The local dining scene is one we’re always keeping our eyes closely glued to. At every turn, a fresh culinary concept seems to find its feet on our shores—be it an exciting collaborative venture, a whirlwind weekend pop-up or simply a new slate of restaurants, helmed by chefs from our city and beyond. Each one promises to bring with it a novel gastronomic experienceand add to the mix of our already diverse repertoire of culinary addresses.
For those who dine with sustainability in mind, Air is the latest kid on the block. In a bid to make the best use of the smorgasbord of tropical ingredients we have on hand, the farm-to-table concept melds contemporary Southeast Asian flavours with European cuisine in ways that feel unfamiliar and wholly innovative—something one can only expect from its feted head chefs Will Goldfarb and Matthew Orlando. Meanwhile, a taste of the sun, sand and sea awaits over at Moxie, where Mediterranean cuisine is par for the course. Helmed by executive chef Steven Chou, this modern beach house hideaway brims with laidback flair—imbued through raw, earthy elements and communal sharing platters which set the vibe.
Adding to the ever-evolving scene of modern Indian restaurants bringing the heat to the local scene, the iconic Bombay Brasserie has arrived in Singapore. Clad in a Parisian-inspired space that brims with old world charm, the restaurant delves into Indian flavours that are at once refreshing and authentic to the region. For something closer to home, Jiak Kim House stands out amid the lot. Once a famed nightlife location, dining industry stalwart The Brewerkz Group and chef-partner Seow Tzi Qin reinvigorate the iconic address with an all-new destination for modern Asian cuisine.
Ahead of your next big night out, look to our list of the city’s most exciting new restaurants to dine at.
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Air
On the verdant green of Dempsey Hill is Air, a sprawling new dining destination. Led by chef Matthew Orlando—who previously helmed sustainability frontrunner Amass in Copenhagen—and chef Will Goldfarb, the duo’s Singapore entry has taken shape as an ambitious, multi-hyphenate culinary concept. Beyond putting real, delicious food on the table, they are a circular campus that not only invites guests to witness all the gastronomic magic happening in the kitchen, but also houses a cooking school with its mind set on passing on culinary knowledge to aspiring learners.
Here, the fare is as good as the vibe is languid. All that experimentation in the kitchen culminates in some really surprising turns at the table, including the restaurant’s extensive array of refreshing spirits. There’s nothing like a warm slab of cassava bread to start you off right—especially when it is paired with an earthy, whipped mushroom ‘XO’ butter that is deceptively simple yet so addictive on its own. Meanwhile, tables of three or four can consider digging into a delightful plate of Crispy Oyster Mushrooms. Glazed with sarawak pepper, pickled chillies and spicy greens, leave your table decorum by the door as you feast on this crunchy treat.
Watching the chefs at work, it’s easy to glean that the restaurant’s firm belief in culinary creativity is what earns its a gold star. Take the coral grouper dish: a smoky fish head rillette and melt-in-your-mouth fillet meant to lay atop a crispy lavash—made from the bones of the fish, after being pressure-cooked and pureed to achieve the effect of a cracker. Or the charcoal-grilled duck breast lacquered in a tangy roselle drizzle—perfectly teamed with a cashew cream and an unlikely topping of smoked chilli oil. But the guaranteed sleeper hit? The deeply satisfying Re-Incarnated “Chocolate”, which doesn’t contain a single drop of actual chocolate. Instead, banana skins get a brownie update, cocoa husks, cascara and coconut flesh are ground and mixed together to yield nutty chocolate bars, and a frozen cascara mousse drizzled in banana skin caramel all come together for a rapturous end to a meal at Air.
25B Dempsey Road, Singapore 249670
Enquiries: +65 8228 1528
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Jiak Kim House
What used to be lauded as one of Singapore’s hottest nightclubs is now a new dining hotspot, carrying on the address’s renowned fervour in the name of Jiak Kim House. A project that was years in the making by The Brewerkz Group, the astounding transformation now sees a 120-seater restaurant, majestically imbued with a blend of modern fixtures and old world charm. And paying homage to its historic location and the illustrious journey of Singapore—where old meets new and East meets West—is its modern Asian cuisine.
Spearheaded by chef-partner Seow Tzi Qin, fondly remembered classics are weaved into the starters: Tingkat of Memories presents delectable vignettes like chilli crab kueh pie tee and otak otak stuffed with fresh fish paste and prawn chunks. While peculiar, Seow’s iteration of a mushroom soup, carries the signature heat of our local speciality bak kut teh. Like a latte, he serves this piquant peppery consommé layered with a peppercorn-infused foam in a coffee cup, as mini dough fritters make perfect accompaniments on the side.
Each main at Jiak Kim House imparts its own tranche of flavours, all while conveying Seow’s profound understanding and appreciation of local and regional produce. The mangosteen salsa immediately springs to mind. It might just be a side to the huge sambal grouper fillet, but the tropical fruit is deseeded with laborious effort, while cutting through the heat from the fish with a tangy reprieve. In the rendang beef, a triptych is served—short rib, ox tongue and oxtail that have been thoroughly stewed in spices and rendered fork tender. Crispy pavé potatoes, smoked shishito peppers and a fresh ‘rojak’ salad complete the dish. On the dessert front, another locally-favoured fruit is spotlighted, with a pineapple sorbet infused with Moutai and layered by a silky shield of coconut jelly.
Given the dining group’s repertoire with a fine wine merchant under its belt, one will be surely spoiled for choice of vino at Jiak Kim House—especially after a glance at the restaurant’s wine cellar. Specialising in French wines, choose from over 200 labels to sip alongside with your meal. Cold cuts, artisanal cheeses and steaks on the grill are also at the ready, should you wish to enjoy a precise pairing.
5 Jiak Kim St, #01–17, Singapore 169425
Enquiries: 9831 5430
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Bombay Brasserie
Some of the best new Indian food in town might just be found in a Parisian brasserie. London institution Bombay Brasserie arrives in Asia for the first time with an outpost in Singapore’s South Beach, taking a step back from its fine-dining roots to an updated, modern ambience that is as suitable for a casual brunch as it is for a special occasion. Of course, the accessibility of the restaurant makes it an equally good option for a business lunch in the CBD.
Ranging from chaat to family-style mains, Bombay Brasserie’s vast menu presents a good mix of authentic dishes and more experimental plates. Dishes like Our Butter Chicken (a local favourite in Singapore) or Kashmiri Rogan Josh are done traditionally here, presenting a precise and delicate balance of flavours without catering too far to any one palate. Each main also comes with accompanying rice or Indian bread, meaning you don’t have to order extra and can rack up on meat, seafood and vegetable dishes instead.
As much as you can look forward to a taste of the real India here—they even offer the ultra-traditional Curd Rice and Rajma Chawal—you might also want to embark on a culinary adventure with dishes like Avocado and Salmon Papdi Chaat, or the Truffle Khichdi. If you are an Indian food purist, you’ll find yourself partial to the classics, like their impeccably done, impressively tender Prawn tandoori, but you certainly don’t have to stick to the traditional. Here, you can enjoy the best of both worlds. With a section of the menu dedicated to Western plates (we recommend the scallops), there will be something for everyone.
26 Beach Rd, B1-23/24/25 South Beach Avenue, Singapore 189768
Enquiries: 6980 7163
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Moxie
Within an earthen enclave on College Road is Moxie, a new modern Mediterranean concept launched by the team behind Dempsey Hill’s Siri House. Modelled after a Grecian beach house with a curated blend of raw elements and the natural tones of clay, stone, wood-rattan and jute, the restaurant is a welcome escape from the bustle of city life in Singapore.
Communal dining is the way to go here, with a selection of appetisers, small and big plates bringing forth fresh ingredients and robust flavours. The restaurant does a mean burrata—one of the best in town—with an unconventional pairing of pickled red beets, juicy charred grapes and mint oil giving the rich cheese some welcome lift and tang. For mains, you can’t go wrong with the delicious Catch of the Day, served on the bone and filleted tableside, accompanied by a creamy almond, burnt butter and caper sauce, or a punchy scallion puree with burnt lemon and Pico de Gallo. From the restaurant’s inventive cocktail list, don’t miss out on the Salty Dip, a devilishly dirty take on a gin martini with generous lashings of olive brine.
The restaurant goes beyond just dining with an exclusive selection of lifestyle products—from soy wax candles to earthenware—made in collaboration with homegrown artists and local vendors. Lining the textured walls, these items are on display and available for sale within Moxie, which will also soon be home to a range of craftsmanship workshops and masterclasses—all in the name of fostering the local artistic community.
2 College Rd, Level 1, Singapore 169850
Enquiries: 9339 3380
