ROYAL PAVILION

Park Regis Singapore, Level 1, 23 Merchant Road, S(058268) TEL: 6818 8851 royalpaviliongroup.com

Dishes here are clever and inventive, but never at the expense of taste. The Premium Trio of starters demonstrates the ambition of the kitchen: the beetroot cream sauce on sautéed prawns, a sliver of foie gras and scallop in savoury-sweet special sauce are all expertly cooked. Even the nibbles of crispy, piquant burdock chips are delightful, seasoned to whet the appetite. The loofah gourd, famous for its inherently muddy taste, is handled with aplomb—a recommended dish here, it’s served in green chilli soup, is firm on the outside but silken inside, and is tangy and highly appetising.