Michelin Guide Singapore 2018: Opinion: Should we be bothered?
I have to say that I am quite DISAPPOINTED with this year's Michelin Guide results. In the first year, we cheered the fact that two hawkers were awarded Michelin Stars and some of our local chefs like Candlenut and Cornerhouse managed to get stars.
Restaurant Labyrinth: Michelin Star Singapore Cuisine
Modern Singaporean cuisine is no longer considered "new". It really started more than a decade ago with Chef Willin Low's Wild Rocket. Nowadays, a "laksa" this and a "chilli crab" that can be found everywhere, even at fast food chains, which begs the question:
It is hard to write about an eatery when expectations are so high. Firstly, Ka Soh has been around for a long time and is regarded by many as a Singaporean institution. Mention fish head beehoon and har cheong gai and its name would invariably turn up! And then, there is the fact that they are on the listed in the Michelin guide as a Bib Gourmand restaurant! With these two accolades, you won't be blamed for expecting the food to be stellar.
Now that the Michelin Awards have been announced and I have had some time to mull over it, I must say that I am quite disappointed that the Michelin Inspectors really did not seem to have made enough effort to really dig into the heart of our Singapore food culture. Last year, we had Hillstreet […]
About four years ago, I picked up a book from the library that was simply titled "Steak". There are very few single words that have the power to command my immediate attention and this is one of them. The other is "Monnnnng!" which is what my Teochew name sounds like when it is uttered by my wife in an ascending tone. It usually signals an ominous change in the weather pattern which requires a drastic course correction.
Liang Zhao Ji has been around since the 1960's and started off as a roadside stall outside of the Hoover theatre in Balestier. The stall moved to its current location at the Whampoa Drive Food Centre in 1978 as part of the government's initiative to clear the hawkers off the streets.
The Coconut Club: Nasi Lemak, Cendol, Otah and other Coconut dishes!
You would be forgiven if you thought that The Coconut Club was some sort of beach bar serving piña coladas, but nooooo..., the reason it's called "The Coconut Club" is far more prosaic. They called it "The Coconut Club" simply because the owners were nuts over coconuts!
Joël Robuchon: Three Michelin Star Dining Experience
How does one write about a Three Michelin Star restaurant whose Chef has been given the title “Chef of the Century” and who currently has a total of twenty eight Michelin Stars? If I criticised it, I would surely sound patronising. If I said the experience is “phenomenal”, I might be misconstrued as being shallow.
have been wanting to visit Candlenut for the longest time, even before they won a Michelin Star in the inaugural Michelin Guide for Singapore. Word had it that Chef Malcolm was doing great things with Peranakan cuisine, using his knowledge of western fine dining to bring Peranakan cuisine into the 21st century while still preserving its essential character.
Beni: French Cuisine, Japanese Style. One Michelin Star Restaurant
The Japanese have a knack for mastering foreign cuisine -- French, Spanish, Italian and even Sichuan cuisine as shown by Chef Kentaro who also won a Michelin star for Shisen Hanten. That is not to say that our local boys aren't up to it has well. We have to congratulate Chef Jason Tan of Corner House also earned himself a Michelin star for French cuisine. But what the Japanese have been able to do is to add that unmistakable Japanese touch to any dish which is instantly recognisable.
Hong Heng Fried Sotong Mee: Michelin Guide Hawkers!
The Michelin Guide has put Singapore’s hawker food on the world gastronomy map with the announcement of 2 One Michelin Star Hawkers this week, viz Hillstreet Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee and Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken. Now we can boast that Singapore is the cheapest place in the world where you can eat at a Michelin Star establishment! Two dollars! Yes $2 is all you need to eat a Michelin Star meal!
