Amara's Shutters restaurant is an oasis of calm in the midst of Singapore's playground, Sentosa. If you're looking for a place to lunch on the island but you're not up to fighting with bus loads of tourists, hordes of beach-goers or to break the bank with an ultra luxury experience (and frankly, those days happen more often than not), then Shutters is perfect. It's great food at an affordable price with easy parking, minutes away from any point in Sentosa.
When we went there, the international menu held some very pleasant surprises. Comfort classics like Hainanese Chicken Rice and Wagyu Cheeseburger are generously portioned and tasty. It's a thoughtful crew that runs Shutters, and they provide little touches - the bread basket for example has a mini-pizza and cream cheese.
Shut out the madding crowd in your own sanctuary-within-a-sanctuary at Shutters, and be rewarded with classic food prepared well. it's a simple proposition, and one that's well worth exploring! (May 2012)
"The natural ambiance that overlooked lush greenery on the outside of the glass‑encased restaurant immediately put us in an indulgent mood for its buffet lunch." -I-S Asia-City
"The creme brulee ($12) was a dream. The cempedak, a slimy pungent fruit on its own, tasted wonderful when blended into the custard of cream and eggs.
The apple and banana in filo pastry ($15) was great too, with the soft, sweet bananas balancing the tartness of the apples." -Asiaone.com
The Beef Teriyaki Set is an innocent name for the chunks of sliced Angus strip-loin that arrived glazed in sweet Teriyaki sauce and a overly-generous bowl of steamed fragrant rice. For added flavor, dunk the beef in even more teriyaki dipping oil (kindly provided standard), drip onto the rice and... Are you salivating yet?
The Sanctuary Special Creme Brûlée is a dessert that characterizes the Shutters experience well. Don't be fooled by its nondescript appearance, dig into the vanilla custard and search for what lies beneath the surface. Unbelievably, it's chempedak. You don't see this local fruit much on dinner tables anymore, let alone anchoring a French dessert. If you don't know what chempedak is, well let's just say its a flavor so strong it could power a 125cc motorbike. An acquired taste for sure, but treated masterfully here with cream and almond nougatine. Almost worth making the entire trip out just for this curiosity! (May 2012)

"Like many resort eateries, Amara Sanctuary’s in-house restaurant naturally serves all-day dining, with an open-kitchen concept and alfresco terrace, but we’re drawn more to their repertoire, which strongly features Singaporean cuisine with a modern twist. Chilli crab au gratin, anyone?
-Time Out Singapore DBS Indulge: 10% off total food bill.
Citibank Gourmet Pleasure: 10% off total bill. Offer valid till 30 Jun 2013.
Standard Chartered The Good Life: 10% off total bill. Offer valid till 31 Dec 2013.