Wan Xin Ng
ElaineFor many of us, national pride feels quieter than it used to. We still see the parades, hear the playlists, the familiar red and white, but somewhere between adulthood and routine, the spark of celebration fades. We move through the city we grew up in without pausing to notice it. SG60 invites us to rediscover that connection, not through slogans or spectacle, but through the senses.
What does it mean to feel at home? In the taste of something familiar, the texture of what’s on your plate, the sound of a shared table? This year’s SG60 dining experiences at Royal Plaza on Scotts offer three ways in: a journey in complete darkness, a buffet of edible colour, and mooncakes where heritage flavours are reimagined in unexpected forms. Together, they invite us to slow down, savour, and see Singapore anew.
Also read: Singapore Celebrates SG60 with Discounts at 23 Attractions
Celebrating SG60 with stories on a plate
As Singapore marks its SG60 milestone, Royal Plaza on Scotts invites diners to embark on a culinary journey where every dish tells a story. With The Carousel Collection: Flavours in Play, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant transforms the table into a stage, serving up heritage-inspired creations with a dash of creativity and a touch of theatre. From reimagined dim sum delicacies to handcrafted moon pastries, each experience is designed not just to satisfy the appetite but to immerse guests in a narrative of flavour, culture, and artistry.
Hidden Table: A dining experience for curious and adventurous foodies
The journey started off with a boarding pass. “April 10th, 1912. The air is crisp in Southampton. You are among the select few stepping aboard the R.M.S. Titanic.” That moment was our first cue that this wasn’t a typical meal.
Staff in sailor uniforms welcomed us into a small pre-boarding area with props, a photo spot, and replica uniforms we could try on. We were served pre-drinks served in test tubes, with a base that tasted like Sprite, layered with citrus, possibly yuzu or non-alcoholic rum. We could mix the proportions to our liking. From the beginning, it felt like we were not just diners, but part of a story.
Stepping into darkness
Once our names were called, we were brought into a completely dark dining space. Guests locked away their phones and watches. The full experience lasts around 90 minutes, and once inside, there was no stepping out. Hidden Table: Voyage of the Titanic is Singapore’s first halal dine-in-the-dark fine dining production. It unfolds over four courses, with some dishes inspired by the original First Class menu served on the Titanic. Blending tasting menu, part stage play, performed entirely in darkness.
An immersive dining experience
Inside, I could not see a thing. It felt the same whether my eyes were open or closed. I felt for my plate, missed the cutlery a few times, and at one point used my fingers to feel around for the food. I did not realise that the first course had already been placed in front of me. Pouring my drink became an exercise in sound and estimation. Even finding my cup felt like a small success.
What struck me most was not the confusion but the curiosity that followed. Without sight, everything else became more vivid. There was the sound of rustling fabric. I caught the clink of a glass. Fingers traced the shape of something unknown in my hand. Occasionally, we were prompted to reach for, hold, or wear something unfamiliar. It felt awkward, but also oddly freeing. I stopped trying to anticipate what would happen next and simply became part of the Titanic’s voyage journey unfolding around me.
It was a dining experience that feeds curiosity and spurs one to be adventurous, for sure! By the final course, I had stopped searching for cues. Comfort settled in as I got used to the rhythm of not knowing. And when the lights finally returned, the room looked like any other. But I felt like I had been somewhere else entirely.
A Story Beyond the Plate
The experience reminded me that connection is not always built through what we see. Each course draws you deeper into the Titanic’s story, from its hopeful departure to its haunting end. It reimagines dishes once served in First Class. In the darkness, flavours, textures, and sounds become the language of the voyage.
SG60 Seafood Dim Sum High Tea Buffet: A nostalgic feast for bougie food hunters
If the dine-in-the-dark experience is about what you cannot see, then Carousel’s Dim Sum High Tea buffet is about taking everything in at once. Forget dainty cucumber sandwiches, the Seafood Dim Sum High Tea buffet takes you on a sumptuous journey where East meets West in the most indulgent way. This reimagined afternoon delight swaps scones for steaming baskets of premium dim sum, each with a luxurious twist.
As a Dim Sum lover, I tried all of the Dim Sum available at the buffet. My personal favourites were the Phoenix Roll with Mayo Tobiko Aburi, Steamed Prawn Har Kow in Truffle Egg White Sauce and Siew Mai in Chilli Crabmeat sauce. Amidst the nostalgia of biting into the familiar flavours of dim sum, which I would share with my family on Saturday mornings, I could also taste the bold combination of rich flavours, leaving a lasting impression long after the meal.
The Seafood Dim Sum High Tea is more than just a buffet. It’s a celebration of creativity on a plate. From the luxurious truffle-kissed har kow to the playful yet indulgent chilli crab siew mai, each bite brings a fresh twist to familiar favourites. It’s the kind of spread that keeps you going back for “just one more” until you’ve happily lost count.
Gourmet Carousel’s first Moon Pastries: Celebrating OG Local Flavours
This Mid-Autumn, Gourmet Carousel invites you to rediscover the flavours you grew up with, reimagined in six handcrafted Moon Pastries that blend nostalgia with bold creativity.
This is the first time Royal Plaza on Scotts is launching its very own Moon Pastries, crafted in its Halal-certified kitchen. I got a chance to try them out, and it’s truly unlike any of the common mooncakes you can find! Instead of a traditional baked or flaky crust, these pastries feature a delicate, cookie-like exterior that provides a playful twist on a beloved traditional pastry.
The Moon pastries introduce six inventive creations that reimagine beloved flavours with a playful twist: Emerald Dreams blends pandan pastry with smooth red bean, while Straits Fusion combines rich gula melaka lotus paste with soft mochi. Ondeh Pop bursts with pandan coconut and cocoa crumbs, and Ong Lai Lai brightens the mix with Sarawak honey pineapple topped in gold leaf. For something floral, Lotus Blossom pairs rose lotus paste with rose-infused pastry, and Teochew Treasures unites yam, pandan, and gula melaka. Each pastry bridges heritage and innovation, with Straits Fusion standing out as my favourite.
Presented beautifully in the Moon Weaver’s Basket, this debut collection transforms tradition into something surprisingly new and entirely delicious.
Final thoughts
Image credit: Carouselbuffet Official Website
Each of these SG60 dining experiences offers something more than a meal. In different ways, they bring us back to the body, to the everyday acts of reaching, seeing, tasting, and paying attention. Whether it is pouring a drink in complete darkness, choosing a single dish from a colourful buffet line, or savouring a mooncake that tastes both like childhood and something entirely new, these moments remind us of what it means to be present.
To savour home is to see it clearly. To taste what roots us. To feel the textures of daily life that quietly remind us where we are. And perhaps that is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to celebrate SG60.
Brought to you by Royal Plaza on Scotts
