17 Asian restaurants in Singapore for romantic proposals and date nights for $100 nett

Fat Saigon Boy

1/17

Chef Cang Lai updates his menu at Fat Saigon Boy so frequently that it makes our heads spin, but that's because he's still tweaking his Vietnamese Australian recipes to account for our humidity and palates – the restaurant only opened late last year. Many things stay the same, however: he keeps things casual, his small plates and mains are simply priced at S$10 and S$15, and he loves vibrant flavours and heaping garnishes.

A tapas and a main are enough to fill you up, and to that end, we recommend the soft shell crab sliders (S$10 for two), with a crispy enough tempura batter and a lime chilli sauce that gives the deep-fried treat some much needed lift. For S$15, you can pick from a selection of pho or rice bowls, but go for for the signature grilled lemongrass pork with vermicelli (above), which is smoky and juicy. Drench the generous-sized fried shallots and herb salad in yuzu dressing - it's a heady, intoxicating burst of flavours.

You probably won't need to, but there's enough in the budget to add a second small plate (S$10), and there are healthier choices such as the summer rolls - tiger prawns and pork or chicken wrapped with rice sheets and seaweed – or indulgent options like crispy chicken served with a spicy coriander and orange sauce.

14 Ann Siang Road, Tel: 6221-6784

Uma Uma Restaurant and Bar

2/17

While Uma Uma Ramen at Forum The Shopping Mall serves mostly ramen, its second outlet at Millenia Walk, Uma Uma Restaurant and Bar, comes with an expanded menu, one that also includes yakitori and kukshikatsu or deep fried breaded skewers.

With prices for the ramen from S$14 to S$16, and the skewers from S$2, you can eat a lot and not bust the budget. From the ramen selection, go for the Mazesoba (S$14; above), a dry-style ramen with bamboo shoots, leeks, chilli oil and an onsen egg. There are sides to choose from such as the dashi maki tamago (S$5), a fluffy and slightly sweet omelette. For the grilled section, we like the pork belly, the chicken thigh and the nankotsu or chicken softbone, which are all priced at S$2 per skewer. For kushikatsu, the prawn skewers (S$2) are crunchy on the outside thanks to the breadcrumbs, while the prawn is still juicy on the inside.

Those who feel guilty about eating too much meat can balance the meal out with a plate of grilled Brussel sprouts (S$10). These are so crunchy that even those who previously detested them will find the sprouts hard to resist.

#02-06, Millenia Walk, Tel: 6837-0827

Mitzo

3/17

As if to drive home the point that it's a modern Cantonese restaurant, Mitzo decks out its futuristic premises with glitzy, geometric surfaces and translucent neon panels. It's a nice change from the usual industrial-chic eatery, yet thankfully, the food keeps to the basics of Cantonese fare with just enough modern spins to add interest.

As with any Chinese eatery, expect family-style dining. Also, some dishes are rich and intensely flavoured - so a little goes a long way. The black truffle duck is a hot seller (the skin remains crispy despite the viscous sauce), but that would bust our budget. Pick instead a braised fish maw soup (S$14), a silky brew of shrimps, scallops, and the umami richness of superior stock. Their signature barbecued pork (S$18) is a must-try: the pork belly is tender, unctuous goodness that's a touch fattier than your typical char siew, and crusted with torched, caramelised sugar which adds smokiness and a lovely crunch for contrast.

Follow that up with a dim sum platter (S$28; above), which, while competently done, is pretty pricey for the small portion. There are just three pairs of steamed dumplings: siew mai with baby abalone, chicken and shrimp osmanthus dumpling, and har gow.

Mitzo's stir fried udon (S$22) more than makes up for it; the hearty serving is not just a tummy filler, it comes with a sizeable portion of roast duck and is suffused with wok hei.

Level 4 Grand Park Orchard, Tel: 6603-8855

The Quay Kitchen and Bar

4/17

This riverside eatery and bar The Quay opened last October and served largely casual American fare next to craft beers, but it has since tweaked the menu to include some Asian influence. That’s because Head Chef Sharifah Zaharaj AlQadri’s strength lies with Indonesian cuisine – regulars have requested for her to cater authentic Indonesian meals.

The bar food make good starters, such as the Buffalo Wings (S$10) which come with a fiery and zesty Thai nam prik. As for mains, try the Balinese Skate Wings served with pilaf rice ($S20). The stingray is first washed with tamarind juice, before it is pan seared to a tender doneness. It is paired with Balinese sambal which has a real kick, though it might not fly with local palates which are used to the shrimpy punchiness of Javanese styled chilli sauce.

For dessert, there is Banana Fritters (S$10; above), which is really just goreng pisang with a scoop of vanilla gelato. This humble combination surprises us, however; the batter is delicately crispy, and the play between textures and temperatures elevates it beyond common bistro sweets.

#01-02, 86 Robertson Quay, Tel: 6734-7241

Long Chim

5/17

It's at Marina Bay Sands, it's opened by celebrity chef David Thompson, so who would've thought you could get a dinner for two at Long Chim under S$100? This fancy Thai restaurant, however, has always been about robust flavours and sharing plates, with luxe decor to boot.

Start with the dried prawns with ginger, toasted coconut and wrapped in betel leaves (S$14), a sure winner with a harmonious blend of shrimpiness amped up with sweet and spicy flavours.

Mains-wise, there's Chiang Mai curried noodles soup (S$27) – bursting with fragrance from the piquant spice base, topped with tender chicken, and a heaping garnish of herbs, pickles, and crispy egg noodles. For those with delicate tastebuds, their glass noodles are a safer bet (S$26), stir fried with cured pork and lightly charred squid, and infused with wok hei.

For dessert, forget the mango sticky rice (though it's good) and go for the banana roti (S$12; above) – it's served piping hot, with a flaky pastry, a dusting of sugar, and a filling that's not too cloying. Many upmarket eateries pay lip service to providing affordable luxury, but at Long Chim, you're getting the real deal.

#02-02 Atrium 2, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Tel: 6688-7299

The Naked Finn

6/17

Who says eating at a seafood restaurant has to be expensive? The Naked Finn's owner Tan Ken Loon has an obsession with sourcing for the best seafood in the world, yet he still manages to keep prices affordable.

On a S$100 nett budget, two people can easily share their sizeable serving of piquant rice vermicelli (S$8) topped with sakura ebi for flavour (above, top dish), and go with a locally farmed mesclun salad with orange and cherry tomato (S$12; above right) as a safe bet for your vegetable fix. A more interesting alternative for the latter is their cold water spinach (or kang kong, S$10), which is blanched for a nice crunch before being tossed in kalamansi juice.

For mains, share the sweet eight-piece farmed giant tiger prawns (S$30) coated in salted egg yolk sauce, and the secreto iberico pork – a lean cut of meat that's grilled and served with a side of in-house dried solefish salt (S$30; above left).

Gillman Barracks, 39 Malan Road, Tel: 6694-0807

Jiang-Nan Chun

7/17

The newly revamped Jiang-Nan Chun shows that you don't have to avoid fine dining restaurants even if you're on a budget. The space is now brighter and more inviting, and the food still top notch.

To keep to our budget, we have to forgo the restaurant's famed Peking Duck. Instead, we pick a three-course meal that is nonetheless satisfying and leaves us fairly stuffed. We start with four types of dimsum (S$10): Steamed Shrimp Dumpling with mushroom, Crispy Flaky Pastry with black pepper beef, Steamed Scallop Dumpling with Crabmeat and Shrimp, Baked Flaky Pastry with smoked ham.

Next up is Jasmine Tea Smoked Chicken (S$14; above). The dish is served at the table under a glass dome filled with the aroma of smoked jasmine tea. The chicken pieces are tender, and there is a slight sweetness from the jasmine tea.

Finish the meal with a serving of Hong Kong noodles with barbecued pork belly (S$18) that is fired in a Mesquite wood-fired oven.

All diners get an amuse bouche to start the meal, and a palate cleanser at the end of the mains. The palate cleanser selection changes daily, but it is always something sweet with a citrus tinge, that works well as a dessert too.

Level 2, Four Seasons Hotel, Tel: 6831-7220

5th Quarter

8/17

Dining at 5th Quarter is not for the faint-hearted – one look at the menu is enough to tell you that you're in for an unusual meal. But put yourself in the capable hands of chef Drew Nocente who has a knack for making odd cuts of meat and flavours work well on a plate.

Start off with the Lardo, Truffle honey, and Chilli (S$8), made up of slivers of translucent melt-in-your-mouth fat well complemented by spicy fennel seed crackers. A good follow-up is their most popular dish, the Salt 'N' Pepper Tripe (S$10; above). Even those who can't stomach innards might enjoy this crunchy snack, which is sous vide for 12 hours before being fried with togarashi powder.

A tender eight-hour braised Beef Tongue (S$12) served with crunchy fried shallots proves to be a little more potent, but still tasty with the help of some charred pickled onion and wasabi mayo. The charcoal-black Hamachi collar (S$28) with soy meringue and fennel works as a good main to share.

A head's up though - this eccentric restaurant will be relocating some time this month, and aims to reopen in June. Updates will be posted on their Facebook page.

39 Syed Alwi Road, Tel: 6291-1936

Neon Pigeon

9/17

Neon Pigeon – complete with trendy and quirky interiors – believes in sharing small and large plates, and recommends 7 to 8 dishes for two people. Check out the Crispy Brussel Sprouts (S$15), Chilled Cucumber (S$9), and Roasted Bone Marrow (S$19; above). Though these dishes seem quite filling in themselves, you can well afford to add more: Grilled Duck Breast with Pumpkin Puree and Japanese Red Rickles (S$21) and the Roasted Zucchini Rice (S$16).

The highlights include the bone marrow, crispy brussel sprouts and the roasted zucchini rice.

As well as being filling, the dishes offered a wide variety of flavours, and never fell short of interesting. Being a Japanese-inspired menu gives them the freedom to bring together ingredients that you're not quite sure will work, but do.

1 Keong Saik Road, Tel: 6222-3623

Blue Lotus

10/17

Having a meal at Sentosa doesn't always have to be a costly affair, especially if you do it family-style at Chinese restaurant Blue Lotus. With our budget, we could easily feed three to four people.

The Crispy Fried Eggplant with Szechuan Peppercorn (S$12) is good if you like the slow burn, and it comes with celery to balance out the heavy flavours. For meats, you can get the ever-popular Sweet & Sour Pork (S$30) where the pork belly is double-fried and served with lychees, onions, and peppers. The Sizzling Garlic Butter King Prawns (S$34; above) are a good option too, since they are sweet and cooked to a crunchy texture.

To complete the meal, get a bowl of Steamed Brown Rice (S$2) to go along with your dishes, and you're good to go.

#01-13 Quayside Isle, 31 Ocean Way, Sentosa Island, Tel: 6339-0880

Kilo Kallang

11/17

If there's an award for obscure eateries, Kilo Kallang would be the Meryl Streep of the nominees. The restaurant sits on the mezzanine level of an old warehouse, overlooking the Kallang Basin. There's now an early bird menu on weekdays between 6pm and 7pm (S$75++ for five-course sharing plates for two), and you'll be in time to catch the sunset.

The ceviche (above) is an excellent starter with tuna, salmon and octopus, mixed in a refreshingly acidic dressing, topped with shredded crispy wonton skin. Pick the broccolini next - it's grilled and served on stracciatella cheese, balanced by the sweetness of the sesame and sake paste.

Both dishes ought to have primed you for the restaurant's dining aesthetic, which pulls you in all directions: sweet, sour, savoury, spicy, even bitter. That backfires a little with the chicken bulgogi, where flakes of fried tempura beer batter adds an overwhelming smokiness. The "Naughty" pork and beans is better - while the char siew-styled pork is a hair too sweet, the tom yum stewed beans with chorizo adds some kick.

Desserts wise, we prefer the "Fortune Cookie" which is a light mandarin sorbet paired with yuzu cheese cake and a cracker hiding your destiny. It's probably telling you to make a return trip.

Mezzanine Level, 66 Kampong Bugis, Tel: 6467-3987 (call after 4.30pm)

Joo Bar

12/17

Bored of Korean barbecues or ramyeon lunches? Then you might want to check out the modern Korean restaurant Joo Bar. It looks nothing like your usual Korean family restaurant, with its dark walls and high bar stools, plus a strobe light over the sofa seating that you might want to avoid if you're prone to motion sickness.

Sure, they have some barbecued meats, such as the Grilled Mangalitsa Belly (S$25) topped with deep fried garlic slices, served on top of a bed of rocket leaves – a greasy indulgence for those who love pork belly. However, the must-haves are the crispy Tofu Chips served with a guacamole and a kimchi salsa dip (S$14; above), and the sweet and spicy Dak Kang Jung (S$18), which are deep-fried chicken tenders with gochujang, honey, garlic, and toppoki, or Korean rice cake. If you love cheese, then share the Seafood Rapokki (S$22) which comes with toppoki, noodles, and a variety of seafood in a sweet and spicy red sauce.

What you get at Joo Bar is a good twist to what is otherwise expected of Korean food in Singapore.

5 Tan Quee Lan Street, Tel: 8138-1628

:pluck

13/17

If you're not averse to the boisterous bar-hopping crowd at Club Street, consider :pluck, a stylish hole-in-wall restaurant with a gastrobar vibe. The inventive food is best described as soul fusion, with some South-east Asian influence, but nothing feels pretentious.

The pork subway (S$19) is inspired by banh mi, and boasts cured lardo paired with braised Iberico pork jowl. The succulent meats sit on house-baked sandwich bread, which is a fluffy middle ground between a baguette and a brioche, and drenched in a vibrant dressing which cuts through the fattiness. For a safe staple, follow up with the fried chicken (S$15; above) which comes with onion rings, or opt instead for the miso glazed pork ribs (S$15) which is an elevated version of the king ribs at your neighbourhood zi char stall.

If you aren't stuffed by this stage, round it off with chef Brandon Teo's "chendol" (S$8), a coconut and pandan parfait served with an icy red bean sorbet (reminiscent of potong ice cream), drizzled with gula melaka – a good mix of textures, and not too sweet.

90 Club Street, Tel: 6225-8286

Sum Yi Tai

14/17

The interior of Sum Yi Tai looks like something you'd see on the streets of Hong Kong - dim lighting and bar stools, with rows of (fake) roast meats hanging next to bottles of alcohol. The food, however, is a bit more familiar and friendly to local tastebuds.

This modern Chinese tapas bar serves things such as crispy salmon skin (S$12) coated with salted egg and a touch of lime zest for acidity, alongside more traditional dishes such as a mui choy pork belly (S$24) like the one your grandmother might make at home. To share as a good main dish is the Singapore fried rice (S$24; above) where the "secret" ingredient is the addition of curry powder to the mix of prawns and char siew.

It's a heavier meal than it sounds, so to end off, you could get a simple chilled lemongrass jelly with mixed fruits (S$6) as a light dessert to refresh your palate before you leave.

25 Boon Tat Street, Tel: 6221-3665

Tonkin Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine

15/17

Vietnamese food is more than just pho with the ubiquitous spring rolls. Consider Tonkin, a family seafood restaurant in the CBD area. Think of it as a zi-char place, but with air conditioning and an off-kilter blend of chic interiors with fake plants that’s equal parts cosy and cheesy.

Questionable decor aside, they serve Northern Vietnamese fare, which means more refined flavours and less sugar than the commonplace Southern Vietnamese eateries in Singapore. S$100 can feed two to three comfortably, depending on seasonal prices for, say, their signature tamarind crab.

However, don’t skip the simpler dishes. The green mango salad (S$9.90) and spring rolls (S$4.90) make decent starters, though we prefer the Los leaf rolls with pork (S$9.90).

For mains, pick the BBQ pork belly served with noodles (S$11.90). The meat is thinly sliced and marinated with a mix of pear, fish sauce, and spices, and is beautifully caramelised. The BBQ river fish with lemongrass and chilli padi (S$22.90) is good too, as it is fresh, flaky and moist.

Even after ordering these dishes, you still have some spare cash to try the iconic Hanoi grilled fish (S$23.90; above), which comes in a skillet with smoking hot oil, turmeric and fresh dill. Ask for the fermented shrimp paste to go with it, as the spicy pungent flavours are a perfect match with the seafood.

#01-03/04 Hub Synergy Point, 70 Anson Road, Tel: 6444-4406

Jiu Zhuang

16/17

If you think you've tried every variation of xiao long bao, then you haven't tried Jiu Zhuang and its signature Xiao Long Bao infused with single malt whisky (S$18; above).

Nestled within a cosy corner of Dempsey, the restaurant – with its flamboyant Chinese decor complete with red lanterns and kitschy posters – offers oriental chic that meets our S$50 nett budget.

Start your dinner with its Double Boiled Soup with wonton dumplings and dried scallops in superior broth (S$18), which is light with an intense umami flavour. The dumplings – filled with minced pork and blended with malt whisky - are flawlessly executed but may taste alien to more purist tastes. Enjoy them with a side of Scallion La mian (S$8) – al dente with a very tasty sauce.

For more variety, you could also try the Tofu with Century Egg and Crabmeat (S$14) and Salted Egg Custard Bun (S$8).

6C/6D Dempsey Road, Tel: 6471-1711

Tang Restaurant and Bar

17/17

You may not be getting the usual eat-all-you-can steamboat buffet at Tang Restaurant and Bar in Keong Saik, but at least you'll be walking out stuffed with much better quality food. Its kitchen is run by head chef Zou Bin, who has worked in hotpot restaurants in China for 14 years, so he knows his way around the steamboat kitchen.

For S$21 you get to choose two out of their three available soup bases - we recommend the regular herbal broth (boiled with chicken, fish, and pork bones for a super addictive brew) and the spicy Sichuan for those who prefer a kick. Each diner is also charged S$3 for a side plate of three different refillable spicy dips.

Suggested dishes to make up the bulk of the meal are the delicately sliced snakehead fish (S$11 for six), chilled tenderbeef from Australia (S$9 for 150g), homemade dumplings with pork, shrimp, and chives (S$6 for 4; above), and US pork collar (S$9 for 10 slices). The best part is that because either the restaurant's owner Zoe Zhang or one of her staff will be cooking your meats for you tableside, there's no risk of anything over-cooking so you can just sit back and let them do all the work.

25 Keong Saik Road, Tel: 6222-7708