What better way to capture the Yuletide spirit than through lip-smacking food? No Christmas celebration is complete without some good food and drink to go around, so if you’re looking for fabulous treats or feasts for Christmas, look no further.
Here’s a line-up of where to buy and what to eat for Christmas this year, be it gift hampers, sit-down dinners or eat-all-you-can buffets.
Food hampers and seasonal specials
Christmas buffets
Affordable dining options
Luxe dining options
Quirky dining alternatives
As Christmas approaches, we’ll be adding more foodie picks to this list, so watch this space for updates!
Coffee lovers, celebrate this festive season with three limited edition Nespresso variations –Vanilla Blossom, Cherry and Dark Chocolate. We can’t get enough of the Dark Chocolate variant which features dark and bitter chocolate notes that meet the caramelised roast of the Livanto Grand Cru. Available at Nespresso boutiques at ION Orchard and Takashimaya, while stocks last.
Friends Restaurant’s beer-infused dishes will bring more cheer to this festive season. The restaurant collaborated with Kronenbourg 1664 with French premium lager Kronenbourg 1664 for its Christmas menu; dishes include a Turducken ($49 per kilogram), a ribeye roast ($49 for 1 kg) and the hickory smoked bone-in pork shank ($18.88 per kg). We love the pork collar with Kronenbourg 1664 ($29 for 1 kg); this ultra slow-cooked Christmas dish is just oh-so-tender. The beer-infused dishes are also available for dine-in customers at Friends Restaurant & Catering.
This Christmas, TWG Tea has come up with the exclusive White Christmas Tea, a selection of top-notch TWG Tea in decorative Christmas packaging. Other lovely TWG offerings include its delectable tea-infused macarons, tea jellies and chocolates to put a smile on anyone’s face.
Looking for something other than the usual Christmas hamper? Nippon-Ya’s Merry Christmas and Thank You hamper makes for an unusual yet decadent gift. In it, you’ll find Rouge Naturelle and Phakchi Liquer, Sake, Yuri Melon steam cake, multi-flavoured mochi, mocha cookies and more. Their Dazzling Christmas hamper ($180) and Cosy Christmas ($260) hamper is worth checking out too.
BreadTalk’s log cakes ($46 each) for this festive season look good and taste even better. The Chocolate Adventure log cake layers chocolate chiffon, chocolate cream, chocolate chips and mushroom-shaped meringues. Snowy Day has a heart of chocolate chiffon and hazelnut cream, and Holly Berry is a winning combination of strawberry mousse, vanilla chiffon and fruits.
D’Arenberg wines, from the McLaren Vale region in South Australia, are made the old-fashioned way. All grapes are basket-pressed and traditionally fermented, resulting in a tipple that has great fragrance, fruit palate texture and length. Their wines are also christened with quirky names: The Dead Arm (Shiraz), The Laughing Magpie (Shiraz and Voignier) and The Coppermine Road (Cabernet Sauvignon) are sure to make for great gifts and accompaniments to Christmas dishes.
If you’re looking for a healthy gift hamper for your loved ones or the office, get Humming’s Picnic Fruits and Nuts hamper ($80-$100) which is filled with lush fruits and healthy Christmas nuts, all in a beautiful keepsake basket. For a more luxurious, traditional hamper, go for Humming’s Fine Gift Cabinet ($200-$300) which offers quality wines and festive snacks packed in a stylish gift cabinet.
Classic Christmas delicacies, fruit preserves, Rose and Lemon Turkish delights, hot chocolate and sparkling wine go into this grand gift hamper, priced at $200. Besides the Christmas Opulence Hamper, Crabtree & Evelyn has a whole range of Fine Food hampers to suit your budget, starting with the Christmas Enchantment hamper ($75), which excludes wine, up to the Christmas Treasures hamper ($300).
Godiva’s Holiday Gift Boxes allow you to choose your Godiva chocolates and wrap them up in a beautiful red gift box with a ribbon. Select your favourite hazelnut praliné-centered chocolates and special Christmas-themed chocolates and wrap them in the Holiday Gift Box. Gift boxes start from $27 for a box of four pieces to $175 for a box of 36 pieces.
Awfully Chocolate’s Christmas Hamper ($198, inclusive of delivery) is guaranteed to satisfy all chocoholics out there. It comes with an eight-inch Christmas log cake, 12 pieces of its special white chocolate peanut butter truffles, four pieces of chewy salted butterscotch brownies and a bottle of red wine.
Send your sweet-toothed loved one to cloud nine with Häagen Dazs’ Christmas Hampers. The Festive Treasure gift set ($34.85) comes in a limited-edition cooler bag with two pints of your choice and a Secret Sensations ice cream twin pack. The Royal Celebration gift set ($60, pictured above) is packed with three pints of your choice, a Secret Sensations ice cream twin pack and a $20 gift voucher.
If you’re in a rush, Cold Storage has got all your Christmas must-haves under one roof. We recommend their extensive range of party platters to suit any budget, such as the standard Halal Party Platter ($29.90 for 24 pieces) which includes Mini Samosa, Chicken Tikka Kebab, Mint Chicken and Garlic Chicken Kebabs. There’s also the Escargot & Seafood Mini Tourte platter with lobster, prawn and fish ($49.90 for 16 pieces) or the Celebration Cheese Platter–6 cheeses with mixed fruits, nuts and crackers ($89.90), among other party platters.
Da Paolo Gastronomia’s festive offerings are mouthwatering must-haves, whether its their moist butter cupcakes ($6 each) dressed up in Christmas icing, or more unusual confectionery like their Festive Chocolate Cornflakes Wreath ($18 for small, $25 for large). Also check out their savoury items like Beef Rib-eye Roast ($70 for 1kg) and their 5-bird Roast ($420 for 7kg), which is literally five types of fowl married with brandy and wild berries.
From the makers of delicious premium ice cream come two divine log cakes you can’t miss out on. Häagen Dazs’ Chocolate Colysee log cake ($80 onwards) comes in sinful Belgian Chocolate or Macadamia Nut ice cream, topped with chocolate curls and marshmallow stars. The multi-coloured Rainbow Log ($80 onwards) consists of several ice cream and sorbet favourites, like Chocolate, Vanilla, Green Tea, Macadamia Nut, Raspberry and Mango sorbet.
Looking for log cakes with a difference? Then try Marina Mandarin’s two innovative festive creations, the Cheese Framboise Log Cake ($55 per 800g) and Jivara Yuzu Yule Log Cake ($63 per kg). The Cheese Framboise cake is infused with brandy distilled from raspberries, while the Jivara Yuzu cake packs a pleasant citrus punch.
Get a cuppa Christmas with Gloria Jean’s two festive coffees, available at all Gloria Jean’s outlets from now until December 31, 2011. The Minty White Mocha combines Gloria Jean’s unique espresso blend with white cocoa powder, milk and a dash of mint. Or recline after a day of Christmas shopping with the Strawberry Macaroon Chiller, blended with macaroon syrup, strawberry puree, vanilla and milk.
Coffee lovers, Starbucks’ beloved Red Cups are back! Spread some coffee lovin’ to your family and friends with Starbucks’ Christmas coffee blends ($16.90 for 250g), whether it’s the signature Starbucks Christmas Blend, Christmas Blend Espresso Roast, or VIA® Ready Brew Christmas Blend ($16.90 for a 12-stick pack).
In addition to familiar favourites like the Toffee Nut Latte ($6.50 for Tall) and Peppermint Mocha ($7.10 for Tall), there’s the brand new Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha ($7.10 for Tall) which is made with white chocolate and drizzled with crystallised cranberry sugar.