This May, a slew of MICHELIN restaurants entice curious guests and patrons with refreshed menus and vegetable-forward degustations. Singaporean executive chef Mathew Leong of two-MICHELIN-Starred RE-NAA in Stavanger, Norway, also collaborates with MICHELIN hotel Capella Singapore for a two-night-only feast! Hungry yet? Here's what the season has in store for Singapore's MICHELIN scene. Book your tables now!
MICHELIN-Starred restaurant chefs Mano Thevar and Sun Kim to open casual joint Tambi on 01 June. (Photo: Tambi and Sun Kim)
Mano Thevar and Sun Kim to Open Casual Restaurant Tambi in June
We love seeing creative culinary energies collide, and so much can be said about the shared dynamic between Mano Thevar of eponymous two-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Thevar and Sun Kim of MICHELIN-Starred Meta. The dynamic duo have been making waves in their respective cuisines; and having worked closely together in the past, both chefs have considered themselves to be best friends. Tambi is a symbol of their bond and brotherhood.
Opening on 01 June 2023, Thevar and Kim are slated to open Tambi in Amoy Street. The two playfully describe their food as a mash of Southern Indian and Korean cuisine; a 4-hands dinner but in à la carte format. With the help of techniques such as fermentation, the dishes at Tambi are elevated through the use of spices and citrus.
Tambi is located at 47 Amoy St., and will open its doors to the public on 01 June 2023.
L-R: Spring Asparagus & Langoustine with Sweet Peas (Photo: JAAN by Kirk Westaway)
Green Vegetables Star in JAAN by Kirk Westaway's New Spring Menu
The two-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant's new spring menu is the first iteration of Kirk Westaway's modern British-inspired delicacies since JAAN's reopening last December. And because it is the celebration of spring, the menu focuses the spotlight on vibrant vegetables that exude vitality and freshness with every bite — specifically beans, peas, and asparagus. The Devon-sourced produce is paired with an assortment of the season's finest proteins, in an attempt to bring Westaway's vision of reinventing British cuisine into fruition, while paying homage to provenance and the changing seasons.
The signature starters of Goose Moose and Smoked Devon Cheddar Pancake make their way to the table alongside Westaway's rendition of a Fish Pie. The current iteration takes the form of a wafer-thin potato case enveloping a fresh cod brandade with lemon juice and fresh herbs. Another is the Alaskan King Crab leg that is grilled and then marinated in brown butter, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, and spices. The starters are followed by a JAAN by Kirk Westaway staple: Burnt Leek and Potato Soup.
For mains, the delicate Irish Oyster's briny flavours are enhanced with cucumbers that come in sorbet and pickled form; Hen's Egg Cornish Yarg Nettles — now said to be an iconic dish of the restaurant's — is a modest decadence comprised of egg yolk, cheese, brown butter, and brioche. Scottish scallops are simply roasted and served with seaweed butter and atop a bounty of English peas, broad beans, and heart-shaped cordifolia leaf. Langoustine is roasted and served with Swiss chard, romanesco, broccolini, choy sum flowers, and cavolo nero alongside a warm brown butter mayonnaise.
One of the menu's highlights is cooked-to-order French asparagus, glazed in seaweed butter and served with braised English pork belly. It's good to know that the asparagus trimmings are not discarded; instead, they make their way into a vegetable stock, which replaces traditional chicken stock in the kitchen.
A fillet of Cornish Sea Bass is served with a burnt lemon purée, curly kale, and roasted turnips. The finale is, of course, the sought-after Spring Lamb that is bred and reared on the Rhug Estate, where lambs are fed a salad of herbs and grasses. The lamb is roasted and served with a potato terrine, baked purple aubergines flecked with lemon thyme, and finished with a lamb and mint sauce.
Extra indulgences from the cheese trolley are supplementary but recommended; and when it comes to dessert, guests can choose between a Chocolate or Strawberry Pie. The former features a chocolate bird's nest that sits atop a chocolate mousse and is served with a quenelle of chocolate ice cream with a pinch of sea salt. The latter is a single slice of strawberry pie, with local influences coming in the form of a gula melaka biscuit base that holds a set custard, a garnish of strawberries, and strawberry jam. Don't forget to make room for the final sweets.
Vegetarian menus are also available.
JAAN by Kirk Westaway is located at Swissôtel The Stamford, Equinox Complex, Level 70, 2 Stamford Road, 178882, Singapore. Book your table here.
Mathew Leong, executive chef of two-MICHELIN-Starred RE-NAA in Stavanger, Norway (Photo: Mathew Leong)
Experience 2-MICHELIN-Starred Re-naa at Capella Singapore for Two Evenings Only
For two nights only on 19 and 20 May 2023, Mathew Leong, Singaporean and executive chef of two-MICHELIN-Starred RE-NAA in Stavanger, Norway, will be preparing a 6-course degustation alongside the executive Chinese chef of Capella Singapore, a MICHELIN Guide hotel.
With numerous accolades under his belt, the young Singaporean chef brings to the table a breadth of culinary experience. Having moved to Norway eight years ago at the age of 21 to embark on his journey, Leong's cooking style is built on the solid foundation of Nordic and French cuisines, while paying tribute to his Asian roots. Guests can expect a marriage of Nordic and Cantonese flavours in this exclusive dinner, with each chef presenting two courses each. The appetiser and dessert are a surprise collaborative effort from both chefs.
"I am thrilled to be collaborating with Capella Singapore for this exclusive dinner. As a Singaporean who has been working in Norway for the past eight years, it feels really nice to come back home to cook and interact with the chefs here as I don't often get such opportunities,” says Leong. “Born into a Cantonese family, I enjoy eating Cantonese and Chinese dishes, and have been trying to hone my skills in both cuisines, since my specialty has always been in Nordic-French cooking."
Excited to be introducing Nordic cuisine infused with Asian flavours, Leong will showcase creative play with flavours inspired by the best produce available from the culinary region of Rogaland in Norway. He will use produce from the sea, fjords, land, forests, and mountains in his creations that best represent Norway in dishes such as grilled Norwegian king crab with smoked cauliflower chawan mushi, served with shellfish espuma and citrus aromatic oil; and milk-fed lamb saddle with stuffed morel, ramson sabayon, lamb jus, pickled ramson caper with pinnekjøtt ragout stuffed in laminated brioche, fermented honey, and ice cider glaze.
Capella Singapore is located at 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, Singapore, Sentosa Island. Make a booking for this very special and exclusive collaboration dinner by sending an e-mail to cassia.singapore@capellahotels.com.
L-R: Brittany Purple Artichoke & Loire Valley White Asparagus (Photo: Saint Pierre)
Plant-forward Menus are Now a Mainstay at Saint Pierre
One of the only constant things in life is change, and with the ever-changing lifestyles of people nowadays that include a shift in eating habits, two-MICHELIN-Starred Saint Pierre has made the decision to make its vegetable-forward degustation a permanent mainstay on the menu, with a vegan menu offering also available.
Made with plant-forward guests, conscious diners, and self-care enthusiasts in mind, Saint Pierre's Elegance tasting menu is a culmination of chef-owner Emmanuel Stroobant’s personal journey as a practising vegetarian for over a decade. The same amount of care and sophistication shown in the Opulence menu is exercised in this vegetarian menu as well.
With sustainably sourced produce and with a great respect to provenance, Stroobant and his team have put together a tasting menu that puts vegetables in the forefront.
The six-course vegetarian meal begins with an amuse-bouche of cauliflower cream topped with homemade preserved black winter truffle from Périgord, covered with a layer of tarragon gelée, and then enveloped with lightly smoked tonburi (mountain caviar).
Onto the mains: in a dish showcasing Brittany Purple Artichoke, a sunchoke and coconut tartare is topped with Périgord black winter truffle and purple artichoke served with truffle ginger dressing and an artichoke-coconut water sauce accented with fig leaf oil. Loire Valley White Asparagus features lightly poached white asparagus with celeriac purée, a lemongrass vin jaune emulsion, and garnished with smoky egg yolk and toasted brioche.
Next is Jura Morel, which is an exercise in umami. The morels are stuffed with a green asparagus-morel filling, roasted in garlic butter, and then smoked on the barbecue before being dusted with morel powder. The dish is accompanied by a trio of asparagus with a final touch of mushroom-hojicha consommé with ginger oil. Another highlight is the Provence Fava Bean where a vol-au-vent encases a truffle purée and a medley of vegetables, including myoga-braised Provencal fava bean. Fresh lemon zest and smoky celeriac sauce with garlic-chive oil complement the dish.
Lastly, for dessert, guests can choose between the Kochi Dekopon, a citrus-forward baba infused with Five X.P. and served alongside kaffir lime, Chantilly cream, and a variety of citrus; or the Manjari Chocolate, which encompasses Stroobant's first memories of biting into a chocolate-raspberry macaron as a child. This version constitutes a chocolate sablé adorned with fresh raspberries, Manjari chocolate mousse, and elements of raspberry and lychee.
Saint Pierre is located at One Fullerton, #02-02B, 1 Fullerton Road, 049213, Singapore. Book a table here.
Agnello Pasquale (Photo: Braci)
Braci Brings the Colours, Scents, and Flavours of an Italian Spring to the Table
At one-MICHELIN-starred Braci, which translates to "embers" in Italian, chef de cuisine Matteo Ponti shows Singapore his style of an Italian barbecue, which constitutes the ethos of the contemporary Italian restaurant located at Boat Quay. The new spring menu showcases produce painstakingly sourced from Northern Italy, paired with Ponti's creative culinary flair and the help of his trusted cooking companion — fire.
A delicate line-up of snacks set the scene. An opener of Ricchi e Poveri refers to the contrast of a noble and a peasant, represented by an open potato cannolo filled with pork trotter salad and topped with Oscietra caviar. It is followed by Rosso su Rosso, meaning “red on red” — a crispy snow fungus with Santa Margherita red prawn topped with Salsa Rossa, a sauce made of red capsicum originally from Piemonte. The last of the starters is the Tonno Vitellato; a tartlet with bluefin tuna tartare glazed with veal jus, and then finished with alyssum flower for a light horseradish flavour.
Appetisers come in the form of Carpione, which is a northern Italian tradition of preserving fried fish in a vinegar and vegetable solution. Cured kingfish shaped into a rose encompasses a jelly made with smoked eel broth, white vinegar, and amalfi lemon. Ossobuco, a Ponti family specialty, has become a chef's signature. He reconstructs the entire dish beginning with the edible hollow shank bone by using 36-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche Rosse. The "cheese bone" is filled with a hand-chopped tenderloin tartare adorned with toasted saffron threads.
For the mains, an asparagus dish called Nascondino (Hide and Seek) features a white asparagus milk blanket and charcoal-grilled firefly squid with white asparagus hidden underneath. Linguine in Laguna is a pasta dish dressed with a sauce of nettle pesto, clams, sea asparagus, and borage. Seven-day dry-aged Japanese Spanish mackerel is celebrated in a dish called Prosciutto e Piselli, where the fish is served with a sauce made with seaweed beurre blanc, smoked swordfish ham, and teardrop peas. The final main dish of the menu is the Agnello Pasquale, which features a charcoal-grilled New Zealand lamb saddle and a 100% pure dark chocolate stuffed morel. It is finished with jus made from lamb bones infused with a reduction of the Vermouth aged in an ancient cask of balsamic vinegar of Modena.
For a sweet ending, guests are treated to an array of desserts: Magiostrella, which features strawberries; Veneziana, a sweet focaccia; Rosa del Borgo, a polenta sable incorporated with an aromatic rose-infused vinegar; a Tiramisu Tartlet that needs no introduction, and the Tukelin de Grana, which is a frozen parfait made of 12-month Grana Padano and white chocolate, apricot gel, and almond cookie — it comes with a surprise!
Braci is located at Level 5-6, 52 Boat Quay, 049841, Singapore. Book a table here.
L-R: Hokkaido Kegani and Unagi Makiyaki
Check Out What's New at MICHELIN-Starred Hamamoto
Spring-time in Japan signals the transition from winter to summer, with sakura petals finding their way onto fresh-cut grass or onto one's open palm. This season, MICHELIN-Starred Hamamoto celebrates spring with a line-up of new seasonal produce, handpicked by chef Kazu Hamamoto himself.
The opening course presents itself on a lacquered tray: Hokkigai (surf clams) mingle with snappy spring asparagus and Junsai, a water weed native to Akita prefecture; Isaki (grunt fish) from Nagasaki are served alongside tender shoots of Urui (snow leaf); Yama Udo (mountain asparagus), is brightened by a subtle sesame sauce; and Shako (mantis prawns), from Hokkaido, are paired with creamy marinated Soramame (broad beans).
For this season's nigiri selection, a fatty tile of Shimofuri takes the centrestage, along with other beautifully carved seafood that represent the season, including Kinmedai (golden eye red snapper), Biwa Masu (lake trout from Biwa), Shimaebi (green striped shrimp), Aka Uni (red shell sea urchin), Nodoguro (black throat sea perch), and Hamamoto’s signature Chutoro Peekaboo, where a shiny morsel of shari served on a crisp nori sheet that features creamy tongues of sea urchin from Hokkaido, nestling beneath a sliver of chu-toro (medium fatty tuna).
This season's highlights also include kegani (horse hair crabs) from Hokkaido that star in Hamamoto’s best-known signature: shabu-shabu, where the crab legs are shelled at the counter before they are poached in a delicate yet flavourful dashi that has been kept brewing for as long as Hamamoto has been open. The unagi makiyaki features wood-fired eel that melts on the palate, and fried eel bones served with unagi tare. Be transported to the Land of the Rising Sun, even for just a few hours, and indulge in the bounty that a Japanese spring has to offer.
Hamamoto is located at 58 Tras Street, 078997, Singapore. Book your seats here.
The A5 Saga Wagyu at Butcher's Block (Photo: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
Butcher's Block Gives Spring a Smoky Touch
MICHELIN-selected Butcher's Block located at Raffles Hotel Singapore gives its signature Tour de Force menu a spring-themed refresh with produce that chef Jordan Keao believes best reflects the season of change.
The meal commences with a Brown Crab Tartlet, crafted with handpicked and slow-grilled seasonal brown crab from Normandy, seasoned with yuzu jus, brown butter, and chives; it is served with a crab head sabayon in a garlic chive tuile. The perennial Wagyu Tartare is also served, paired with a beef fat financier baked in the kitchen's wood-fired oven and topped with caviar.
The new seasonal mains also include Western Australian Marron, cooked on the shell atop hot coals and complemented by a creamy dill sabayon; a prized A5 Saga Wagyu, popular for its fine marbling, is lightly grilled and served with a rich demi-glace and velvety bone marrow potato. Also available is Butcher's Block's signature dry aged duck, which has been aged in-house for 21 days. The duck is hung above the wood-fire for up to six hours to cook at an ambient temperature, resulting to tender meat that holds on to the smoky flavours from the fire and embers.
To conclude the meal, a zesty dessert of Amalfi Lemon Tart, accented with yuzu ganache, is served
Butcher's Block is located at Raffles Arcade, #02-02, 328 North Bridge Road, 188719, Singapore. Book your table here. Make it a luxurious experience and book a room at the Raffles Hotel Singapore, a MICHELIN Guide hotel, here.
Lamb Rack with Idiazábal Cheese Sauce (Photo: Gaig)
Experience a Catalan Summer at MICHELIN-Selected Gaig
Have you experienced summer in Catalonia? If you haven't — or if you have and are missing it sorely — then you are in for a treat at Gaig, a MICHELIN-selected restaurant that specialises in Catalan fare. This season's menu boasts fresh seafood, grilled meats, crisp salads, and refreshing drinks. What's not there to love?
Curated by executive chef Marti Carlos Martinez, Gaig's new menu comprises ages-old heritage recipes that provide diners with an immersive experience of journeying through Catalonia's tantalising food streets. This season's tasting menu comprises a trio of canapés inspired by some of Catalan's classic snacks and Sunday traditions — The Thinnest Fuet Sandwich, Sunday's Vermut, and a Surf-and-Turf Taco.
Starters include a Lamb Leg Ravioli with Scampi Broth, a nod to the culinary tradition of mar i muntanya, which translates to "sea and mountain". It is followed by Frit Menorquí, which features pan-seared Boston lobster tail, a lobster-jus infused yolk, purple potato chips, and tomato bread — Martinez's modern take on the iconic summer dish from the Balearic Islands.
Onto the mains: Glazed Sweetbreads and Artichoke; and a Lamb Rack with Idiazábal Cheese Sauce, demonstrate Gaig's artful take on the nose-to-tail approach to cooking. Ending the meal is a bright Orange Dessert, which expresses the humble orange in several variations.
Gaig is located at #01-01, 16 Stanley Street, 068735, Singapore. Book your table here and get a taste of a Catalan summer.
Kampong Chicken Soup with Cordyceps Flower, Bamboo Pith (Photo: Madame Fan)
Discover Madame Fan's 10 New Dishes
Executive Chinese Chef Pak Chee Yit of MICHELIN-selected Madame Fan introduces ten new dishes, inspired by his Chinese heritage and craftsmanship. These dishes tell a story that bridges contemporary culinary techniques and traditional flavours, peppered with cultural anecdotes.
“The inspiration for Madame Fan’s new menu is to innovate Cantonese cuisine with a fresh flair for diverse taste buds," says Pak. “We incorporated modern ingredients while retaining the longstanding heritage of these dishes, creating new and different flavours or textures for the palate”.
Some of the new dishes include Slow-Cooked Wagyu Oxtail with Hawthorn Lotus Root, where wagyu oxtail is braised until fork-tender, dressed in a homemade cinnamon and star anise sauce, and then topped with hawthorn lotus root. Kampong Chicken Soup with Cordyceps Flower and Bamboo Pith is a new specialty that imbues the Cantonese culture of soup-drinking with this flavourful number that sees up to four hours of low-heat simmering to gently bring forth the flavours from the chicken.
Boston Lobster with Winter Melon "Noodles" and Pickled Pepper in Superior Stock is another ode to the Cantonese soup culture. Winter melon is shredded into "noodles" and are simmered with spicy pickled peppers that lend a tinge of tanginess to the broth. Sweet Boston Lobster meat adds a touch of luxury.
Also, Braised Cognac Soon Hock Fish with Chinese Yam and Baby Cabbage in Seafood Stock packs a punch. Doused in cognac, soon hock fish is braised delicately to retain its natural juices. It is paired with Chinese yam and baby cabbage in a rich seafood broth made from shellfish, crab, lobsters, and clams.
Madame Fan is located at The NCO Club, 32 Beach Road, 189764, Singapore. Book a table here.
Bacatá Presa (Photo: Bacatá)
MICHELIN-listed Preludio Shutters and Moves on to a More Mature Concept
Bacatá is the newest venture of chef-owner Fernando Arévalo. Rooted in Arévalo's Colombian roots, his new concept weaves in modern techniques and international ingredients.
“I envision Bacatá as someone wearing a tuxedo with sneakers," says Arévalo. "There is that mix of elegance with playfulness, rule-breaking, and edge. I wanted to find the balance and contrast between unique flavour combinations. Preludio was one of the most fulfilling experiences in my career; a true form of liberation from the norm that gave me the courage to build my own path. I have decided to take that experience and paint it with Colombian colours in a representation of my country and culture."
Described as a "rebirth" of sorts, the seven-course menu features dishes such as Lengua, which is a re-imagined version of the traditional Sobrebarriga; Arroz Caldoso is a dish where Arborio rice is served with a mixed seafood broth made flavourful by uni cream and smoked eel; Tiradito is a strategic pairing of Spanish mackerel with smoked cod liver cream, lifted by lime vinegar pearls and Aji Verde, and finished off with whipped leche de tigre. Langosta is inspired by the Ajiaco, a comforting soup made with chicken and three types of potatoes. In Bacatá's version, Arévalo swaps the chicken with Boston Lobster poached with beurre monté.
Bacatá is the ancestral name of Bogotá, where Arévalo was born. Bacatá serves cuisine that is inspired by the chef's culinary journey, Colombian culture, and life experiences. The restaurant aims to celebrate Latin America, while transporting diners right to the heart of Colombia.
Fresh Paneer, Pesto & Caecila’s Sambal (Photo: Revolver)
Revolver Introduces Bullet 9 Menu and Chocolate Course
MICHELIN-listed Revolver has recently launched its new menu, Bullet 9, which will be made available until end-June 2023.
Starting the meal is a set of refreshed snacks such as Curd Rice Caviar Poppadum, Prawn Balchao Monaka, and a Foie Gras Corn Sphere. Up next is a Revolver signature that changes with the seasons — the paneer. The Indian equivalent of cottage cheese, Revolver's paneer is flown in fresh thrice a week from Delhi, and this season's iteration comes served with a cashew-basil pesto and spiced with an Indonesian sambal ijo (green chilli sambal).
Following the paneer is a slew of mains that include Hokkaido Scallop and Mud Crab Moilee served with coconut milk, curry leaves, ginger, and mustard seeds; live Boston lobsters cooked in Revolver’s hand-beaten tandoor are glazed with lemon pickle and served with fennel seeds; Spring Lamb from New Zealand, weaned on a diet of chicory, is grilled and served with korma and a kick of Indian habanero chillies.
There is, of course, the signature Revolver Kulchette, an invention coined by chef Saurabh Udinia himself. The Kulchette is a flatbread that is always served warm and fresh from the tandoor. It is stuffed with Comté and set alongside Mangalorean-style ghee roast wagyu and bone marrow.
Dessert this season pays tribute to India’s finest fruit: Alphonso mangoes. The best of which are sourced from Ratnagiri, and in Revolver's Textures of Alphonso, the mangoes are brightened all the more with Alphonso mango espuma, yoghurt sorbet, popping candy, and almond granola.
Something new to consider when dining at Revolver is the Chocolate Course, which comprises a glass of cacao wine and a square of Revolver’s Special Blend 65% Dark Chocolate. The cacao wine is made from the discarded cacao pulp and is sourced from farmers in Vung Tau, Vietnam. Aged over two years, the wine yields notes of dried currants and caramelised pineapples and cherries. The 65% dark chocolate is sourced from the foothills of Anaimalai in Pollachi, India. It is infused with Udinia's special blend of green mukhwas, an Ayurvedic after-meal snack, which is known to cleanse the palate.
Revolver is located at 56 Tras Street, 078997, Singapore. Book a table here.
