their concept to a la carte buffets. The display counters and live stations are now used by chefs as plating areas.
There appears to be a common design brief among the refreshed restaurants: Make the space lighter and brighter. Windows that were previously hidden have been revealed to let in light, high ceilings exposed and dark hues replaced with soothing ones for a more vibrant and cheerful vibe.
Most welcome after a year of doom and gloom.
The restaurant was closed for six months, with renovation work delayed by the circuit breaker. It reopened in October.
The previous imperial chic design that included portraits of Qing Dynasty emperors on the walls and black furniture has given way to a more minimalist look.
The main colour palette of blue and white imparts a soothing feel.
The space looks roomier, aided by total seating capacity being reduced by 20 per cent to 162, including in its six private rooms.
The restaurant now boasts two executive chefs, including one from Hong Kong who excels in refined classic Cantonese cooking.
#04-07 Ion Orchard; tel: 6509-9660
Reopened last month, the eatery, which moved to a temporary area by the swimming pool during its renovation, is now not only brighter, but also feels bigger with a soaring ceiling (above).
Previously, large wooden structures (right) that looked like inverted tables hung from the ceiling and hemmed everything in. Space is also created by having an open kitchen in the centre instead of stations spread around the dining room.
The outdoor area has expanded too, increasing seating capacity from 138 to 224 even with safe distancing rules.
The new furniture is in modern shades of blue, green, red and chrome, while ceiling lights, which look like electric squiggles floating in mid-air, add to the contemporary look.
W Singapore – Sentosa Cove, 21 Ocean Way; tel: 6808-7268
The contemporary Cantonese restaurant, which reopened on Dec 14, was closed for nine months as part of the hotel’s renovations under its new management and branding. It was formerly called Marina Mandarin Singapore.
The long, curving structure of the restaurant has been retained, as well as the glass windows that look out onto the Marina Bay area.
But the light that streams in no longer lands on dark wood but light-coloured wood wall panels, furniture and carpet.
A wall-length mirror at one end makes the space even brighter. Also new are the moon-shaped arches (above) that separate the different seating areas. They add a subtle Oriental element but also look contemporary.
Chef Edward Chong has changed about 60 per cent of the menu, adding new creations that fuse Cantonese, Malaysian and Western elements with traditional Chinese cooking.
Level 5, Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, 6 Raffles Boulevard; tel: 6845-1118
In two months, the family-style traditional interiors were turned into a stylish space that works Chinese elements into a contemporary design (top). An eye-catching spherical landscape painting of mountains, water and birds faces the entrance. Other Oriental touches include the vermilion brushstrokes on the carpet and a side cupboard that looks like a herbal medicine cabinet.
These elements are balanced by a more muted colour scheme and a glass window that lets in light during lunch, conveying a more vibrant and modern vibe.
The cuisine – a mix of Sichuan dishes and family-style Cantonese dishes – is unchanged. But chef Leung Wing Chung has added new dishes that are a fresh take on familiar Chinese fare, including steamed eel with pumpkin.
Level 3, Parkroyal on Kitchener Road, 181 Kitchener Road; tel: 6428-3170
Although the restaurant has reopened in early November after closing for three months, work is complete only in the main dining room and patio. The false ceiling in the main dining room has been removed to reveal the soaring height of the old building that was once used as army barracks. The pastel colour scheme and ceiling lights brighten up the place, while a floral wall design provides an Oriental touch.
The patio has been given a colonial feel with black-and-white rattan chairs, which fit perfectly with the timber windows of the British-era building.
Ongoing renovations will add a new pavilion in front of the patio that will house 10 private rooms and an alfresco dining space.
25 Dempsey Road; tel: 6323-2222
The restaurant closed for renovations in March, right before the circuit breaker put a stop to all work and reopened on October 8. When it reopened its doors seven months later, it was to brighter, more elegant interiors. The dark wood floor panels have made way for patterned tiles. Table cloths have been removed to reveal new marble tops and chairs have been upholstered in mustard-coloured fabrics with calligraphic prints.
The six private rooms are clad in lighter colours, with panels that can be folded back to create a larger single space for events.
Goodwood Park Hotel, 22 Scotts Road; tel: 6730-1704
The old buffet restaurant Plaza Brasserie was closed early last year and replaced by a new eatery, Ginger, which opened on Oct 15. It is still a buffet restaurant but now provides plated service because of Covid-19 regulations.
The premises, formerly done up in a dowdy brown, have undergone a tropical transformation with lush foliage-patterned wallpaper and old-fashioned rattan ceiling fans.
The menu designed by chef Vincent Aw focuses on Singapore flavours, with dishes such as Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, and chilli crab.
Parkroyal on Beach Road, 7500 Beach Road; tel: 6505-5710
This article first appeared in The Straits Times