8 dining experiences to treat Dad to this Father’s Day

8 dining experiences to treat Dad to this Father’s Day We’ve spared you the list of steakhouses in favour of more rounded options to satisfy dads of every palate. Whether you’re the type of family that likes to hit up new dining hot spots or stick to the comforts of traditional fare, here are some places where you can enjoy a hearty meal as a family and show your gratitude to the man who always your best interests at heart. Belimbing It’s been a year since this “new-gen” Singaporean restaurant opened and chef Marcus Leow’s menu has come into its own as he leans deeper into the regional pantry of ingredients. The agreeable pricing – S$108 for a five-course dinner and S$78 for a four-course lunch – makes it a great excuse to celebrate Father’s Day here, especially if you’re keen on exploring the potential of Singaporean flavours. Some new dishes on the menu include mud crab “wu kok”, a take on the traditional dim sum yam puff, here double-fried to a delicate crisp and filled with hand-picked mud crab bound in a rich aioli made from crab fat. The kana chye (preserved mustard greens) claypot rice is another highlight, with an octopus head stock and smoked batang confit infusing the Japanese rice grains with deep umami. Brotzeit For a dose of nostalgia, take Dad to stalwart beer bar and restaurant Brotzeit, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year (a fun fact that might make your old man feel older). Order classics like knusprige schweinshaxe (S$45) – oven-roasted crispy pork knuckle; far easier to say in English – served with potato salad, bacon sauerkraut and pickles, or share the Signature Brotzeitplatte (S$138) with roasted crispy pork knuckle, Bavarian honey-glazed pork ribs, golden fried pork schnitzels, a selection of sausages, bacon sauerkraut and potato salad. If you’re having a belated Father’s Day meal, check out the 20th Anniversary Menu, available from Jun 23 to Aug 26, that infuses the German classics with some of Singapore’s best-loved flavours. Mala-marinated crispy pork knuckle with rice, Chinese cucumber salad and mapo tofu (S$42), anyone? Porridge buffet at Coffee Lounge Nothing says comfort like a bowl of hot porridge, which is the star of Coffee Lounge’s popular Taiwan Porridge Buffet (S$98 per adult) at Goodwood Park Hotel. Tuck into a rotation of classics like fried chye poh omelette, deep-fried black pomfret fillet with black bean sauce, and braised pork belly with mui choy (preserved mustard greens). On Jun 21, dads enjoy a complimentary bucket of garlic butter shellfish with their meal. The buffet line also features all the D24 durian desserts you can eat, including durian boba, durian mini pancakes and durian mousse cakes. Flavours of Malaysia Buffet at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel If your dad is a fan of road trips to Malaysia, take him on a culinary journey across Food Capital’s Flavours of Malaysia buffet. From S$72 for lunch, the spread showcases dishes inspired by Johor, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak. The featured chefs were selected in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia, Sarawak Trade and Tourism, and Sabah Trade and Tourism Office, which means diners can expect some of the best dishes from those regions. Highlights include sup kambing mamak (mamak-style mutton soup) from Penang, gulai ikan tempoyak (fish curry with fermented durian) from Sabah, Kuala Lumpur-style ayam masak merah (chicken stewed in a spicy tomato-based gravy), and Johor otak otak, among a host of other mouth-watering specialities. Jiin Omakase If you’re splurging, check out the Les Amis Group’s new 12-seat Jiin Omakase, helmed by head chef Sakamoto Mitsutaka. The omakase menus (from S$138 for lunch and S$288 for dinner) often begin with chef Mitsutaka presenting the meal’s ingredients hidden beneath a sheet of washi (handmade paper) stretched like a drum over a wooden crate. In a moment made for social media, the lights dim and the washi is set alight to reveal the seasonal specialties beneath. Expect exquisite dishes including a bounty of in-season sashimi on a single plate, the finest fish transmuted into a gurgling bowl of soup, and perfectly cooked rice in a donabe that’ll have you asking for seconds. Permata Permata’s location makes its halal-certified Nusantara buffet feel extra special. The restaurant is set in Gedung Kuning, the yellow heritage mansion once home to Tengku Mahmud, the younger son of Sultan Ali of Johor. The spread changes often and this June spotlights the flavours of Penang with dishes like assam laksa, Penang char kway teow and nasi kandar. Adults enjoy a one-for-one buffet priced at S$88 for lunch and S$108 for dinner. Senior citizens dine from S$38, young adults from S$28, and children aged seven to 12 from S$18. A Penang Peranakan Culinary Showcase at White Rose Cafe At this a la carte buffet (S$40) that runs from Jun 18 to Jun 28, Cheah Soo Fuen, the matriarch of Jason Nyonya House in Penang, is serving her renditions of soulful northern-style Penang Peranakan classics that draw from Malay, Chinese and Thai cuisines. Among the host of dishes will be gulai tumis ikan pari (stingray in a spicy gravy), kari kapitan (chicken cooked in aromatic curry paste), jiu hu char (stir-fried jicama with cuttlefish), and otak otak. Dishes are prepared and served upon ordering, so guests can enjoy unlimited portions of their favourites at their freshest. Also, part of the buffet is a selection of old-school beverages including chilled butterfly pea flower tea, chilled bandung with grass jelly and teh tarik. Backyard BBQ at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Let someone else handle the heat while Dad chills out to a platter of Yardbird Southern Table & Bar’s take on The Backyard BBQ (S$56) on Jun 21. The generous spread will feature Alabama White BBQ chicken legs, St Louis pork ribs, house sausages and burnt ends, served with corn on the cob and chimichurri. If your idea of a barbecue isn’t complete without a beer or three, ask for the two-hour free flow of Budweiser for S$38.