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Tag: Michelin Guide

  • Michelin Guide Singapore 2019 to be Released in September

    Michelin Guide Singapore 2019 to be Released in September

    Michelin is proud to announce that the star selection of the Michelin Guide Singapore 2019 will be officially revealed on 17 September 2019 at the historically rich Capella Singapore.

    The selected establishments will be recognized at the star-studded Michelin Guide Singapore 2019 Star Revelation and Gala Dinner. The evening’s exquisite six-course dinner will be created by internationally renowned chefs from Michelin-starred establishments around the world.

    The roster of chefs this year includes names that gastronomes will be familiar with, including:

    • Guillaume Galliot (Caprice, 3 Michelin stars, Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2019)
    • Kelvin Au Yeung (Jade Dragon, 3 Michelin stars, Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2019)
    • Sebastien Lepinoy (Les Amis, 2 Michelin stars, Michelin Guide Singapore 2018)
    • Joshua Brown and Greg Bess (CUT by Wolfgang Puck at Marina Bay Sands, 1 Michelin star, Michelin Guide Singapore 2018)
    • Beppe de Vito (Braci, 1 Michelin star, Michelin Guide Singapore 2018)
    • Arisara ‘Paper’ Chongphanitkul (Saawaan, 1 Michelin star, Michelin Guide Bangkok, Phuket Phang-Nga 2019)

    Bringing together their expertise gained in the varied culinary regions of Europe and Asia, the chefs will be presenting a six-course dinner, with each chef showcasing the cuisine that they specialize in. Including French, Italian and Cantonese cuisine, the dishes will be served with an impeccable selection of wines.

    This year’s gala will reflect a trend seen across the world, sustainability, which is also in alignment with one of the Michelin Group’s key commitments: Sustainable Mobility. The company envisions a circular economy to preserve the planet’s resources by reducing, reusing, renewing and recycling the materials needed to produce the Company’s products and services, to avoid leaving a lasting environmental impact.

    To make this possible, one of its visions for the next 30 years is for its tires to incorporate up to 80 percent sustainable materials and for 100 percent of end-of-life tires to be recycled or reused as fuel.

    Fittingly, this year’s gala dinner is themed «Kitchens of Progression», signifying a shift towards sustainable dining and culinary practices. Chefs involved in the preparation are implored to procure ingredients from trusted suppliers and organizations that practice ethical and sustainable farming and be mindful about reducing food wastage – Michelin aims to make this a move in the culinary world, in line with another aspect of its business.

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  • Singapore soya-sauce chicken chain for Taipei

    Singapore’s soya-sauce chicken hawker outlet is heading overseas with Taipei as its first stop.

    The Michelin star restaurant’s Taiwanese debut will be at Hoyii North Station in the first half of this year.

    Owner Chan Hon Meng says he is excited to share Singapore’s food culture with the rest of the world, and hopes this will encourage more young people to join the hawker profession.

    Like Hawker Chan, which opened in Smith Street in November, the Taipei outlet will be a quick-service restaurant.

    Chan’s signature soya-sauce chicken dish earned a one-star rating in the inaugural Singapore Michelin Guide last July. His hawker stall at Chinatown Food Complex is touted as the cheapest Michelin-starred food establishment in the world, with its award-winning noodles selling at only S$2.50 (US$1.76).

    If the Taipei branch succeeds, Chan hopes to next expand into Malaysia.

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  • Hong Kong Shopping Festival 2017: Things You Need To Know

    Hong Kong Shopping Festival 2017: Things You Need To Know

    During July to August, Hong Kong conducts special events and stores have special sales for the festival. One can get quality products and prices. During this time, there will be more sales than usual. Many stores will be also open longer than usual. Major discounts will be made available. Customer service will also make available coupons for the sale.

    Hong Kong has always been considered as a world class shopping center. They have the highest in retail rental for stores. In 2015, the Global Shopper Index named Hong Kong as the best to place to shop in Asia. This is based on characteristics such as variety, price, ease of travel, enjoyment and entertainment.

    In fact, it was rated as substantially better than the next city in Asia. One can usually find bargains on most products better than elsewhere in Asia while at the same time enjoying the place. One will also find about the widest variety of products in Asia.

    Hong Kong can be quite warm in July and August, but this is no problem because all malls in Hong Kong have air conditioning. It is not recommended to go out too early the street markets because of the warm weather. It is better after sundown, then one can try the street food and eat outside when it is cooler. There are luxury malls, and there are middle priced malls. One can find some of Asia’s best restaurants in these malls, as rated by the Michelin Guide.

    Access to Central District is a breeze via the Star Ferry terminal in Central or the Central MTR station. On the island, there are also hiking areas, parks, natural parks and beaches, good free zoos, and the vast and renovated Ocean Park amusement park. Much of the island is covered by public forest land that makes the island scenery beautiful and that makes for good and safe natural hiking areas. From Chinese noodle restaurants to gourmet French and Cantonese restaurants in the Landmark or the IFC Towers, one has a wide range of places to eat in Central and Admiralty.

    If you venture out and around the Mong Kok area in Kowloon, there is the The Ladies Market, Fa Yuen Street, Tung Choi Street, Ladies Market’s Sai Yeung Choi Street, or Temple Street. For electronics, the latest is always available. You can get bargains on Chinese-made electronics. There is Golden Computer Center which is a large electronics market. For photography equipment, Stanley Street on Hong Kong Island and Sai Yeung Choi Street on the Kowloon side are where the professional photographers prefer to go for new lenses or cameras. The large Apple stores in Hong Kong sell the latest versions about 10 percent cheaper than in the mainland.

    For cosmetics, in the bigger shopping malls in Central in Hong Kong, you can find most brands of cosmetics. For outlet stores, Hong Kong has several outlet stores. One of them is Citygate that is conveniently located in Tung Chung on Lantau Island and is only 5 minutes from the airport.

  • Seoul Michelin Guide launched

    Seoul Michelin Guide launched

    The first ever edition of the Seoul Michelin Guide has been released.

    Seoul is enjoying a growing reputation for its eclectic dining scene ranging from royal cuisine restaurants and fine dining establishments to its many specialty Korean one dish restaurants and its popular street food.

    The new guide brings together a selection of the best of all cuisines with every establishment chosen first and foremost for the quality of cooking.  Two restaurants awarded three stars are Korean cuisine restaurants Gaon and La Yeon.  La Yeon on the 23rd floor of Shilla Hotel was named in the Best 50 Restaurants in Asia in 2016.

    Other contemporary Korean restaurants in Seoul like Jungsik and Mingles are well known for their innovative cuisine and the blending of traditional Korean ingredients into modern contemporary dishes with unique Korean flavours.

    Jungsik also made it onto the Best 50 Restaurants in Asia list in 2016 and executive chef Jungsik Yim also has a restaurant in New York.  Mingles executive chef Mingoo Kang trained under Martin Berasetegui in San Sebastian, Spain and later enjoyed stints at Nobu in Miami and the Bahamas.

    Korea is increasingly attracting foodies, not only for fine dining but for its variety of street food popular with locals and visitors alike. Specialty one-dish restaurants serving Samgyetang (whole baby chicken stuffed with ginseng and glutinous rice simmered slowly for hours) and Mandu (Korean style dumplings served with kimchi) abound.

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  • Does arrival of Michelin Guide reflect a more mature dining scene in Singapore?

    Does arrival of Michelin Guide reflect a more mature dining scene in Singapore?

    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”.

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