Despite its relative youth and bijou size, Singapore commands an outsized reputation in the international foodie world — and deservedly so. Much of this culinary acclaim stems from the nation’s roots as a colonial entrepôt, serving as a focal point for travellers and immigrants from around the region, or sometimes, much further afield.
It wasn’t long before the traditional flavours imported by the rich diaspora of Southeast Asian settlers meshed, influenced one another, and ended up as distinctly Singaporean and altogether delicious.
Today, iconic dishes like Chilli Crab, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa, and Bak Kut Teh are almost instantly recognisable across the globe as true-blue Singaporean classics. Better yet, they’re often available from homegrown chefs who’ve decided to up stick, venture abroad, and fly the Singaporean flag high in all corners of the world — all while serving its unique brand of unfussy, culture-spanning nosh.
These are the MICHELIN restaurants serving Singaporean flavours across the globe, whether that be homely grub in a cosy Taiwanese cafe, or elevated takes on classics that subvert expectations even as they comfort road-weary travellers. Check them out!
JL Studio (Taichung, Taiwan)
Three MICHELIN StarsMICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023
Make the trip to Taichung, Taiwan, to sup at Singapore-born head chef Jimmy Lim’s namesake three-MICHELIN-starred temple, JL Studio, and you’ll be dutifully rewarded with modern Singaporean cuisine — rethought, recomposed, and reimagined, promises the restaurant’s website. The restaurant’s sole evening set menu, aptly titled Experience, dishes out contemporary takes on Singaporean mainstays like Satay, Kaya Toast, and Chilli Crab, reinventing the staples with new textures and accents while sourcing, where possible, from the seasonal bounties of Taiwan.
JL Studio is located at 2F, 689, Section 4, Yifeng Road, Nantun District, Taichung, 408, Taiwan
Whey (Central, Hong Kong)
One MICHELIN StarMICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2024
Head chef Barry Quek of MICHELIN-Starred Whey leans on his heritage to deliver modern European cuisine inflected with Singaporean flair. These dishes range from the incorporation of fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients that are achingly familiar to the island-nation’s culture-spanning grub — think petai (stinky beans), curry leaves, buah keluak, pungent Mao Shan Wang durian, and Milo — to dishes on the restaurant’s tasting menu that wear Singaporean inspiration on its sleeves. We’re talking Laksa, Nasi Ulam (an herb-forward rice dish), Cereal Fried Chicken, and Bak Kut Teh.
Whey is located at UG Level, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
Ancient Moon (North Point, Hong Kong)
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Hong Kong & Macau 2024
The quiet Kam Ping Street in North Point, Hong Kong is home to Ancient Moon, a cosy café that’s big on punchy Singaporean and Malaysian flavours. The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand awardee is fronted by Hong Kong-based co-owners Fanny and Lico, who ate their way up and down the bordering countries and have remained hooked ever since. On the menu are their greatest loves from the adjoining nations, which share many culinary similarities and therefore, rivalries. These include Malaysian Chilli Pan Mee, both Singapore’s peppery and Malaysia’s herby Bak Kut Teh, and Chicken Rice, refined and inspired after numerous trips by the pair — all in the name of research, of course.
Ancient Moon is located at Shop A, 29 Kam Ping Street, North Point, Hong Kong
FT · Bak Kut Teh (Guangzhou, China)
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Guangzhou 2023
MICHELIN Bib Gourmand recipient FT · Bak Kut Teh draws long queues for its take on — no prizes for guessing, given the restaurant’s name — Singapore’s famed peppery Bak Kut Teh, dishing out a punchy broth anchored on white peppercorns, garlic, and slow-simmered pork ribs to ravenous crowds. If that somehow fails to satisfy, char-grilled skate slathered in sambal, fiery Laksa, and Kaya Toast are also served, along with other treasures from Southeast Asian foodie destinations like Thailand.
FT · Bak Kut Teh is located at Wonderful Life Mansion, 36-48 Wenming Road, Guangzhou, China Mainland
One Degree North (Seoul, South Korea)
Bib GourmandMICHELIN Guide Seoul & Busan 2024
Singaporean Joel Lim’s restaurant One Degree North was placed on the culinary map when it clinched the Bib Gourmand award in 2023. Its name points to his hometown’s geographical coordinates — one degree north in latitude — and therefore, the focal point of his gastronomic inspirations. Come here for Singaporean hawker centre staples like Chicken Rice, Crispy Roast Pork, Char Siu, and Roast Duck, all adjusted for Korean tastes with special care taken to retain their original, uniquely Singaporean identity.
One Degree North is located at 8 Hakdong-ro 43-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06061, South Korea
Lion Dance Cafe (Oakland, USA)
MICHELIN SelectedMICHELIN Guide California 2023
Singaporean delights re-plated through a plant-based lens is the name of the game at Lion Dance Cafe, a MICHELIN Selected vegan restaurant in Oakland, USA, born from a partnership between Singapore-born CY Chia and Shane Stanbridge. The vibrant colours of the restaurant’s décor go nicely with its signature Singapore-centric offerings, whether that be the vibrant milky-red of plant-based Laksa or the pastel green hues of Pandan Butter Nian Gao.
Lion Dance Cafe is located at 380 17th St., Oakland, 94612, USA
