Festive feasting: Where to go for your next holiday meal

We all have good intentions for the holiday season, including cooking a grand meal for friends and family with the house decked out in festive holly. But, as the old saying goes, good intentions don’t put onions in your soup. And given that Christmas is less than two weeks away, allow us to suggest a list of places where you can gather kith and kin to celebrate the holiday over delicious food and drink made by dedicated professionals instead.

FESTIVE BUFFETS

There’s nothing like a holiday buffet to put you in a jolly mood. If yours is a multi-generational family with varying tastes, hit the lines at Singapore’s favourite buffet restaurants, including Colony at Ritz Carlton Millennia Singapore, Edge at Pan Pacific Singapore, Estate at Hilton Singapore Orchard, and The Line at Shangri-La Singapore. All have added Christmas classics to their lavish line-ups — think roast turkeys, beef tomahawks, gammon ham, fruit cakes and mince pies on top of stalwarts like seafood on ice. There’s even a weekend Festive Lazy Breakfast at Andaz Singapore’s Alley on 25 serving dishes like black pepper crab eggs Benedict, shakshuka, sausages, apple tarts, and the like.

TAKE TIME TO TAKE TEA

For lighter, slower feasts, head to the numerous festive high teas available across town. At Intercontinental Singapore, the Festive Afternoon Tea (S$138 for two) is a collaboration with French confiture brand Bonne Mamman. Highlights include a pistachio yule cake featuring Bonne Maman’s Apricot Intense jam and warm buttermilk scones with a selection of preserves. Most tearooms serve tiered sets laden with savoury bites like finger sandwiches and petite sweet treats. These include The Grand Lobby at Raffles Singapore, whose Festive Afternoon Tea (from S$118) comes with mini mince pies and warm panettone pudding, and Portman’s Bar (from S$68) whose set includes Black Angus beef shanks in a mini brioche bun and Santa hat-shaped ivory mousse cakes. For something more off the beaten path, check out the Christmas High Tea (S$678 for two) at The Alkaff Mansion’s Wildseed Café. Alternatively, for an Asian twist on the festivities, head to JUMBO Seafood ION Orchard for the Christmas Afternoon Tea (from S$49) where the menu includes crispy lychee prawn balls and cod steamed with preserved radish.

OUT AND ABOUT

Suffice it to say, there are plenty of restaurants peddling special Christmas menus worth a gander, especially if you’re dining in smaller groups. At Pura Brasa, Christmas gets a Spanish spin with offerings like smoked turkey breast with sauteed prawns (S$35) and salmon Wellington (S$39). At upscale French bistro Claudine, ask for the duck a l’orange pate croute, which comprises a decadent combination of duck and Kurobuta pork brightened with kumquat (S$28). Le Bon Funk has outlet-exclusive specials like pork sausage with cranberry relish (S$26) at its Club Street branch and grilled oysters with smoked wagyu fat and pine salt (S$22) at Holland Village.

Over at Italian steakhouse Bistecca, there is full-blood Westholme wagyu tomahawk (BMS 8/9, S$36 per 100g) and a rustic Tuscan kale bucatini with dill and pine nuts (S$24). Japanese-Australian chef Tetsuya Wakuda has created a 10-course festive dinner (S$350) at Wakuda featuring dishes like citrus-marinated Canadian lobster and his signature carabinero prawn with Japanese risotto.