db Bistro Moderne

Except Ku Dé Ta and Sky on 57 at the rooftop, most celebrity chef and fine dining restaurants congregate along two stretches in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. One is on the 2nd floor (includes Guy Savoy, Hide Yamamoto and Waku Ghin) whereas the other is at B1. Beside MasterCard Theatres – Grand Theatre is Cut, Chef Wolfgang Puck's modern take on the American steakhouse. And across are Chef Mario Batali's Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza as well as db Bistro Moderne, Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud's reinterpretation of the Parisian classic with New York style. Offering traditional French cooking with contemporary American flavours like signature burger collection inspired by the modern American palate. My dining companions and I started with a pitcher of Endless Summer Punch. It had a nice aroma of apples, tasted more like fresh orange juice than apple juice and was mostly sweet, with a tinge of tartness and a distinct note of raw cucumber slices but not ginger beer.

Ku Dé Ta

Perched on the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands, Ku Dé Ta consists of a restaurant serving modern Asian cuisine and a club lounge with live entertainment. A place to people-watch and be seen, it has both indoor and outdoor seating. My dining companion and I were there for an early dinner on a weekday before catching Phantom of the Opera at MasterCard Theatres – Grand Theatre. Sat at a table in the multi-tiered restaurant and could feel the heat from the alfresco area as the place was not enclosed. All portions are created for sharing, unless otherwise specified, so diners can try more items from the menu. Prices range from $9 for White Miso Soup "Individually Portioned" to $56 for Roasted Black Cod or 150-day Grain-fed Beef Tenderloin. For dinner, minimum spending of $80 per person (we were told the amount was half of the average bill) is required. So we started with Fruit Punch and Hassaku Umeshu, a Japanese plum wine with citrus note similar to grapefruit.

The Art of the Brick

I have never really been a museum-type of person, and "arts" is a word you would not associate me with. Half a day at Musée du Louvre was more than enough for me while people who appreciate the artworks and sculptures find a day insufficient to cover the huge grounds. The historic monument is after all one of the world's largest museum and a central landmark of Paris, France. As photography was allowed, I kept myself busy snapping away as my travel companions happily took in as much as they could see within what little time we had. Did not understand why photography is allowed at some museums and not others, whether or not an entrance fee is charged, and especially when internationally renowned works and exhibitions are brought in from overseas. How do museums cover costs and ensure sustainability when there is no longer any incentive to visit after seeing the photographs taken there? Except, maybe, to experience it yourself and have your own perspectives.

Hide Yamamoto

It was time for dinner and as no reservation had been made, decided against trying our luck at one of the celebrity chef restaurants in Marina Bay Sands. Instead, my dining companion and I settled for fine-dining restaurant by one of 2010 Global Chef Award recipients Chef Hide Yamamoto. Located on the 2nd floor with Guy Savoy by award-winning 3-Michelin starred French chef, and Waku Ghin (also Japanese) that offers Chef Tetsuya Wakuda's 10-course degustation menu created from the best seasonal produce. The place boosts five concepts with different experiences depending on the choice of seats without being constrained by the corresponding menu. Sitting at one of the 9 dining tables, we ordered chawan mushi and deep fried blowfish from the sushi menu, grilled Hokkaido scallop and tiger prawn from the robata menu as well as Kurobuta collar from the teppanyaki menu.

Au Chocolat

I was hungry and looking for a place to lunch in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands when a made-in-Singapore French-inspired bistro-cum-confiserie caught my eye. With façade reminiscent of a café on chic Parisian street and reasonably-priced items on its menu (considering how expensive food can be in the area), I decided to try its all-day breakfast since there were available seats. Looking around while waiting for my Aebleskivers to arrive, I saw trains running above me in mid-air. Details of the whimsical restaurant, themed around the adventures of a free-spirited 8-year-old and her two dogs in chocolate fantasyland, could be seen in intricate drawings on the ceiling. Loved how fun such as large blobs of molten chocolate hanging from the ceiling, was intertwined with the laid-back ambience and old-world charm (think brick walls, colourful stained glass panels, mock fireplace and mosaic tiles).