Asia

If you’re ready for a break from Chinese fare, try this place, with its European menu. A new chef, Australian David Pooley, who hails from Sydney’s acclaimed Quay, has earned rave reviews for his inventive cooking. Look for dishes such as the risotto with creamed mushroom duxelles, abalone mushrooms and shaved Parmesan; halibut in orange butter with squid ink, creamed leeks, spinach and brandade; and an Australian Black Angus tenderloin with beets and a coffee sauce. There is an impressive number of wines by the glass.

One of the great culinary traditions of Singapore is Peranakan cooking, a striking blend of Chinese and Malaysian styles (also known as Nonya and Straits-Chinese). It is generally considered the province of home cooks, but Blue Ginger has brought it to the fore in this handsome restaurant set in a restored shophouse. Peranakan cooking relies heavily on spices. House specialties include braised chicken flavored with a blend of seasonings and cooked with Indonesian black nuts, deep-fried eggplant with chili paste and soy sauce, and sautéed prawns with coarse black pepper and soy sauce. This is an upscale restaurant that will nonetheless give you a real taste of local cuisine.

If you’ve ever been intrigued by dishes such as bird’s nest soup, abalone or shark’s fin soup, this is the place to try them. But you don’t have to confine yourself to exotica. The selection of dim sum is impressive, and you’ll also find other marvelous dishes such as roast suckling pig, exquisite crispfried chicken, baked stuffed crab, and stuffed duck “Emperor” style. Certainly, the cuisine outshines the prosaic décor. Because of its renown, the restaurant is always full, and if you are not a regular, the service can be indifferent. But don’t let that detract from an encounter with authentic Cantonese food at its best.