February 2007
For many years, Cathay Restaurant at the Cathay Building
was regarded as one of the finest Chinese restaurants in Singapore.
It was the choice venue for exquisite Chinese food
and was a favoured setting for many a special occasion.
We invite you to partake of this experience again at our new,
The Cathay Restaurant.
An era past
The Cathay Restaurant was not a Chinese restaurant when it first opened in 1940. In fact, it served European fare.
The fame and reputation of Cathay Restaurant reached new heights in 1951 when it was renovated and re-opened to serve Chinese food. It was at that time Singapore’s finest Chinese restaurant, specializing in Cantonese and Shanghainese cuisine.
The ambience of the restaurant was a combination of Eastern and Western influences. There was a bar which served up exotic cocktails, a dance floor and a resident band which would entertain every night with popular Chinese songstresses such as Ruby Wah in attendance.
The Cathay Hotel and Cathay Restaurant were Mrs Loke Yew’s, (the founder of Cathay Organisation and the developer of Cathay Building) passions. She paid great attention to the restaurant; from its management to selection of dishes and menus.
The advent of the sixties saw a decline in its popularity as many Chinese restaurants had begun to sprout up and the market became competitive. On 31 December 1964, with new initiatives by the company, the restaurant closed and was converted into Cathay Organisation’s head office.
Nostalgia revived
At The Cathay, the new building comes full circle with the cineplex, the shops, the apartments and now, The Cathay Restaurant : all facets of the original building.
The Cathay Restaurant opened on 27 January 2007. Diners of today, like in the past, can look forward to authentic and delicious Chinese fare set amidst an ambience of understated elegance.
The restaurant is owned by Cathay Building 2002 PL and managed by PG Management Services, a subsidiary of the Peach Garden Group.
Established in 2002, the Peach Garden Group of restaurants has received numerous accolades and awards from Tatler’s Best Restaurants, Wine & Dine magazine as well as American Express.
At the helm in the kitchen is Master Chef Ho Tsan Kan who hails from Hong Kong. Since the mid 1980s, Master Chef Ho has worked with very popular Chinese restaurants in Singapore. The Cathay Restaurant offers ala carte and set menus for both lunch and dinner as well as a dim sum menu during lunch. Signature dishes will also be expressly created by Master Chef Ho.
The Cathay Restaurant is a fusion of past and present, literally. It sits in a space that straddles both the heritage facade and new building, weaving an interesting union of past and present.
The traditional motive of bamboo is rendered in contemporary style with images onto aluminium screens, reminiscent of old Chinese screens. Images featured include former Cathay film stars and Cathay movie scenes amidst a modern setting.
Another reminder of the past are the five private dining rooms named after Cathay’s cinemas: the Pavilion, Majestic, Odeon, Ruby and Regal.
The Pavilion was Cathay’s very first cinema which opened in Kuala Lumpur in 1936. The Majestic is named after The Majestic in Chinatown which was originally a cinema now turned into a shopping complex. The Odeon is named after the Odeon along North Bridge Road and Rank Organisation’s Odeon cinema chain of the 1930s. Cathay and Rank were business partners once upon a time. The Ruby was Cathay’s cinema at Balestier Road and the Regal which opened in 1979 in Bukit Merah, was Cathay’s first suburban cinema in Singapore.
With a seating capacity of 200, The Cathay Restaurant is located on level 2 of The Cathay.
Experience a whimsical revival of the most popular Chinese restaurant in Singapore of an era past with promises of an inimitable gastronomic experience of the present.
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."
Virginia Woolf, Novelist, 1881 - 1945
THE CATHAY RESTAURANT FACT SHEET
Opened : 27 January 2007
Location : #02-01 The Cathay, Handy Road
Owned by : Cathay Building 2002 Pte Ltd
Managed by : PG Management Services (subsidiary of the Peach Garden Group)
Master Chef : Master Chef Ho Tsan Kan
Space Area : 5,634 sq ft
Dining area : Main dining area & 5 private rooms
Total capacity : 190 pax
Main Dining Room : 148 pax
Private Rooms : 42 pax
Private Rooms : Regal - 4pax
Ruby - 8 pax
Pavilion - 10 pax
Majestic - 10 pax
Odeon - 10 Pax
(The Pavilion, Majestic & Odeon rooms can be opened into one
private room to seat up to 4 tables of 10 pax each.
The Regal & Ruby rooms can be opened up into one private room to
accommodate 2 tables of 10 pax each).
Opening Hours : Mondays to Saturdays Lunch 11.30am to 3pm & Dinner 6pm to 10.30pm Sundays Lunch 11am to 3pm & Dinner 6pm to 10.30pm
Address : 2 Handy Road, #02-01 The Cathay, Singapore 229233
Reservations Hotline Number : 6732 788
Tel : 6732 6623 Fax : 6732 1203
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