[Singapore] Michelin Guide 2016

The winners are

3-stars: Jöel Robuchon Restaurant

2-stars: André, L’Atelier de Jöel Robuchon, Odette, Shisen Hanten, Shoukouwa, Les Amis

1-Michelin-star: Alma, Bacchanalia, Béni, Candlenut, Corner House, Crystal Jade Golden Palace, Cut by Wolfgang Puck, Forest by Sam Leong, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodles, Jaan, Lei Garden, Osia, Putien at Kitchener Road, Rhubarb, Shinji Beach Road, Shinji Tanglin Road, Summer Pavillion, Sushi Ichi, Terra, Song of India, Waku Ghin.

So, the top tier of Singapore’s culinary scene are 5 French and 2 Japanese restaurants!

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Typical Michelin.

That’s why locals don’t read the guide. And its not written for the locals also.

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BTW, what do you think of the two hawker stands Tai Hwa and HK Soya Sauce?

Apparently I am wrong- the queues at the starred and bib gourmand stalls were much longer than usual

I’ve always been a fan of Tai Wah. Usually, the wait in the queue is about half an hour.
If the Michelin-star is going to result in 2-hour waits, forget it - no bak chor mee is worth that long a wait.

I’d not tried HK Soysauce chicken rice & noodkes before, but friends who did said it’s really good. Again, I’m avoiding this place till the hype has died down.

What do you think about their other starred restaurants? Did they make good picks?

Most of their picks are spot-on. Yet, there are better restaurants which somehow got overlooked or ignored. Michelin inspectors can be quite subjective, and favour restaurateurs whom they are familiar with. Wong Ah Yoke of the Straits Times gave a good overview of what he thinks of the new Michelin Guide:

I’m hitting a few of the new Michelin-starred spots this weekend :slight_smile:

It is interesting to read Wong Ah Yoke’s take on it. I always find Michelin generally reliable but never expect it to be comprehensive or up with the latest trends.

Certainly every guide has a few oddities (as Wong points out) but I quite like using it as a good back stop when choosing a restaurant - and with Peter and Wong’s ticks of approval it sounds like a useful addition to info on Singapore.

Can the team of Japanese inspectors fully appreciate the nuances of Singapore/ Malay cuisines, since its rather different from the cuisines that Michelin typically reviews?

It’s definitely a valid question. My assumption is that any good inspector is going to understand multiple cuisines especially those from Asian cities given the quality and range of restaurants most cities have.

I also tend to think that the nuances that make one dish better than another should be fairly obvious to a food professional.

IMO I get a little suspicious of cuisines that are so nuanced you need to be an insider to appreciate them. Sometimes, the nuances are akin to the emperors new clothes and seem to be more about belong to the club that understands rather than being real.

That said their is a world of difference between an inexperienced diner not understanding the nuances of dish to a professional missing an “insiders” nuance.

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Saveur’s interview of Chan Hon Meng of Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken & Noodle.

There is a new branch of the stand now.

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The queue at the largish new branch, located in a shophouse, goes round the block!!

Anybody been to André? It is so much in the media in France I’m starting to get curious, also the chef André Chiang opened Porte 12 in Paris.

I’d not, but an American friend and his family were there just last week and declared that 2-Michelin-stars did not do justice to Andre Chiang’s talent and finesse.