Restaurant Andre

Restaurant André
A colonial-era townhouse at the edge of Chinatown has been fashioned into a hushed, 30-seat temple of freestyle modern cuisine where chef André Chiang, who trained for 14 years under the best in France (Gagnaire, Robuchon, Troisgros, the Pourcel brothers), is now performing better than his famous mentors. The sublime set menu is filled with all sorts of luxuries: Ibérico ham, white truffles, black truffles, foie gras, Wagyu beef… 41 Bukit Pasoh Rd., +65.6534.8880

FiftyThree

FiftyThree
Inside a historic townhouse brilliantly reborn as an intimate and extraordinary restaurant, chef Michael Han creates magical modern cuisine with a set menu that teeters between farmhouse rustic and urban molecular. Imagine pan-fried scallops and chicken oysters served with watercress and carrot emulsion, and a burlap sack filled with buckwheat rolls (the bag is filled with heated wood chips to keep the bread warm). 53 Armenian St., +65.6334.5535

One on the Bund

One on the Bund
Chef Calvin Yeung (of Hong Kong’s Hutong) gives Northern Chinese cuisine a sexy, contemporary twist at this bayside restaurant and lounge. While the vast menu covers stir-fried frogs, crunchy duck jaw and Szechuan-style pig intestines, less adventurous foodies should look no further than the extraordinary lamb ribs, deboned and fried to a crisp. 80 Collyer Quay, +65.6221.0004

Candlenut Kitchen

Candlenut Kitchen
A trip to Singapore wouldn’t be complete without a sampling of Peranakan fare—that unique local hybrid of Chinese and Malaysian cuisines. Malcolm Lee, the rising-star chef of this genre, braises beef shins in a black gravy made from tropical buah keluak nuts and makes an incredible pudding out of sago jelly, coconut cream and gula melaka sauce. 25 Neil Rd., +65.6226.2506

Ku De Ta

Ku Dé Ta
The toughest reservation in town is unquestionably this spin-off of the celebrated restaurant and bar of the same name in Bali. Reserve weeks in advance, or else be denied entry at the velvet ropes. This incarnation of Ku Dé Ta enjoys a spectacular indoor/outdoor poolside perch on the rooftop of the 57-story Marina Bay Sands, where chef Dan Segall oversees a smart modern Asian menu. The tuna belly with kaffir lime and green-tea salt is every bit as breathtaking as that wraparound view.1 Bayfront Ave., +65.6688.7688

See also: Where to Eat in Singapore (my more in-depth article from Robb Report)

See also: Singapore’s Coolest Boutique Hotels