It's been almost a month since the release of the MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2023 selection, and the food scene in the Lion City has been bustling with new openings from big names in the industry, cool collaborations that bring culinary cultures together, and some National Day offerings that are too good to pass up on. Read on for the latest MICHELIN news in Singapore this July 2023.
Brasserie Astoria by Björn Frantzén opens at the Victoria Concert Hall on 25 July 2023. (Photo: Brasserie Astoria)
Brasserie Astoria by the Frantzén Group Opens on 25 July 2023
Björn Frantzén is no stranger to Singapore's culinary scene. The Swedish chef behind the eponymous three-MICHELIN-starred restaurants Frantzén in Stockholm and Zén in Singapore, Frantzén is continuing to expand his repertoire in Asia with MICHELIN-selected Villa Frantzén in Bangkok and now, Brasserie Astoria in Singapore.
On 25 July 2023, Brasserie Astoria is opening its doors to the public with reservations now available. Situated in the regal and historic Victoria Concert Hall, the casual outpost in the Lion City is Brasserie Astoria’s first outside of Sweden. It mirrors its MICHELIN-selected Stockholm flagship that occupies what was once the Astoria Cinema, housing 100 seats, a private dining room for 10, and a bar and lounge that seats 22 people.
Food-wise, the Brasserie Astoria in Singapore offers an extensive à la carte menu executed by local head chef and Zén alum Emil Cecil Ess, which includes dishes such as Råraka, the Swedish cousin of rösti, featuring crisp Agria potatoes topped with vendace roe; and Toast Astoria, a nod to traditional Swedish Toast Skagen with mounds of Baltic prawns and Norwegian king crab dressed with wasabi aioli and served atop crisp sourdough. Brasserie Astoria will also offer an extensive wine list and unique cocktail menu featuring a Nordic focus with Asian influences.
“Following the success of Zén, we are excited to bring the more casual and accessible Brasserie Astoria to Singapore’s incredible dining scene. We are looking forward to unveiling another facet of the Frantzén Group’s culinary creativity to this food-loving city,” shares Frantzén himself.
L-R: Matera's Pigeon with Black Truffle & Chef Bjoern Alexander (Photo: Matera)
Executive Chef of 2-Star Octavium in Hong Kong Opens Concept in Singapore
Taking over the historic Fullerton Waterboat House, after the shuttering of MICHELIN-starred Basque Kitchen by Aitor, is Bjoern Alexander, alumnus of 3-Star The French Laundry in California and former executive chef of two-MICHELIN-starred Octavium in Hong Kong.
Back in Hong Kong, Octavium is praised for its chic, minimalistic dining room and elegant Italian classics that are meticulously prepared to bring out the natural flavours of the quality ingredients. The restaurant takes pride in its degustation menu that changes each month to reflect seasonality. Our inspectors' favourites from the Italian restaurant include the house-made artisanal pasta, such as tagliolini with black truffle and parmesan.
Opening on Wednesday, 19 July 2023, is Matera, Alexander's culinary debut in Singapore. According to Alexander, the journey of conceptualising and executing Matera took at least three years, and the dishes are designed to be inventive, interactive, and imaginative, with signatures such as Whole Red Prawn with Sesame Bread and XO Sauce; Hokkaido Scallops Ravioli; and Pigeon with Black Truffle — Alexander's signature dish that is now on its 34th version.
L-R: The new Meta and chef-owner Sun Kim. (Photo: Meta)
MICHELIN-starred Korean Restaurant Meta Reopens at New Location
Short for "metamorphosis", one-MICHELIN-starred Meta demonstrates a bias for seafood but will also find favour with meat lovers. At the helm of its kitchen is Sun Kim, who showcases the culinary culture and produce of his home country with a European fine dining twist. Our MICHELIN Guide inspectors highly recommend pairing the food with Meta's Korean beverages for the full experience.
Meta first opened its doors in 2015 and earned its first MICHELIN Star a little over a year upon its debut. Kim, also an alum of two-MICHELIN-Starred Waku Ghin, has with him a breadth of international experience working in kitchens all over the world. At Meta, Kim aims to showcase his country's cuisine, constantly evolving and pushing the envelope further and further.
Meta's new home is located at 9 Mohamed Sultan Road. (Photo: Meta)
After being shuttered for a while, Meta has moved from its former location at Keong Saik Road to its new home at Mohamed Sultan this July. With its doors now open to serve 26 guests, Kim's focus is on his produce-driven menu that is led by seasonality. Drawing on Korean memories to lend nuances, his dishes are neither interpretations nor inspired renditions of Korean dishes — each creation is distinctly his own.
The tasting menu starts from S$248++ for lunch and S$298++ for dinner with signatures such as supplementary add-ons. A full wine pairing or alcohol beverage pairing with Korean options, including labels that are exclusive to Meta, is also available at S$208++.
Reflecting on the restaurant's and the chef's evolution and maturity, Meta's new space exudes a welcoming calm with subtle references to Kim's heritage. The hull-like form of the reception counter pays homage to "onggi", which refers to the traditional earthenware used for the fermentation of pastes and sauces that are essential to Korean cooking.
Discover the new Meta and book your table here or send an email to reservations@metarestaurant.sg. Meta is now located at 9 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238959.
Chefs LG Han from Labyrinth in Singapore and Agustin Balbi from Ando in Hong Kong (Photos: Labyrinth and Ando)
A Four Hands Dinner Featuring Labyrinth's LG Han and Andō's Agustin Balbi
One-MICHELIN-starred restaurants Labyrinth in Singapore and Andō in Hong Kong come together on the 9th and 10th of August for a special four-hands meal.
At Labyrinth, Han takes recognisable local Singaporean flavours and tastes remembered from childhood as his starting point — and then, reimagines and reinterprets them, using superlative ingredients from across Singapore. The result is an exciting, original, and unforgettable set menu that surprises, amuses, and satisfies. The restaurant’s black canvas is punctured by razor sharp lighting, while the service team are clued up and very well-organised.
On the other hand, Andō in Hong Kong features a tasting menu that takes diners on a personal journey by fusing the chef's ancestral roots with strong Japanese influences. Born in Argentina but having honed his skills in Japan, Balbi opened Andō to realise his culinary vision from his unique vantage point. The signature Sin Lola, Balbi's version of an arroz caldoso, pays a homage to his grandmother and will be served during this special dinner.
Slots on 10th August have already sold out, but there are seats still available for 9th August. For reservations, make your booking here for S$328++ per person.
Labyrinth is located at Esplanade Mall, #02-23, Marina Bay Promenade, 8 Raffles Avenue, 039802, Singapore.
Cheung Siu Kong, executive chef of MICHELIN-starred Summer Pavilion, celebrates 20 years in the restaurant. (Photo: The Ritz-Carlton Millenia)
Executive Chef Cheung Siu Kong Celebrates Two Decades at MICHELIN-Starred Summer Pavilion
Working at the same restaurant for two entire decades is not an easy feat, but for one-MICHELIN-starred Cantonese restaurant Summer Pavilion's executive chef, Cheung Siu Kong, the years seem to have flown by quickly as the warm, friendly, and talented chef celebrates twenty years at the restaurant.
Summer Pavilion is praised by our MICHELIN Guide inspectors for its extensive Cantonese delights, and Cheung has designed a tasting menu that flows like a personal memoir. It is crafted using twenty main ingredients with flavours that revolve around the five taste elements — sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty — with the intention of correlating to the ups and downs of his personal life journey.
Dishes such as the Dong Xin grouper with aged tangerine peel (his wife’s favourite) and salted lemon; and the sautéed diced Miyazaki wagyu beef with bitter melon, allude to the pressures that came with working in the kitchen as a budding chef when he was 19, to the heavy responsibilities of becoming a young father at the age of 21, and his struggles to be the best at both.
Cheung also cites the stewed lamb brisket with fermented black bean sauce (a traditional Cantonese dish), with its salty flavour profile — a personal favourite and a reminder of home in Hong Kong, and a dish that evokes memories of his childhood.
For dessert, Cheung has chosen to hero the Japanese white peach of Okayama, which takes him back to his favourite travel destination: Japan. The pudding is paired with chilled superior bird’s nest from the Riau Islands and candied winter melon pastry, a Cantonese favourite.
Summer Pavilion is located at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia, Level 3, 7 Raffles Avenue, 039799, Singapore. For reservations, contact (+65) 6434 5286 or email rc.sinrz.summerpavilion@ritzcarlton.com.
Epok Epok Sayur and Roti John (Photo: Rempapa)
Rempapa Launches Kueh Heritage Gift Box in Celebration of Singapore's National Day
Lauded for its novel cuisine that bridges boundaries among Chinese, Peranakan, Eurasian, Indian, and Malay cooking, MICHELIN-selected Rempapa is praised by our inspectors for its hearty dishes that sit comfortably next to century-old recipes, all prepared with shrewd judgment, and the right amount of oomph.
Rempapa also has some exciting offerings prepared in conjunction with the upcoming Singapore National Day. Available for a limited period from 07-13 August 2023, Rempapa adds two well-loved local snacks, which are no longer commonly found in Singapore's hawker stalls, to its menu: Epok Epok Sayur, or vegetable curry puffs (S$8 for 3 pieces); and Roti John, or omelette sandwich (S$10 each). This is part of local chef Damian D’Silva's advocacy in promoting Singapore's multi-racial heritage cuisine.
Also known for their unmissable selection of kueh (bite-sized snacks that are typically made with rice flour and coconut milk), Rempapa is also launching a new kueh heritage gift box on their delivery platform. Showcased in this gift box are a curated selection of small-batch handcrafted kueh, along with cakes from Rempapa.
Rempapa is located at Park Place Residences at PLQ, #01-01/02/03, 2 Paya Lebar Road, 409053, Singapore. Book a table here.
L-R: Arròs Verd and Mar i Muntanya (Photo: Gaig)
Gaig Invites You to Spend a Summer Night in Barcelona
Lauded by our MICHELIN Guide inspectors for its Catalan classics like the cannelloni, prepared the same way as they were back in the 19th century; and lamb shoulder with trinxat and mint pesto, MICHELIN-listed Spanish restaurant Gaig is a relaxed and friendly restaurant that is run by the same family as its namesake. The tapas allow guests to try a wider variety of offerings, and the wine list includes great Spanish labels at reasonable prices.
This coming 17 and 18 August 2023, Chef Carles Gaig, the fourth generation chef of the 154-year-old Catalan family restaurant, returns to the Lion City. Together with his protégé, Executive Chef Marti Carlos of Restaurant Gaig Singapore, they will be cooking up a gastronomic feast with the them of "A Summer Night in Barcelona".
Barcelona is famous for dishes such as Fideua, the Catalonian take on the famous Spanish paella, substituting rice with a type of short, spaghetti-like pasta called fideos; Bombas, breaded and then deep-fried potato balls with octopus and meat filling; and Esquiexada, which is a Catalan salad with bacalao (dried and salted codfish) that’s popular in summer.
The exclusive Barcelona-themed dinner at Gaig features a five-course dinner menu that highlights seasonal ingredients from the land and sea — a celebration of the natural environment surrounding the region. Each dish on the menu is a wholehearted and collaborative effort between Gaig and Carlos, with recipes rooted in tradition and influenced by the region’s rich culinary culture.
Guests can expect dishes such as a selection of moreish canapés, proceeded by A Meló Amb Pernil, a refreshing chilled melon soup. An Atlantic Cod seasonal salad is a refreshing prelude to the indulgent Arròs Verd — green seafood rice with sea anemones and sea urchin; and Mar i Muntanya, which comprises guinea fowl stew and Canadian lobster. The dinner concludes on a sweet note with torched Spanish yellow peach paired with chantilly.
These very special Summer Night in Barcelona dinners will be held exclusively from 17 and 18 August 2023, so make your bookings now by clicking this link. Gaig is located at #01-01, 16 Stanley Street, 068735, Singapore.
MICHELIN-listed restaurant Eat and Cook in Malaysia comes to Singapore to celebrate both countries' National Days.
Eat and Cook Celebrates Singapore's and Malaysia's National Days with Special Collaboration Dinner
Tucked in a district far from the city centre, MICHELIN-listed Eat and Cook is owned by two young and accomplished chefs, Lee Zhe Xi and Soh Yong Zhi. According to our MICHELIN Guide inspectors, the set menu at Eat and Cook features local ingredients, and it changes every three to four months to introduce a new chapter. While the seasonality of Malaysian cuisine may not be obvious, it affects the variety of seafood and vegetables. Each new chapter reveals the characteristics of that season. The counter seats, known as The Stage, have an intimate view of the kitchen team in action.
With the connection between Singapore and Malaysian cuisines sharing similar roots, and with both cultures being so intertwined with each other, Eat and Cook celebrates the shared heritage between Malaysian and Singapore cooking by holding collaboration dinners on 08 and 09 August 2023 at Path, a Singapore restaurant that focuses on East Asian flavours. According to the chefs, this event is to also celebrate the upcoming National Days of both countries — 09 August for Singapore and 31 August for Malaysia.
Book your seats to this very special culinary event by sending a message on WhatsApp to (+65) 6443 0180.
