Since champagne brunches were introduced to Singapore, they have gained a firm following. This seems to be unique: Nowhere else in the region has champagne brunch caught on in the same way. Diners here just love starting their Sundays with a massive spread of food and a luxurious drink. Restaurants (mainly in the big hotels) offering champagne brunches face stiffer competition as more players join—and step up—the game. The champagnes are getting fancier, the prices higher, and diners savvier. We tasted some of the bubbly on offer at brunches, and present you with our take.

Glamour Puss

Moët and Chandon Brut Imperial is slinky, sexy and hot. This non-vintage has a distinct taste that is tart but not heavy, and lingers on the palate. Definitely drinkable on a Sunday afternoon, though Moët’s brand image might conjure up scenes of late night clubbing more than scrambled eggs on toast. We liked the filigree fizz of tiny bubbles that uplifts the champagne and counterbalances its round flavor. Strictly for the initiated.

Moët and Chandon Brut Imperial label is served at these brunches:

• Greenhouse, The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore, 7 Raffles Ave., 6434-5288/5285. Sundays 11:30am-3:30pm. $108 per person.
• Town Restaurant, The Fullerton Hotel, 1 Fullerton Sq., 6877-8128. Sundays noon-3pm. $108 per person.

Fun and Friendly

This is how we describe popular champagne Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label. Our first impression of this non-vintage champagne was that it is light, fresh and fruity—and very easy to drink (in fact, all too easy). Tiny bubbles whiz up the champagne flute, and give off a fine fizz that makes this drink very sociable indeed. There is also a lovely fragrance that comes through very nicely. Because Yellow Label is not too heavy, it goes well with almost any type of cuisine and can be drunk any time of day. We could envisage getting through lots of this on a late Sunday morning, with good friends and good food.

According to the folks at Veuve Clicquot, an average of one bottle of its champagne is drunk per person at a Sunday brunch—which means some people are drinking more than a bottle (hee, hee), while others are drinking less (who?). The guys at VC are obviously doing something right.

Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label is served at these brunches:

• One Ninety, Four Seasons, 190 Orchard Rd., 6831-7250. Sundays 11am-3pm. $112 per person.
• Top of the M, Meritus Mandarin Singapore, 333 Orchard Rd., 6831-6258. Sundays and public holidays noon-3pm. $108 per person.

Mediterranean

Our first sip of Duval-Leroy NV Brut made us think of the hot sultry south European climate. Deep gold in color, this champagne was less fizzy than the others we sampled, and sweeter despite being a Brut. Initially, we felt it was too sweet for a Brut, but as we drank more and had it with food, its taste really grew on us. In the end, we decided that of all the champagnes we tried, this was the most suited for drinking during the day, although we might think twice about serving this at dinner. It is best paired with food rather than drunk on its own, and in that sense is like a good wine.

Duval-Leroy NV Brut is served at these brunches:

• Café Brio, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, 392 Havelock Rd., 6233-1100. Sundays noon-3pm, $78 per person.
• Club Chinois, #02-18 Orchard Parade Hotel, 1 Tanglin Rd., 6834-0660. Sundays noon-2:30pm, $78-88
• per person.
• The Terrace, The Sentosa Resort and Spa, 2 Bukit Manis Rd., 6371-1414. Sundays noon-3pm, $98 per person.

Heavy Hitter

Little needs to be said about Grand Cuvee Krug. This powerful non-vintage lives up to Krug’s reputation of being the king of champagnes. Dry and rich with several layers of flavors—fruity, nutty and yeasty—this bubbly deserves to be savored and appreciated. So luxurious is it that we almost felt its place was more at an elegant dinner than a Sunday brunch. Nevertheless, we’d be happy to drink it any time of day. Premium champagne comes at a premium price of course (about $240 per bottle at a wine merchant) and there is only one Sunday brunch that carries it. Go on, treat yourself.

Grand Cuvee Krug is served at:

• One Ninety, Four Seasons, 190 Orchard Rd., 6831-7250. Sundays 11am-3pm. $282 per person.

The Rest

We can’t say much about these because—we didn’t get to try them. But we’ll tell you where they are poured.

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve is served at:

• The Dining Room, Sheraton Towers, 39 Scotts Rd., 6839-5621. Sundays noon-3pm. $48 per person; champagne is ordered separately at $48 per bottle.

Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV is served at:

• Aquamarine, 4/F, Marina Mandarin, 6 Raffles Blvd., 6845-1111. Sundays noon-3:30pm. $98 per person.
• Checkers Brasserie, Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Rd., 6730-3390. Sundays noon-3pm. $68 per person.

Tattinger Brut NV Reserve is served at:

• Capers, 2/F, The Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Rd., 6725-3205. Sunday breakfast-brunch 7am-3pm. $68 per person. You get a choice of free-flow champagne, wine or martini.
• Long Bar Steakhouse, Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Rd., 6331-1612. Sundays 11am-3pm. $98 per person.

Champagne Glossary

Can’t tell your bubbles from your Brut? Here’s a quick lowdown on basic champagne terms.

Brut: Dry. The most popular type of champagne.
Demi sec: Semi-sweet.
Sec: Sweet.
Non-vintage: A champagne that is made from multiple years of grape harvests. The prevailing opinion is that vintages are superior to non-vintages, but increasingly this is being challenged and non-vintages are gaining more respect.
Vintage: A champagne that is made from a single year’s harvest of grapes. Generally considered premium champagne.

Cut the Carbs

Myth: Taking carbohydrates out of your diet is a healthy way to lose weight.
Verdict: False.

Carbohydrates provide about 50-60 percent of the body’s energy calories, so a drastic reduction in carbohydrate intake means the thyroid slows down, decreasing metabolism and the body’s ability to break down fats and carbohydrates. Henson notes this can be detrimental to attempts to lose weight.

In fact, some carbohydrates are good for you. Complex carbohydrates (such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, oats, brown pastas and brown rice) break down gradually, providing short bursts of energy throughout the day, meaning they take longer to add themselves to your beer gut. Henson says: “Complex carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy and consuming enough of them is necessary to ensure the proper digestion of protein to later provide muscle-nourishing nitrogen.”

In comparison, simple carbohydrates (such as anything made from refined white flour, including white pastas and white rice) just add to your weight because they don’t need to be broken down.

But it all depends on just how you eat carbohydrates and how many you eat. Tan explains: “All basic foods are generally good. For example, rice, white or brown, is good. But when we fry it with a lot of oil or butter and add it to fatty meat, we make it bad. Similarly, potatoes are good. But when we turn them into potato chips, we make them bad.”

Intake is also important. Both Henson and Tan agree that the optimal carbohydrate intake is five to six serves per day, throughout the day. Each serve size should be no bigger than a clenched fist. This doesn’t mean you can use your meathead friend’s fist to justify a big bowl of mashed spud. “It’s different for different people because everyone has different sized fists,” says Henson.

And don’t forget: If you cut out carbs, you’ll have to put something else in, and fatty foods are often the unfortunate alternative.

Walking It Off

Myth: Walking burns more fat than running.
Verdict: True.

The most productive form of fat burning exercise is that which keeps your heart rate in the fat burning zone for the longest. According to Henson, this means that is it not necessarily the intensity of the exercise that’s important, but the amount of time we can keep our heart at the ideal fat-burning heart rate. So if you’re unfit, then running around the block twice for 10 minutes might knock the hell out of you, but a less intense 20-minute walk might maintain your heart rate for longer, bringing about better results. It all depends on the individual and how much work you need to do to give your heart a good cardio workout.

Stretching Out

Myth: Flexibility indicates fitness.
Verdict: True.

If you’ve had joint pain after a long flight, you’ll know that moving your joints is important. Chung argues that flexibility is an indication of health and fitness because it’s a demonstration of the health of the parts of your body that move your joints: Your muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues. Exercising the joints gets the blood pumping, another important consideration. “Blood flow brings nutrients, oxygen, and carries off toxins,” Chung advises.

Hide From the Hawker

Myth: All hawker food is unhealthy and fattening.
Verdict: False.

Tan cautions that when eating hawker food, we must be discriminating about what we eat and how we eat it. “Go for less oily, less salty, less sweet and less flour-coated foods,” she warns.

So, while not all hawker food is bad, that doesn’t mean you should grab the next plate of carrot cake you see. Tan spoon-fed us some tips on how to handle that tempting hawker fare:

• Fried noodles and yong tau foo should be eaten less often. But if you really can’t help yourself, at least buy a smaller portion.
• Curry laksa is another one to avoid, but if you’ve ordered it, then leave the gravy behind rather than polishing off the whole bowl.
• Eat less of the rice in your chicken rice order or ask for plain rice. On top of that, don’t eat the chicken skin and add some vegetables to the dish.
• When ordering dry noodles, ask for no oil.

Overall, the best way to make hawker food healthier is to encourage hawkers to modify their recipes by choosing healthier options.

Do You Measure Up

Myth: BMI is an indicator of ideal weight and fitness.
Verdict: The jury’s out.

BMI (Body Mass Index) is simply a formula that tells you if you are over- or under-weight according to your height. It is calculated by dividing your body weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. Don’t get it? Try: Body weight (kg) ÷ [Height (m) x Height (m)]. The healthy range for Asians is 18.5-23.

So if your BMI is higher than average, does that mean you’re unfit and fat? Our experts were unable to agree on this. Tan acknowledges that there is no ideal weight, but sees BMI as “a good measure of healthy weight range. It does not necessarily indicate fitness, but it indicates health and or disease risks.”

Henson disagrees. “I find it [BMI] highly inaccurate,” he says. For instance, Henson contends that it does not apply to really active individuals. “Take a 90 kg athlete with a fat percentage of eight percent and a height of 1.73 m—a BMI of 30.1. According to this formula, he would be considered obese.” Henson suggests a different formula: The waist-to-hip ratio test. “Simple. The waist should be smaller than the hips. If not, you are overweight.”

Work Those Muscles

Yoga giant Pure Yoga (#18-00 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Rd., 6733-8863) has arrived from Hong Kong. This studio is part of its plan to expand all over Asia, offering classes in yin yoga, yoga dance, hot yoga, hatha yoga and ashtanga vinyasa. Its teachers are from all around the world, and you’ll appreciate the finer touches here: Padlocks are provided, classes can be booked up to two days ahead either over the phone or online, and there are plenty of relaxation lounges where you can chill out with a good book if you’re a little early for your class.

Machine Powered

If you prefer to stretch and strengthen with machine precision, then Sky Pilates (#05-03 Liat Towers, 541 Orchard Rd., 6100-7597) has also arrived. It has brand spanking new machines, and its classes allow you to use almost the full array of pilates equipment—from the reformer machines to the ladder barrel to the wunder chair to the Cadillac. Because these super high tech reformers have a tower built in, you’ll be exposed to about 80 percent of the equipment, rather than the usual restrictions you find in group classes. There’s even a gyrotonic pulley tower if you want something different.

Run Away

If you like the feel of the wind in your hair while your feet pound the pavement, then you’ll be pleased to know that Running Lab (#03-20 Funan DigitaLife Mall, 109 North Bridge Rd., 6336-6775) has opened a store dedicated to running. There are running accessories like NATHAN hydration systems and Ingenious double-layer sports socks. Running Lab suggests that you bring your old runners in with you when you want to buy a new pair so that its staff can best tell what will suit your running style and feet. There’s even a treadmill for you to try out your new shoes before you buy.