Plan to host Christmas at home? The best roast turkeys, meats and seafood to order for your festive feasts

In Singapore, the category this Christmas (okay, every Christmas) is "equatorial". Which means rather than pulling our wool hats down and scarves tighter, we’ll be wearing as little as possible to cope with the humidity as we meander through the Christmas markets, sipping on ice-cold bubble tea. 

But hey, it’s still Christmas, and if you’re celebrating the occasion next month, you can embrace the wintry essence of hygge (that is, cosiness, contentment, and mindful living) by inviting your loved ones to dinner at home and indulging in the plethora of festive dishes that restaurants across the island have prepared for our enjoyment. Just remember to keep the lighting dim, the candles glowing, and the air-conditioning at a steady hum.

LET’S TALK TURKEY

At restaurants across the city, roasted turkeys come dressed in everything from tandoori marinade to mala spices. At Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, they are glazed with Cointreau marmalade and stuffed with a chestnut and duck foie gras dressing (S$265). 

A more aromatic option might be the honey lavender dry rub roasted turkey from The Marmalade Pantry, which comes with two sides and an Earl Grey pecan log cake as part of The Classic Feast (S$240). Decker Barbecue will be brining and smoking whole birds (S$170 for a smoked turkey) or turkey breasts (S$180 for 1.4kg) over white oak, and serving them with gravy and cranberry sauce.

MEAT THE MOMENT

Roast meats come in all cuts and marinades, including a slow-roasted rojan josh bone-in grass-fed lamb leg (S$198) and citrus tamarind semi-bone-in gammon ham (S$288) with roasted potatoes, vegetables and pineapple sauce from Sheraton Towers Singapore. There’s a six-hour braised black wagyu cheek (S$92/500g) infused with winter black truffles and Barolo wine, as well as barbequed Iberico baby back ribs (S$86/1kg) from Intercontinental Singapore.

At Bedrock Bar & Grill, the Festive Grandeur Platter (S$499, serves five) comes with a 280g USDA Prime ribeye steak, 250g citrus-fed wagyu striploin MB8/9 steak, 250g Australian grass-fed tenderloin MB3+ steak, and a 300g Mangalica pork tomahawk with a serving of mac and cheese, grilled asparagus, and apple crumble.  

PISCINE PLEASURES

You don’t need to bust out a feast of the seven fishes, but it can’t hurt to have a platter of seafood, like a pair of lobsters, some snow crab legs, oysters, shellfish, and cold-smoked salmon (S$399, serves eight) from Greenwood Fish Market. The seafood specialists are also serving their salmon (S$119) and lobster (S$198) Wellingtons again this year. 

Home-based business Cuts and Slices makes our favourite hot-smoked salmon (S$150/2kg), but it’s immensely popular, so be sure to order well in advance. RE&S, the group behind restaurants like Kuriya Japanese Market and Ichiban Boshi, has a range of platters for the festive season, including the Jingle Sashimi Platter (S$65.90), with a selection of kimchi salmon, salmon sashimi, snow crab leg, red shrimps, tobiko and yellowtail.

MAKE IT A BUNDLE

For a proper effort-free meal, get a bundle that comes with the works. Check out the three bundles from Fairmont Singapore that feed up to eight people. The Soiree Christmas Bundle (S$248) comes with a wood-fired poulet with rosemary jus, orange honey-glazed ham, charred truffle Brussels Sprouts, roasted potatoes, and brandy-rum fruit cake and redcurrant cream cheesecake for dessert. 

PS Cafe has a Grand Feast (S$488) that includes a roast turkey, ham, salmon, two sides, and a sticky date pudding, while popular Thai restaurant Im Jai by Pum Im has put together two Holiday Set Platters (from S$139), that come with tom yum crab balls, crispy pork belly, its irresistible crispy cloud egg, green curry chicken, spicy and sour pork soup, and holy basil pork or chicken, among other delicious options.