Singapore finally gets its Michelin Guide

SINGAPORE — It has been a long time coming, and now it is official: Singapore will have its own Michelin Guide, and it will happen as early as next year. In fact, that means the guide’s inspectors are expected to descend on Singapore as early as in the next few weeks to check out the city’s dining scene in preparation for a guide to Singapore’s first-ever list of Michelin hotels and restaurants, it said in an announcement today (Nov 30).

In collaboration with Robert Parker Wine Advocate (RobertParker.com) and the Singapore Tourism Board, the guide, which will be available in the second half of 2016, will also be the first Michelin food guide to be published in the South and South-east Asia region.

“After Japan, Hong Kong and Macau, we are particularly pleased to continue our development in Asia in 2016 with the launch of a Michelin Guide for Singapore,” said Michael Ellis, International Director of the Michelin Guides. “The extent and high quality of Singapore’s culinary scene, which is among the most dynamic in Asia, completely won us over. The city is a cultural and commercial crossroads, and its gastronomy is enriched by influences from all over Asia, which makes it particularly attractive to foreign chefs.”

And it is the same cultural diversity that has Melissa Ow, deputy chief executive at the Singapore Tourism Board, excited. “Singapore is well-known for a wonderfully diverse dining scene that ranges from popular Singapore traditional fare to celebrity restaurants,” she said. “We are proud of Singapore’s eclectic dining scene and how it has evolved into the world-class dining destination it is today.”

Citing the growing trend in food travel, the launch of the guide, she affirmed, will be a testament to the country’s feted culinary journey, one that she believes will help draw more visitors.

Those working closely with Singapore top restaurants agree. “Regardless of whether I or any other foodie agree with the specific rankings that Michelin will unveil next year, having a Michelin Guide here, with starred restaurants, should have a positive impact on our industry,” said Aun Koh, chairman of the Ate Group, an integrated communications agency that specialises in lifestyle industries. “It will bring our nation and our restaurant scene to the attention of many who might otherwise have planned eating holidays to other destinations. It will help build our chefs’ and restaurateurs’ names and reputations internationally. That is what is important.”

Some also see the move as a reflection of bigger things to come. “The Michelin’s Guide’s decision to come to Singapore is a validation that the whole culinary centre of gravity has shifted eastwards,” said Raymond Lim, spokesperson for the Les Amis Group. “Together, with the San Pellegrino 50 Best list, Singapore has cemented its position as one of the world’s most important culinary cities, and this is a boon for both restaurateurs and customers,” he shared, adding the Michelin Guide “is a reliable yardstick for the evergreen restaurants” such as the group’s 21-year-old French restaurant, Les Amis.

Lim quipped about the four 3-Michelin Star restaurants he thinks Singapore would earn. But as Koh put it, we should not lose sight of the bigger picture — “any international guide with the power to shine the spotlight on our dining scene is ultimately a good thing”.