If you're at all familiar with the way the bookings for Restaurant Week work, you would know that it's pretty much a game of Fastest Fingers First -- hesitate a second longer, and that much coveted space at that restaurant you've been eyeing for months is gone at the blink of the eye.
We wish we were exaggerating, but since priority bookings for American Express cardholders opened last Monday, and at press time, a good 20 to 30 percent of the seats have already been booked solid. And this is for an event that's not happening until the mid of next month -- we didn't get our reputation as a country of foodies for nothing after all!
The bi-annual event returns this time round from 19 - 25 March with an even greater number of participating restaurants, with more than 90 popular dining destinations offering anything and everything to satiate even the fussiest of palates, all at a price of only S$25++ and S$35++ for a three-course lunch and dinner set meal.
Before your whip out your credit card and make a beeline for the old favourites, here are the five new places worthy of a place on your Restaurant Week bucket list. They might even still have places left.
We suss out the five newest participating restaurants in Restaurant Week 2012. Find out why you should be adding them to your Restaurant Week To-Eat List.
OChre Italian Restaurant and Bar
Enjoy traditional Italian favourites infused with contemporary touches and international influences at OChre, for fresh new creations that delight and surprise. OChre’s contemporary chic interior design of dark, masculine fittings, plush furnishing and glass walls surround a gleaming open‐concept show kitchen.
OChre Italian Restaurant and Bar, Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road, #11-03
Punjab Grill
First of its kind in Singapore, Punjab Grill by Jiggs Kalra is the brainchild of Jiggs Kalra, who has been instrumental in putting Indian cuisine on the culinary map, and is often referred to as the “Czar of Indian Cuisine”. Expect reinvented Punjabi cuisine, which include food from gourmet metropolises like Lahore, Peshwar, Rawalpindi, Kabul, Amritsar, Multan and Patiala.
Punjab Grill, 2 Bayfront Avenue, #B1-01A
Salta Argentine Parilla and Grocer
Beef aficionados would love Salta Argentine Parilla and Grocer, named after the Argentine city Salta, which is famous for its beef. The meat is leaner, with less saturated fats, and completely free of hormones and supplements, hence giving the meat a more natural flavour.
Salta Argentine Parilla and Grocer, Icon Village, 12 Gopeng Street, #01-56
Si Chuan Dou Hua
Bring mom out for a nice meal at Si Chuan Dou Hua, renowned for the quality and authenticity of its Sichuan and Cantonese dishes. In addition to its well-executed dishes, Si Chuan Dou Hua also presents tea-pouring by a traditional tea master who combines martial arts, dance and gymnastics in the traditional art of tea-pouring.
Si Chuan Dou Hua, 80 Raffles Place, #60-01, UOB Plaza
Taratata Bistrot
Chefs Bertrand Raguin and Philippe Nouzillat brings the very best of French classics to Singapore at the cozy Taratata Bistrot, which offers an authentic French experience, from the food (home style dishes such as duck confit, steak tartare and escargot) to the thoughtfully-done interiors of the bistro.
Taratata Bistrot, 35A Keong Saik Road
