Gunther’s

Located opposite Saveur on Purvis Street, Gunther's was named New Restaurant of the Year in the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence 2009 as well as Restaurant of the Year and Outstanding Caterer of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit Excellence 2012. Opened by award winning chef Gunther Hubrechsen who helmed Les Amis for more than five years, the fine dining restaurant was also voted into the prestigious San Pellegrino World's Best 100 Restaurants 2010 and has been one of Asia's Top 20 Finest Restaurants in The Miele Guide since 2008. While the place had an all-glass frontage, there were curtains to prevent eyes from prying in to see diners inside. Dimly-lit with dark ceilings and walls, it exuded elegance and opulence without (surprisingly) the stifling ambience. Though, I must say, the entrance was more intimidating than welcoming. Visited on the eve of a public holiday for dinner and were brought to our table with comfortable leather chairs.

Saveur

Set up by aspiring chefs Joshua Khoo and Dylan Ong who had prior experiences at Guy Savoy and Sydney's Tetsuya, Saveur started in a small kopitiam in Joo Chiat before moving to Purvis Street where the average wait is easily an hour. The space has since expanded and a 2nd branch opened on the 1st floor of Far East Plaza. There were no queues the few times I passed by and despite its glass frontage, could not see if the inside was packed as it was dimly-lit with a neutral palette of black and brown. And when the sun was too glaring, heavy curtains would be drawn. Reservations are not allowed here which sits about 80 and opens throughout the day. Other than lunch and dinner (some dishes are available for takeaways too), there is a tea-break menu that I was told consists mainly of coffee and tea. Stepped in for late lunch on a weekday to try its duck leg confit with homemade mashed potato, sautéed shitake mushrooms, orange segments and orange-infused natural jus.