Inspired by the historic spice routes of Southern and Western China, Cassia serves traditional Cantonese dishes with unexpected contemporary twists. Under Chef Lee, Cassia takes influences from the old spice routes in Southern and Western China and the seas around Singapore, using recipes based upon traditional, regional cooking and blended with haute Cantonese technique.

PROFILE

Chef Lee Hiu Ngai grew up in Hong Kong and was inspired by his mother’s Cantonese cooking, as she worked as a cook in a small canteen and was able to produce simple yet delicious dishes to order. He worked in top restaurants and hotels in Hong Kong and China for thirty years, before moving to Singapore to helm the kitchen at Cassia.

MUST TRY

Hong Kong-style Peking duck.

AMBIENCE

The main dining room, designed by Andre Fu, is a dramatic setting of charcoal and beige, enhanced by the glow of ornately filigreed lamps and with curved mini-banquettes and well-upholstered seats adding to the air of sumptuousness. Tables on the outdoor terrace are coveted, because they provide views across the verdant island landscape to the city towers beyond.

SERVICE

The service is impeccable. This, after all, is the hotel that hosted the Trump-Kim summit in mid 2018.

FOOD

Although retaining its roots in Cantonese cuisine, Cassia is not afraid to source ingredients worldwide and subject them to traditional cooking methods, or indeed to add a modern interpretation. Long preparation times for some of the dishes is also an important element, as in Chef Lee’s speciality of double-boiled soup with crab claw, bamboo pith and lotus seeds, served in young Thai coconut. Another signature is wok-fried Australian M9 Wagyu beef with black pepper, the intense cooking heat searing the outside of the beef and sealing in the flavour. Dim sum is also served.

PRICING

S$40 to S$100

SUMMARY

There is a feeling of holiday time with any visit to Sentosa Island, and the evocative colonial-style architecture of the hotel is balm to the soul for anyone wishing to escape the city, if only for a few hours. A visit to Cassia is a perfect reason to go.