The Singapore Michelin Guide will be launched next year. The confirmation of a Singapore Michelin Guide as early as next year topped what has been an exciting 2015 for a nation of food lovers.
Local fare has never been more openly celebrated, both here and abroad (what with Anthony Bourdain’s plans to bring Asian street food to New York and the supposed new chicken rice war brewing in Shanghai); and local chefs and bartenders are continuing to rake in top honours on the global stage.
So what’s cooking for next year? The warm reception to local start-ups this year could mean that we can see more permanent brick-and-mortar outlets emulating the likes of Bird Bird House of Thai Chicken, Park Bench Deli, Paper Crane and L’eclair Patisserie. More independent restaurants are expected to woo people in the heartlands next year — even if these will be of a smaller scale, thanks to the ongoing labour crunch, said Konstantino Blokbergen, director of Singapore-based hospitality and lifestyle consulting company Gastro-Sense.
But the arrival of the world’s most recognised dining guide is on everyone’s lips, although, whether its presence marks a coming of age for the local dining scene is up for discussion.
“To see… Michelin penetrate the Singapore market before any other country in South-east Asia is definitely a sign of achievement in recognition and proof of our local dining scene’s maturity,” said Blokbergen.
It will further reinforce Singapore’s standing as the regional hub for culinary excellence, added Ranita Sundramoorthy, director, Attractions, Dining and Retail, Singapore Tourism Board, who said the guide’s arrival will “encourage continuous culinary innovation and excellence among Singapore players” as well as the growth of gastro-tourism.
While Mod-Sin cuisine pioneer Willin Low said that the Singaporean diner is far from naive when it comes to the best places to dine, other players adopted a more cautious stance.
Said Edina Hong-Stroobant, marketing director of Emmanuel Stroobant Group: “I think it’s a budding scene. The Michelin Guide will hopefully reinforce the fact that Rome was not built in a day. One of the reasons the Japanese have a higher number of Michelin restaurants is their culture — it is all about discipline and in-depth knowledge; I think Michelin will help us achieve this maturity … but not yet.”
Les Amis Group’s Raymond Lim predicted only four restaurants earning a coveted three-star rating. “Maturity doesn’t happen overnight, it will take at least five to 10 years. Yes, Singapore is ready (for the guide) but a market doesn’t transform so much within a year,” he said, adding that the Michelin Guide is not an award but a guidebook to the best restaurants with the best value.
And while we’ve grown more appreciative of the value our dining scene purveys, there is clearly quite a bit of growing up left to do, before, as Low put it, “the day consumers are willing to pay the same price for a hand made soon kueh as they would for a macaron or cupcake”.