Cover Taiwanese chef André Chiang is the chef-consultant of Raffles Hotel Singapore’s new restaurant, 1887 by André (Photo: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
Taiwanese chef André Chiang is the chef-consultant of Raffles Hotel Singapore’s new restaurant, 1887 by André (Photo: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
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Taiwanese chef André Chiang returns to the city that shaped him with 1887 by André, a new restaurant in Raffles Hotel Singapore where memory, history and cuisine converge on the plate
Taiwanese chef André Chiang has long held a soft spot for Singapore. “It’s where I grew as a chef, found my community and forged my philosophy,” reflects the chef-owner of the now-shuttered Restaurant André and Raw. That philosophy, which he coined “Octaphilosophy”, shapes his tasting menus around eight elements of gastronomy: salt, texture, memory, purity, terroir, south, artisanry and uniqueness.
At the height of running his award-winning namesake establishment, Chiang closed it in 2018 and returned to his hometown of Taiwan to rediscover his heritage and mentor the next generation of chefs. Reflecting on that decision, he says: “I had reached a point where my focus shifted towards stepping back, reflecting and passing the torch to the next generation.”
While the next chapter was devoted to his acclaimed restaurant Raw in Taipei (which shuttered in 2024) and other high-profile projects, including serving as culinary curator for the Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express, a luxury train travelling through Southeast Asia, his ties to the Lion City never wavered. In recent years, he launched the casual hotpot concept Bon Broth in 2025, revisited signatures from Raw and Restaurant André during a two-week takeover at Raffles Hotel Singapore in 2024, and even served as the hotel’s writer-in-residence while working on his book Fragments of Time. Those moments, he says, made him realise that the timing felt right to “return with a purpose and create something timeless for a place that has shaped me so deeply”.
Above Chiang’s latest dining concept, 1887 by André, revolves around heritage gastronomy; ingredients inspired by time, place and tradition
Chiang’s latest dining concept, 1887 by André, revolves around heritage gastronomy; ingredients inspired by time, place and tradition
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This March, Chiang planted his roots in Singapore’s fine-dining scene once again with the opening of 1887 by André. Located in the historic dining room once occupied by the hotel’s former grill restaurant, Raffles Grill, and before that, the Elizabethan Grill, the new restaurant marks a return to the city with a renewed perspective. Drawing on memories accumulated over decades, Chiang—who serves as chef‑patron—has shaped the restaurant around the concept of “Taste of Time”. The idea, he explains, emerged from thinking about cuisine through memory, continuity and lived experience rather than nostalgia. With 1887 by André as his platform, he hopes to honour Singapore’s culinary heritage while continuing to champion mentorship for the next generation of chefs.
In case you missed it: André Chiang returns to Singapore for an exclusive two-week residency at La Dame de Pic, Raffles Singapore this March
Above Turtle soup at 1887 by André
Above L’orange golden ochre at 1887 by André
Turtle soup at 1887 by André
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An ode to grand dame
Central to that story, of course, is Raffles Hotel Singapore. Founded in 1887 and gazetted as a National Monument in 1987, the hotel remains one of the city’s most storied Victorian-colonial landmarks that even survived the Second World War. Both Chiang’s personal journey and the hotel’s layered history are woven into the dining experience, reflected in a menu that brings together selected signatures from his culinary past with familiar Singaporean flavours, Victorian-era dining rituals, and inspirations drawn from the hotel’s early dining rooms.
Chiang prefers to keep much of the menu a surprise, but offers a glimpse of one dish: turtle soup, once served at Raffles Grill. “My version recreates the gelatinous taste, texture and flavour without using turtle,” he shares, “allowing us to engage diners in storytelling and [to let them] experience history in a tangible way.” Other dishes, he adds, draw inspiration from the hotel’s archives, reimagined not as replicas but as contemporary interpretations for modern diners. In a nod to Victorian‑era opulence, dishes will be presented using the hotel’s historic silverware collection, including a trolley that was buried on the hotel grounds during the Second World War and rediscovered after the war.
Above 1887 by André offers heritage cuisine, inspired by the stories of its namesake chef and Raffles Hotel Singapore
1887 by André offers heritage cuisine, inspired by the stories of its namesake chef and Raffles Hotel Singapore
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While Chiang remains closely involved in the conceptual direction and evolution of the menus, the kitchen will be led day-to-day by chef de cuisine Ben Wang and sous chef Roy Kuo, who will bring his culinary vision to life. Set menus will be available, but the à la carte menu takes centre stage to hark back to the Victorian era, when diners had greater freedom in their dining choices.
The experience at 1887 by André extends beyond the plate. Chiang enlisted his friend, the American architect Bill Bensley, to reimagine the space in a way that expresses time, memory and heritage without feeling stiff or museum-like. Working with the hotel’s grand colonial architecture, the interiors are decorated with antique treasures from the hotel’s archives as well as palm trees and classic punkah fans, the latter two subtly nodding to the plantation farms that once occupied the site before the hotel was built. “The intention is for guests to feel immersed in a narrative where the physical space and cuisine speak the same language,” Chiang says.
Returning to Singapore—a city whose vibrant dining landscape he helped shape—Chiang ponders on his role in its ongoing culinary evolution. He emphasises that 1887 by André is not about chasing trends or competing with the city’s many restaurants, but about adding depth and meaning to its vibrant food culture. “It demonstrates how fine dining can be deeply connected to place, history and culinary memory,” he says. At its heart, the restaurant reflects Chiang himself: a chef and mentor thinking carefully about the legacy he hopes to leave behind.
Credits
Images: Raffles Hotel Singapore
Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
