Latest news with #Omakase@Stevens
Business Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Is Michelin losing the plot?
YOU know something's not quite right when you get invited to a party and the host doesn't even show up. On Thursday evening, the cream of Singapore's F&B industry gathered at the Marina Bay Sands' Sands Ballroom, where the best restaurants as decided by the Michelin Guide were rewarded with stars and a standup buffet after the ceremony. Notably missing was the guide's international director Gwendal Poullennec, who nonetheless had prepared a prerecorded video lauding the culinary excellence of Singapore's restaurant scene, while also making the right noises about the challenges the industry is facing. While it's not the first time he didn't make a personal appearance in Singapore, there was an air of 'Sorry, I couldn't make it, but enjoy yourselves anyway' blaseness about his absence. It was a vibe that continued throughout the evening, which could go down as the guide's laziest, phone-it-in performance since it made its grand debut in 2016. It feels particularly pertinent this year, what with record closures and economic uncertainty making pretty much everyone in the industry miserable. And without taking away any of the glory of the night's two winners – one star for Omakase@Stevens and a second star for Sushi Sakuta – a guide which sees the highest number of dropouts with barely any replacements does not bode well for Singapore's reputation as a culinary destination. Were there really no worthy restaurants to recognise this year? Even last year, when the stars were released via e-mail instead of a physical ceremony – as if Michelin had discovered a new strain of Covid-19 we didn't know about – there were four new stars and one promotion. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Given its long-held vow of secrecy, there is no way of knowing how Michelin thinks, much less its processes in awarding its stars. You can only guess. Maybe Peach Blossoms' tendency to innovate rankles Michelin's definition of Chinese food as dim sum and Peking duck. Maybe the modern Korean Na Oh isn't fine-dining enough. Perhaps too much red tape is involved in converting Malaysian-inspired Fiz's sustainable green star to a proper one. It's also possible that the lack of a direct bus service to ASU kept the inspectors away from sampling its progressive Asian cuisine. And who knows, maybe the Noma-esque rumblings about Somma prejudiced them against its refreshingly daring menus. Maybe it's just within its comfort zone to reward what they know – fail-safe Japanese food. Taste is subjective, we know. Whatever Michelin's reasons, what's worrying is the optics for Singapore. This year's results simply cement the impression that we are lagging behind other Asian cities and that our strong dollar makes it more attractive to travel overseas to eat. That even Michelin doesn't feel that there are any new and interesting restaurants worth making a detour to Singapore for, is not good. While chefs may rationalise that they work to make their guests happy and make a decent living while at it, it doesn't change the fact that they all want – for better or worse – the tyre-maker's stamp of approval. Never mind that its credibility and relevance have been waning in the wake of alternative guides. For restaurants, not knowing why they're not good enough, because of the guide's lack of transparency, is what hits the hardest. Talk to people in the industry, and it sounds like trying to reach out to Michelin is like writing a letter to Santa Claus. Except that with Santa, you have the luxury of wondering if he even exists. With Michelin, you know you're just being ignored. For many, Thursday's ceremony was a bit of a non-event, although it was a welcome excuse for chefs in the industry to party and savour the relief of maintaining their stars. After the ignominy of last year's e-mail presentation (followed up by a belated gathering much later on), MBS gets kudos for trying to bring back some of the glamour of Michelin ceremonies past. Still, Michelin has to decide – does it want to be an active player in the dining destination it's in, engaging and shaping the narrative of a city that it has a vested interest in seeing flourish, or simply be a passive observer merely reflecting the surrounding situation? For a guide with so much influence, let's hope it goes back to being more of the former.
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Michelin Guide Singapore 2025: Sushi Sakuta promoted to 2 stars, 1 restaurant earns its first star, Lifestyle News
After the announcement of the Michelin Bib Gourmand results on July 17, it's now time for the full selection of the Michelin Guide Singapore 2025, now in its ninth edition. The results were announced at the Michelin Guide ceremony held at Marina Bay Sands on Thursday (July 24). In total, 288 locations are recognised in this year's Michelin Guide, comprising 42 Michelin-starred restaurants (three of which earned three Michelin stars, and seven two Michelin stars), 89 Michelin Bib Gourmand eateries and 157 Michelin Selected establishments. This year, no other restaurant joined Odette, Les Amis and Zen in the three-Michelin-star category. Cloudstreet, Jaan by Kirkwestaway, Meta, Shoukouwa, Saint Pierre and Thevar retained their two Michelin stars. Joining them is Sushi Sakuta, a Japanese omakase specialist that has been promoted from one Michelin star. The establishment was first awarded a one star in 2023. This year, only one establishment earned its first one Michelin star — Omakase @ Stevens. The chef-owner of Omakase @ Stevens, Kazuki Arimoto, is an Osaka native who honed his skills in Tokyo. He also is the recipient of the Young Chef Award, which was presented by BlancPain during the Michelin Guide ceremony. The one-Michelin-star list boasts 32 eateries, including the only hawker stall, Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle, which has retained its star since 2016, as well as Burnt Ends, Esora, Iggy's, Labyrinth and Waku Ghin. Apart from chef Kazuki from Omakase @ Stevens, Ines Carriere Bega from Odette won the Michelin Guide Service Award and Bella Jankaew from Jaan by Kirk Westaway won the Michelin Guide Sommelier Award. Twenty-six new establishments have made it to the Michelin Selected list for the first time. It is awarded to eateries that have met the criteria set by Michelin inspectors but that don't qualify for a Michelin Bib Gourmand or Michelin Star yet. This includes vegetarian omakase restaurant Ki Su, Taiwanese contemporary restaurant Iru Den, Spanish contemporary restaurant Nomada and Middle Eastern restaurant The Prince. For the Michelin Green Star, which highlights establishments at the forefront of the industry for their sustainable practices and dining experiences, two restaurants have maintained their status — one-Michelin-starred Seroja and Michelin Selected Fiz. A manual count by AsiaOne showed that 10 establishments that were on the 2024 list were not on the 2025 list; these are Art Di Daniele Sperindio, Chef Kang's, Matera, Oshino, Poise, Rhubarb, Shinji, Sommer, Sushi Kimura and Terra. However, there is as yet no official confirmation from Michelin Guide Singapore on this. In 2024, there were 283 Michelin Guide-recommended locations — 51 starred restaurants, 81 Bib Gourmand eateries and 151 Michelin Selected venues. New Michelin Bib Gourmand entrants Last week, Michelin Guide Singapore announced that 89 eateries here were awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand title. The Bib Gourmand is a rating or recognition given to restaurants and street food stalls that serve value-for-money gourmet experiences in Singapore that cost no more than $45. There were a total of nine new entrants plus two eateries that moved up from the Michelin Selected category. The two entrants that moved up from the Selected category are Boon Tong Kee (Balestier) and Ji Ji Noodle House. As for the nine new additions, there is Kotuwa, Jungle, Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow, Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee, To-Ricos Kway chap, Wok Hei Hor Fun, Song Kee Teochew Fish Porridge, Sin Heng Claypot Bak Koot Teh and Kitchenmen Nasi Lemak. [[nid:719302]] melissateo@
