With the upcoming Singapore MICHELIN Guide Ceremony this 27 June 2023 and Bib Gourmand announcement this 15 June 2023, MICHELIN restaurants in Singapore have been busy dishing new and exciting menus and collaborations. Have a taste of what this season has in store.
Kasai, a cold dish, is part of Esora's summer menu (Photo: Esora)
Esora Reveals Summer Menu by Showcasing the Season's Duality
In Japan, summer brings about a celebration of vivid contrasts. After the cooling spring weather, summer lends a sense of both quietude and intensity in equal measures. From the sweltering heat brought by the sun, to the unexpected summer rain showers that quell the soul, Esora, the one-MICHELIN-starred Japanese restaurant helmed by head chef Takeshi Araki, invites diners to experience the essence of a magical Japanese summer on a plate.
Ingredients that make their way to Esora this season are the fatty hamo (pike conger), caught during a small window between June to August; kinmedai (golden eye snapper), sourced from specialty areas in Japan at its plumpest and most tender; and baby ayu (sweetfish) that comes with a refreshing watermelon-like aroma.
A harvest of delicate crops will also be served in the summer menu. From Kyoto comes a cornucopia of heirloom vegetables, spanning finely-textured and subtly sweet kyokokabu (small turnip), kamo nasu (eggplant), and kyonatsuzukin — soft, chewy summer edamame. Also, Hokkaido corn; and, from the Akita prefecture, the seasonal specialty of junsai (water shield), which are individually hand-picked buds that are each coated in a gelatinous film that are known for their refreshingly sweet and herbaceous flavour.
In Esora's summer tasting menu, these ingredients are presented in dishes such as Kasai, a cold dish plated atop a nasturtium leaf featuring dashi-blanched Kuruma ebi resting on a bed of sweet corn purée and served alongside tomato jelly, boiled edamame, junsai (water shield), and pickled Chinese yam; baby ayu is thinly coated in a seaweed powder, fried until crisp, and dressed with tade su, a white pepper and vinegar sauce, before it is finished off with micro shungiku (chrysanthemum greens); and the Hamo Soba is an assembly of tempura-ed kamo nasu (eggplant) wrapped within Kumamoto hamo (pike conger) and served alongside silky strands of house-made soba.
Esora is located at 15 Mohamed Sultan Road, 238964, Singapore. Book a table for the summer menu here.
Louis Han and Jimmy Lim join hands in a very special 4-hands celebration (Photo: Nae:um and JL Studio)
Nae:um Celebrates 2nd Anniversary with Jimmy Lim of 2-Star JL Studio
This coming July, MICHELIN-starred Korean restaurant Nae:um celebrates its second anniversary with its newest chapter, Episode 5:5: Singakorean, with Singaporean chef Jimmy Lim of two-MICHELIN-starred restaurant JL Studio in Taichung, Taiwan.
For two days only on 08 and 09 July 2023, guests can experience a cross-cultural menu that brings together Korean and Singaporean cuisines. The 7-course menu, priced at S$298++ per head, comprises a medley of both new and original dishes, specially created by both chefs. This exclusive gastronomic event promises to be a showcase of both contemporary inspirations and heritage techniques, displaying both chefs' deep culinary roots and creativity.
Nae:um's chef, Louis Han, also the 2022 MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Awardee, will be serving a range of inspired
contemporary Seoul cuisine that boasts Western techniques with heritage Korean flavours; while Lim will serve clever interpretations of modern Singaporean cuisine, crafted with seasonal Taiwanese produce.
A celebration of friendship, culture, tradition, and most importantly, food, the two chef-friends both share the identity of being two individuals who are pushing the boundaries of their country's respective cuisines. by cooking in countries that they are not from. Han is a Korean in Singapore, and Lim is a Singaporean in Taiwan. Nevertheless, being away from their birthplaces has compelled them both to draw upon their memories of home, while their global exposure informs and moulds their culinary philosophies, allowing them to evolve in their own unique ways.
Nae:um's exclusive Episode 5.5: Singakorean menu will be available on two days: 08 July 2023, Saturday, for lunch and dinner; and on 09 July 2023, Sunday, for lunch only. Book a table via reservations@naeum.sg or through this link. Nae:um is located at 161 Telok Ayer Street, 068615, Singapore.
Sushi Kimura's new takeaway concept features chirashi and tamagoyaki bentos. (Photo: Sushi Kimura)
Enjoy One-MICHELIN-starred Sushi Kimura at Home with Exclusive Bento Boxes
Lunch-time is always a welcome break in spite of a hectic work day, so why not take time to enjoy a bit of indulgence with one-MICHELIN-starred Sushi Kimura's newest offerings — takeaway bento boxes — that come in Chirashi, Chirashi with Uni Ikura, and Tamagoyaki?
Making use of fresh, seasonal white fishes supplied by chef Tomoo Kimura’s fisherman friends from his hometown, the Chirashi Bento ($78++) comes with fish that has gone through an exquisite curing process involving the application of salt and a vinegar wash, before being lightly torched and marinated in soy sauce.
For some extra indulgence, opt for the Chirashi with Uni Ikura (S$128++), which is the same Chirashi Bento topped with Bafun uni from Hokkaido. Fresh ikura round off the bowl, and the bento is served with pickled ginger slices to cut through the uni's richness.
The organic rice used in both bento boxes is flown in from the Yamagata prefecture and renowned for its sweetness. Kimura seasons it with aged vinegar from Kyoto, Okinawan salt, and fine wasanbon, before laying the fish, uni, and ikura on top.
Lastly, Sushi Kimura's unmissable Tamagoyaki ($S45++) can now be enjoyed any time of the day. Tamagoyaki is known as the litmus test of a Japanese chef's skill, and Sushi Kimura's Tokyo-style tamagoyaki showcases both technique and ingredients — eggs from Oita are seasoned with sugar, salt, mirin, and soya sauce. Chef Kimura's twist comes in the addition of fish paste from Kanagawa, Junmai sake, and Japanese sticky yam. Enjoy cold to taste more of the tamagoyaki's sweeter notes; or warm, where its savouriness is heightened.
The Chirashi and Tamagoyaki bentos are available for takeaway and delivery from Tuesdays to Saturdays and can be ordered via WhatsApp at (+65) 8428 0073. Orders must be placed a day in advance. Sushi Kimura is located at Palais Renaissance, #01-07, 390 Orchard Road, 238871, Singapore. Book your seats here.
The Coconut Club's flagship store celebrates its first anniversary with a Signature Lemak Medley. (Photo: The Coconut Club)
The Coconut Club Celebrates Its Anniversary with a Month-long Signature Lemak Medley
The Coconut Club celebrates its Beach Road flagship store's first anniversary with a "Signature Lemak Medley", made in collaboration with private dining pioneers, including the restaurant's very own managing partner and chef, Daniel Sia himself. This medley is a collaboration of the chefs' personal favourites that they believe are best enjoyed with The Coconut Club's signature fragrant coconut rice, as each dish highlights and defines both the timelessness and versatility of Nasi Lemak.
The Coconut Club has always been known for its unwavering dedication to reinventing heritage flavours, and the first anniversary menu is a reflection of the restaurant’s commitment to partner with local makers. Sia shares, “Through our collaboration with esteemed chefs who are renowned for their mastery of local cuisine, we aim to extend our love for Nasi Lemak by showcasing our deep appreciation for culinary traditions and honouring the roots from which our cherished recipes have originated. Together, we present dishes that celebrate traditions with comforting, unpretentious flavours.”
From 06 June to 02 July 2023, The Coconut Club's first anniversary menu will be served as both lunch sets and à la carte dishes during lunch and dinner. Guests can expect items such as Sambal Prawn Belimbing — prawns stir-fried with belimbing and sambal titek— by Annette Tan of Fatfuku; Asam Pedas Skate Wing — skate wing with lady’s fingers and tomatoes simmered in a flavourful tamarind broth by Sia; Sambal Hati, which features tender pieces of chicken heart, liver, and gizzard, infused with aromatic spices and a fiery sambal balado sauce, by Jeffrey Chia of NonyaBong; and Kueh Bakar Tapai — lush, custardy pillows steeped in The Coconut Club’s signature cold-pressed coconut milk blend — by Christopher Tan, author of The Way of Kueh.
The Coconut Club is located at 269 Beach Road, 199546, Singapore. Reservations can be made here.
The new omakase space at Wakuda seats up to ten diners per evening. (Photo: Wakuda)
Wakuda Unveils Brand New Sushi Omakase Offering
New to the MICHELIN Guide, Wakuda in Marina Bay Sands by two-MICHELIN-starred Waku Ghin's Tetsuya Wakuda, is praised by the MICHELIN inspectors for its array of modern Japanese classics made with quality ingredients sourced globally. Adding original cocktails and a buzzy vibe to the equation, Wakuda guarantees a fun night out.
Available now from 6pm on Friday and Saturday evenings in an ultra-exclusive enclave tucked away in a private space, 10 guests nightly can partake of Wakuda's sushi omakase menu that features fresh seasonal catch. After that, cap off the evening at The Bar at Wakuda over premium sakes by the bottle and signature highballs.
Wakuda is located at Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Tower 2, Lobby, 10 Bayfront Avenue, 018972, Singapore. Book your seats here.
