Where to go for iftar this Ramadan: 6 restaurants to break fast at with your friends and family
As Ramadan begins, gather with loved ones for a hearty iftar at these restaurants.
(Photo: 21 on Rajah)
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The holy month of Ramadan is as much about fasting as it is about gathering before sunrise and after dark to share a wholesome meal with loved ones. At these restaurants, you’ll find buffets designed to restore and sustain celebrants.
21 ON RAJAH
Iftar classics are on the buffet at Aloft Singapore Novena’s halal-certified 21 on Rajah. Drawing from the Malay and Indonesian canons, the spread features dishes like slow-cooked baby lamb rubbed with Moroccan citrus yoghurt served over long grain rice with brown vermicelli, ayam penyet “overloaded” with home-made sambal, and deep-fried cempedak fritters as a sweet snack or dessert. Prayer rooms are available on premises. The buffet dinner (6pm to 10pm) runs till Mar 30 and is priced at S$68++ (Sun to Thu) and S$78++ (Fri and Sat) for adults; S$34++ (Sun to Thu) and $39++ (Fri and Sat) for children.
ASIAN MARKET CAFE
At Asian Market Cafe’s first Ramadan feast, diners are welcomed with a selection of dates before being treated to chef Ariff Mohamad’s smorgasbord of pan-Asian delights. Ease into the eating with hummus, baba ghanoush, domaaj, and tomato and cabbage tabbouleh, before tucking into bubur lambuk, the comforting porridge traditionally served in mosques during Ramadan.
Chef Mohammad’s expertise with Middle Eastern and Arabic cuisines is demonstrated in dishes like slow-roasted whole lamb carved to order and Arabic lamb and chicken rice, which comes replete with pickles, salsa, raita and Fattoush salad. Besides seafood on ice and sashimi, diners can look forward to classics like mee goreng mamak, Asian Market Cafe’s signature laksa, and chilli crab with mantou. Wash the meal down with teh tarik or the restaurant’s elevated take on bandung. Available till Apr 20, the Ramadan Iftar Buffet dinner is priced at S$98 per adult and S$49 per child from Monday to Thursday, and S$108 per adult and S$54 per child from Friday to Sunday.
GINGER
A Seoul-satisfying spread awaits at Ginger @ Parkroyal on Beach Road as it ushers in Ramadan with over 30 Korean dishes. For starters, there are seven boneless Korean fried chicken varieties, from “original”, cheese and soy sauce, to spicy gochujang, Sichuan pepper chilli, and ghost pepper chilli. Customise your bimbimbap at a station laden with ingredients and nosh on favourites like samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce), tteokbokki (sweet-spicy rice cakes), and jeonbokju (fresh abalone porridge). If the spice gets to you, head to the beverage station for bandung with fresh soy milk or hit up the Binggrae ice cream booth for the popular Samanco Red Bean and Melona. Available at dinner till Apr 30 and priced at S$75 per adult and S$37.50 per child from Monday to Thursday, and S$85 per adult and S$42.50 per child from Friday to Sunday.
RESTAURANT ESPOIR
Restaurant Espoir’s chef Nelson Chua puts his working experience at Tapas24 to use in what is touted as Singapore’s first halal a la carte tapas buffet. This is a great excuse to chow down on Spanish-inspired dishes accented with local flavours. The spread promises 17 small plates, paellas, and desserts with highlights that include patatas bravas with sambal and saffron aioli, marinated baby octopus with garlic confit, and paella de marisco featuring bomba rice and seafood cooked in a rich laksa broth. At dessert, reach for the pandan churros with cinnamon sugar, toffee sauce, and chocolate coffee sauce. The buffet is available on Fridays at 6.30pm and Saturdays at 11am, 1.30pm and 6.30pm, and is priced at S$98 per adult and S$15 per child above the age of six.
STRAITSKITCHEN
StraitsKitchen’s Iftar buffet pulls out all the stops. The crave-worthy spread will challenge even the heartiest eaters with its sheer variety. Start with mezze and appetisers before grazing on freshly grilled satay, shawarma, ayam buah keluak, beef rendang, ikan bakar, and udang belado. There’s a seafood on ice station, and even heartier dishes like lamb mandi (basmati rice perfumed with saffron and slow-cooked lamb), sayaduya rice (an Arabic rice dish strewn with shrimp and barramundi), and lamb qorma. To complete the feast, there are syrupy tiles of baklava and honey-soaked basbousa, goreng pisang, pulut hitam, burbur cha cha, and chendol. Or you could explore the Date Bazaar and sample some of the best dates from the Middle East and North Africa. The Ramadan Buffet runs till Mar 31 and is priced at S$98 per adult and S$49 per child.
