2022 is off to a promising start as Singapore's dining scene is experiencing a welcome awakening, especially with spring's arrival and more travel lanes easing and opening. Here in the Lion City, the restaurant landscape is going through a palpable revival; people are more comfortable dining out and palates are getting more adventurous.
Deciding where to have your next meal? Here's the latest in MICHELIN news, from refreshed menus, decadent celebrations, and new dining experiences to add to your list!
Mauro Colagreco of 3-MICHELIN-Starred Mirazur to Open New Restaurant at Capella Singapore
After the successful pop-up of his three-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant, Mirazur, at the Mandala Club in Singapore in 2021, chef Mauro Colagreco has partnered with MICHELIN Guide Hotel Capella Singapore for a brand new concept.
Slated to open in the summer of 2022, Fiamma, which translates to "flame"in Italian, is an ode to the Italian-Argentine chef's grandmother's way of cooking, juxtaposed with his burning passion for the culinary arts, which he compares to the flame of a fire. Guests are to expect a range of dishes prepared by way of open-flame cooking, while making use of fresh, seasonal produce, with Capella's herb garden being one of Fiamma's direct sources.
"This new venture has been imaged by my life’s influences, from being inspired by the nature in life, to my joy of sharing what makes the essence of the restaurant: Bringing the flame of people together, generosity, and the simple joys of providing authentic hospitality,” shares Colagreco. “Growing up in the Colagreco family, the appreciation for fine Italian cuisine and its essence was integral in our daily life,” he adds.
This will be Colagreco's second restaurant in Singapore. The first international outpost of CARNE, his smart casual burger chain with an eco-conscious ethos, located in Amoy Street, opened on 25 February 2021.
Experience 2-MICHELIN-Starred Restaurant Story at the National Museum of Singapore from 29 March to 29 April 2022
The National Museum of Singapore brings in a new "collection" of a different style this April as Tom Sellers of 2-Star restaurant Story in London holds residency at Flutes Restaurant. According to our MICHELIN Guide inspectors, the tasting menus at Story are visually impressive and are crafted with care and precision, with ingredients at the luxurious end of the scale and modern techniques bringing out the best in every item. The dishes are also praised for their imaginative and playful touches.
Sellers brings with him a wealth of experience, having trained under the wings of some of the world's most influential chefs, including Tom Aikens of 1-Star Muse in London, Thomas Keller of 3-Star Per Se in New York, and René Redzepi of recently-awarded 3-Star Noma in Copenhagen — all before the age of 21.
Seats for lunch and dinner will be available, with an option to add on an alcoholic drink pairing. Story's signature dishes such as the as the Rabbit Sandwich, which is a pressed rabbit leg coated in polenta and fried with citrus-pickled carrots and a tarragon emulsion, and the Paddington Bear, Sellers's ode to the well-loved English bear's favourite marmalade sandwich, with the chef's version made with foie gras, cardamom, and marmalade.
Story's residency at Flutes Restaurant in The National Museum of Singapore accommodates 35 guests at lunch and 45 guests at dinner, with prices starting from $268++ for lunch and $398++ for dinner. An alcoholic beverage pairing is also available for an additional $148++ for lunch and $228++ for dinner. Make a booking here.
Jeremy Gillon and Kirk Westaway Showcase France and England in a One-Night-Only Dinner on 21 March
On 21 March 2022, French chef Jeremy Gillon of one-MICHELIN-Starred JAG joins hands with English chef Kirk Westaway of two-MICHELIN-Starred JAAN by Kirk Westaway for their second Les Copains d’Abord dinner of the year. With the dinner taking place at JAG, Les Copains d’Abord is a special culinary event that celebrates the bond and friendship between chefs, while paying homage to seasonal produce and the people behind them.
To honour the farmers of both chefs' home countries of France and England, this special degustation dinner will comprise four canapés, amuse bouche, bread and butter, three appetisers, a tea, a fish course, a meat course, a platter of cheese, pre-dessert, desserts, and mignardises.
Guests can expect spring's bounty with harvest such as fennel, green pea, salicornia, purple and yellow cauliflowers, asparagus, blackcurrant, and rhubarb; all handpicked from France and England. For proteins, langoustine and crab are featured, along with wild foraged herbs from the alps of Savoie — the foundation of Gillon's cuisine at JAG.
This one-night-only dinner will take place on 21 March 2022, Monday. The dinner, priced at $398++ per guest, is available from 6pm. Book your table for here.
Buona Terra Welcomes Guests with Rejuvenated Interiors to Celebrate a Decade of Fine Italian Gastronomy
Translating to "Good Earth", Buona Terra celebrates a decadent milestone of 10 years by giving its restaurant interiors a new look. Housed in a black-and-white colonial bungalow, the one-MICHELIN-Starred Italian restaurant's refreshed interiors aim to welcome more light and enhance its sophistication through large glass windows that open onto lush greenery, a dynamic balance of straight lines and fluted pilasters, all while extending its botanical motif that is accentuated with a curved ceiling fixture to resemble a huge ovoid tendril.
Our MICHELIN Guide inspectors praise Buona Terra for how chef Denis Lucchi puts a new spin on traditional items, which are rooted deeply in Italian heritage. As of today till March 2022, Buona Terra features its winter menu that showcases ingredients at their prime, such as puntarelle, salsify, citruses, and more.
Highlights of Buona Terra's "Experience" menu include a starter of Carpaccio, where slices of raw amberjack are served with Calabrian mandarin orange segments, confit Buddha’s hand, citrus caviar, Salicornia (an edible succulent), lime powder, and Amalfi lemon purée, finished with horseradish snow and dogfennel.
A dish of Scampi presents Mozambique scampi grilled binchotan-style, overlaid with a translucent sheet of lardo, and served with puntarelle prepared two ways: rolled with Artigiana burrata, and as a salad tossed with preserved Amalfi lemon skin and black garlic purée. The scampi is matched with a ‘bagna cauda’ anchovy sauce.
Taking centrestage as the main course is an Irish duck, served in a dish called Anatra, which alludes to the bird. Dry-aged for 10 days, glazed with Italian acacia honey, and coated in herbs and spices, the duck is then grilled bone-in and binchotan-style. Carved straight from the bone, the duck breast is served with a salsify purée made by blending the root vegetable after poaching in milk and coffee beans, and deep-fried salsify crisps for texture. The dish is finished with sautéed morel mushrooms, black garlic purée, and a moscato sauce. Book a table at Buona Terra here.
Art Unveils New Degustación Menu
As described by our MICHELIN Guide inspectors, Art, the stylish restaurant above the National Gallery, not only commands sensational views, but also boasts exquisitely plated courses that are not only rooted in tradition, but are also invigorated by creativity, finesse, and inventive food combinations that always satisfy.
Executive chef Daniele Sperindio describes his latest episodic tasting menu as taking on a more mature perspective. A dish called CAMEO alludes to a commercial brand of a panna cotta mix that was loved by Sperindio through the years. In this dish, the classic Italian dessert is reinvented into a savoury preparation, with the creamy pudding infused with the nutty flavours of braised cauliflower and accented with a cloak of smoked Oscietra caviar.
In Oro Colato, which translates to "liquid gold", ribbons of 32-yolk taglierini are infused with saffron from L'Aquila in central Italy, typically used in risottos, and is one of the first spices used and embraced by Sperindio as he embarked on his culinary journey. The dish is served in a saffron and spanner crab sauce, topped with a row of seasonal sea urchins, and laced with liquorice. According to Sperindio, this dish evokes a lot of nostalgia as it reminds him of his years starting out as a young chef, as well as growing up chewing liquorice sticks as some may do with sugar cane.
The new menu's dessert takes the form of Crescendo, which is inspired by his daughter's favourite snacks. Referencing Fruttolo, a fruit-flavoured yoghurt-cheese that’s a staple snack of many Italians, colours of the dessert cup are replaced by a confection crafted from stracciatella cheese, candied black olives, blood orange, and pistachio.
Famous Bib Gourmand Pizza Place from Brooklyn, Roberta's, Opens First International Post at Marina Bay Sands on 26 February
With patrons such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z waxing poetic about their adoration for Roberta's Pizza, it won't be a surprise to expect long queues in the famed Brooklyn pizzeria's Singapore post — their first foray outside of the United States. Roberta's Pizza Singapore, located in Marina Bay Sands, is strategically positioned between Mott 32 and MICHELIN-selected restaurant db Bistro & Oyster Bar to provide a fast-casual alternative (hence, no reservations!), with no menu item priced above S$30. Roberta's flagship location in Bushwick, Brooklyn, has been awarded with a Bib Gourmand recommendation, with our MICHELIN inspectors noting that New York's love affair with Roberta’s seems stronger each year, and for good reason.
It is important to highlight that Roberta's Pizza Singapore is not a franchise; yet, it is an extension of their ever-growing expansion of pizzerias. “When we looked at expanding into Asia, Singapore was the perfect place for our first outpost. The city has a truly vibrant F&B scene, and we believe we are able to build a Roberta’s community in Singapore,” says Brandon Hoy, co-founder and co-owner of Roberta’s Pizza. “Marina Bay Sands is an iconic location and a great starting point for us. Our key objective is to continue building a dynamic operating team as we scale up in Singapore and regionally. We feel this is the best way for us to grow.”
Swanked in a New-York-meets-Los-Angeles interior motif and decked with both grunge and street-style artwork, the 44-seater will offer the full range of pizzas and salads from Roberta's United States menus, excluding pastas and desserts.
Favourites from the Brooklyn menu will be served such as the Famous Original, a flavourful combination of three cheeses — mozzarella, Parmigiano, and caciocavallo — as well as oregano and chillies; Bee Sting, made with tomato, mozzarella, Calabrese salami, and basil, finished with house-made chilli oil and honey, and Cheesus Christ, which is a riff on the classic Roman cacio e pepe pasta that features Pecorino Romano and black pepper in a cheesy sauce made with heavy cream. Vegetarian options are also available, such as the Baby Sinclair, which also happens to be the Singapore team's favourite. It uses the same Roberta's signature wood-fired thin pizza crust and is topped with cheddar, dinosaur kale, mushrooms, calabrese peppers, and garlic.
Tippling Club Celebrates 14 Years of Service with New Lunch and Dinner Menus
To welcome its 14th year of service in Singapore, MICHELIN-recommended Tippling Club launches its latest prix fixe menus for lunch, priced at S$110++, whose items will rotate on a fortnightly basis. From its former style as an à la carte format, Tippling Club's lunch experience now comes in the form of a tasting menu that includes four snacks, five main courses, a pre-dessert, and petit fours.
Tippling Club’s latest dinner menu priced at S$225–S$395++ will also be available until March 2022 and includes five snacks, five main courses, seasonal fruit, pre-dessert, dessert, and petit fours. A vegetarian tasting menu will also be available, showcasing a range of meat-free dishes that apply an equal treatment of the restaurant's culinary philosophy and exercise of technique.
With chef-owner Ryan Clift and head chef Ayo Adeyemi helming the Tippling Club kitchen, and with head bartender Andrew Loudon in charge of the cocktails, guests can expect a mix of the restaurant's signature items such as Clift's Hokkaido Scallop & Purple Garlic Soup and his rendition of a "Tokyo Banana", with a slew of reimagined courses in tow such as Foie Gras Cheesecake with seasonal white and red strawberries from the Ibaraki prefecture, strawberry candy, and balsamic gel, and a dish of Shirako (cod milt) Nugget, coated in Japanese breadcrumbs, deep-fried, and served with Japanese curry.
Lauded by our MICHELIN inspectors for embracing all the latest techniques to produce elaborate and exciting dishes, with some challenging combinations of flavour and texture, Clift adds an element of surprise to Tippling Club's menus by changing up the selection every two weeks. Alcoholic beverage pairings are available for an additional fee. Make plans to have lunch or dinner at Tippling Club here.
Header image is from Roberta's Pizza Singapore.
