The best restaurants to break fast this Ramadan in Singapore

Until March 31

This halal-certified buffet restaurant at Grand Hyatt Singapore returns for its first Ramadan since the hotel’s revamp, bringing an iftar spread ($98 per person for dinner) of mostly Singaporean flavours with a Middle Eastern touch. Think mezze staples like baba ghanoush, hummus, and pita bread to start, before you make a beeline for the live barbecue stations with satay, and mouthwatering shawarma from the live carving station. Fill up on mains like ayam buah keluak – an unmissable Peranakan dish; and specially for dinner, tulang merah with baguette; slipper lobsters at the seafood section; and slow-cooked lamb mandi. The dessert counter is equally promising, lined with local favourites like pulut hitam, bubur cha cha, goreng pisang, Nyonya kueh, chendol, durian treats, and more.

Those craving a slice of Italy can get their pasta fix at halal-certified Kucina, a restaurant popular even with the non-Muslim crowd. Chef Gero is Italian-Muslim and whips up fan-favourites like the gnocchi al salmone ($26.90) and risotto ($22.90) with porcini mushrooms and grana padano cheese. Kucino’s pizzas are made of 70 percent hydration dough in the Napoli style. If you’re down to try something other than the usual margherita ($21.90) or salami ($23.90), look out for the La Barca ($27.90) – Chef Gero’s signature Sicilian boat-shaped pizza loaded with smoked scamorza cheese, mozzarella, black truffle pate, cream, and mushrooms. Desserts are European classics like tiramisu, panna cotta, and crème brûlée. 

Until March 30

A meal at the seafood restaurant Jumbo is a quintessential once-in-a-lifetime experience for locals and tourists alike, but for our Muslim friends, Jumbo’s halal-certified concept Mutiara is an equally good alternative. Here’s where you can order crabs in all forms and flavours, cooked up in the classic chilli crab style, black pepper, salted egg, or simply steamed and topped with egg white (from $9.80 per 100 grams). And though it isn’t a seafood dish, we also hear the ayam panggang kecap (Indonesian grilled chicken) is quite the hit (from $22). Specially for this Ramadan, Mutiara is launching a Thai-inspired iftar buffet (from $63.80) with rotating weekly menus. Highlights include grilled tiger prawns in tamarind sauce, stir-fried clams, deep-fried seabass, and more.

For something apart from the usual Asian flavours this Ramadan, pop by Charr’d Steakhouse for slabs of perfectly charred Japanese wagyu. Granted, it’s all the way at Changi, but since it’s the only halal restaurant in Singapore that imports A5 beef from Japan, it might be worth biting the bullet for. Choose between beef boards that serve anywhere between three to seven diners (from $249), stacked with cuts of ribeye, sirloin, filet, and a 400-gram Butcher’s Secret cut. This Ramadan, the restaurant is offering a seasonal special – slow-braised rendang and lemang (glutinous rice) made with Brazilian grass-fed beef ($48, or $28 with the order of any meat board). Fill up on steakhouse staples like creamed spinach ($14), corn elote ($15), and truffle parmesan fries ($14), and you’re good to go.

Until March 30 

Get into the spirit of Ramadan at this buffet restaurant lodged within a historical building in Kampong Gelam. Permata can be found within Gedung Kuning or the ‘yellow mansion’, which was named by the son of Johor’s Sultan in 1864. For Ramadan this year, celebrity chef Mel Dean is cooking up a massive Nusantara halal buffet spread packed with local delights. The restaurant is also offering one-for-one deals on the buffet ($108 per person). Visit five stations which serve Ramadan staples like slow-cooked beef rendang and satay. Other highlights include bubur lambuk – a type of rice porridge cooked with turmeric, ginger, pandan, and other fragrant spices; as well as an unctuous dish of tulang merah (bone marrow) stewing in a tangy tomato-based gravy.

Until March 30

Drop by Harummanis for a luxurious dining experience with its four-course iftar menu ($120 for two). This is the first local restaurant opened by Singapore-born chef Akmal Anuar, who heads award-winning joints in Dubai like 11 Woodfire and 3 Fils. The Ramadan sharing menu starts with teh tarik, dates, and bubur lambuk. This quintessential beef porridge is seasoned with black pepper, fried shallots, and spring onions for the ultimate comfort and nourishment after a day of fasting. A series of appetisers follow – cucur popiah udang; batang pinang with spicy peti and jicama; and kueh bakar. For the main course, dig into hearty classics like nasi biryani and ayam masak merah, before finishing off with the date and dark chocolate mousse cake for dessert.

Until April 30

Break fast with Ginger’s Korean-themed spread ($75 per person) this year, or visit after Ramadan, since the buffet runs for a whole month after Hari Raya. This lavish feast features 30 Korean dishes on top of Ginger’s usual halal offerings that consist of Singaporean dishes. Expect seven types of Korean fried boneless chicken, a DIY bibimbap station, and other highlights like tteokbokki, abalone porridge, samgyetang, seafood pancakes, and galbi tang. Fried chicken flavours include the original, cheese, kicap manis, and fiery renditions like spicy gochujang, Sichuan pepper chilli, and ghost pepper chilli for even more heat. Head on over to the fire grill live station for barbecued meats on rotation – hamburg steaks, chicken and beef bulgogi, beef short ribs, and more.

Until March 30

Feast on familiar favourites with 21 on Rajah’s Ramadan buffet dinner ($60 per person). You can find classic and modern delicacies on rotation at this buffet spread, such as slow-cooked baby lamb in Moroccan yoghurt citrus; ayam penyet loaded with homemade sambal; and deep-fried chempedak fritters. Don’t miss the wide array of desserts as well, with assorted Ramadan cookies and dates, a fresh durian mousse with coconut cream and gula Melaka, and bubur cha cha. For added convenience, dedicated prayer rooms will be made available for Muslim guests to perform their prayers in comfort before resuming their meals, and a private dining room that fits big families of up to 36 people is also available for booking.