Conrad Singapore Orchard Gastronomic Getaway
Words: Monica Tindall & Louise Miller
Photos: Monica Tindall & Supplied
Conrad Orchard Singapore gives gourmet travellers even more reason to visit the Lion City with its Gastronomic Getaway! Crafted menus, tastings and workshops are offered in the package, combining a luxurious stay with early check-in and late check-out, breakfast for two, dining credits, and hands-on gourmet experiences. With no fewer than ten dining establishments, including Michelin-starred and World’s 50 Best Bars-awarded outlets, there is certainly more than enough choice for a weekend of culinary discovery.
Conrad Singapore Orchard Rooms
The rooms at Conrad Singapore Orchard have recently been refurbished. Despite the building being one of the older properties in the city, the upgrades have given the space a fresh, contemporary feel. Soft, neutral tones and local botanical artwork reflect the surrounding greenery and gardens. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow plenty of natural light, making the rooms feel airy and spacious.
Several categories are available, and we’re happily in a large suite. We appreciate dual balconies—it’s always nice to have some outdoor space in the tropics—and the ability to completely separate the bedroom from the living area.
The bed is supportive and we have a choice of pillows to customise our sleep. Sleepy tea, aromatic bath streamers, a meditation card and sound healing on the television are part of the turndown service. The shower is almost instantly hot and high-pressured, and the separate walk-in wardrobe is a bonus.
The gooseneck kettle, Baccha drip coffee, and espresso machine in the mini-bar make our mornings, and we’re grateful for the in-room water filter, which is doing away with wasteful single-use plastic bottles. It’s a very comfortable stay.
Gastronomic Getaway
Conrad Singapore Orchard’s Gastronomic Getaway is perfect for gourmands. On top of two nights in comfortable and recently refurbished rooms, breakfast for two, early check-in at 11 am and late check-out at 4 pm, guests can choose from a range of experiences, such as a Cheese Infusion Workshop, a Manhattan Cocktail Flight, Dolcetto Sunset Aperitivo or a $100 dining credit.
$100 Dining Credit
Singapore is a hotspot for restaurants and bars, but we don’t need to leave to find them at Conrad Singapore Orchard. Summer Palace, the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, is under the same roof, as is Manhattan, which has been in both the World’s & Asia’s 50 Best Bars! Check out Summer Palace’s menu, prices, awesome wine list and our favourite dishes here, and take a look at Manhattan’s rickhouse and barrel-aged cocktails here.
Apart from these two award-winners, we can’t recommend the weekend brunch at Basilico highly enough. The Italian buffet is filled with exceptional recipes prepared by an Italian chef de cuisine, and just wait until you see the cheese room! More on that here. And that’s not even scratching the surface of the food and beverage options within the hotel.
Gastronomic Experiences
Instead of the $100 dining credits, guests can choose from several experiences such as a Cheese Infusion Workshop, a Manhattan Cocktail Flight or Dolcetto Sunset Aperitivo. I’m fortunate to reconnect with an old friend, Louise, in Singapore, who joins us for a cheese infusion workshop. Louise describes our experience below.
Cheese Infusion Workshop
We are invited into the iconic cheese room at Basilico, where its glorious selection of over forty different Italian cheeses is displayed along a counter that extends across the entire length of the room.
Chef de Cuisine Davide del Gatto welcomes us and demonstrates the art of making authentic pesto. He starts by creating a base with garlic, salt, pine nuts, and the finest Parmigiano Reggiano. Next, he adds generous handfuls of fragrant basil and extra virgin olive oil until the pesto reaches a perfectly unctuous texture. He spreads the pesto generously over the creamiest of burrata and, ‘Hey, Pesto!’ (sorry – couldn’t resist) our first infusion is complete.
Squid ink and truffle-infused burrata are added to the pesto creation to make up a vibrant trio that we enjoy with wafer-thin smoked salmon. The creamy cheese contrasts wonderfully with the infusions’ robust flavours and the fish’s salty umami.
Having watched Davide do all of the work, it is now time to get ready for some hands-on action. We watch as he demonstrates the crafting of one of the cheese room’s most unusual and most popular flavour combinations – the white chocolate and truffle-infused gorgonzola. Having studied his technique, Monica and I generously spread the cheese wedges with truffle paste and assemble a decadent three-tiered gorgonzola cake. The final, satisfying step is drizzling melted white chocolate over the cake, ensuring every inch of the cheese in enveloped in the sweet, creamy coating.
Post note: I’ve (Monica) just sliced into our first creation, savouring it with a fine Madeira, Colheita Madeira by Henriques & Henriques, and it is a match made in heaven.
Conrad Singapore Orchard’s Gastronomic Getaway Details
Conrad Singapore Orchard’s Gastronomic Getaway package includes daily breakfast for two at Basilico, a $100 dining credit per stay at the hotel’s celebrated restaurants and bars, or a choice of one of the curated gastronomic experiences. In addition to the Cheese Infusion Workshop are the Manhattan Barrel-Aged Cocktail Flight and Sunset Aperitivo in the hotel’s Italian bistro, Dolcetto. To book, call +65 6432 7189, email [email protected], or visit www.conradsingaporeorchard.com. Note “PR24GE” or the “Gastronomic Getaway” to get the package.
Reasons to visit Conrad Orchard Singapore: An experience of gourmet discovery and decadence curated and accompanied by outstanding and passionate F&B experts.
Conrad Singapore Orchard
1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249715
+65 6725 3230
@conradsingaporeorchard
Link to Conrad Singapore Orchard on Google Maps
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