If you are looking for dining choices in the City Hall area, head over to Capitol Singapore with quite a number of NEW restaurant and café additions.
Plus, you feel like you are travelling-around-the-world from the more-unique offerings, anything from German cuisine, Japanese omakase, Italian pizzas and pasta, Taiwanese bakery, to fun American-style diner.
Over at the Arcade @The Capitol Kempinski, expect Katachi Style, Hopscotch, Berthold Delikatessen, Broadway American Diner, HolyCrab, La Scala Ristorante and Frieda. All great to chill-out, and do look out for the inexpensive lunch sets offered.
At the other side of Capitol Singapore, you can find a variety of choices from Famous Treasure, Nalan Restaurant, Guan’s Mee Pok, Ponggol Nasi Lemak, Carmen’s Best, FLOR Patisserie, NOW Bakery, Wu Pao Chun, to the newly opened So Good Char Chan Tang.
Here are 10 restaurants and cafes to check out at Capitol Singapore, and their unique food offerings:
HolyCrab
Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski #01-85
Tel: +65 8444 2722
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10.30pm, Last order 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Bold and Unique Crab Flavours Along With Modern, Creative Zi Char Dishes
Some of you may not know that HolyCrab has relocated to The Capitol Singapore. The bigger space and kitchen at the new venue also means that Chef Elton has the opportunity to showcase many of his previously secret recipes.
HolyCrab offers bold, distinct flavours, not missing out on the wok hei (breath of the wok).
Some of the creative dishes offered include Cow Peh Cow Bu ($128) – a dish of Moroccan Wagyu Beef Ribs, Green Assam Fish ($108), Signature HolyCrab Fried Rice ($16), Inception ($11) which brings an Asian spin on the classic British scotch egg.
Whichever main you are ordering, get the Capricorn ($16), a dish comprising of corn kernels each painstakingly coated with salted egg yolk sauce.
This addictive starter is fried and tossed till dry so that every corn gets a bit of that grainy salted egg flavour, along with the sweetness from the sugar and a touch of spiciness from the chilli padi.
Unique Dish to Try: oOoOtak Crab ($90/kg)
The eponymous crabs are sourced from Sri Lanka or Alaska, promising a finger-licking delicious experience with fleshy meat.
Some of my personal favourite crab dishes here include the Singapore Chilli Crab with sweet and spicy eggy sauce; and the Green Mumba also known as Green Chilli Crabs – HolyCrab’s answer to the legendary Singapore Red Chilli Crab.
This oOoOtak is a style of ‘Otah Crab’ inspired by local coconut curry. Wok-fried with kaffir lime leaves, homemade sambal, coconut milk and eggs, the coconut curry was quite thick, rich and distinct otah flavour.
In terms of spice level, it got quite intense but very ‘shiok’. Do get some of those Mantous ($4 for 5) deep-fried to golden brown, crisp and fluffy to mop up that extra sauce.
Hopscotch
Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski #01-83
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5pm – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Fun Casual Restaurant and Craft Cocktail Bar
If you are seeking a venue to indulge in fusion main courses, grilled food and craft cocktails, Hopscotch is the answer.
This casual restaurant and cocktail bar is a nod to Singapore’s local culture and kampong spirit. Experience their interactive and theatrical cocktails inspired from local food flavours, history, and iconic landmarks.
Presented on a “bird’s nest”, Homecoming ($25) is a Capitol Singapore-exclusive with white rum as the base spirit with apple chestnut liqueur. It is sweetened and flavoured with pandan rock sugar, pear cordial, peach bitters, peach gum topped off with a cotton candy nest with chocolate eggs.
There are dishes that are designed for small communal dining, such as sharing plates peppered with Singaporean flavours.
How would you like a pasta dish inspired by Singaporean-style Bak Chor Mee? The “Ba Chor” Foie Angel Hair Pasta ($25) serves al dente capellini tossed with house-marinated minced meat, pan-seared foie gras, braised shiitake mushroom, a touch of sesame oil and pork lard.
Unique Dish to Try: Katong Lobster Roll ($30)
Made with toasted New England-style brioche, Katong Lobster Roll is filled with Boston lobster meat and crab meat combined.
They are blended into a house-made Asian-style Singaporean laksa-inspired spiced coconut cream squeezed with lemon juice for a sparkling acidity.
Served with a topping of chopped laksa leaves and lime zest, accompanied with hot, crispy fries and a mesclun salad.
Katachi Style
Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski #01-82
Tel: +65 6241 6447
Opening Hours: Lunch 12pm – 2:30pm Last Order 2:15pm, Dinner 6pm – 10.30pm Last Order 9:45pm (Mon – Sun)
Traditional Japanese Kaiseki with Focus on Sushi and Gourmet À la Carte Menu
Curated by Chef Keiji Matoba, Katachi Style is an upscale mecca for Japanese sushi lovers. People come here for its gratifying selection of Japanese classics, including Chirashi Don and Unagi Jyu.
If you love variety, the different dining options make eating such a pleasure. They have the usual à la carte menu, plus a series of set menus for lunch and dinner.
A highlight would be their signature Kaiseki-style (traditional multi-course meal) omakase set available any time of the day. Experience them meticulously prepared and exquisitely served.
Pressed for time? The bento-style lunch sets come handy. Spend your lunch here if you want to keep it casual or quicker. Come by for dinner if you prefer a more elevated dining experience as the individually plated dishes reflect that more refined service.
For lunch, Kashiwa Inaniwa Udon with Chicken Thigh Set ($18) is recommended. The thin, slippery Inaniwa udon noodles come with salad, appetiser, inari-sushi, pickles, and dessert.
For something more elaborated, there is the Katachi Sushi Dinner with Hana ($140), Ten ($180) sushi courses; or Omakase Dinner ($240) available at seatings of 6pm and 8:30pm (except Mondays).
Unique Dish to Try: Yuzu Salmon Don ($18)
If you like it light, order Yuzu Salmon Don ($18) served with salad, appetizer, chawanmushi, soup, pickles, and dessert. You get fresh salmon sashimi marinated with that special citrusy yuzu flavour.
But for heavyweight meat love, Wagyu Steak Jyu ($48) with rice is perfect. The set is likewise accompanied with salad, appetizer, chawanmushi, soup, pickles, and dessert.
So Good Char Chan Tang
Capitol Singapore #01-17/18
Opening Hours: 8am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)
Hong Kong-Style Cha Chaan Teng With Wide Variety Of Affordable Dishes
Travel to Hong Kong instantly with a bite at So Good Char Chan Tang, an upbeat casual dining café. This cha chaan teng or Hong Kong-style café genuinely reflects the streets of modern-day Hong Kong and has been quite popular with local Singaporeans as well.
Its long operating hours allow you to grab any meal from breakfast to dinner.
For brekkie or a tea-time snack, try the aromatic Crispy Bun with Condensed Milk ($2.00). Pair it with Hong Kong-Style Milk Tea ($2.20 for hot, $2.50 for cold) for a classic rendezvous of flavours.
Make it more filling with an order of roasted barbecue meats. Smoky and flavourful, the meats are served with either noodles or rice.
Other chef-recommended mains include Curry Beef Brisket Rice ($8.00), Baked Cheese Spaghetti Bolognese ($8.50), Fried Rice with Pork Chop & Fried Eggs ($9.50), and Fried Hor Fun with Beef ($9.80). Note that there are only 30 portions of the Beef Hor Fun every day, and they are usually sold out.
The Baked Egg Tart ($3.60 for 2 pcs) perhaps the most popular Hong Kong pastry, has delicately flaky tart filled with a silky-smooth egg custard. Relish it as part of a high tea, or just snack a piece or two with Iced Red Bean ($3.00).
Unique Dish to Try: Baked Tomato Pork Chop Rice ($9.50)
Something quite classically cha chaan teng fare, this tomato baked rice dish begins with seasoned lean pork chops, tenderized, marinated and cooked over an oiled pan ‘til golden brown.
The chops are cooked in a rich tomato sauce, before laid over a bed of rice in a baking dish. Once assembled, it is baked ‘til a crust form on top. A recipe that’s uniquely Hong Kong, with recipe from the Head Chef from Hong Kong with many years of culinary experience.
Hoshino Coffee
Capitol Singapore #B2-55
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 9:30pm Last order 9pm (Sun – Thurs, PH), 11:30am – 10pm Last order 9:30pm (Fri, Sat, Eve of PH)
Japanese-Style Brunch, Pancakes and ”Hand-Dripped” Specialty Coffee
Famous for its aromatic hand-drip coffees and pillow-soft soufflé pancakes, Hoshino Coffee is found at basement 2 of Capitol Singapore.
Beyond their signature coffees and desserts, the menu offers choices for both hearty and light dishes. Get a wafu pasta or a more filling rice meal, complete with side dishes. Or simply make time to treat yourself to a cup of premium coffee.
A popular pasta to try is Hoshino Spaghetti ($14.50). A Hoshino original, it tosses al dente cooked spaghetti with soya sauce. A host of ingredients like eggplant, bacon, shimeji, sausage, and onsen egg are uniquely combined to make this pasta a timeless trend.
Unique Dish(s) to Try: Hoshino Brunch
If you are someone who loves everything all-in-one, order a Brunch ($18.80 – $19.80). This gives you all of Hoshino’s signature items in a plate.
You’re getting a choice of Angus Steak, Sausage & Bacon, or Smoked Salmon, plus a mini Omu soufflé, a double stack of soufflé pancake, and some greens on the side.
Both savoury and sweet on a single plate, and quite a number of items for this price.
Guan’s Mee Pok
Capitol Singapore #B1-35
Opening Hours: 9.15am – 9pm (Mon – Sun), Last order 8.45pm
Well-Loved Local-Style Mee Pok Stall Opens Eatery At Capitol Singapore
A serious bout of mee pok craving gets a cure with a trip down to Guan’s.
Named after owner Chef Guan, the stall has been serving masterfully done mee pok since 1995. He created his own formula in making noodles and had them custom made in a factory. The result is the noodles’ firm yet bouncy texture appealing to many.
The signature dish Guan’s Mee Pok ($6.30) comprises of al dente noodles served with minced pork and the right amount of vinegar sauce. And unlike other mee pok stalls, it includes a hanjuku egg.
Enjoy sea-centric variations such as Guan’s Mee Pok With Big Prawn ($11.50), Guan’s Mee Pok With Abalone ($13.50), or the Sesame Crispy Prawn Paste Mee Pok ($8.00).
Unique Dish to Try: Sesame Crispy Eel Mee Pok ($10.50)
A one-of-a-kind mee pok variation to try is one with eel – and it is done crispy-style. A fillet of eel is breaded and deep-fried to golden brown crispiness.
The crunchy exterior contrasts the softness of the minced pork, the silkiness of hanjuku egg, and the chewiness of the noodles.
La Scala Ristorante
Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski #01-86
Tel: +65 6715 6877
Opening Hours: Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm, Dinner 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Hearty and Authentic Italian Classics
La Scala Ristorante offers an Italian menu that captures the taste of Italian summers through its antipasti, zuppe, pasta, pizza and dolci.
Named after the world-famous Milan theatre, La Scala Opera House, this restaurant is the perfect venue for an Italian feast.
For your pasta, order the Spaghetti Costiera ($29), featuring a mix of classic spaghetti pasta and succulent prawns, made rich with shellfish reduction and grated mullet Bottarga.
Not forgetting to end off with the Classic Tiramisu ($16) which served “da Nonna” style as though diners’ are at an Italian grandma’s dinner table where the coffee-flavoured dessert is scooped directly from the casserole.
Unique Dish to Try: Pizza Calabrese ($29)
Of course, you cannot not have pizza. La Scala Ristorante’s pizzas are made from flour that is specially imported from Italy, with the dough left for 24 hours to create the typical Napoli pizza crust.
Its pizzas which are divided into Rosse (tomato-based) and Bianche (tomato-free), are charred to crispy perfection in a stone oven.
Highly recommended is the Pizza Calabrese from the Calabria region of Italy. It is a classic thin crust pizza topped with mozzarella, pepperoni salami, roasted black olives and sun-dried tomatoes over a simple tomato sauce.
Frieda
Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski #01-87
Tel: +65 6715 6873
Opening Hours: Lunch 12pm – 2:30pm, Dinner 6pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
German Comfort Food with Austrian Influences
Experience German flavours and hospitality at Frieda, named after the only daughter of hotel founder Berthold Kempinski and wife Helene. It is the ideal place for an abendbrot aka a homely evening meal with family and friends.
The menu is all about traditional German food, spiced up with Austrian influence. You can choose from their premium sausage selections, German-style breads and salads, meat dishes, and many more.
Dining as a small group? The sharing platters of Grilled Sausages and Meatloaf ($49 for 2 pax, $99 for 4 pax) are recommended.
A serving includes 4 types of sausages that are grilled to smoky goodness, including a smoked beef sausage.
As a recommendation, eat these bangers with the accompanying Dijon mustard or horseradish. Your platter also comes with mashed potato, pretzel dumpling, and sauerkraut that has been fermented for two weeks with salt and vinegar.
Unique Dish to Try: Veal Wiener Schnitzel ($22 for half, $37 for full)
A traditional German fare you cannot skip is the Veal Wiener Schnitzel ($22 for half, $37 for full). It is a thick cutlet of veal, breaded and pan-fried until golden brown.
Served with both potato salad and some German-style gurkensalat, a refreshing salad of thinly sliced cucumbers tossed in sour cream, sprinkled with dill and chopped parsley.
Broadway American Diner
Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski #01-84B
Tel: +65 6715 6874
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)
A Trip Down Memory Lane with Handcrafted Burgers, Hotdogs, Milkshakes
This all-American themed diner captures the nostalgia of the golden era with its offerings of burgers, hot dogs, milkshake and ice cream.
Expect to see these timeless classic items in the menu but given a modern flair.
The Chilli Beef Hot Dog ($10) can let you relive cinema-days and is satisfying with smoked beef sausage, chilli con carne, pico de gallo and mozzarella cheese in a hot dog bun.
Or how about a Buttermilk Chicken and Cheeseburger ($16) that combines fried chicken with American cheese, cabbage slaw and a honey mustard dressing; as well as the Pork Jowl Burger ($16) with pulled pork, coleslaw, green apples, arugula, Dijon mustard and a smoky spicy ketchup.
Unique Dish to Try: The Banana Split ($16)
Share an order of The Banana Split, an upgraded version of perhaps your childhood favourite. Enjoy scoops of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream alongside with rum & raisin, banana espuma, freeze-dried banana, banana glaze, and of course whipped cream.
Berthold Delikatessen
Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski #01-84
Tel: +65 6715 6872
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
Sophisticated European-style Café for Sandwiches, Cakes and Coffee
Named after hotel founder Berthold Kempinski, Berthold Delikatessen is a stylish European-style café that offers the best of traditional German delicatessen.
Here you can conveniently pair their signature Berthold house coffee or the Andraschko German blend with any of their wide selection of breads, rolls, pastries.
Round up your deli experience by bringing some quiches, pies and cakes, or have them for your afternoon tea.
I say go for the signature Black Forest Cake ($8), and there are also Basque Cempedak Cheesecake ($9), Banoffee Cake ($8), Blueberry Tart ($8) to Classic New York Cheesecake ($8).
Unique Dish to Try: German-Style Breads and House-made Pastries
There aren’t many local bakeries that offer these traditional German-style baked goods, such as classic Bretzel, Bauernbrot aka farmer’s bread, and the braided Hefezopf. At Berthold, they have it fresh every day.
If you prefer something more filling like sandwiches or salads, try the Bresaola & Pastrami Sandwich, a classic combination of the mildly sour bread and the saltiness of the ham.
Not to be missed is Berthold’s cakes pastries, all homemade by Chief Baker Justin Tan. Grab a Portuguese Tart, Croissant, Pain Au Chocolate, Blueberry Muffin, Apple Turnover (each $2.90 to $4.90) and more to set the rest of your day in a sweet mood.
* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Capitol Singapore.
