Best restaurants in Singapore for those year-end gatherings

More than just a time for parties and D&Ds, the end-of-the-year is also the time to organise dinners and lunches with friends and family. Where can you find good food that'll ensure everyone leaves with a satisfied smile on their face?

Planning a gathering isn't as easy as it looks. First, you need to find a date and time that work for everyone (or most of them). Then when everyone is done getting their act together, you will need to find a restaurant that can seat a big group comfortably; preferably it also takes reservations. Finally, the restaurant has to serve food - good food - so people won't grumble and complain.

Below, four restaurants I ate at recently that I would highly recommend for when you are dining out as a group.

Best for rounding up the family for a feast: Diamond Kitchen Science Park Drive

Three words - Diamond Sauna Treasures. Available only at the Science Park Drive branch, this dish of legendary proportions is a basket chockfull of yummy seafood like lobster, prawns, mussels, snow crabs, scallops, squid, and clams! The seafood is first par-boiled and then laid out amongst heated stones. Wolfberry stock is then poured over the entire thing to create a steam that cooks the seafood while retaining their sweetness and juiciness. Priced at $188++ and $368++, we promise this is a dish that'll impress even the fussiest of relatives. AND, from now until December 31, 2016, you will get a 15 per cent discount off the Diamond Sauna Treasures along with other star offerings!

Diamond Kitchen Science Park Drive is located at 87 Science Park Drive, #01-01. Tel. 6464 0410.

Best for that department Christmas lunch: PizzaExpress

Who doesn't like pizza?! UK's popular pizza chain PizzaExpress (it's 51 years old!) has recently arrived in Singapore and I AM LOVING IT! Pizzas are made fresh on order, the ice lemon tea is free to refill, and the dough balls are super addictive! The restaurant seats 120 patrons so I'm pretty confident your department can fit in it. PizzaExpress revamped its menu recently so be sure to ask the staff for recommendations! My personal favourite, however, has to be the Calabrese - spicy and topped with rocket leaves, it's perfect if you love robust flavours!

Read also: UK chain PizzaExpress does chilli crab pizza right

PizzaExpress is located at Scotts Square, B1-08/09. Tel. 6538 0083.

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Best for a mini reunion with old classmates: Eight Korea BBQ at Shaw Centre

Korean BBQ plus housemade makgeolli equal good times! Eight Korean BBQ has opened its second outlet at Shaw Centre, making it even more convenient to get your grilled meat fix. Love variety? Then you won't go wrong with the signature 8 Colours Set. At $98, the set consists of 8 strips of 100g Mangalitsa pork belly in marinated in 8 flavours such as red wine, miso, curry, and red pepper paste. The set comes with a choice of stew, so it's definitely enough to feed 3 - 4 (5 - 6, if you are ordering other yummy stuff like the Steamed Egg!). Also, do try the Big Hog Plate, $45, a glorious slab of Mangalitsa pork belly weighing 350g. Thick cuts of lightly seasoned meat that's bound to hit the spot every time. My mouth is watering as I write about this. #truestory

Eight Korean BBQ's second outlet is located at Shaw Centre, #04-20. Tel. 9018 9212.

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Best for that long overdue "catch-up" with travel mates: Yentafo Kruengsonge

The eatery located within Cathay Cineleisure Orchard is proving to be a huge draw for both Thais living in Singapore and Thai-food fans. Yen Ta Fo, a bowl of flat rice noodles drizzled in pink sauce and topped with a myriad of ingredients like fishballs, fried tofu, and a cube of grass jelly (to replace the pig's blood cube you'd find in yen ta fo in Thailand) , is reminiscent of "yong tau fu" but the pink sauce is made of fermented red rice and red tofu instead of beans. Also super authentic is the Gai Pad Krapow, spicy basil minced chicken with rice. The restaurant has refused to compromise of the original spice level so be prepared for a sweat-inducing meal! Where better to plan your next Bangkok trip than here?

Yentafo Kruengsonge is located Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, #02-06A. Tel. 6736 0971.

Best for your perpetually busy friends: Ninja Cut

You know the type - making arrangements with them for a meal is like booking an appointment with the Queen of England. It's not that they really wanna blow you off; between work and family and fitness, they truly have very little downtime. The best way to catch them is to steal a quick lunch whenever a slot mercifully opens up in their calendar!

If you're working in the City Hall area, make a beeline for the newly opened Ninja Cut. This casual dining spot serves up robust, value-for-money meals that will keep you sated for much longer (no more poking around the office pantry in the afternoon). At Ninja Cuts, choose from a variety of protein such as roast ribeye, crackling pork belly, fillet of cod, and grilled squid served with a base of your choice, be it soba noodles, quinoa, a blend of vinegared Japanese pearl rice, or garden greens. You can also choose to go carb-free, but why would you, when the carbs here are so tasty and nutritious?

Some must-try items include the Oh My Cod, where the creamy, flaky fish is doused with saikyo shiromiso, a type of white miso paste from Kyoto renowned for its delicate, sweet flavours; and What's Your Beef. The latter comes with an entire slab of Australian ribeye skilfully roast-cooked to perfect medium-rare doneness. They only dole out 30 servings each day, so don't miss out! Special mention has to go to one of Ninja Cut's signature desserts - the Marvellous Matcha. Imagine a chocolate lava cake, but with dreamy green tea fondant instead. Warm, sweet, luscious: this matcha hotcake is a delight from start to finish.

Ninja Cut is located at 32 Seah Street, Tel: 6264 7727.

Best for your health-conscious friends: Sufood

He or she is always on some new diet or the other, and is constantly espousing the virtues of a meat-free diet. But you love your meat! This friendship doesn't have to wither over food preferences - simply take your friend to Sufood! This popular vegetarian restaurant chain from Taiwan is determined to show diners just how varied and flavourful vegetarian food can be. And trust me, when you dine here, you'll be so amazed by the textures and flavours that you won't even crave meat.

After a successful first year in Singapore, the kitchen team has recently introduced new items to the menu including the Lion's Mane Mushrooms with Black Pepper Sauce, and Classic Stir-Fried Garlic Pasta. The former is a surprisingly hearty dish of mushrooms marinated in black pepper sauce fried to a golden crisp; it's full of bite and has a rich umami flavour. Other signature menu items include the Baked Potato Al Fungi, where hefty King Oyster mushrooms are drizzled with Italian herb vinaigrette and served with a hunk of velvety baked potato. By the way, don't skip the breadsticks at Sufood. These freshly baked beauties are soft and pillowy, and imbued with a subtle rosemary fragrance. Pairs perfectly with the sweet mustard dip!

Sufood is located at #02-19 Raffles City Shopping Centre, Tel: 6333 5338.

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Best for a hearty dinner before partying: Masizzim

The festive season also means we're doubling up on our drinking and merrymaking. To avoid the cursed post-bender hangovers, my personal recommendation is to have a big meal before you hit the bars. That's because drinking on a full stomach before you go out will delay alcohol getting into your system (Note: it doesn't prevent you from getting drunk though, so still drink with care!)

And for a satisfying feast, I definitely recommend Masizzim. After all, with the weather getting colder and gloomier as we race towards the end of the year, what can be more comforting than hot, meaty stews: specifically Korean stews from Singapore's first Korean stew restaurant, Masizzim? For a belly-warming meal, we recommend the Spicy Seafood Stew, which you can choose to have with beef or without. Served in a cast-iron pot placed over live flames at the table, this dish is a seafood wonderland - it comes with generous portions of prawns, mussels, crayfish, and an entire squid. Another hot, brothy delight is the Kimchi Beef Rib soup, which is a riff on everybody's favourite kimchi jigae (fermented cabbage stew). Masizzim's version is served with stewed beef ribs, glass noodles, and a large wedge of radish, as well as an egg cracked directly into the pot for that oozy, gooey goodness.

Remember to leave some space for their signature rice balls, which is best described as "deconstructed sushi". Basically, you're served with a dollop of sticky rice-barley combination and ingredients that you can shape into any form before eating. Bestsellers include the Tuna and Anchovy as well as the Crabmeat and Roe rice balls.

Masizzim is located at #B3-02 313 Somerset, Tel: 6509 5808.

Best for your pasta purists pals: Mondo Mio

You know who I'm talking about - they turn up their noses at factory-manufactured pastas and are more than capable of having in-depth discussions on the merits of fresh tomato sauce. For these friends, you'll wanna take them to the tried-and-true Mondo Mio. Here, you'll find only handmade pastas and sauces prepared from scratch. Restaurant owner Gabriele Galdi says, "We are traditionalists, so we believe in keeping our food simple and true to the flavours that we grew up with."

This honest approach to cooking must be the secret to Mondo Mio's popularity - the restaurant is in its 10th year and still going strong! In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the kitchen team (helmed by Head Chef Antonio Bisogno) have rolled out a slew of updated menu items. Gnocchetti in Salsa di Scampi, Zafferano e Gamberoni is a must-try for seafood lovers. Using a jealously guarded recipe, Chef Bisogno has created a sublime sauce flavoured with scampi, seafood stock, and fragrant saffron. Paired with the knobbly gnocchetti (similar to macaroni), this pasta also comes with generous servings of grilled prawns. Another must-try is the limited-edition Tagliatelle Fatte in Casa con Crema di Melanzane e Cicale. Thick, flat noodles (similar to our local kuey teow, but thicker) are whipped in a savoury, satisfying blend of eggplant, tomato, and basil, and topped with sautéed crayfish. Delizioso!

Mondo Mio is located at #01-02A Riverside View, 30 Robertson Quay, Tel: 6736 2503.

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