Two-in-one takes on a whole new meaning at Binary in Palais Renaissance

Binary is a swanky contemporary gastrobar at Palais Renaissance that offers one of the most international of menus Orchard Road may have seen.

Have a dinner meet-up with those friends who forever can’t seem to decide where and what to eat? We have just the place for you. Binary, located in Palais Renaissance on Orchard Road, is perfect to bring the indecisive. The recently-opened 45-seater gastrobar offers enough dishes from a plethora of cuisines from East to West – and almost everything in between – that would make most representatives on the United Nations council feel at home.

And we’re not talking about fusion cuisine, either. Instead each of some two dozen entries on its food menu can rightly call at least one country in the world their home, with just enough of a contemporary twist to suit modern sensibilities.

And to emphasise Binary’s concept of duality, many of the dishes can be served two ways.

For example among the tapas-style sharing plates are the likes of Tiger Prawns, which can be delivered as Spanish gambas al ajillo, or as Asian battered fritters. You can have Chicken Wings done Southern-style – that is, as buffalo wings – or of the Southeast Asian variety you see with nasi lemak. Or how about Hand-made Wagyu & Pork Balls, served either the Italian way in a classic Marinara sauce, or as Shanghainese 狮子头?

Same goes for the mains. You can opt for the Iberico Pluma to come with chimichurri the way the Argentines enjoy their grilled meats, or with gochujang and ssam to eat the way the Koreans do it. Likewise the Wagyu Striploin, which you can have with either a French Bordelaise sauce, or with a Japanese miso marinade.

We surprised ourselves by falling in love with one of the very few dishes at Binary that didn’t have a split personality. The Jewish-Yemini Homemade Kubaneh Bread tastes exactly how we envisioned it, bursting with piping-hot, buttery goodness the way a Middle Eastern matriarch might have made it.

For drinks, Binary offers a selection of wines by the bottle, ranging from affordable plonk to premium tipples, particularly of the French stripe. There’s a number of decent whimsical cocktails as well, such as the Berry Mojito or Chrysanthemum Tea, the latter of which combines a housemade chrysanthemum tincture, kaffir lime and lemongrass infusion, Grand Marnier, and tonic good for a sweet and refreshing start to your meal.

But we do recommend the Binary Craft Brew – this was a Cream Ale, exclusively brewed by local craft brewery Rye & Pint for Binary. This crisp yet malty ale is absolutely perfect for washing down whatever random dish your indecisive friends might deign to order.

And if those pals can’t find anything to order among the very eclectic offerings at Binary, we reckon it’s time to ditch them.

Binary

Address 390 Orchard Road, #01-01A Palais Renaissance, Singapore 238871 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11.30am to 10.30pm daily
Facebook Binary0101.sg
Instagram @binary0101.sg