And just like that, it’s July. We’ve crossed the halfway mark past 2022 and it would seem like the worst of the pandemic is over (we hope we’re not jinxing it). Because a glance at this month’s list of new restaurants is a blazingly fiery one.
While Japanese restaurants dominated our list months past, July sees a brand new slate of pedigree names either restarting well-loved shuttered restaurants, finally opening a Singapore offshoot or venturing out on their own.
Here are five restaurants you absolutely have to visit this month.
Restaurant Born
Legendary chef Andre Chiang may no longer be enthralling the gourmet scene here in Singapore but his proteges continue making waves long after he’s gone. Chef Zor Tan has opened Restaurant Born on Neil Road and is arguably THE opening of the year. The space is beautifully decked out in hues of white and beige with a soaring ceiling and the food is a unique marriage of French and Chinese culinary techniques. It reflects his own upbringing: that of a Johor Bahru-born chef with humble beginnings who later on began to come under the tutelage of one of the world’s best chefs.
Nobu Singapore
Japanese restaurant Nobu – yes that chain that’s affiliated with the likes of Robert De Niro and the glitz of Las Vegas has finally opened in Singapore, after opening up elsewhere in Southeast Asia (like Kuala Lumpur and Manila). The restaurant is located in Four Seasons, just off Orchard Road and is overseen by head chef Hideki Maeda, who formerly helmed Nobu London. Expect a Japanese-Peruvian menu where sashimi is served with thin slices of jalapeno and Chilean sea bass comes with moreish black bean sauce.
Osteria Mozza
When Osteria Mozza closed at Marina Bay Sands, its fans (of which it had plenty) were up in arms. The restaurant was not just loved for its pizzas and pastas but also for dishes as simple as an endive salad. It’s now back and helmed by the same chef: Peter Birks at The Hilton Singapore. There’s plenty to cheer and there’s no better way to do that than to order up the orecchiette with sausage and Swiss chard or the Tagliatelle with oxtail ragù. Don’t miss the extensive mozzarella bar where the humble Italian cheese can come with the likes of proscuitto di Parma or caviar.
Sugarhall
Four years is a long time in Singapore F&B sector but that hasn’t stopped Sugarhall from taking this time on hiatus to regroup, reconfigure and be reborn. The bar is now back and all grown up. Gone are its tropical vibes and in its place, dark wood accents and a brooding menu of 20 handsome cocktails. Its classic Dark & Stormy drink returns as a beautiful concoction of Hampden 8-year-old overproof Jamaican rum, with ginger beer and spritzed up with a dash of lime.