Hotel Dining

(Slightly revised, based on previous coverage from November, 2011 and May 2014.)

Mandarin Oriental Singapore hotel: hospitality at its finest is available from this esteemed Asian brand; here a fine-tuned, refurbished and sublime entirety to relish.

A stay in a hotel belonging to a brand of such strong pedigree as Mandarin Oriental (now spreading its wings worldwide and increasingly gaining followers) puts the expectations high: will it deliver and hopefully surpass guests’ savvy expectations? Will it surprise somehow? Let us see, and what its long established epitome of quality contains. The hotel certainly has a Sunday brunch which is well-known and an, to say the last, impressive Oriental Club Lounge.

Mandarin Oriental Singapore hotel among Asia’s finest

This hotel brand represents distinguished hospitality, one of Asia’s finest, and appeals to high-end travellers. Even if much younger than for instance the sister hotel in Bangkok with is legendary legacy, the Singapore property must be seen as one of its flagships, even though built in modern times as part of the Marina Square shopping complex it is attached to.

Taking you through this particular hotel is a journey into this brand’s hallmark, where its signature Oriental touches meet with the crossroads of the past and the present significant for this former colony. It includes hotel heritage, cuisines from various parts of the world and the latest amenities and needs of the modern world.

The hotel building actually has an interesting shape, though only seen from one side – a fact that also hides from arriving guests the fact that this hotel has a huge atrium inside!

Red Chinese lanterns hanging outside the entrance doors (gearing up for the Chinese New Year upon the visit) boost the oriental feeling.

As you enter inside, initially the hotel presents itself with a stylish but minimalist and discreet approach in its low-rise lobby, rather than with grandeur. Though the interior certainly oozes character and bespoke Asian touches.

But there is more than meets the eye so far. As it turns out also Mandarin Oriental, Singapore also has its distinctive interior architectural style revealing itself, as you go further inside.

It turns out the building has a triangle structure (of which one of the sides is curved) where six elevators with windows, placed in the centre opens up from level four and upwards to a fascinating atrium, which narrows the higher up one comes. Light filters down from on high in the afternoon and come evening this huge indoor space is illuminated in a warm golden yellow. Level four features a sunken “pit”, which is part of the ground floor roof, serving as the home for an abstract work of art and where shafts of light from spotlights enhances this remarkable art zone that can only be viewed from above, looking down from over the railing on every floor. Access to all rooms is from open corridors facing the atrium with handrails made of wood and polished brass.

And indeed there are also features such as an impressive chandelier encapsulating this hotel’s splendour for every visitor to see: it hangs from up high above the centre of the ground floor elevator zone.

The Orient as such is represented in particular of the many bespoke, framed paintings and drawings on textile, hung on the walls around the atrium outside level four’s many dining outlets: motifs from ancient Asia, and including calligraphy.

Mandarin Oriental Singapore hotel an ‘urban feel’ resort

It’s a hotel where cultures blend, in terms of art, design, cuisines – and guests. It soon becomes evident that what is on offer can cater to many different people. Mandarin Oriental, Singapore functions as an urban resort, a city hotel for business and leisure, and a dining destination in one – where every little detail is finely tuned to its discerning guests.

The hotel is big on relaxation, with its Oriental Spa, and garden dining areas and other facilities laid out for leisure. The ‘urban resort’ feel is now enhanced further with a pool deck and an adjacent Italian restaurant that have been spruced up, where Mediterranean brightness and cuisine dominates.

The elevator ride up to the room is swift. All rooms have been refurbished to meet the needs of the modern traveller in the new century. The room is amplified, so that one can play own music, just as back home on the hi-fi system. This must be appreciated by most guests! Connect any digital player and get a top-notch sound from the rooms’ Bose sound system enhanced by wall-mounted speakers! And noteworthy: when not playing music the air conditioning is as silent as it can possibly be (which is certainly far from the norm on the market.)

Welcome tea

While the personalized in-room check-in is sorted out, a signature for this brand is the welcome tea served. It reflects a tradition dating back centuries, with the Chinese tea pot kept warm inside a basket. This certainly is an example of how the hotel exquisitely combines tradition with modernity.

White orchid flowers are part of the decor, along with an exquisitely carved wall in this Club Harbour Room, commanding a sweeping view of the waterfront.

Guests opting for a club room also get a fruit basket and of course complimentary wi-fi, which, it has to be said, was very fast. And, take note: guaranteed late check-out till 18.00 hours! In the bathroom you will find backlit yellow and black mirrors, a mosaic of different marble, a tub and a separate glass-enclosed shower including a timber blind which covers the floor-to-ceiling glass panel that separates the bathroom from the living space.

Time To Spa toiletries are from Elemis, for example Wild lavender body wash, an amazing citrus-fruity shampoo and Vitamin-rich body lotion with a sun-creamy aroma, containing sweet almond oil, carrot root extract, perfume etc.

This exquisite room exceeds the standard for five-star hotels in the region, furnished with a work desk of solid black granite, a comfy armchair with footstool, velvet blackout curtains and an extensive pillow menu to choose from. It becomes extra atmospheric after dark, overlooking Marina Bay and the Singapore skyline.

Oriental Club Lounge

Business and bubbles are at the core of the hotel: The champagne breakfast at the Oriental Club Lounge is popular among an adult set of well-heeled travellers. And, as long as Singapore continues to be a race in the Formula One calendar, the hotel’s MO BAR, directly facing turn 16 and 17 of the track, offers a package with free-flow champagne during that annual weekend. Sparkling wine and champagne also flow part of the hotel’s popular brunches.

The combination here of a harbour-facing club room and club lounge access is almost unbeatable! For the Oriental Club Lounge is Singapore’s largest, and it is easy to see why it is highly regarded and recommended among discerning travellers. The interior design is luxurious and exclusive and certainly encouraging for those club lounge guests who like to dress up for the occasion.

In this luxuriously designed oasis of privacy, dark brown hard wood and spot-lit wall panels combined with warm splashes of colour, emphasize a deep sophistication. Dramatic designer sofas (with a rusty, purple and orange pattern) and armchairs in plush, rich fabrics are spread out in the different sections of the lounge, and adorned with artefacts throughout, while the club lounge hosts – the ladies wearing side-slotted Chinese silk dresses – are on alert to answer to one’s wishes.

Champagne? Perrier-Jouët is served morning (during breakfast) or night (cocktail hours). Celebrate life, any anniversary, impress on the one you love, make a getaway a really memorable one! Joie de vivre – as we say at Happy Hour Asia!

An atmosphere of exclusivity and quiet conversations prevails – perfect for more privacy also thanks to its partitions.

Afternoon tea with an array of special blend tea leaves, and exquisite pastries and cakes, is served 11.30 until 16.30 pm. Soon after that, evening cocktails with hors d’ouvres commences.

A young, crisp and perfumed Australian Yalumba Unwooded Chardonnay with refreshing apple aroma and, for instance, Seared sea bass with lemon grass cream was enjoyed.

For breakfast guests could choose from an array of quality choices, Home-made lemon yoghurt and Parma ham with melon to mention a few, and a selection of cooked-to-order breakfast items including “Oscar” Egg Benedict, Persimmons Compote or Freshly steamed assorted dim sum basket.

Among Asia’s 50 Best

The tradition of tea-drinking and cocktails with a view can also be perfectly enjoyed at MO BAR (formerly known as Axis Bar and Lounge) on level 4. Pair exquisite teas with irresistible desserts and cakes, such as Alfonso Mango, Peanut Tranche and Tarte Citron! Also here free flow of Perrier champagne can be included.

Recognised as one of the World’s and Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021 and inspired by the Pacific Ocean and rich culture of Asia’s ports, MO BAR is a vibrant experience that celebrates the flavours and aromas of the region.

Blending the finest ingredients with progressive techniques, bespoke cocktails and beverages range from refreshing to spirituous, with each artfully presented by Mandarin Oriental’s talented team. The innovative cocktail menu can be paired with eclectic light bites, while the hotel’s popular afternoon tea is also served daily, featuring artisan pastries and a myriad of accompanying delights.

These are two irresistible dining and drinking attractions at MO BAR:
– Gin and Seafood, Fridays 6 to 9 pm
Quench your thirst with two glasses of refreshing gin and tonic, complemented with luscious seafood appetisers of lobsters, snow crabs and prawns.

– Oysters and Champagne, Fridays 6 to 9 pm
Slurp and sip your way to pure bliss as you enjoy a serving of a dozen fresh oysters paired with a 90-minute free-fow R de Ruinart Champagne and selected signature cocktails.

This bar is a swanky and elegant venue, boasting sweeping views through floor-to-ceiling windows over Marina Bay. Its dramatic décor uses luxurious natural elements such as leather, ebony and metal. MO Bar is described as a haven for the sophisticated set, simply the “the hottest destination in Singapore”.

La Dolce Vita

An essential part of the hotel, enabling its urban resort feel, is the refurbished pool area, now with a Mediterranean focus echoed in both the cuisine and design. It features an Italian outlet which is an attraction also for outside guests: al-fresco dining, (overlooking Singapore’s new skyline: the Singapore Flyer observation wheel and the ship-like architectural marvel Marina Bay Sands). Noteworthy is the new pool’s extra luxurious mosaic tile decoration, hand-sculpted sandstone water features, fountain shells, and the subtle fibre-optic lights at night, along with the new cabanas kitted out with wi-fi plus the bubble jets in the children’s pool.

Don’t miss Dolce Vita by the pool, which aside gourmet dining, is the ideal contemporary setting for enjoying pre- or post-dinner drinks while city-gazing. The nearly unrivalled view is a big draw, just as the understated yet hip restaurant is uplifting and a destination in its own right.

Embrace the feeling of the casual and convivial Italian Riviera while savouring a refreshing palette of Italian flavours. Dine at the patio by the pool or in air-conditioned comfort with skyline views through large floor-to-ceiling glass panels. The background music soundtrack is Bossa Nova style and similar.

The chefs are at work in the open kitchen, while you ponder the exciting dining menu and savour wines from an impressive collection.

Prepared with Michelin-style precision the cuisine of Dolce Vita focuses on simplicity and the ingredients that are only the freshest and second to none; with luxurious produce flown in from the various parts of Italy.

The menu reviewed by Happy Hour Asia is a red silk book inside in a black cover, including wine pairing suggestions for the Dolce Vita Menu as well as the Italian Degustation Menu.

In the selection from among the fish dishes were: Branzino alla griglia (a Mandarin Oriental dish), Grilled whole seabass Italian style with baby spinach, sautéed potatoes and natural jus; and Filetto di dentice, Pan-fried fillet of live grouper with braised fennel, roasted salsify and clam jus. I chose the signature dish Orata alle patate, Pan-fried sea bream with la ratte potatoes, sautéed baby vegetable, and pea puree, accompanied by a red wine sauce, paired with a Vino Rosso: Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon, Villa Antinori in Toscana.

The sea bream came served on a square but bended plate, with the pea puree pointing outwards from the fish, resembling bright green leaves and with the sauce forming a line as the outer ring of the dish. Arty and exquisite!

There was also meat, such as Filetto di vitello, Pan-fried veal tenderloin with green asparagus and mashed potatoes, accompanied by morel ragout; as well as antipasti, including Carciofi e foie grass, Pan-fried foie grass and chicken mousse timbale on artichoke heart with truffle-Madeira wine sauce.

The book-size wine list is sheer joy for coinessiueurs (feat. over a hundred labels of fine wine), including Nero d’Avola and Planeta (Sicily), Cabernet Franc, and Syrah (Washington State) wines.

Dolce Vita offers a Weekend Brunch – 12pm to 3pm (Saturday, Sunday and on public holidays.)

Where cultures blend

More delectable cuisine is highly available at MELT The World Café, where cultures and cuisines mingle. The delectable cuisines of the world included make it a real draw in the Lion City. Its Bubble Sunday Brunch Affair is as lavish as it is popular. Guests can enjoy delicacies from the many stations including foie gras and an oyster bar, and opt in for unlimited champagne, wines, beer and martinis. You are in for a treat!

Within MELT, as elsewhere on the property, pools of light – from subtle and intimate, to more dramatic – illuminate specific design features. MELT features eclectic Asian elements such as lanterns, bamboo themes on the walls and intricate woven rattan partitions which divide the space into different seating zones.

This all-day dining theatre, offering indoor as well as garden seating, comes with open kitchens cooking a-la-minute; be it breakfast, brunch or a la carte.

Among the food stations Indian cuisine from the tandoor – in abundance in the Straits much thanks to Malay Indian cuisine – is highly recommended as you pick your favourites from the lavish buffet.

In a nutshell, the experience of Mandarin Oriental Singapore can be painted in words similar to those describing a fine wine: an elegantly refined palate, opening slowly to a hidden world of lavish, yet discreet grandeur, and concentrated warm flavours of orange, plum, red and purple. The traditions of the Orient parades side by side a sun-drenched Mediterranean. The sumptuous total is framed by a harmonious mould that wraps everything up in a satisfyingly textured and lengthy finish.

Mandarin Oriental represents a supreme blend of luxury and relaxation, health and leisure where one’s expectations are fulfilled in various ways. It must be put on the list of hotels well worth revisiting.