I propose a roast

Nothing quite completes a Christmas dinner like a plump turkey or gorgeously glazed ham. Check out an array of magnificent roasts from Singapore’s best hotels and restaurants.

The signature Cajun Turkey ($138) from Carlton City Hotel Singapore makes its return this year. Along with the usual accompaniments of roasted potatoes, vegetables and chestnut-chicken mousseline stuffing, each order of the Cajun Turkey comes with a selection of four marmalades and four sauces. The classics like cranberry marmalade, giblet gravy and bread sauce are available, but those who prefer a more exciting flavour profile will love the spicy ‘mala’ chicken sauce, pineapple-wasabi marmalade and honey green mango marmalade. Lobby Level, Christmas Shoppe, 1 Gopeng Street. Tel: 6632 8921

Sheraton Towers Singapore unveils a new oriental-inspired Honey Rock Hoisin Roasted Turkey ($198). The turkey is infused in homemade hoisin marinade for 48 hours before it's slow-roasted and served with sides like black sesame fried rice stuffing, sautéed Brussels sprouts and salted egg potato dumplings. Other options for your home party: Spiced Bourbon Orange-Glazed Gammon Ham ($268) and the Salmon and Mushroom Duxelle en Croute ($188). Lobby Level, 39 Scotts Road. Tel: 6839 5636.

St. Regis Singapore introduces two truffle flavoured roasts to add to your Christmas feast: the Whole Roast Turkey infused with Truffle Oil ($248) and Roasted Lamb Leg with Truffle and Mustard ($188). Both come with truffled mashed potatoes, buttered vegetables, and unique sauces. For more truffle goodness, order the Homemade Smoked Salmon with The St. Regis Tea Blend ($90). It’s paired with truffle brioche bread, asparagus, egg white and freshly shaved truffles. Brasserie Les Saveurs, Lobby Level, 29 Tanglin Road. Tel: 6505 6860

J65 at Hotel Jen Tanglin offer three different turkeys ($118) this year: Traditional Roast Turkey, Roasted Truffle Flavoured Turkey and Asian Percik Style Turkey. For the full works, opt for the Super Loaded version ($198) of each turkey, which comes with an assortment of side dishes and condiments. For example, the Asian Percik Super Loaded Turkey is accompanied by Prawn and Pickled Mango Salad, Chilli Crab Claws, Seasonal Vegetables, Braised Red Cabbage, and Chilled Mango Soup. Level 1, 1A Cuscaden Road. Tel: 6831 4374

Fudebar at Novotel Singapore on Stevens offers a Traditional Roast Turkey ($168) alongside their Satay Roast Turkey ($168). For the latter, the festive bird comes with a serving of Novotel’s homemade satay gravy. Vegetarians can also order Plant-Based Meatballs ($38) for a meat-free Christmas meal. #01-02, 28 Stevens Road. Tel: 6491 6193

Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

goes Thai with their new Tom Yum Roast Turkey ($168). Marinated in a mixture of tom yum paste and mustard, the spicy-tangy bird is served with tart green papaya salad, tom yum sauce and an addictive house-made tamarind dip. Another must-have roast is the hotel’s signature Barbecue Beef Short Ribs ($138); cooked sousvide for 24 hours, the forktender meat falls effortlessly off the bone, and is made complete with a robust barbecue glaze. Lobby Lounge, Lobby Level, 75 Airport Boulevard. Tel: 6823 6537

Tablescape Restaurant & Bar provides different options for those who are not big fans of turkey. The bone-in Prime Rib ($148/kg) is a lipsmacking centerpiece. You get a choice of three to seven bone roasts; the massive hunk of meat is perfumed with garlic and rosemary, and accompanied by truffled mashed potatoes, buttered vegetables and a fruity Merlot sauce. Seafood lovers can opt for the Oven Baked Line Caught Fish ($168). It is cooked Italian-style, and doused in a white wine sauce that has been stewed with capers, olives and cherry tomatoes. Level 3, Grand Park City Hall, 10 Coleman Street. Tel: 6432 5566

PARKROYAL on Pickering's new Asian-inspired turkeys are worth a go. The Turkey Masak Merah ($128) takes inspiration from the Malay dish, and is smothered in a fiery hot tomato and chilli sauce. A non-spicy option is the Angelica Turkey ($128). The Chinese herb is combined with Worcestershire sauce in the marinade, to give off an earthy and savoury flavour. Lobby Level, 3 Upper Pickering Street. Tel: 6809 8899

Executive chef Chua Yew Hock of Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium has created a spicy turkey: the Roasted Mala Turkey ($128) ranks five on a 10-point heat level scale. Temper the heat with tangy pickled vegetables, cilantro sauce, and hearty garlic fried rice. 317 Outram Road. Tel: 9114 0279

The Christmas offerings from Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong’s Baba Chews are locally-inspired treats. Their extensive local takeaways include the Hakka Salt Baked Chicken ($52), which is stuffed with a medley of vegetables and perfumed with Chinese wine. The Kopi-C Flavoured BBQ Pork Spareribs ($60) are glazed with a rich coffee sauce and served with rojak coleslaw and you tiao crisps. A returning favourite is the Beef Rendang ($123); this year, it’s made with hulking USDA prime beef shortribs, and owes its addictive flavour to spiced grated coconut and gula melaka. #01-01, Katong Square, 86 East Coast Road. Tel: 6723 2025

Expect a lineup of herby, spice-laden treats from Royal Plaza on Scotts, such as the Sambal Hijau Roast Turkey ($158). Slathered in a piquant green sambal, stuffed with spiced chicken, and served with a sambal hijau kicap sauce, the hearty feast is complemented by a generous portion of nasi goreng, serunding and sayur lodeh. Lobby Level, 25 Scotts Road. Tel: 6219 3780

10 mins with...

PICO IYER,

novelist, travel writer, Raffles Hotel Singapore’s writer-in-residence, and author of This Could Be Home: Raffles Hotel and the City of Tomorrow

You have lived in Nara for over 30 years. Can you recommend some places to visit?

Get lost. Combine a mix of everything you want to see and things nobody will think to look at. Nara has a famous Buddha temple called Todai-ji, but around the corner are two little gardens that few people know about. Spend two days in Naoshima island, one of the most beautiful places I have seen on earth. It has a cool cutting-edge architecture. Then spend another two days in the mountain called Koyo-san. You ascend by cable car and arrive at the top where there’s nothing but 117 temples and 250,000 graves. It’s a solemn, majestic and spooky place. Between super futuristic Naoshima and ancient Koyo-san, you’ve got two of the greatest landmarks in Japan.

What have you noticed about your stay at Raffles Hotel Singapore?

Every time a guest requests for room service here, he or she will receive a beautiful single flower. The staff greets you by name and knows your room number. Sometimes, I would strike up conversations with the staff on duty; they are so friendly they turn what would be a impersonal transaction like room service into something that is full of character, which is a Raffles signature touch that wouldn’t happen in a 500- or 1,000-room hotel. The other thing that strikes me are the flowers and the birds. You can’t hear the traffic outside but you can hear the birds chirping. The fact that one can still enjoy the big green space and a sense of calm in the busiest of cities is striking.

What do you think of modern Singapore and its future?

Singapore is a city of the future now more than ever. In the last 15 years, it has become a fashion-forward, cool, hip city that has surged into the future. It accelerated past other cities in the world and they look to Singapore as offering a model for where they want to go. The design and architecture are beyond anything I have seen. Every new building is so sleek, every old one is so beautifully preserved. In that way, Crazy Rich Asians is a real expression for how Singapore has arrived. I would say Singapore is ahead of New York by 20 years in terms of fashion, coolness and forward thinking, and it has a more coherent vision - thanks to your initial leaders - than Shanghai and Tokyo can ever have. That is a great benefit in an age where cities are making themselves up as they go along.

What would be your last meal?

Strong English tea and Raffles Hotel Singapore’s vegetable samosas. I have been enjoying them every day. I’m simple like that.

. READING LIST .

J Eating triggers the imagination and powers of recall, creating a unique impression on our palates and minds. Mouthfeel: How Texture Makes Taste by award-winning chef Klavs Styrbæk and Ole G. Mouritsen (professor of biophysics at the University of Southern Denmark and director of the Danish Center for Taste and president of the Danish Gastronomical Academy) investigate the multiple ways in which food texture influences taste. Find out how to make smarter food choices with healthier substitutes by mimicking the textural properties and physical notes of junk foods such as fries and chicken nuggets. A must-read for food science enthusiasts. J Whether it's hygge or the fika, the Nordic countries know best when it comes to taking pleasure and living a simple, cosy life. Bakeland

Nordic Treats Inspired by

Nature is a neat compilation of 140 delicious and creative nature-inspired baking recipes. With its stunning colour photographs, Bakeland is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the taste buds. From chocolate sea shells to pinecone-shaped gingersnaps, experience a beautiful way to travel through nature in Scandinavia, season by season.

Published by Columbia University Press. Available from bookdepository.com. $55.20

Published by Greystone Books. Available from amazon.com. $32.35

39A-39B Ngo Duc Ke Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam T: (+84) 28 39304839 / (+84) 28 39302468 E: tandoor@tandoorvietnam.com W: tandoorvietnam.com

Mediterranean magic

You are missing out if you have yet to visit BBR by Alain Ducasse, a modern Mediterranean grill concept by the highly decorated French chef located in the former Bar & Billiard Room of Raffles Singapore. Chef de cuisine Louis Pacquelin presides over the large open concept kitchen fitted with a woodfired rotisserie and a pizza oven, all which take up half the space in the middle of the restaurant. A circular brass centrepiece hangs above it, making for great Instagram shots. Guests sit ensconced in burnished orange couches as they scan through a succinct menu of classic dishes from France, Spain and Italy.

The kitchen doles out popular appetisers like Pulpo a la Gallega (tender grilled octopus in paprika and olive oil served with piquillo sauce) and Tortilla Espanola (potato & onion omelette) well, but our favourite is the Pissaladière, a Provençal tart with a pizza-like crust and filled with caramelised onions. The star of the menu is definitely the Cataplana de Marisco ($60), a hearty, savoury stew filled from Carabinero shrimp, fish and mussels and shellfish served in the Portuguese pot. End with Tiramisu; the mascarpone is whipped to perfection and steeped in Ducasse’s specialty coffee. Raffles Singapore, 1 Beach Road. Tel: 6337 1886

9 years on

When new diners open and close within nine months, Singapore favourite ‘funky Middle Eastern’ restaurant Artichoke still remains strong after nine years, thanks to madcap chef-owner Bjorn Shen’s whimsical spin on the cuisine. Family-style classics like the vegan-friendly Hummus & Iraqi Spiced Mushrooms ($14) continue to draw fans; whipped creamed tahini, lemon juice and garlic are blended with blanched chickpeas, cumin and Cobram Estate olive oil - the smooth, creamy goodness a match with abalone mushrooms from Kin Yan Agrotech seasoned in baharat. The Green Harissa Prawns, Split Cream, Charred Onions ($38) is another classic; prawns are cooked in a small skillet until the juice runs out before they are mixed with harissa and cream.

New highlights like Cauliflower Kushari ($24), Crab & Bacon Toast ($30), and Crispy Lamb Floss (28) are available on the weekend brunch à la carte menu, and the former stand outs. Cauliflower is deep-fried till it shrivels to retain a bitter edge. Then basmatic rice, onions, lentils and puffed corn are added in for textural depth and tossed in shallot oil and seasoned in amba, a Middle Eastern pickled mango condiment. A ramen egg, marinated in liquid smoke, crowns the scrumptious salad.

Shen also plans to helm a new four-seater bar within the premise next year where he intends to create monthly changing themed menus. First up: an eight-course pizza dinner with a twist. 161 Middle Road. Tel: 6336 6949

Pre-X'mas feast

Marina Bay Sands' signature Epicurean Market marks its comeback from 13 to 15 December. The sixth edition boasts over 50 booths, including Marina Bay Sands' newest restaurants, culinary masterclasses and a festive market.

On 14 and 15 of December, guests can enjoy over 60 dishes at a fraction of their usual price from the booths helmed by Marina Bay Sands’ restaurants. They include Bread Street Kitchen’s Mini Beef Wellington, db Bistro & Oyster Bar’s Lobster Roll and Lobster Thermidor, Adrift’s Pork Katsu Sandwich, and Spago’s Laksa Snapper in a Coconut Bowl. Twelve free masterclasses will also be conducted; watch Wolfgang Puck make the perfect risotto or listen intently to Tetsuya Wakuda’s lesson on the art of ikejime. Before you leave, pick up some festive takeaways and wines from the festive market, and consider the exclusive after-party at MARQUEE (limited to the first 500 ticket holders who sign up at the MARQUEE booth).

The two-day pass is available for $49, from marinabaysands. com/epicurean-market. Level 1, Exhibition Hall A-C, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Avenue.