Michelin Guide Singapore 2016: The Stars, The Winners And The Drama

The 70-year-old proprietor of Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, Tang Chay Seng, looked overwhelmed in the media scrum surrounding him after his stall was awarded one Michelin star. Tang’s win had elicited the loudest cheers that evening from guests and the media. “It’s just an ordinary dish,” beamed Tang modestly. “We’re very happy to receive [the star]. We’re just a small business. I don’t think we’ll be increasing prices after this.” That to us, was the high point of last week’s glitzy gala dinner at Resorts World Sentosa, co-organised by Robert Parker Wine Advocate and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, where the winners of Singapore’s first Michelin Guide were announced.

The initial reaction among members of the media when this stall was announced as a one-star winner: “Who? Never heard of him”. We haven’t heard of this Chinatown Food Complex stall either, until now. It was opened in 2009 by Chan Hong Meng, 52. The diminutive hawker said: “I learnt how to cook from a Hongkong chef and modified the dishes to suit Singaporeans’ taste.” Chan is thinking of opening a banquet-style eatery next “to keep up with the times”.

Head chef Kenji Yamanaka of this low-profile French fine-diner told us he was “surprised to win” one star. So were we — the plates here are slightly dated and middling.

In our opinion, some of chef Seita Nakahara's Japanese-influenced Italian plates are good, but others are underwhelming. Is he in the same league as fellow one-star winners like Jaan or Corner House? Nope.

The only three-star winner of the night was the man with the most Michelin Stars in the world. Predictable, some may even say political, given the French background of the Michelin Guide and the fact that Resorts World Sentosa, a “title partner”, is where his winning restaurant is housed.

Former Jaan exec chef André Chiang told us before the ceremony that he wasn’t nervous about his star rating, just as hotelier Loh Lik Peng and Restaurant André co-owner swept up and boomed, “André! Nothing more to prove, right?” Expectations naturally run high for a restaurant who’s fifth on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Still, we couldn’t help but think the celebrated chef seemed a tad disappointed that his eatery won two stars instead of three. “I don’t know how to be better, but we’ll keep doing what we can do,” he said afterwards.

French chef Julien Royer, who took over Andre’s role at Jaan, left the Swissotel restaurant to set up his own French fine-diner Odette with The Lo & Behold group only eight months ago. And this move has paid off. Odette nabbed two stars. “I don’t feel the pressure [to win]. I feel the pleasure,” he laughed. “It’s extra motivation for me.” But you won’t have to shell out a new, ‘premium’ price for the newly-minted Michelin restaurant. “Since day one we said we won’t raise prices,” reassured Royer.

Julien Royer’s former protégé and successor at Jaan is English chef Kirk Westaway, who said of his one-star win: “I got a call just hours before the event and was told of the results. I went back to the kitchen to work. But later, I told my sous chef and our manager the news and we all had a cuddle and a bit of a cry. It was the greatest moment in my life as all my culinary idols are Michelin star winners”. Aww.

“The results (his Peranakan eatery won a star) are a blessing, though it’s a bittersweet moment for me. I gave up everything to be in this [line]. My restaurant has been around for six years and I’ve been with my girlfriend for over five years. We recently broke up. Because I work 12 hours daily at least and on my day off, I’m too tired to do anything”. Perhaps his ex will wanna get back together now, since his efforts have been validated? “It’s not up to me," he said quietly.

It was stupefying that the excellent modern Japanese restaurant Waku Ghin at Marina Bay Sands won only one star. Chef-owner Tetsuya Wakuda was emotional when he collected his prize. The dejected-looking chef later tells us, “That’s life. When you think about it, [liking a] restaurant is subjective. Am I sad? Well, as long as the restaurant is busy, we’ll try even harder and keep humble. After this, I’m going back to the restaurant to congratulate my team.” Sob.

Willin Low is the godfather of modern Singaporean cuisine before the term “mod sin” was even coined. His innovative plates helped fly our country’s flag high when he participated in overseas cooking initiatives. It’s a shame he wasn't given a star, unlike mediocre restaurants such as er, Osia, Beni, The Kitchen at Bacchanalia, Summer Pavilion, Terra (just to name a few). But Willin is taking it in his stride: "We’ll continue to do what we’ve been doing for the past 11 years — provide good experiences for our guests. If someone gives us a star, it’s just an additional pat on the back".

If there ever was a fanatical seafood nerd, it’s co-owner Ken Loon of this shabby-chic seafood “shack”. But his obsession with sea creatures means good quality, sometimes rare creatures prepared simply but elegantly by his chefs, letting its clean, natural flavours shine. “It’s disappointing. Not so much for me, but for my team who worked really hard,” he says.

Was the five-course gala dinner menu worth the eye-watering price tag? Well, the wines, especially the Ruinart champagne, were fab. But the food was hit-or-miss. The yummier dishes included Robuchon’s caviar-laden salmon tartare (below pic), chef Malcolm Lee’s lobster noodles with a gravy reminiscent of a deliciously tangy mee siam-laksa hybrid, and Les Amis pastry chef Cheryl Koh’s succulent cherry dessert.

The Michelin Guide Singapore 2016 is available at $39.95 in major bookstores and www.guide.michelin.sg.