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Collyer Quay welcomes an elegant all-day dining restaurant that dishes up hawker fare reskinned with a touch of luxe — a far cry from the modest landing our forefathers encountered in the days of yore.
Sweeping arches and tall ceilings set the stage for The Clifford Pier — The Fullerton Bay Hotel’s latest all-day dining restaurant that has sprung up in the space formerly occupied by One On The Bund. Hand-tufted silk carpets, rustic stone counters, banquette seating, and the heady scent of white flowers mingled with ylang ylang are a far cry from the modest landing our forefathers encountered when they first stepped afoot on the historic pier. Built in 1933, Clifford Pier was a bustling landing and departure point heaving with bumboats that ferried doctors, marine insurance surveyors, and sailors and their families between Singapore and the ships anchored further out at sea. Much like the floating markets near Bangkok, hawkers plied the waters surrounding the pier, dishing up comfort food from their sampans. In the 1950s, the car park adjacent to the pier doubled up as a hawker centre by night, one frequented by musicians, third-shifters, and those looking to line their stomachs with a late night snack.
It is against this storied backdrop that The Clifford Pier hawks its wares. In a nod to the pier’s intrinsic hawker culture, the restaurant dishes up its own interpretations of hawker fare — but with a decidedly luxe touch. Traditional rice crackers the likes of rempeyek and belinjo are paired with homemade sambal and tamarind dips while chilled glass noodles is tossed in a light truffle sauce spiked with lime, then topped with sea urchin, salmon roe and caviar. While rickshaw noodles of the past was simply served with minced pork and vegetables, Chef de Cuisine Kenny Zheng's twenty-first century take on the dish strips the starchy broth to make way for simmered pork belly and the satisfying crack of a soft boiled egg. At The Clifford Pier, you’ll get to try both the rickshaw noodles of the past and Zheng’s contemporary creation.
Other dishes don’t stray far from their hawker counterparts. Kambing soup, scattered with crispy shallots and scallions, is rightly deep and flavourful, while kueh pie tee is served in its elements, inviting you to combine the shredded turnips, fresh herbs, and shelled prawns harvested from a fishery in Pulau Ubin.
For dessert, cream-filled love letters are paired with a rich chocolate dip while pandan ice cream comes sandwiched between soft, pastel coloured bread, a love letter of sorts to the uncles who peddle their ice cream sandwiches beneath umbrella-shaded pushcarts.
The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore. 80 Collyer Quay. Tel: 6597 5266.
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Event: The Clifford Pier Singapore Heritage Afternoon Tea Preview
