Hospitality that turns a meal into a memory

In a shark tank as competitive as Singapore’s restaurant scene, every word, smile and touch counts.

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(Above) The consomme served at the start of the meal at 54 Steakhouse is crafted from beef cuts and aromatics. (Left) At Goodwood Park Hotel's dining establishments, guests are given chairs for their bags. (Left) For Restaurant Born's upcoming menu, all guests will receive a tin of tea as a keepsake.

(54 STEAKHOUSE GOODWOOD PARK HOTEL RESTAURANT BORN)

“It started out with our first menu serving a kamasutra cocktail that has garlic wine in it,” says cofounder Yugnes Susela, 37. “Just wanted to save those on their first dates.”

As for pads, the bar stocks extralong liners to fit everyone, though it is not picky about the exact brand. “We understand women have their preferences for sanitary pad brands, so the liners are there to get them by till they get their preferred ones.”

Cenzo, on the other hand, sticks to Carefree and Whisper sanitary products for their reliability and comfort. Nitty Gritty specifically sources from local period care brand Blood, whose products are made from corn.

“Our main dish, grits, is made from ground corn, so we thought it would be funny and relevant,” says Mrs Bradley.

For the other items, however, anything goes, as long as it is convenient. Costs come up to around $30 each month, on top of the few free samples the restaurant occasionally gets from Blood.

This figure hovers around the range of $15 to $20 for Cenzo, and $50 for The Elephant Room, which replenishes supplies every three or four weeks with Shopee bundles.

And the expense does not go unnoticed. “Guests love it. From time to time, we get them coming out of the toilet to tell their friends about it or to tell us how much they love it,” Mr Susela says.