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What started an amorphous ball of wheat dough quickly becomes slivers of noodles. Performing this feat is Chef Jack Huang, from China’s Inner Mongolia province, using a flat blade to deftly slice willow-shaped noodles – thin at the edges, thick in the centre – in a blinding flurry. Served in chicken broth and laced with powerful chilli oil, it is one of the unique items on the menu at the Amara Singapore’s Silk Road restaurant, which celebrates the provincial cuisine of the historical trade route.
Equidistance from the bustling Central Business District, energetic Chinatown and the cool Ann Siang enclave, Amara Singapore in thriving Tanjong Pagar is a summation of all the ingredients that make up the island nation: commerce, cuisine and culture. From the expansive windows of the hotel’s rooms, you can glimpse the distinctive shape of Marina Bay Sands, the sprawling temples along South Bridge Road and the cranes of the Port of Singapore. Whether it is trade or tourism, the hotel is a perfect base for either. Or just a perfect vantage point to admire the view, while lying in the cool comfort of very soft beds.
The swimming pool, however, might trick you into thinking of an actual jungle, not a concrete one. Mimicking tropical resorts, the dark timber, slate tiles and lush greenery seem more Samui than Singapore. Elsewhere, a litany of amenities – gym, spa, a wedding pavilion, meeting rooms, expansive conference facilities and a mall right next door in 100AM – fulfills the needs of any type of traveller.
Just like how the hotel’s culinary offerings cater to every tastebud; Silk Road for authentic Chinese, Café Oriental for local delights, Tea Room for sweet and savoury bites with TWG premium teas, Bar-Roque Grill for French-inspired rotisserie, Alphabet for lounge-y drinks and Element for an all-encompassing dining experience (with tapas and beers at the Element on Tras Street). Being comprehensive as a hotel can be a challenge, but Amara Singapore succeeds in achieving that, and more, easily.
