How has the past week been for you, nay, the past month? We can’t speak for everyone, but for most people we know, it’s been quite a roller coaster of emotions as we constantly refresh our feeds for COVID-19 updates. And then there are the WFH adjustments, if we can be so lucky, because being on stay-home notice should count as a privilege — doesn’t feel like prison, at least.
Still, anxiety isn’t just about feeling worried; it can also manifest in increased irritability, both oversleeping and overworking, avoidance, and this time — overindulgence. If you can and feel like you’re in need of a treat while at home this weekend, or are stressing out on ways to make your loved ones’ birthdays special despite not being able to dine out, here’s a good starting point. Ahead, you’ll find premium or specialised groceries; a list of fine dining establishments, including Michelin-starred ones, offering islandwide delivery; and make-your-own cocktails for the lavishly indulgent.
Groceries
There’s NTUC Fairprice. And then there are these. We honestly never knew there were this many premium or specialised grocers in Singapore, but hey, this one’s a millennial who can’t cook, so. How do they compare to the more common essentials though?
There’s no illusion here — prices are steeper, but you’re paying a premium for organic fruits and vegetables. Or, a fine Argentine Sirloin Steak, King Salmon fillets from the pristine waters of New Zealand. Consider this too: an $11 slab of butter to spread on sourdough bread, only this time, it’s Bordier, by acclaimed French butter artisan Jean-Yves Bordier. Fancy, and constantly sold out too.
Do note that many of these produce purveyors are rather small-scale, and may already be experiencing an overwhelming amount of orders. So in the same way you’re queuing for Amazon slots, the key is patience and checking in advance!
1. Fave Fine Food
2. huber’s butchery
3. ryan’s grocery
4. the farmer’s market
5. sasha’s fine foods
6. the fish wives
7. best organic food
8. King Salmon fillets
10. sg orgAnic
11. little farms
12. green circle
13. yaya papaya
14. singapore deli and grocer
Fine Dining
Normally, these fine dining establishments go the extra mile in service and ambience. Now, they’re literally doing so — all in the name of quality chef-prepared meals at your doorstep. Even if it does feel like you’ve been robbed of the whole dine-in experience, think of it this way. You won’t need to reserve a spot months in advance, you get to be cosy at home however you like, and you can even opt to order from more than one location. How does an order from Cheek, Burnt Ends and Odette sound to you?
Upscale home dining looks like this: steak and starters from Burnt Ends, including that very excellent Grissini and Taramasalata that’s a mainstay on the menu; a comforting Chef’s Mum’s Chicken Curry from contemporary-Peranakan restaurant, Candlenut; or an upcoming menu by Odette, featuring an elegant selection of iconic and seasonal plates for you to have a full-course meal at home.
More casual (but good) restaurants are also staking their claim in the islandwide delivery — we’d recommend both Bar Cicheti and Pasta Bar for the luxury of fresh pasta, in the form of takeaway dishes or home pasta kit, or the complex flavours and smoked meats of Meatsmith.
Michelin-starred
1. Burnt Ends *
2. Candlenut *
3. cheek *
4. Alma *
5. putien *
6. odette *** (launching 13 april)
Delivery & Takeaway
1. Pasta Bar
2. Bar Cicheti
3. Meatsmith
4. The Naked Finn (Takeaway)
5. Etna
6. como cuisine
7. Vue (takeaway)
8. Wolfgang’s Steakhouse
9. Janice Wong
Cocktails
To round off the list of atas services, we’ve also got take-home cocktails. Bars and entertainment spots were one of the early F&B businesses affected by our government’s gradual home-isolation schemes, but boy have they stepped up in innovation and, um, spirit. We mean it though!
Other than cocktail mixes in bottles, The Old Man, Jigger & Pony and The Secret Mermaid, just to name a few, have come up with vacuum-sealed packs filled with your drink of choice, and with the accompanying garnish too. Negroni, the classic Old Fashioned, or more fancy tipple, you know you’re not just taking any old swig from a bottle here, assemble it and then enjoy your classy apéritif with a family member or housemate.
1. The Secret Mermaid
2. the Old Man
3. Jigger & Pony
4. ah sam cold drink stall (takeaway at 12 haji lane)
5. Operation dagger (takeaway)
6. atlas bar
7. employees only
8. native bar
9. heart of darkness
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