Karen Yue goes on a culinary journey to France, China and Japan in a single afternoon at the rooftop restaurant.

Opened in 2013, ME@OUE is one of the better dining venues in Singapore where one can take in a gorgeous view of Singapore, especially now that the Marina Bay developments are complete. Through ME@OUE’s floor-to-ceiling windows, one can see the iconic structures of Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Flyer.

While the venue isn’t brand new, its menu is. Michelin-Star chef Jérémy Gillon and celebrity chef Chen Kentaro – who is famed for elevating Sichuan cuisine in Japan – lend their genius to the new menu, creating a selection of fine Chinese, Japanese and French dishes.

F&B concept

The open kitchen is busy with chefs and their assistants whipping up Japanese, French and Chinese dishes. That’s ME@OUE’s selling point – one could feast on the best dishes from three countries under one roof.

While ME@OUE prides itself for its support of local chefs that specialise in the respective cuisine, it regularly consults with world renowned masterchefs who will direct the menu and bring special, seasonal dishes to the table.

The new menu curated by chefs Kentaro and Gillon invites guests to start their journey with delicate appetisers like kani (crab) salad and salmon gravlax, proceed to mains like buta katarosu yaki (grilled Kagoshima pork), Atlantic seabass and Sichuan-inspired braised cod fish, and end with a modern version of millefeuille.

My lunch comprised a tuna and scallop tartare, pan-seared Hokkaido scallops, baked Canadian lobster with chef Kentaro’s Sichuan sweet and spicy sauce, and a dessert duo of profit éclair and milk & cookies. They were all well executed and presented, but my favourite was the pan-seared Hokkaido scallops which were tender, juicy and bathed in a rich and addictive mushroom cream sauce.

It is worth noting that lunch sets are changed every two weeks while the dinner a la carte menu is refreshed every three months.

MICE application

With its location in the heart of Singapore’s business district, it is of little wonder that ME@OUE hosts many business luncheons, corporate cocktails, product launches and dinner gatherings. Cocktail receptions for internal guests and clients are the majority though, forming 90 to 95 per cent of the restaurant’s corporate event business.

The indoor dining hall takes 90 seated guests or 200 standing, while the outdoor lounge is good for 50 seated or 150 standing. There is also a spacious private dining room for 14 guests seated at a long table, and which comes with audiovisual equipment.

Event planners who buy out the venue (minimum spend applies) will get to enjoy the restaurant’s wraparound outdoor lounge which comes with cushy seats where one can enjoy a pre- or post-dinner tipple.

The indoor dining hall can be emptied of its furniture to make space for standing cocktail parties and even fashion shows, or adopt a different layout to support the planner’s needs.

Service

Attentive. I appreciate waitstaff who take time to explain what’s on the plate and is swift in refilling my wine glass.

Contacts

ME@OUE
12^th Floor, OUE Bayfront,
50 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049321
Tel: (65) 6634 4555
Email: enquiry@me-oue.com
Website: www.me-oue.com

Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 18.00 till late

Located on Sheikh Zayed Road, the five-star The St Regis Dubai is the first of three Starwood properties set to open alongside the Dubai Canal project over the next few years. The hotel, which welcomed its first guests in November 2015, offers 234 keys including 52 suites, eight restaurants, a ballroom, eight meeting rooms, among other facilities.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has opened the midscale Best Western Plus Eastern Palace Hotel in the city of Mandalay in Myanmar.

Sited minutes away from the city’s main business district and historical landmarks, the new-build hotel offers a range of rooms and suites equipped with flat-screen TVs, USB ports and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Facilities include an all-day dining restaurant serving local and international cuisine, outdoor swimming pool, a pool bar, lobby lounge, spa, fitness centre, steam room, sauna, business centre as well as meeting spaces.

This is the group’s third hotel in Myanmar with two others in operation in Yangon.

Marriott Hotels has opened the Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan on the 43^rd to 60^th floor of the SCC Building.

The 340-room property is a 40-minute drive to Shenzhen International Airport and a 30-minute ride to Shenzhen North Railway Station.

The hotel features 2,000m² of meeting space, including a 900m² grand ballroom, seven function rooms and three boardrooms.

Guestrooms range from 40m² to 70m² with amenities including Internet-enabled TVs, iPods and Nespresso machines, as well as boasting views of Shenzhen Bay and the Hong Kong border.

F&B options include all-day dining Nanshan Kitchen, Chinese restaurant Man Ho, the Lobby Lounge bar and The Café which offers freshly brewed coffee, pastries, handcrafted sandwiches and desserts.

Hong Kong Airlines has launched a new flight between Hong Kong and Kumamoto, Japan which will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays.

On Mondays, flights depart from Hong Kong at 11.00 and arrive in Kumamoto at 15.00 while on Fridays, it will depart at 12.00 and arrive at 16.10.

Return flights leave Kumamoto at 16.00 and land in Hong Kong at 19.05 on Mondays. Friday’s return flight will leave Kumamoto at 18.10 and land in Hong Kong at 21.00.

With the new route, Hong Kong Airlines now operates 26 weekly flights in total between Hong Kong and Japan.

Villa resort Sri Panwa on the south-eastern tip of Phuket has opened 30 new pool suites and penthouses at the start of the new year.

Named The Habita at Sri Panwa, each unit ranges between 69m² to 139m² in size and features nature-inspired designs. They come with an infinity pool as well as panoramic views of the Andaman Sea.

Besides the collection of new accommodation options, two new dining options have also joined Sri Panwa’s offerings. They are modern Chinese restaurant Baba Chino, helmed by Thai Iron Chef Pom, and shisha and cigar joint Baba Shisha Lounge.

Qatar Airways, in partnership with telecommunications provider Ooredoo, has been offering 15 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi on all of its A380, A350, B787, A319, and select A320 and A330 aircraft since December 17.

Passengers are charged US$5 or US$10 for one-hour or three-hour usage respectively beyond the first 15 minutes. A fixed US$20 fee regardless of duration is also available.

Passengers on Qatar’s A380 First Class cabin get to enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi for the entire duration of their flight.