SINGAPORE RESTAURANT WEEK, in its 7th edition, will be back from 7 to 13 October 2013. Presented by American Express, this bi-annual gourmet event organised by DiningCity has garnered a strong following in Singapore with a record breaking 40,000 seats snapped up in its last edition in March 2013.

For the first time, the popular week-long gastronomic affair will now include healthy gourmet options in response to increasing requests since its debut in 2010. Health-conscious food lovers can now look forward to new healthy gourmet creations at top notable restaurants such as Salt Grill & Skybar, J’s , Oso Ristorante, 7Adam restaurant, KUMO restaurant, Zaffron, Onaka restaurant and more.

In addition, new dining experiences await at popular and exciting talkof-the-town establishments such as Oca Grassa, Blue Bali on Cluny, East8, Fern & Kiwi Bar & Eatery, Hashi and Privé Grill which would be joining SINGAPORE RESTAURANT WEEK October 2013 for the first time

Participating again with newly crafted set menus are hot favourites like Au Jardin, Bistro Du Vin, Absinthe, Buyan Russian Haute Cuisine & Caviar Bar, Garibaldi, Gattopardo, OSO, Salt Grill & Sky Bar, La Cicala, Jade, Clifford, The Song of India, Boathouse, Etna Italian Restaurant, Gunthers, Stellar @1-Altitude, SQUE Restaurant, Picotin Express, Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, Marriott Café, Pepe Nero, Cassia, Basilico, The Knolls, Taratata Bistrot, Punjab Grill By Jigg Kalra and so on.

I attended the media food trail a while back and tried three restaurants: Marugoto Shokudo, Zafferano, OTTO Locando. Our first stop is at Marugoto Shokudo which is in Ang Mo Kio, very near to my house! Marugoto Shokudo means “giving one’s all” or “to eat an entire meal”. Started in 2013, the Japanese casual dining eatery offers affordable Japanese cuisine to the heartlanders.

We tried two of the dishes that Marugoto Shokudo is going to present during Restaurant Wekk. One of them is the Japanese Smoked Duck Breast, Stuffed Deep Fried Lotus and River Eel rolled with omelet which is paired with Japanese Plum sake on crushed ice.

Another dish was Seared Wild Blue Fin Tuna with Juvenile Seaweed and Vine-Grated dressing.

The second restaurant we went to is Zafferano located atop Ocean Financial Centre’s 43rd floor. Originally from Milan, Chef Fabio Cuccheli has worked in many award winning restaurants like Californian 3-star Michelin restaurant, French Laundry, where he served as Executive Sous Chef.

Chef Fabio’s dishes revovles strongly around preserving an ingredient’s natural flavours and complimenting with other fresh and seasonal product. His Baby Organic Free Range Chicken is served with truffle farce, procini mushrooms, beet root and herb salad.

Our last stop was at OTTO Locando where Chef Marco Violano combines traditional Italian culinary experience with authentic Italian recipes.

This is obvious in his Tiramisu al Caffe where the traditional tiramisu is served with espresso coffee sauce and topped with thick chocolate sauce. Not forgetting a glass of Hèita dessert wine to end the night.

HOW SINGAPORE RESTAURANT WEEK WORKS

During SINGAPORE RESTAURANT WEEK, all participating restaurants will offer exclusive three-course menus for lunch and dinner priced at $25+++ and $35+++ respectively. DiningCity Star-Awarded restaurants charge a supplement of $15 for lunch and $20 for dinner.

American Express Cardmembers enjoy exclusive priority booking privileges from 4 September 2013 before booking is open to the public from 11 September 2013. All bookings can be made online from 11 September 2013 at www.restaurantweek.sg, a dedicated website with unique technology for online and real-time reservations.

Subscribers to the DiningCity.SG newsletter will enjoy advance booking from 9 September 2013. To sign up for the newsletter, simply log on to www.DiningCity.SG