Singaporeans are no strangers to Halloween, but few realise its ancient roots lie in Samhain, a Celtic harvest festival celebrated in Ireland over 2,000 years ago. This October and November, Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, is tapping into that lively spirit of warmth and feasting, partnering with six celebrated establishments in Singapore, including Carnaby, Cygnet by Sean Connolly, UMMI Lebanese Dining, and Boaters Bar, for A Taste of Ireland: Samhain Edition.
This month-long culinary showcase, running from now to 15 November 2025, seeks to bring Singaporean diners on a deep dive into Ireland’s world-class, sustainably farmed produce. We were invited to explore the showcase at Cygnet over dinner, via a curated meal that began with a welcome cocktail and then moved through starters, sharing mains and dessert. Who can resist a curated Best of Ireland feast like this?
Our evening opened with the Shanky Panky a bold cocktail, presented by Carnaby, made of Born Irish Whiskey, Shanky’s Whip, Campari and blood orange bitters, a vibrant, slightly cheeky tipple that set the tone.
For starters, we began with oysters in two styles. One served by UMMI Lebanese Dining with pomegranate molasses, the other by Cygnet by Sean Connolly with classic mignonkette and lemon.
The UMMI version stood out for its sweetness-tang, the pomegranate molasses adding unexpected depth to the clean brine of the oyster.
The Cygnet version, on the other hand, was a crisp, sharper counterpoint, lemon and mignonette letting the sea-freshness of the Atlantic oyster shine through.
Moving into the sharing platters, we started with the famed Irish duck, served in many forms.
From Boaters Bar at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove, we sampled Irish Duck Breast with a Blackpitts orange reduction, red wine pear and velvety mash. The citrus-sweetness of the orange reduction blends well with the rich duck, delivering a robust flavour. Great for those who like something more intense.
Next from Carnaby, we were enthralled by the Confit Duck Leg with colcannon (an Irish-style potato and cabbage mash), charred sprouts, wild blackberries and a hot honey-thyme jus. The charred sprouts and wild blackberries gave the dish a texture and flavour contrast that spoke of wild landscapes and seasonal abundance. Love this dish and it was one of our favourites for the night.
From UMMI, we had the 7 Spices Duck Leg with orange glaze, grilled cabbage and preserved fennel, with the orange glaze giving sweetness, the cabbage and fennel providing backbone. The spice notes come out strong for this dish and is reminiscent of Chinese five spice dishes.
The final main served was an Irish Beef Fillet, grilled to perfection at Cygnet, paired with colcannon mash and finished with a silky Irish whiskey cream sauce. The mash brought texture and warmth, the fillet had a lovely char and spring, and the cream sauce tied it to the campaign’s theme of harvest comfort. You cannot go wrong with a comfort dish.
For dessert, UMMI’s Baklawa was served with yoghurt Irish ice cream made with Avonmore cream. The richness of the cream balanced with the crisp pastry and the unexpected yoghurt tang made for a satisfying finale. This is an interesting presentation of a classic Middle Eastern dessert item, infused with Irish ingredient.
Overall, an excellent presentation of the fine produce that Ireland has to offer, curated in one meal. What works particularly well here is the underlying story. Ireland’s produce is not just premium, it is traceable, sustainable and rooted in a commitment to provenance. Through its Origin Green programme, Ireland claims to be the world’s only national food and drink sustainability scheme, with thousands of farmers and hundreds of food producers working to measurable targets. The Halloween and Samhain narrative added on more colours.
If you are looking to sample something different from the usualy spooky eats for a Halloween feast, consider checking out A Taste of Ireland: Samhain Edition at participating restaurants in Singapore from now to 15 November.
