I visited Singapore four months ago and I still find myself dreaming of what we are there, so imagine my joy when invited to dinner at the newly-revamped The Bugis Singapore Restaurant, near Gloucester Road. Reader, book a table, for it was sensational.
The Bugis Singapore Restaurant and the Bailey’s bar relaunched in July with a menu celebrating authentic Singaporen, Malaysian and Chinese cuisines made from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. It takes its name ‘The Bugis’ from the bustling area in Singapore renowned for its flair of street food and flavours.
The Bugis originally opened in 1995 on the corner street, when it received numerous accolades and awards as one of London’s best Asian restaurants. Since then, it has relocated inside The Bailey’s Hotel, and has undergone a full renovation. The dining room is decked out in a rich, elegant green, with huge windows drowning it in light and crisp white tablecloths. Its new menu features a brand-new culinary approach with small and sharing plates, with dishes rooted in the Malay peninsula, Singapore street food and hawkers’ heritage.
We started with a wonderful selection of sharing plates. Satay chicken delivered on its own little grills with a sweet and tangy sauce. A perfectly steamed dim sum basket completeand a plate of salted egg prawns our Holy Trinity of starters, the latter of which were as good as any I tasted in Singapore (and to be honest I wish I'd ordered another plate) - they are my must order dish for sure. For mains, the Nasi Lemak was just beautiful and a sizzling seafood clay pot, with squid, prawns and scallops, was a light bite but full of flavour. Finish up with a scoop of their matcha ice cream - it's the perfect end to a dazzling meal.
I will certainly be returning to this spot - this is classic Singaporean cuisine gussied up and made even better.
Book through the Millennium Hotel website here.
