Immerse yourself in the slew of great events coming your way this weekend!

Ballet Under the Stars
Date: 17 to 19 July 2009 (Fri to Sun)
Venue: Fort Canning Green
Pre-show performance: 6.30pm to 7.15pm
Main performance: 7.30pm onwards

The Singapore Dance Theatre presents its 15th edition of Ballet Under the Stars (BUTS) this weekend at Fort Canning Green. The main performances include Stand Up For Singapore (as a celebration of Singapore’s 44th birthday), Sleeping Beauty, Double Contrasts by renowned choreographer Goh Choo San, and more. Pre-show performances by students from NUS, LASALLE, NAFA will whet your appetite for the main performances scheduled to begin at 7.30pm. Tickets cost $25/person, or $15/person for students, NSmen and senior citizens. (Admission is free for children under 6 years old.)

Lit Up Singapore 2009 – Opening Ceremony
Date: 18 July 2009 (Sat)
Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm
Venue: The Chamber @ The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane

Lit Up Singapore is a week-long festival for young writers and readers, showcasing the works of literary geniuses. The opening ceremony this Saturday is chock-full of performances in music, poetry, prose, and let’s not forget, free food. Other festival events to look out for include open mic nights from Saturday to Thursday (at different locations each night), a fashion parade (24 July), forums from Tuesday to Thursday, and more. Admission is free! (Visit www.litup.sg for details.)

Jazz by the Beach
Date: Every Saturday (July 2009)
Time: 6pm to 10.30pm
Venue: Cool Deck, Siloso Beach, Sentosa

Be serenaded by local and international jazz artistes as they deliver soothing melodies executed with vocal flair. It’s also a great opportunity to catch up on some R&R with friends as you bask in the twilight surrounded by sand and sea. Admission is free, although island admission and transport charges still apply.

Food

Relish
501 Bukit Timah Road
#02-01 Cluny Court
Singapore 259760
Opening hours:
Mon - Fri: Noon - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Weekends: Noon - 11pm
Tel: 67631547

This Father’s day, take your Dad out to feast on a burger at Relish. The most reviewed and talked about burger is the mouth-watering Wild Rocket burger that comes with a thick and juicy beef patty. All the burgers at Relish are paired up with specially selected beers and come with crispy fries to make for a truly ‘happy meal’.

If beef does not satiate the appetite, perhaps your Dad will enjoy the Seafood Burger with fresh tangy of lemon mayonnaise. The burger boasts a unique seafood patty of crab, squid, fish and prawn.

Entertainment

A River Romance: The Dance Musical
UOB Promenade
Dates: 19, 20, 21, 26 & 27 June 2009
Time: 8.30pm to 9.30pm
Free Admission

The Singapore River Festival runs for its second year from 19 to 27 June, with host of exciting lifestyle and entertainment events on and along the river for a wonderful nightlife experience.

This year’s festival boasts a delightful musical by the river. Discover the romance of the Singapore River, as the musical brings you a beautiful love story set amidst the hustle and bustle of Singapore River’s flourishing trading port in its heyday. A grand visual spectacle not to be missed. Visit www.singaporeriverfestival.com for more details.

Jazz by the River: An Evening of Cuban Jazz
Asian Civilisations Museum Green
Date: 19 June 2009
Time: 9.30pm to 11.30pm
Free Admission

If dance is not your thing, be serenaded by the sexy and soulful sounds of Cuban Jazz at this sundown jazz session by the river featuring Fabiola Zuniga and her Cuban band.

Food

Rakuichi Japanese Restaurant
Far East Shopping Centre, #03-11
Tel: 6737 0757
Closed on Sundays

Blk 10 Dempsey Road, #01-22
Tel: 6474 2143
Closed on Mondays

Lunch is the best time to visit this little hideout, especially when specially crafted set menus come nicely priced at $23.60.

Plus, word has it that two chefs who used to work in Kuriya Japanese Restaurant (a leading restaurant for Japanese cuisine in Singapore) now labour in Rakuichi's kitchen. Thus you would be in for a gastronomic experience here too!

There are three different lunch set meals to choose from. A basic set offers you quite a spread with fresh sashimi, grilled salmon, sesame tofu, soft shell crab, miso soup and rice. A bowl of salad is served to whet your appetite before the main course.

For sesame lovers out there, do not miss out on the winning sesame tofu which is distinctively infused with sesame flavours. To end off a nice meal, black sesame ice cream is served for dessert to top it all off!

Service at Rakuichi is prompt, although most seats are filled during lunch time. Rakuichi will be the perfect place to rest your feet and fill your belly as you head to town this weekend for the Great Singapore Sale.

Entertainment

Green Generation Concert
Date: 5 June 2009
Venue: Singapore Botanic Gardens (Symphony Stage, Palm Valley)
Time: 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Free Admission

The youth community today is bustling with energy, ideas and a heart for saving the earth. To mark World Environment Day, the Green Generation Concert aims to raise public awareness for conservation among youths. A mix of performances from secondary schools and other local talents will be presented, with the central message of conserving the environment. Look out for the renowned dance and theatre group, STOMP, who will put up a resounding performance using recycled materials.

Food

Haato
5 Ridgewood Close, Unit G1
Opening hours: 11am to 10.30pm (Sun to Thu); 11am to 11pm (Fri & Sat); Kitchen closes at 9.30pm

With outlets at Liang Court, Marina Square and Suntec City, Haato is an increasingly popular home-grown brand of ice cream. Its flagship outlet at Ridgewood Close also serves hot food such as chicken katsu curry don, smoked salmon arrabiata, focaccia sandwiches, as well as finger food. However, customers usually frequent Haato for its crispy-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside waffles and unique gelato flavours such as green tea with red bean, yuzu (citrus) sorbet, and sweet potato with honey and chestnut.

Irvin’s Seafood Sze Char
397 River Valley Road (opposite Great World City)
Opening hours: 5pm to 10pm (Mon); 11.30am to 10.30pm (Tue to Sun)
For reservations or delivery: 6836 5020

With its neon lights and large banners screaming “$18 for Sri Lankan crabs”, Irvin’s might come across as just another restaurant that’s all talk with nothing to show for. However, have a meal there and you’ll realise you were sorely mistaken. Each crab dish is indeed $18, except for a handful of premium items such as Crab with Salted Egg Yolk, which is popular for its buttery egg yolk sauce.

Unknown to newcomers, there are two unique dishes not listed on the menu – Curry Hor Fun and Fried Shredded Kailan. Despite being immersed in curry sauce, the hor fun amazingly still retains its smoky wok-fried flavour. Meanwhile, the kailan vegetables are finely shredded and fried to a crisp. Both dishes are about $6 to $8 each, and worth every cent!

Did you know? Labour Day originated as a holiday to commemorate the economic and social contributions of blue-collared workers.

Here are some things you can do to unwind over this long weekend!

Food
Udders Ice Cream Café
155 Thomson Road
Opening Hours: 12 noon to 11pm (Sun to Thu); 12 noon to midnight (Fri, Sat and eve of Public Holidays)

Make your child’s day with a delightful ice cream treat at Udders! Lovingly created by the "artists" at Udders, each ice-cream flavour promises an unmistakable sensation of sweetness.

Kid Safe Flavours: Cookies and Cream, VaMilla (Vanilla ice-cream with almonds and marzipan)

Flavours to make grandma happy: Gula Meleka, Durian, and Hazel Nut

Signature alcohol ice-cream: Lychee Martini, and the all new Choya Lime

Sale
Get your dollar’s worth

Address: Page One Singapore Private Limited
20 Kaki Bukit View, Kaki Bukit Techpark 2 Singapore 415956
Nearest MRT: Eunos
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (30 April to 2 May)
10am – 7pm (Sunday, 3rd May)

If you intend to spend a quiet weekend reading a good book, the Page One warehouse sale will make you reconsider your weekend plans. With discounts up to 70% off art and design, lifestyle, and children’s books, and up to 12,000 titles available, you’re sure to find what you want. The sale begins today!

Entertainment
Stirrings

Address: 1 Esplanade Drive
Singapore 038981
Time: 6pm – 8.15pm
Venue: The Concourse

Soak in the soothing sounds of Japanese, Thai, and Indian Music at the Esplanade concourse. Performance times range from 6pm to 8.15pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the musical pieces put up by Shakuhachi Master Hideyuki UENO (Japan) and the Chulalongkorn University Thai Music Ensemble (Thailand), and sway with the piano-accompanied choir voices of Zhouqian and Friends.

Click here for more details.

Food & Entertainment

World Gourmet Summit 2009
Date: 19 April 09 to 2 May 09

Gourmands, chefs, and aspiring chefs can look forward to two weeks of divine immersion in all things culinary. True to its name, this gastronomic extravaganza features enticing events such as wine and culinary master classes, workshops by world-renowned industry professionals, dinners graced with the work of Michelin-star chefs, and more. But hurry, tickets are running out fast. Visit www.worldgourmetsummit.com for details.


Light Years Ahead! – The Zouk 18th Anniversary
Date: 18 April 09 (Sat)
Time: Doors open 10am; showtime 11pm
Admission: (For non-members, inc. two drinks) $18 before 10pm, $25/$30 after 10pm

Join the epitome in “nightlife” as it celebrates its 18th anniversary with a bang! After close to two decades, Zouk continues to unite people through music, create a culture of its own, and bring life to the night. A “dance-umentary” of the event will be filmed, so remember to abide by the dress code – shiny, shimmery, splendid!

Food

Beef tenderloin on "pu-ye" leaf on a granite hot stone, served with a fan of soba tempura

Dozo Restaurant
491 River Valley Rd, #02-02/03, Valley Point
Tel: 6838 6966
Open daily: 11.30am to 2.30pm & 5.30pm to 10pm

Chawanmushi infused with foie gras; carpaccio beef served with parmesan cheese and truffle mayo; sake-infused grilled unagi on hot stone; white sesame panna cotta with black sesame ice cream...If these don't tantalise your taste buds, I don't know what will!

With an interesting menu serving Japanese-French fusion cuisine, every course at Dozo is an explosion of tastes and textures. A six-course meal (only served during lunch) and seven-course dinner costs $39.80++ and $59.80++ respectively.

Meanwhile, the high service standard at Dozo also ensures that you'll enjoy fine dining in a classy restaurant while feeling right at home. The waiters even engage in light banter with patrons. This is a definite must-try! Visit www.dozo.com.sg for details.

To usher in the weekend, JobsCentral Community presents a new feature every Friday, where we provide recommendations to help you make the most of your well-deserved break!

Here's our pick for food and entertainment "must-trys" this weekend...