THE SWEET SPOT

Hone in on the ﬁne art of after-work drinks, hearty family meals and romantic dinners à deux.

"Lear Black, a gin cocktail, arrives at your table in a heavy carved crystal tumbler that you shake and pour yourself"

WIN-DOWN WINNER

A great place to relax after work is Origin Bar at the Shangri-La, with its soothing yet sophisticated setting of cadet blue walls, velvet curtains, leather chairs and brass fittings. The cocktail menu is divided into “neighbourhoods”—Boat Quay, Chinatown, Little India, Orchard Road and Marina Bay—and each offers drinks with flavours inspired by those areas so expect to find salted banana vermouth, jackfruit honey rum and masala spices in your tipple Standouts are Lear Black with American gin, jenever and butterfly pea flower tossed toget her in a carved crystal shaker, and Yiban Yiban, a bittersweet gin and jelly concoction featuring osmanthus, mandarin orange and angelica. Complete the experience with bar snacks like Rosemary Scented Camembert, Tiger Beer Fish and Chips or Meat Balls Albufera.

"Crispy Kurobuta Pork Fingerlings"

JUST LIKE MUM MAKES IT

Violet Oon has been spreading her unique brand of local fare across the island for quite a while now, serving up hearty Peranakan food in fancy French-style environs. Her latest outlet at Jewel focuses on popiah—the kind you fold yourself. The party platter comes with six fresh skins, a whole host of the usual sauces and condiments, and a rich, ﬂavoursome jicama and bamboo shoot mix stewed in prawn bisque and Fujian bean paste. Other dishes not available elsewhere include standouts like the Crispy Kurobuta Pork Fingerlings, Little India Vegetable Curry served with soft, ﬂuffy Roti Prata and Ayam Panggang Katong, plump, juicy grilled chicken brushed with gula melaka. Finish off with the Sugee Cake drizzled in calamansi or the Pandan Gula Melaka Cake—then take a long walk around the mall to work off those calories.

"The star of the homestyle popiah platter is the richly ﬂavoured vegetable ﬁlling"

"The barge provides an intimate setting for dinner"

FLOATING FEAST

Looking for an unusual dining experience the next time you are in Bangkok? Consider hopping on The Apsaras Cruise, run by the Banyan Tree Bangkok. Enjoy authentic Thai cuisine from a menu that changes monthly as you ﬂoat lazily down the Chao Phraya, also known as the River of Kings. The restored rice barge will also take you past iconic city sights like the Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun), the sprawling Grand Palace complex, and the modern cable-stayed Golden Rama VIII Bridge. Sipping a glass of wine while enjoying the river breeze in such an intimate setting might just be one of the most romantic ways to experience the Thai capital.