CHERRY GARDEN

Mandarin Oriental Singapore,

5 Raffles Avenue, S(039797)

TEL: 6885 3500 mandarinoriental.com/singapore/finedining/cherry-garden

Start with the crispy wasabi aioli prawns, where large prawns come coated in a flavourful wasabi aioli gravy, and are served with fresh mango and tobiko. The pumpkin soup is a feast for the senses; its aroma whets the appetite, while the strong hue of the soup is a visual treat. The Peking duck comes wrapped in a soft flour pancake; its crispy skin, combined with the plum sauce, simply melts in the mouth. In the rice with diced chicken, cashew nuts and chilli; the tender chicken is liberally coated in a sweet, delectable sauce. End the meal with cherries in nu er hong and kuei hua chen Chinese wine cocktail jelly, served with lychee sorbet. The iced kachang-like dessert is a little sour, but when eaten with the lychee sorbet and the jelly-like balls of orange that burst in the mouth, it makes for a refreshing end to the meal. There’s an extensive wine list here, with options ranging from old to new world. Service is prompt and waitstaff are polite.