Food

Nine years may seem like an eternity in Singapore’s dining scene and that’s exactly how old Michelin-starred Cure Restaurant is turning this year. In celebration of this milestone, Cure is proud to present a limited-time-only anniversary menu running from 11^th June to 31^st July 2024.

Called Cure’s Past & Present, the menu features specialty courses created by the hands of nine past-and present chefs of Cure. Each dish commemorates every year of Cure’s existence. More specifically, the menu consists of dishes of three present Cure chefs complemented by six past chefs who have gone on to carve names for themselves in the culinary scene of Singapore through their own popular restaurants. I think the mere fact that they are willing to contribute to this collaboration shows that they had a fruitful time during their stints at Cure. 

For Cure’s 9^th anniversary menu, the chefs include Chef-Owner Andrew Walsh, Chef Gary Wong and Chef Aiken Low. Complementing them are Chef Stefan Liau from Hevel, Chef Ryan Newman from Le Bon Funk, Chef Maksym Chukanov from Qīn, Chef Kevin Wong from Seroja, Chef Melvin Chou from Terra and Chef Lewis Barker from Sommer.

All nine names come together for a specialty menu as an ode to Cure for its milestone ninth anniversary as well as a celebration of their own achievements after their stints at Cure. Terra, Seroja and Sommer have gone on to obtain one Michelin stars of their own. This specialty menu is a showcase of the best of the best of Cure, past and present, promising the utmost experience synonymous with the brand from food, ingredients, recipes, service, technique and know-how of the brand.

9 Chefs for the 9^th Anniversary of Cure

Diners can choose from a three, five or nine full-experience course to your preference. They are priced at $188 for three courses, $218 for five courses or $238 for 9 courses.

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My first encounter with Chef Maksym Chukanov or Max, who now helms QIN Restaurant & Bar at The Clan Hotel, was during the pandemic when he was brought in to Ce La Vi. That stint was quite a tall order. Coming from Cure, which earned a Michelin star while he was helming the kitchen, the guys from MBS wanted to replicate some of that same magic and turn Ce La Vi into a dining destination at a time when tourists coming for drinks at the rooftop bar were few and far between. 

Having also been to QIN prior to this transformation and seeing how the current concept differs so much from the usual style of Tung Lok Group,  it is perhaps safe to say that the same magic is being sought with Chef Max’s tenure here. In QIN, he is joined by Chef Karleen Kasim who came from Caviar, Naeum and also Cure. 

Visiting QIN after a long absence, I noted how the little change in the restaurant’s already remarkable interiors actually belied the total overhaul in the food menu. QIN now mostly serves set menus, both for lunch (which starts at S$58++) and dinner (starting from S$148++). They also have a lounge menu for the bar upstairs and the alfresco space that they are developing as of this writing.

During my visit to QIN, I tried their 6-course dinner menu which goes for S$198++. While a 6-course may seem relatively moderate to some, many of the courses actually come in ensembles of 2, 3 or even 4 items so there’s no doubt that the degustation menu is filling. 

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Opened in 2022, Sushi Hare is a cozy omakase restaurant in Stanley Street. I have always had a sweet spot for this relatively short and seemingly forgotten road. Sandwiched in between 2 well-known thoroughfares, Stanley Street is a treasure trove of restaurants such as Restaurant Gaig, Miznon and Common Man Coffee Roasters as well as charming shophouses – seemingly a world away from Singapore’s CBD which is only 1 block away. 

Sushi Hare has a mere 10-seat capacity but entering it, one is immediately transported to a seemingly serene world. This world is marked by motifs dealing with the concept of light, such as the luminous sun disc by the entrance and sheets of cypress and glass veneers from the ceiling. 

Sushi Hare is unique in the sense that it is the only Japanese restaurant in Singapore helmed by a Tawanese chef. Chef Angus Chang is the chef-owner of Sushi Hare and he brings with him years of experience in omakase settings. He was previously at Mizuki prior to setting up Sushi Hare. 

Sushi Hare offers lunch at S$250 per person while dinner ranges from the S$380 ao menu to the S$500 hare menu. During my visit to Sushi Hare, I tried their ao menu which consists of 19 courses. 

The service at Sushi Hare is subtle but effective. I could tell that the staff members were conscientiously checking on me – constantly changing my cutleries and plates and making sure my cup was filled with water at all times.  

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GUUM opened in April 2024 as the second venture by Chef Louis Han, the man behind the successful Korean fine dining NAEUM. In contrast to Chef Louis’ first venture, GUUM is more of a casual dining concept while still retaining elements of modern Korean cuisine. 

guum interiors

Located in Keong Saik Road (and counting other recent openings such as Imbue as its neighbors), GUUM is among a number of Korean restaurants in the area. While these other Korean joints can also be described as casual, GUUM differentiates itself by offering touches of high-end dining in a beautiful space.

The name GUUM means to “cook over fire” or “grill” and the Korean barbecued items are the heart of the menu here. However, in contrast to DIY approach of traditional Korean BBQ restaurants, the grills are cooked in an open kitchen before being served to diners. Moreover, the folks at GUUM employ a number of cooking techniques rather than standard grilling. 

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The former 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung has been “rebranded” as 15 Stamford with the departure of the demon chef Alvin Leung from Capitol Kempinski Singapore’s flagship restaurant. 

With this rebrand comes the unveiling of the restaurant’s new proposition, Where The Land Meets The Sea. This is a new menu comprising the best of both worlds – where hearty steaks intertwine with fish and other seafood courses. The new menu is also markedly more western, in contrast to the Asian influence of the menu back when the restaurant was under Alvin Leung. 

The kitchen is now helmed by Executive Sous Chef Jay Siaw, with he and his team offering over 50 dishes in this new menu. I recently visited the restaurant for dinner to try out the new menu.

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It’s hard to imagine that Araya, the Chilean restaurant in Mondrian Singapore Duxton, opened just a few months ago in Q4 2023. In that short span of time, it has been making waves in the city’s dining scene with stellar reviews for its South American coastal cuisine.

Update: Araya has received a Michelin star in 2024, a mere 9 months after it opened.

Araya is located in the dining complex of Mondrian Singapore Duxton that includes Noa Lounge, Suzuki Omakase and Tribal Dining. 

The restaurant, which is helmed by Chefs Francisco Araya and Fernanda Guerrero, has recently launched a new degustation menu, the Costa (S$368) which is a celebration of all things seafood. The idea of a marine-centric menu seems quite apt since Chile boasts a long 6,437km Pacific coastline. 

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Cassia, the Chinese restaurant in Capella Singapore, has updated its menu with a number of new dishes. I personally find Cassia to be one of the most underrated Chinese restaurants in Singapore. A venue that’s located inside Sentosa does not have a big captive audience to depend on so it is paramount for the cuisine to stand out in order to convince people to come all the way.

By that measure, Cassia does not disappoint. The Chinese restaurant has a decent number of loyal customers and even during some weeknights, one finds a good crowd within its premises. I have personally been to Cassia around 4 times now and the food has remained consistently excellent, no matter which chef is helming the kitchen.

 The current chef, Alan Chan, is known in Singapore’s culinary circles for having brought a Michelin star to Four Seasons Singapore’s Jiang Nan Chun, whose kitchen he helmed for 6 years until 2021. At Cassia, he brings the same magic – utilizing his skills with age-old techniques in Cantonese cuisine and melding them with more modern ones. 

Here are some of the new dishes to expect in Cassia in 2024:

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Min Jiang at Dempsey is commemorating 5 years since it opened in its Dempsey Hill location back in 2019. I reviewed it back then when they first opened and loved their creatively concocted dishes. Many of the specialties that they presented at the time are still available today such as the Turbot and Gold Fish Dumpling. From now until 31st May, they are also presenting an ensemble of 5 new dishes for their anniversary. 

The 5 dishes all contain elements of egg in them and can be ordered as ala carte or as a set for S$138++ per person. During my most recent visit to Min Jiang at Dempsey, I tried the set menu.

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