While the chilling effect of winter in the northern hemisphere can’t exactly be felt in the tropical city of Singapore, we still stand to benefit from the onset of the coldest season of the year, typically bringing with it a deluge of comforting, indulgent flavours rooted in seasonal produce and hearty meats.
We say rooted, since the edible portion of most seasonal winter produce often grows underground. Carrots, parsnips, pumpkins, leeks, and beets — all rich in nutrients and at their peak during the coldest months, become the base of nourishing soups and stews, then fortified with wholesome proteins, and flavoured by a rich olio of warming spices like star anise, ginger, and nutmeg.
The most notable seasonal delicacies for winter are most probably the black truffle and its even-rarer cousin, the coveted white truffle, found only in northern Italy by specialised truffle-hunting dogs (and pigs) at its pungent zenith in the chilly months of October to December.
Worth its weight in gold, the treasured fungi — and other delights of the season — can be experienced right here in Singapore at these holiday menus available at MICHELIN restaurants.
Jaan by Kirk Westaway's White Beetroot dish, part of the 2023 holiday menu
Winter Produce Take Centre Stage in Jaan by Kirk Westaway’s Holiday Menu
Jaan by Kirk Westaway
Two MICHELIN Stars
MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023
Contemporary takes on British classics with a focus on heartwarming, and often underrated, winter vegetables take centre stage for two-MICHELIN-starred Jaan by Kirk Westaway’s hearty winter menu.
Bites to start include the Jaan signature of Fish and Chips, a reimagining of the stodgy British dish that sees a fresh cod brandade — a hearty winter emulsion of salt cod, olive oil, and puréed potato – encased in a diaphanously thin potato cradle; the Goose Mousse, a liver parfait tart layered with sweet red onion marmalade, chestnut mushrooms, and alyssum flowers; and a nourishing Roast Potato Soup, featuring a luscious blend of roasted potato and charred leek, complemented with two types of house-made bread.
Humble winter produce like White Beetroot and Pumpkin are spotlighted in individual courses. The former sees the root vegetable baked in salt for two hours before being sliced and served with caviar, celeriac sauce, and extra virgin olive oil; while the latter presents a pumpkin wedge cooked in brown butter alongside confit lemon, roasted garlic, goat’s cheese, pickled pumpkin, and pumpkin purée, with a splash of black truffle and cheese sauce to finish.
Both black and white varietals of truffle can be found in the Langoustine, where the crustacean is roasted and paired with a saffron pasta tossed in a black truffle sauce, and further crowned with shavings of fresh Alba white truffle.
Jaan by Kirk Westaway’s winter menu is available now. For reservations, call +65 9199 9008, email jaan.bookings@swissotel.com, or book online here. Jaan by Kirk Westaway is located at Level 70, Swissotel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Road, Singapore.
ART di Daniele Sperindio will be welcoming the New Year with a seven-course feast stuffed with wintry highlights.
Ring in the New Year with a Feast and a View at Art di Daniele Sperindio
Art di Daniele Sperindio
One MICHELIN Star
MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023
Celebrate the indulgence of the festive season with a one-night-only Italian extravaganza at one-MICHELIN-starred Art di Daniele Sperindio, well-situated on the sixth floor of the National Gallery Singapore to offer unfettered views of the Marina Bay skyline.
The modern Italian restaurant will be welcoming the New Year with a seven-course feast stuffed with wintry highlights. This includes the Alaskan King Crab Cappelletti (the monstrous crustaceans usually come into peak season during the early winter months); Guinea Fowl; and Chestnut Millefoglie served with Rosemary Chantilly, Blood Orange, and Pine Nut.
Art di Daniele Sperindio’s winter menu is available on 31 December 2023. For reservations, email book@artdidanielesperindio.com or book online here. Art di Daniele Sperindio is located at #06-02, National Gallery, 1 St Andrews Road, Singapore.
One of the highlights of MICHELIN-starred Buona Terra's holiday menu is the Scampi.
Enjoy an Italian Winter at Buona Terra
Buona Terra
One MICHELIN Star
MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023
One-MICHELIN-starred Buona Terra embraces the arrival of winter with a harvest of Italian citruses at their peak, leveraging their punchy brightness to elevate proteins and other bounties of the season to create dishes that are both hearty and indulgent.
Highlights include the Carpaccio, where raw slices of amberjack are set against Calabrian mandarin orange segments, confit Buddha’s hand, citrus caviar, salicornia (also known as sea beans), and Amalfi lemon purée; the Scampi, featuring Mozambique scampi grilled over clean-burning binchotan (white Japanese charcoal), is swathed in a rich lardo, and paired with a luscious bagna cauda (a Piedmontese anchovy garlic dip similar to fondue); and the Rombo, comprising brown butter-poached French turbot and Sicilian red prawns encased in Swiss chard and topped with Oscetria caviar, capers, and preserved Amalfi lemon.
Next comes dry-aged duck in the Anatra, glazed in Italian acacia honey, coated in herbs and spices, and then grilled over binchotan until smoky and succulent. The bird is carved from the bone and paired with salsify, a wintry root vegetable similar to a parsnip, done two ways — puréed after poaching in milk and coffee beans, and then deep-fried to add a layer of textural crunch. Sautéed morels, black garlic purée, and a Moscato sauce finish the hearty meal.
Buona Terra’s winter menu is available now until March 2024. For reservations, call +65 9456 3147, email buonaterra@chateaucc.com, or book a table online here. Buona Terra is located at 29 Scotts Road, Singapore.
MICHELIN-starred Esora's winter menu showcases the beauty of the cold season with soul-warming flavours.
Esora Celebrates a Japanese Winter with Dishes that Evoke Pleasure and Warmth
Esora
One MICHELIN Star
MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023
The Japanese have found immeasurable beauty and comfort in the winter season as the world outside their windows transforms into a dream during the winter months. And despite the surreal snow-clad scenery, The Land of the Rising Sun carries within itself a plethora of exquisite bounty.
At one-MICHELIN-starred Esora, chef Takeshi Araki celebrates winter's delights, showcasing ingredients such as ankimo (monkfish liver), kasujiru (sake lees soup), and fugu (puffer fish), among a treasure trove of other opulent elements. Spanning 10 well thought-out courses, guests of Esora will immerse themselves in the nostalgia and spirit of traditional Japanese winter dishes, with flavours infused with richness, boldness, and a subtle smokiness, complemented by refreshing citrus notes.
The Esora signature foie gras monaka sees a wintry iteration this season, as it is accentuated by kumquat and sesame. Next, a cold dish of prized matsuba (snow crab) is layered with miso made of gobo (burdock) purée, sotoko (outer crab roe), and uchiko (inner crab roe); chijimi horenso (snow spinach) slightly blanched in dashi,; and topped with a silky sheet of pickled turnip. Luxurious fugu comes deep-fried in a light and shatteringly crisp batter, preserving the fish's moisture and accompanied by kanzuri, a fermented chilli bean paste from Niigata, along with a slice of citrus for acidity.
The Winter Hassun follows, with winter's delicacies sitting on a bed of rice "snow": blue eggplant with uni and lobster butter; himi kanburi (winter yellowtail fish) served with negi and shiso flowers; ankimo (monkfish liver); and Japanese red and green Aomori apples with ginger jelly and sudachi (a Japanese citrus) to refresh the palate.
We won't dish out the entire menu for you, but one of Esora's definite winter highlights is a traditional bowl of kasujiru, or sake lees soup. Poured table-side, the milky white broth is comforting and comes rich with the delicate flavours and aroma of sake lees and collagenous sea bream stock. It comes served with somen and topped with a dainty slice of dashi-braised abalone, ribboned carrot, and a whisper of kuro shichimi for a graceful yet subtle kick of heat.
Esora’s winter menu is available now. Book your table online here. Esora is located at 15 Mohamed Sultan Road, 238964, Singapore.
Whitegrass's dish of Poisson, Hojicha, and Seasonal Mushrooms
Whitegrass Offers a Symphony of Seafood for Winter
Whitegrass
One MICHELIN Star
MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023
Take a breather from the gut-filling feasts and head over to one-MICHELIN-starred Whitegrass. Its winter menu focuses on delicately crafted French plates, anchored on ingredients and techniques borrowed from the Japanese.
That ethos is underscored by the restaurant’s judicious use of seasonal seafood throughout the meal, beginning with a morsel of fresh Hyogo oyster, harvested from Sakoshi Bay in Western Japan and served with Kyushu sweet soy sauce, Japanese plum, and a garnish of hana hojiso (perilla blossoms).
The Hiramasa comes next, pairing slices of raw yellow amberjack with a bounty of braised tokachi mushrooms, celery, and pickled orange; along with the Poisson Du Jour, meaning fish of the day, complemented by mashed potatoes, more seasonal mushrooms, a sauce crafted from reduced jus de volaille (a stock usually made from just chicken, but here, gussied up with fish and clams), and hojicha powder from Uji in Kyoto.
Whitegrass’s winter menu is available from now until 31 December 2023. For reservations, call +65 6837 0402 or visit www.whitegrass.com.sg/reservations. Whitegrass is located at #01-26/27, CHIJMES, 30 Victoria Street, Singapore.
Discover Wintertime Treasures with Flair at Wakuda
Wakuda
MICHELIN Selected
MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023
Tetsuya Wakuda’s approachable sister restaurant to his flagship Waku Ghin, MICHELIN-selected Wakuda at Marina Bay Sands, is offering an exquisite eight-course dinner menu featuring a bounty of wintertime seasonal treasures alongside all-time favourites.
The meal begins with a season-exclusive Foie Gras Corn Flan, comprising grilled Japanese white corn on a bed of savoury egg custard, before progressing to a Wakuda classic — the Yuba, pairing delicate fresh beancurd skin from Kyoto with a decadent crown of uni (sea urchin) and mountain caviar.
Thereafter comes the seafood, in the form of ōra king salmon uplifted with a seaweed vinaigrette; a chef’s selection of sushi; a toro caviar maki; and an umami-rich Koji Cod splashed with a warming truffle egg yolk sauce.
A dessert pair ends the meal on a sweet note. First, the Japanese Pear cleanses the palate with a refreshing mix of spiced pear confiture, yuzu jelly, and ginger granita, before a Japanese-inspired take on the classically Parisian dessert, the Mont Blanc, sweeps in with a cassis compote and chestnut rum ice cream to delight the tastebuds.
Wakuda’s winter menu is available from 24 to 31 December 2023. For reservations, call +65 6688 8885 or book your table online here. Wakuda is located at the Lobby, Hotel Tower 2, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
All photos are courtesy of the respective restaurants. Header image is from Shutterstock.
