Taking mum out to dine on Mother’s Day is easy, especially if you, like many, see it as the perfect excuse to visit the family’s favourite zi char restaurant (even if it is for the third time in a week).

The allure rests squarely on those familiar classics and it is the no-frills option any mother would approve; but if there is one thing our bubbly dining scene never fails to do, it is surprise us. And this year’s offerings for Mothers’ Day dining are prodigious.

She can, for example, savour a succulent Japanese Tajima Wagyu A3 sirloin, as part of Japanese steakhouse Fat Cow’s three-course Mother’s Day set lunch.

And while, she probably would go on about the unnecessarily pricey alternative to a modest family dinner at, say, Good Year Seafood Village, that should not deter one from openly contemplating the value in a bowl of Nyonya laksa with slipper lobster as part of Lime’s Mother’s Day Brunch.

Or, for that matter, the opportunity to luxuriate in unlimited helpings of American lobster via similar offerings at 10 at Claymore (Pan Pacific Orchard) and Gourmet Carousel at Royal Plaza on Scotts, to name a few (if only because the price of lobster is at its highest in 50 years).

And let’s not forget mums who appreciate dad taking over baby duties so that they would not have to worry too much about having their fill of the Louis Roederer Brut 2008 at the Garden Pavilion’s Mother’s Day Vintage Champagne Brunch at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, for example. But why stop there?

DINING BLIND

No meal is as surprising and eye-opening as a mystery menu savoured in complete darkness. Which is exactly what NOX – Dine In The Dark is all about. Just for Mother’s Day, this dinner-only restaurant will open for lunch, offering a two-course (S$68) and three-course (S$88) Mother’s Day Set Lunch menu for the occasion. Each course comprises four dishes, while each set comes with a complementary glass of sparkling wine, coffee or tea and petit four. But in line with the multi-sensory dining experience, the rest of the prix fixe menu by head chef Desmond Lee remains anyone’s guess until guests are done with the meal. And, yes, mother dines for free with every three paying guests.

Call 6298 0708 to make a reservation.

HEIRLOOM DELIGHTS

For a unique taste of home, Shangri-La Singapore is putting the spotlight on personal recipes that have been handed down through generations. The hotel held a social hunt for the best heirloom recipes titled The Gift Of Time, and on May 10, eight winning recipes from regular folk will be presented as part of The Line’s Sunday brunch (S$108/S$158 with champagne). Among them, Celestine Joseph offered a “Jewish curry” recipe by her mother, now aged 90, who used to cook the dish on special occasions, and even served it at an eatery she once ran for more than 30 years. A seafood dish with suan pan zi (yam abacus seeds) — Ben Low’s mother-in-law’s take on a traditional Hakka dish — also made the cut; as did a selection of hors d’oeuvres by Michael Cain’s mum: The concombre aux saumon (cucumber and salmon), beurre de crevettes (prawn butter) and crab meat vol au vents. Diners can vote for their favourite dish and the four with the highest votes will be featured for a week each in August.

Call 6213 4398 for details and to make a reservation.

NOSTALGIC BEST

If you want to impress mum with a huge dollop of nostalgia, making a return to the original revolving restaurant is hard to beat. The 38-year-old landmark Prima Tower is presenting two dedicated set menus in a month-long celebration of mothers from May 1 to 31. The eight-course Peking Duck and Seafood Set Lunch (S$258 for 10 people, available for lunch on Fridays, weekends and public holidays), for instance, features its feted dish of shredded scallops with fish and egg white alongside other specialities. Similar to the eight-course Exclusive Set Menu (S$468 for 10 people, for lunch and dinner, with a bottle of red wine), these discounted menus (originally priced at S$383 and S$720, respectively) have been curated by Master Chef Chan Sung Og, offering a selection of the best of classic Beijing dishes.

Call 6272 8822/8988 for details and to make a reservation.

PERANAKAN SPECIALS

Because mums deserve the best, Indocafe-The White House is offering a rare taste of Peranakan celebratory dishes. Known for its contemporary Straits-Peranakan cuisine, the restaurant’s Mother’s Day a la carte buffet brunch includes a selection of “vanishing” recipes; dishes that few restaurants still serve. Specials include the pasembur, a Nyonya-style rojak with yam bean and cucumber; tempoyak asparagus (asparagus stir-fried with fermented durian), perut ikan and nasi ulam. This buffet brunch, with 40 dishes to choose, from is priced at S$48 per adult (S$24 per child age 12), available only on May 10 from 11.30am to 3pm.

Call 6733 2656 for details and to make a reservation.