Circuit breaker takeaway and delivery options for different occasions

Singapore’s enforced circuit breaker lockdown measures have sprouted a dizzying array of takeaway and delivery options from dining establishments all across the island. Here are a few of them.

If there’s something to be said of Singapore’s F&B scene, it’s that it’s been quite adept at adapting to the rapidly changing dining climate no thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Many have rapidly pivoted to providing takeaway and delivery – many of them island-wide – as soon as the Singapore government banned dine-ins to combat the spread of COVID-19. Today we have an amazing plethora of food options that we can enjoy from the comfort of our home; in fact, so much so it can be hard to narrow those choices down.

Well, we are here to help. Whether you’re arranging a romantic dinner date at home, exploring new culinary boundaries, trying to feed a large family, or just looking to dine alone, here are some takeaway and delivery options for you to consider.

[Photo credit: Restaurant JAG]

Takeaway and delivery options for that romantic dinner date.

It can be a serious crimp to your dating life – married or otherwise – when there’s nowhere to go with restaurants all closed for dine-in. Preparing your own food to dine with your significant other can be a romantic pastime, but let’s be honest – not all of us can cook that well. If you don’t want to let the four walls of your home stifle your romantic style, here are some options to explore for that romantic meal to help kindle some sexy time.

There may be no better to say “I love you” than in French, and in particular, over a Michelin-starred French meal from Restaurant JAG (even if it has to be delivered to your home). Fine-dining Restaurant JAG at Duxton landed its first Michelin star barely a year into operations for its menu built around on herbs from the French region of Savioe, and currently offers its exquisite seasonal fare as a customisable degustation menu. We’re sure you have your own favourites, but for us JAG’s Pumpkin Soup and Wagyu Striploin are exemplary, and you’d be wise too to add its decadent Croque Monsieur to your order. There are cocktails too from its upstairs bar The Lounge Bar, offering classics such as the Vesper and Old Fashioned to help you get into the right mood.

Alternatively there’s the takeaway and delivery offerings from VUE. The recently-opened rooftop bar and grill house has put together a couple of curated chef’s menu for your dining pleasure; there’s the standard Chef’s Set Menu with a choice of main courses like Grilled New Zealand Ora King Salmon or Grilled Smoked Duck Breast, but we think you should stump up for the Premium Chef’s Set Menu so you can access choices like the Grilled Iowa “Sakura” Pork Rack or Signature 24 hours Slow Roasted Brisket.

If you’re looking for a similarly good time that doesn’t come with too high a price tag, there’s Cicheti. The Italian restaurant on Kandahar Street has been known for its wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and classic pastas, and now offers those for delivery and takeaway. Your easiest option is Lady & The Tramp Date Night dining package (main picture), which comes with its signature gnocchi and a fancy spaghetti with stracciatella so you can recreate the scene from the classic cartoon movie. Oh, and make sure you take a look at the wine menu; head sommelier Ronald Kamiyama has put together a small but tightly curated list of wines that are sure to pair well with your food options.

Cicheti | website | 52 Kandahar St, Singapore 198901 (map) | 6292 5012

Restaurant JAG | website | 76 Duxton Rd, Singapore 089535 (map) | 3138 8477

VUE Singapore | website | OUE Bayfront, 50 Collyer Quay, Level 19, Singapore 049321 | 8879 0923

[Photo credit: Laut]

Food gourmands, here are your choices to explore.

Lockdowns are particularly hard on food gourmands, whose regular culinary expeditions to different parts of Singapore for the next best dish have been severely curtailed. But there’s no real reason to stop now when many restaurants – new or not so new – offer you the option to dine at home.

Recently-opened Allium is a small and intimate eatery run by husband-and-wife duo Dillon Ng and Lusiana Hendrika showcasing ethically- and sustainably-sourced produce, fusing modern concepts with local and regional inspiration. Their ever-changing seasonal menu is seasonal and ever-changing: there’s Lamb “Sop Kambing” and Local Squid, Prawn & Cod Otah one week, and maybe their Signature Nasi Liwet on another. Be sure to peruse of their wine list as well; the exclusive Domaine Gueguen Chablis Premier Cru Vaucoupin 2013 is a lovely exploration of that particular Premier Cru climat in Chablis, and even better, comes at an affordable price.

Along the same vein is newly-established gastrobar Laut, with its focus on regional produce and Southeast flavours but presented in its unique, contemporary way. For example there’s Thunder Tea Rice (pictured above), a creamy risotto with fresh grilled prawns, petai and century eggs and nothing like the traditional Hakka dish. Otherwise their Squid Gado Gado ups the ante on the traditional Malay version with seared squid. Their cocktails are similarly themed; for example, Soy is an umami-laden tipple made with arrack and clarified fermented soy, while Grass combines Compendium Rojak gin with grass kombucha.

Alternatively Pollen in Gardens by the Bay has recently landed itself a new chef. Executive Chef Michael Wilson – formerly of Michelin-starred Phenix in Shanghai’s The PuLi Hotel and Spa – looks to reinvent its cuisine to offer his modern spin of old-world Mediterranean. While you can’t get his signature Duck Sausage – which is better for dine-in anyway – there’s the Confit Duck Leg Cassoulet as a good delivery substitute, while the Beef Wellington set is good value for two persons. A bonus? Get a complimentary bottle of wine with your minimum spend of $128 during this period.

Then there’s The Masses if you prefer Franco-Asian fare. The bistro, started by former Saveur co-founder Dylan Ong, is home to some of the most fun fusion grub that combines European culinary techniques with Asian ingredients and flavours. We love how its Duck Confit comes with wok hei-infused rice noodles, while its C&C&C&C Pasta is angel hair pasta drenched in a decadent sauce of crab meat, chorizo crumble, caviar and confit lemon. Make sure you opt for their signature seaweed- and mushroom-studded Umami Butter as well, which you will want to slather bread with.

And while Jigger & Pony Group’s oyster bar Humpback has been around for a while, what’s particularly convenient for culinary nomads is they’ve combined the takeaway menus for the whole group. So if you’ve not experienced the American Italian eats of Caffe Fernet or the Japanese-inspired bar bites of Live Twice, here’s your chance. In our humble opinion Humpback’s Lobster Roll and Caffe Fernet’s signature Mafaldine Cacio e Pepe are must-order, as is the Beef Katsu Sando from Live Twice. And don’t forget cocktails – Jigger & Pony Group cut its teeth on cocktails, after all. We’re big fans of Jigger & Pony’s Negroni take Madame President, and the Gibson from its other cocktail bar Gibson offers possibly the best version of the classic cocktail in town.

Allium | website | 2 Jln Lokam, #01-11 Kensington Square, Singapore 537846 (map) | 8830 6230

Humpback | website | 18-20 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore 089834 (map) | 9772 9896

Laut | website | 17 Stanley St, Singapore 068736 (map) | 8878 8018

The Masses | website | 85 Beach Rd, #01-02, Singapore 189694 (map) | 6266 0061

Pollen | website | 18 Marina Gardens Dr, #01-09 Flower Dome, Singapore 018953 (map) | 6604 9988

[Photo credit: Tiffin Room/Raffles Hotel Singapore]

Sit down for some family feasting with these takeaway and delivery options.

We’re sure you agree it can be a downright hassle to be planning and cooking multiple meals for the family the whole week, much less the entire circuit breaker period. Break up the tedium with some well-placed, well-spaced delivery options.

Restaurants like Malthouse along East Coast Road are the soul of any neighbourhood. They offer the entire gamut of familiar Western favourites to please every member of the family; there’s pizza – such as Pepperoni and Ham and Pineapple – for the kids, and a right hearty Australian Ribeye steak or Tacos De Chicarrones for Mom and Pop. There’s also a Family Meal that come with two classic pizzas, appetizers and drinks to help you manage your budget, and they even offer a traditional Sunday Roast for your weekend family indulgence. Even better for Dad, there’s a range of craft beers they can send over with your meal.

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For more regional flavours, Thai seafood restaurant Yaowarat Seafood at Teck Chye Terrace offers a mind-blowing range of Thai dishes that is sure to please the spice-loving family. There’s the Yaowarat XO Treasure Pot for fans of seafood beehoon, while the Yaowarat Tom Yum Mama Seafood Pot will hit the spot for those who like it real spicy. Alternatively there are set meal options where you can mix and match your favourite Thai dishes.

But if you’re looking to spoil the family, Tiffin Room at Raffles Hotel Singapore is a sure bet. As part of the iconic hotel’s “Grab and Go” gourmet initiative, the high-end South Asian restaurant offers a range of authentic North Indian delicacies as presented by its award-winning chef Kuldeep Negi available for takeaway. You can’t go wrong with their Lucknowi Murgh Biryani (pictured above) or the fish curry that is Macher Jhol, and if you’re vegetarian options are aplenty including the signature Tiffin Dal Makhani and Paneer Butter Masala. Even better, there’s nothing in Raffles’ “Grab and Go” that stops you from ordering from the hotel’s other fine establishments such as Butcher’s Block and 藝 yì by Jereme Leung, either. And for cocktail connoisseurs don’t forget the offerings from Writer’s Bar, such as a Vieux Carre or Negroni that comes in a whopping 700ml bottle (good for 7 pours).

Malthouse | website | 685 East Coast Rd, Singapore 459054 (map) | 6636 4436

Tiffin Room | website | 1 Beach Rd, Raffles Hotel, Singapore 189673 (map) | 6412 1816

Yaowarat Seafood | website | 27 Teck Chye Terrace, Singapore 545729 (map) | 6858 5988

[Photo credit: The World Is Flat/Empire Eats Group]

Alone but not forgotten – takeaway and delivery for those flying solo.

Dining options during stay-at-home lockdown measures are difficult for those who live alone; cooking for one person doesn’t quite make sense, and it can be hard hitting that dreaded minimum order when you’re ordering for yourself. But all is not lost.

Cantonese bar Sum Yi Tai offers an entire range of Chinese-inspired eats that are good for both dining now and to keep for a later meal, like its Signature XO Carrot Cake or Singapore Fried Rice, for example. And if you can’t finish the Crispy Roast Pork or Maple Honey Glazed Char Siew they can be repurposed for your next meal. Their beer-friendly bar bites are excellent too; the Signature Mala Peppercorn Chicken and Crispy Pork Chips are good for your late night Netflix binge. They are currently running a special Lucky Mee pop-up too that Ipoh-style curry mee from now till 19 June. And if you still can’t hit the minimum just add a bottle of wine, say, the Brunel de la Gardine Cairanne 2016 from France’s Rhone Valley, to your order.

Then there’s Komyuniti in YOTEL Singapore, which has put together some convenient contemporary pan-Asian rice bowls in one person portions for the circuit breaker period. The pan-seared Cajun Salmon comes with fried Brussels sprouts, pickles and a sunny-side up egg atop rice, while the Korean Spicy Chicken Bolgogi version will sate those hankering for some Korean. Top off your order with some bottled cocktails – the Kaffir-Calamansi Gimlet is a crowd-pleaser, the Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned will cater to fans of the classic, while Missing Recipe is a fun, experimental concoction.

Otherwise there’s cocktail bar The Spiffy Dapper, which has recently revamped its food menu to one that’s focused around personal-sized pizzas. Don’t expect them classic Italian pies; here you are looking at options like Miso Glazed Smoked Duck, Ricotta & Laksa Leaves Pizza, or Fried Kale, Pineapple & Avocado Pizza. Then top off your order with cocktails, such as the French Oak Aged Old Fashioned or Oriental Elixir. If you’re adventurous with your drinks, The Spiffy Dapper runs a weekly online cocktail masterclass on Facebook Live, and you can order those specialty bespoke cocktails online as well.

And if you’re big on sandwiches, you can hardly go bigger that those from The Secret Mermaid, or to be more exact, the massive sandwiches of its sister concept The World Is Flat. There’re the likes of the Truffle Roast Beef Melt or Steamed Boston Lobster Sandwich (pictured above), although they’re a little tricky to handle while you’re blitzing away on your gaming rig. Be sure to add some signature Mermaid cocktails to your order; you can’t go wrong with their Applewood Negroni or Devil In The Details, but you should order the new Quarantini too. Just because.

Komyuniti Singapore | website | 366 Orchard Rd, Level 10, YOTEL Singapore, Singapore 238904 (map) | 6866 8067

The Secret Mermaid | website | 10 Collyer Quay, B1-09, Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315 (map) | drink@thesecretmermaid.com

The Spiffy Dapper | website | 73A Amoy Street Second Floor, Singapore 069892 (map) | 8742 8908

Sum Yi Tai | website | 25 Boon Tat St, Singapore 069622 (map) | 6221 3665

For a fuller list of takeaway and food delivery options, check out this article from our friends at Superadrianme.com.