When it comes to Singapore’s culinary scene, there’s always more to discover. Exclusive pop-ups regularly bring unique new gastronomic experiences to our door, and chef collaborations continually yield creative and delicious results. And of course, who could forget the constant slate of inventive new restaurants that are finding their place on our shores?
Food as wellness has become an increasingly popular concept, as a new wave of restaurants places its focus on healthy and nourishing ingredients. There’s Modu, where the essence of Korean boyang-sik—or restorative cuisine—comes to life. Started by the same team behind the popular Drim Korean Steakhouse, the samgyetang specialty restaurant offers six different kinds of ginseng chicken soup, each with its own beneficial properties. There’s also Asu, which combines fine-dining with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and time-honoured Asian cooking practices. Here, great focus is placed on seasonality, with the intention of going back to eating as how nature intended. The result? Progressive Asian cuisine that puts health on the same level of importance as flavour.
For a more casual hang? Look to Les Ducs and Madame Claude. Situated in a charming shophouse along Ann Siang Hill, you’ll be welcomed into a cosy French restaurant downstairs serving up hearty brasserie favourites with a playful Asian spin. Proceed upstairs, however, and you’ll find yourself at Madame Claude, an opulent members-only social club hidden behind velvet red curtains.
Ahead of your next big night out, look to our list of the city’s most exciting new restaurants to check out.
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Modu
Modu focuses on just one dish—and does it exceptionally well. Here, samgyetang, or Korean ginseng chicken soup, takes centre stage. Started by the founders of the popular Drim Korean Steakhouse, the restaurant is situated right in the heart of town, a serene space reminiscent of a traditional hanok.
Aiming to bring the essence of Korean boyang-sik—or restorative cuisine—to Singapore, Modu presents six unique flavours of samgyetang, each boiled for at least eight hours to ensure that the rich flavours and full nutritional value of health ingredients like ginseng and jujube are enhanced. The restaurant’s Black Chicken Samgyetang is clean-tasting but full of nuanced flavour, no doubt one of the best renditions of the dish in the city. For something less commonly found here, try the Perilla Seed Samgyetang, boasting a fragrant nutty aroma and a thicker consistency. There’s also the spicy Hangover Samgyetang, meant to boost the immune system after a night out, as well as the Beauty Samgyetang, packed full of ingredients believed to have beautifying benefits.
To complete your meal, look to the restaurant’s array of delightful sides. We recommend the Tofu Samhap, a creative take on the traditional samhap—which translates to ‘three tastes’—which features grilled tofu with fish roe, braised cabbage and dried seaweed. Wash it down with some ginseng tea, or sample the ginseng soju if you’re in the mood for something stronger.
Modu, 333A Orchard Rd, #02-37 Mandarin Gallery, Singapore 238897
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Sensu
The name Sensu refers to a traditional Japanese folding fan. Crafted with utmost precision by skilled artisans, its paper panels deftly unfold to reveal an intricate, elegant work of art. In similar fashion, a meal at Sensu creatively marries Japanese flavours with European culinary techniques, then unfolds gracefully across the plate—finesse evident in every detail.
Step through its doors, and you’ll find the bustle of the Keong Saik neighbourhood giving way to quiet, understated elegance. An intricate sakura kumiko lattice screen frames the dining room, as a 12-seat marble counter offers a direct view of the open kitchen and executive chef Shang Jhi’s culinary artistry.
Having previously honed his craft at the likes of Michelin-starred institutions such as Les Amis, Jaan, La Dame De Pic and Joel Robuchon in both Singapore and Macau, chef Shang expertly fuses intriguing textures and flavours to create dishes that are at once both familiar and unexpected. There’s an Uni and Sakura Ebi Capellini, brightened by lemon confit, as well as a tender Iberico Pork Jowl paired with shisito peppers and mashed potatoes. But if there’s one dish that best exemplifies his culinary brilliance, it is the Winter Black Truffle Tart. A delicate tuile topped with generous slices of black truffle, it is served alongside a sweet pear onion compote with egg confit, bacon and onion foam. Dip the pastry into the rich concoction, and you’ll find a medley of flavours and textures that is utterly original—and entirely perfect.
Sensu, 27 Keong Saik Rd., Singapore 089134
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Asu
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), each season corresponds with an element and an organ, guiding the choice of ingredients consumed to support one’s health. This is the basis that Asu is built on. Housed in a refurbished colonial bungalow in Labrador Nature Reserve, Asu is a progressive Asian fine-dining restaurant that introduces new tasting menus every season to utilise the ingredients accordingly. To go back to eating as nature intended is how chef-owner Ace Tan describes it.
Here, intention in eating is key. Good food becomes not just an indulgence, but a form of well-being. With a deep understanding of how food plays a huge role in our social fabric, Tan crafts a menu that puts health on the same level of importance as flavour.
The result comes in the form of creations such as the Lu Shui An Chun, a braised quail dish that showcases a stunning fusion of Asian culinary traditions. For this, Tan revives the ancient practice of ageing braising liquids, allowing the complex flavours to deepen. Quail—known to vitalise qi and blood, expel heat and regulate hydration in TCM—is marinated in the aromatic essence, then poached gently so the meat remains deliciously succulent. Accompanying it is rice cooked with mountain yam and red dates to offer both flavour and nourishment, and house-made pickles crafted from often-overlooked parts of vegetables. A beautiful blend of tradition, innovation, flavour, health and sustainability, it is this dish, perhaps, that best encompasses what Asu stands for.
Asu, 30 Labrador Villa Rd, Singapore 119189
4 / 4
Les Ducs and Madame Claude
At Les Ducs, you’ll find dishes such as the Croque Prata. A combination of the classic French croque monsieur and the local favourite roti prata, it features cooked French ham, Comté cheese and truffled béchamel sandwiched between prata and then toasted to golden perfection.
‘French fun-dining’ is how chef-partner Louis Pacquelin defines the food here. Putting a playful spin on hearty brasserie favourites, dishes are unmistakably anchored by French traditions, but given creative Asian inflections. With this, he hopes to change perceptions about French cuisine, presenting it as something fun and accessible to all.
Nestled in a heritage shophouse in a corner of Ann Siang Hill, Les Ducs boasts an inviting, eclectic charm—as rustic brick-and-cement walls are contrasted with maximalist tapestries, Asian lanterns and contemporary furniture. Proceed to the second floor, however, and you’ll find a wildly different space. Hidden beyond velvet red curtains is an elegant 1920s burlesque-themed lounge where extravagance is celebrated in style every night. This is exclusive members-only social club Madame Claude.
No two nights are the same here, as a curation of unique programming promises a revolving roster of performers as well as monthly parties and events. Proceed upstairs after a hearty dinner at Les Ducs, and enjoy a tipple or two amidst elegant opulence.
Les Ducs and Madame Claude, 8 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069788
