PUBLISHED June 30th, 2017 06:35 pm
The second year of any awarding body is always exciting, because we all have questions. In the case of the Michelin Guide, it’s things like: Will more hawkers get a star? Will any restaurant lose their star? Are there going to be restaurants that will move up the ranks to get the second, or even the third star?
Well, the answer is no, yes, and yes, with the 38 restaurants receiving the affirmation from the international guide.
There was a lot of debate last year when Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles received a Michelin star since public opinion is that we cannot judge hawkers on the same level as fine dining restaurants. Although both hawkers managed to hold on to their stars – with Liao Fan’s second outlet getting recognition with on Bib Gourmand as well – there were no other hawker awardees this year, putting a stop to the controversy. Since we agree with the public, be it the lack of hawkers that are up to standards or that the Michelin team is pandering to public, it’s something we’re quite happy to let go of.
Japanese celebrity chef Tetsuya Wakuda has the most reason to celebrate this year since his Marina Bay Sands restaurant Waku Ghin has received another star, and it’s the only new two Michelin-starred restaurant in Singapore. That said, it’s quite unfortunate that Terra, the Italian-Tokyo fine dining restaurant on Tras Street, lost its Michelin star alongside Forest (by local celebrity chef Sam Leong) at Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa.
The new one Michelin-starred restaurants that are completely deserving of the win while adding diversity are long-time fine dining institutions Iggy’s and Garibaldi, the latter being the first Italian restaurant to get a star in Singapore. We’re glad that Chef Jason Tan at Corner House and Chef Malcolm Lee at Candlenut managed to hold on to their stars, and that local Chef Han Li Guang adds to the diversity with his Mod-Sin Restaurant Labyrinth. Homegrown group Imperial Treasure also scores a star with its fine Teochew restaurant while Regent Singapore’s Summer Palace and Chef Kang’s increases the representation of Cantonese cuisine in the guide.
Cheek by Jowl’s Chef Rishi Naleendra is the first Sri Lankan chef to receive a Michelin Star while fellow contemporary Australian restaurant Whitegrass by Sam Aisbett also gets its first star. Fun fact: did you know that the two chefs, as well as Sun Kim of Meta (also a new one star restaurant) used to work under Chef Tetsuya Wakuda?
Compared to last year, the 2017 Michelin Guide is a lot less controversial without much movement in the restaurants who were awarded last year and the new restaurants awarded this year are more or less deserving of it. I guess we have to save our discussions for 2018.
Three Michelin Stars
Joël Robuchon, Resorts World Sentosa
Two Michelin Stars
Restaurant ANDRE, Bukit Pasoh Road
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Resorts World Sentosa
Les Amis, Shaw Centre
Odette, National Gallery Singapore
Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro, Mandarin Orchard Singapore
Shoukouwa, One Fullerton
Waku Ghin by Tetsuya Wakuda, Marina Bay Sands
One Michelin Star
Alma by Juan Amador, Goodwood Park Hotel
Beni, Mandarin Gallery
Braci, Boat Quay
Candlenut, Dempsey
Cheek by Jowl, Boon Tat Street
Chef Kang’s, Mackenzie Road
Corner House, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Crystal Jade Golden Palace, Paragon Shopping Centre
CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Marina Bay Sands
Garibaldi, Purvis Street
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, Crawford Lane
Iggy’s, Hilton Singapore
Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine, ION Orchard
JAAN, Swissôtel The Stamford
Labyrinth, Espalande
Lei Garden, CHIJMES
Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle, Chinatown Food Complex
Meta, Keong Saik Road
Osia, Resorts World Sentosa
Putien, Kitchener Road
Rhubarb, Duxton Hill
Saint Pierre, One Fullerton
Shinji by Kanesaka, Raffles Hotel
Shinji by Kanesaka, The St. Regis Singapore
Summer Palace, Regent Singapore
Summer Pavilion, The Ritz-Carlton Millenia
Sushi Ichi, Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
The Kitchen at Bacchanalia, Hong Kong Street
The Song of India, Scotts Road
Whitegrass, CHIJMES
See Michelin Guide’s full release here.
Top Image: Cheek by Jowl by Gourmet and Travel.