Straits Kitchen

Ground floor, Grand Hyatt Hotel T. 6416 7114

This is mecca for the Singaporean and tourist who want to try everything under one roof but are not quite prepared for the full-blown Singapore hawker experience. Housed where the cafe used to be in the Grand Hyatt, this is a tastefully designed Singapore "kitchen" that serves everything local that your heart desires: oyster omelet, chilli crab, roti jala (Malay crepe), popiah (fresh spring roll - top picture), rojak (Chinese fruit and beancurd salad), kueh kueh (Malay desserts - left), wan ton noodles, roast meats, double boiled soups (bottom left), tandoori (Northern Indian oven roasted meats and seafood - bottom right) you name it, they have it. I was pleasantly surprised by the spread and more so by the quality of the food. I have tried several similar type dining concepts in other hotels, but this stands out for the quality so far. No wonder there was a good number of locals dining at the Straits kitchen the same evening I was there. Price - S$40 +++ per person (US$23.50). Reservations are highly recommended.