The news in the Singapore restaurant world is that there’s not much news.
No new three-star dining spots were announced when the Michelin Guide Singapore 2023 was unveiled at an in-person ceremony on June 27. There are still the same three restaurants, designated as “worth a special journey”, as last year: Les Amis, Odette and Zen.
There are still no three-Michelin-star restaurants in Singapore that feature Asian cuisine: Odette and Les Amis are French-influenced and Zén, an outpost of Franzen in Stockholm, Sweden, has a Scandinavian influence.
There are six two-Michelin-star places – the accolade signifying they are “worth a detour” – one fewer than in 2022; Shisen Hanten, which serves nuanced Sichuan-accented food, dropped to a one-star establishment.
In the 2023 guide there are 56 starred restaurants, up from 52 in 2022, with four restaurants earning their first Michelin star – meaning they are adjudged “high quality, worth a stop” – to take the number with one star to 46, from 42.
Among the four is Born, the modern French Asian dining room.
A Korean chef new to cooking Korean, after a year he earned a Michelin star
Kevin Wong, chef of another of the restaurants awarded their first star, Seroja, was given the young chef award. Seroja was also the recipient of Singapore’s first Michelin Green star, which recognises a restaurant’s efforts to operate sustainably.
2023 marks the seventh year that the Michelin Guide has awarded stars in Singapore.
Receiving a Michelin star is like being a Jedi. When you achieve two Michelin stars it’s as if you are Luke Skywalker … three stars, you are already the master Yoda
Sebastien Lepinoy, chef-owner of Les Amis, which has held on to its three Michelin stars since 2019, says that “receiving a Michelin star is the biggest accomplishment that a chef could achieve”.
He breaks down the difference between the stars from a chef’s point of view.
“Receiving a Michelin star is like being a Jedi. When you achieve two Michelin stars it’s as if you are Luke Skywalker.” And, he says, “when you are presented with the holy grail of Michelin, which is their three stars, you are already the master Yoda of the culinary world.”
The full list of starred restaurants follows. An asterisk (*) denotes a new entry.
Three Michelin stars
Les Amis
Odette
Zén
Two Michelin stars
Cloudstreet
Jaan by Kirk Westaway
Saint Pierre
Shoukouwa
Thevar
Waku Ghin
One Michelin star
28 Wilkie
Alma
Art di Daniele Sperindio
Beni
Born *
Braci
Buona Terra
Burnt Ends
Candlenut
Chef Kang’s
Cure
Cut
Esora
Euphoria
Hamamoto
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
Iggy’s
Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine (Orchard)
Jag
La Dame de Pic
Labyrinth
Lei Garden
Lerouy
Ma Cuisine
Marguerite
Meta
Nae:um
Nouri
Oshino
Poise *
Putien (Kitchener Road)
Reve
Rhubarb
Seroja *
Shinji (Bras Basah Road)
Shisen Hanten
Sommer
Summer Palace
Summer Pavilion
Sushi Ichi
Sushi Kimura
Sushi Sakuta *
Table65
Terra
Whitegrass
Willow *
