Cherie Lok

1 week ago | straitstimes.com | Cherie Lok

SINGAPORE – School is out and the sun is up, which means most of the country is flocking east – to the airport. If you have opted out of the mid-year vacation crush, there are still ways to take a well-deserved break in Singapore. Why not put on your Sunday best and treat yourself to a leisurely afternoon tea?  The British tradition originating in the 19th century has yet to fall out of fashion, even with patrons gravitating towards casual dining.

3 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Cherie Lok

SINGAPORE – American pop star Lady Gaga lands in Singapore this week, fortified by the facade of a neoclassical opera house, a characteristically theatrical wardrobe and, if you have been paying attention to online chatter, some reheated nachos, apparently. Of course, she does not actually have a warmed-over bowl of chips affixed to her person. The nachos, in this case, refer to her music.

3 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Cherie Lok

Cradled in the hipster heart of Golden Mile Tower and beloved by the high boots-clad, mullet-shorn variety of youth, Haus Coffee is swirled with a very specific flavour of cool. Curiously enough, though, the menu is tailored to mass appeal: patrons who bookmark recommendations from TikTok, believe in the restorative magic of a matcha latte, and crave nothing more complex than a dessert that layers sweet on sweet on sweet. We have all been there.

3 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Cherie Lok

Contemporary restaurant Skirt is the kind of place you visit for a hit of escapism. Nestled in the bosom of W Singapore, near Sentosa’s eastern tip, is it far away enough from the incessant buzz of city traffic to offer a bit of a breather. The idyllic waterfront views do not hurt either. The menu, however, is not too much of a departure from what one might find along, say, the Tanjong Pagar supper belt.

3 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Cherie Lok

The folk at Unagi Yondaime Kikukawa have been in the eel trade for a long time – 93 years, to be exact. They started with Nakasho Shoten, a unagi wholesaler that fed Japan’s love of the rich, fatty fish. The family business is now run by fourth-generation owner Kikukawa Yuhei, who took this prized product and slapped it on a binchotan fire. His brainchild, Unagi Yondaime Kikukawa, has since spawned 35 outlets worldwide, including one in Singapore’s Shaw Centre, which opened in April.