8 Affordable Date Night Dinner Places (Part II)

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5. Harry's
For the girl looking for a fun night out

At a chilled-out bar in Clarke Quay, the Fish Cracklings ($13) makes everything okay. Arriving at the table deliciously crisp in short order, this would make the perfect accompaniment to a cold pint of beer.

The party doesn't stop here. Bar Snacks incorporating the burn and tingle of local spices have migrated to the new restaurant menu. There's the Harry's Signature Wings (6 pieces/$13) which are so acutely spiced that a dip in the accompanying homemade chilli jam (aka sambal) may seem unnecessary (we still do it anyway).



Splashing around in a garam masala spiced sour cream sauce, the Beef Stroganoff breeds familiarity with a tinge of ingenuity. A good shower of parmesan cheese ups the ante and pulls it into leagues of comfort food divisions. 


You might have your reservations about getting desserts at a bar, but I implore you to think twice. The Baked Chocolate Cake ($16) and Sticky Date Toffee Pudding ($14) are smart, layered and vibrant enough to win over anybody who shows up thinking that Harry's Bar is still in the business of knocking you up with alcohol until you smile or pass our or both - the former caves into a warm torrent of chocolate sauce boozed up with rum whilst the latter instigates the fluttering of hearts at the table with its fail-safe juxtaposition of hot and cold, enhanced by the musky sweetness of plumped up dates.


Harry's Bar
3D River Valley Road
#01-01
S(179023)
Opening Hours:
Sun - Thurs: 12pm - 1am
Fri - Sat: 12pm - 3am

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6. Platypus Lobster Shack
For the girl who isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty


Somedays we nurse pretty random cravings. 

Today is one of those days where the peripherals of my spotted mind are obsessing over that paradisaical lobster roll. 

Resistance is futile. Spicy Diablo ($19.90 for the roll) - Think butter poached lobster heaved through a piquant garlic laced house made mayonnaise and then plopped into crisp crevices of buttered down buns that have done overtime on the scorching grill.

The result is something that would leave you speechless, fingers grubby from grovelling through the neat stack of ingredients. 

Worry not, the judgemental stares can wait. Right now, it's just you and me, the rest of the world fading away into oblivion.

Platypus Lobster Shack
Singapore China Square
3 Pickering Street
#01-31 Nankin Row
Opening Hours: 
Mon - Thurs 6pm - 10pm
Fri - Sat: 6 30pm - 11pm

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7. The Sushi Bar
Chirashi Don, need I say more?


Register the bumps in service and then tuck into your bowl of Aburi Kaisen Chirashi Don ($26.90) without reservations, at the newest branch of the reputable Sushi Bar located at Takashimaya. 

Unadulterated freshness splayed out like a technicolour dream in a single bowl; salmon, tuna, swordfish, yellowtail, scallop, aburi salmon belly and tamago tantalises the taste buds over a bed of fluffy Japanese rice.

The hallucinations may have stopped (queues aren't so dreadfully long anymore), but The Sushi Bar food is still a trip.

The Sushi Bar
Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Road
#05-34/35
S(238873)
Opening Hours: 11 30am - 9pm

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8. Open Door Policy
For the girl who appreciates her private time with her man.


I concur, the prices at ODP aren't exactly the cheapest in town. BUT what you're footing your dollar bills for is the chance to spend some exclusive time alone with your loved one. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, glaring lights of the shopping malls amiss, with only the docile whispers of the service staff floating through the air; as you witness the flurry of activity going on in the kitchen behind unblemished glass walls.

Go ahead, kick back with a cocktail, their signature Whisky Sour ($20) housing a luscious veil of frothed up whites above an exquisite balanced mix of sours and the hard stuff. Fire up a Kentucky Mary Bloody Mary ($18) for shits and giggles, the potent mix garnished with a wavy strip of candied bacon is a sure fire way of invigorating the palate.


Chef Daniele Sperindio has brought new spirit into the menu with appetisers such as the Crab Cakes ($20), an unfussy patty of crab meat bronzed and so seductive ,served on a bed of pea salad and mint oil which gives contour to its natural oiliness.

The Braised Beef Cheek ($32) receives high praise all around. The black truffle mash shielded under a tender gelatinous mass of beef cheek steals the show with its impeccable flavor and ridiculously creamy make-up. Anointed in roasted mushrooms and showered with red wine jus, it's flavor was a glimmer of autumn just before it breaks into winter.




Open Door Policy
19 Yong Siak Street
S(168650)
Opening Hours:
Daily 12pm - 3pm; 6pm - 10pm
Sat - Sun: 11am - 3 30pm (brunch)

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And with that, I conclude my 8 part consolidation of  Date night spots and to be frank, I'm all of those people that I've mentioned in Part I and the post above; there would be days I would throw a fuss and feel a strong urge to squirrel away pockets full of food away from the prying eyes of everyone, and others when I nurse food hankerings so strong that the brain ceases to function till I'm satiated - likewise I'm sure that most of you out there would agree that your partners display varied moods on different days as well. The key is identifying these temperaments and then feeding off them.

It's all about communication. Possibly kicked off with the most blatant question, 'What would you like to eat today?'. Beware, this might arouse endless rantings or even a war... But we've all got to start somewhere. 

Don't stress it.

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