Cover Chef Tetsuya Wakuda (Photo: Marina Bay Sands)
Chef Tetsuya Wakuda (Photo: Marina Bay Sands)
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From his legendary Sydney restaurant to Marina Bay Sands, chef Tetsuya Wakuda has spent four decades perfecting a culinary philosophy that honours tradition while embracing the seasons. His influence extends far beyond his own kitchens, shaping a generation of acclaimed chefs
There are chefs who cook, and there are those who change the way we eat. Tetsuya Wakuda firmly belongs to the latter. Over four decades, the soft-spoken, Japanese-born chef has built a legacy that bridges cultures and generations—shaping not just fine dining, but an entire culinary movement defined by precision, purity and respect for the ingredient.
When his Sydney restaurant, Tetsuya’s, opened in 1989, it changed everything. At a time when Japanese food was still seen as exotic, Wakuda’s cuisine—rooted in his heritage but refined through French technique and the bounty of Australian produce—felt fresh and revolutionary. His signature Confit of Ocean Trout, often called “the most photographed dish in the world,” became a symbol of this style. It was simple yet artful, with a delicate fillet of fish layered over fennel salad and chives, dressed with parsley caper oil.
Read more: A Taste of Home: Chef Tetsuya Wakuda on His Favourite Eats in Japan and Australia
Above Chef’s table at Waku Ghin
Above Waku Ghin’s main dining room
Chef’s table at Waku Ghin
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After more than three decades in Australia, Wakuda has found his home in Singapore, where he currently resides as a permanent resident. At Waku Ghin in Marina Bay Sands, he continues to refine his ingredient-driven philosophy. The restaurant, which has retained its Michelin star since 2017, embodies this approach. Everything is guided by the seasons, from the seafood of Hokkaido to the produce of Toyama and Miyagi, arriving at their peak and transformed into exquisite dishes.
Guests can experience his artistry at the Chef’s Table, an intimate 10-seater counter where Wakuda and his team prepare dishes such as marinated botan shrimp with sea urchin and oscietra caviar, grilled Ohmi Wagyu and aburi sukiyaki. Thanks to Wakuda’s long-standing relationships with Japan’s top farmers and producers, only the most premium and exclusive ingredients are served at the restaurant. Waku Ghin is, in fact, the only restaurant in Singapore to serve Ohmi beef sourced from a Japanese farm which raises female, virgin cattle exclusively for Wakuda.
Each course is presented with the same poise and precision that have long defined Wakuda’s craft. After all, he works closely with his team on every aspect of daily operations—from curating the menu to creating new dishes that celebrate the season’s bounty, sourced directly from Japanese farmers and artisans. With a team that treats every diners as like a guest in their own home, dining here feels less like a formal affair and more like an intimate invitation into Wakuda’s culinary world.
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Above Wakuda’s signature fish and chips, served at Waku Ghin Bar
Above Confit of Ocean Trout, one of Waku Ghin’s iconic dishes
Wakuda’s signature fish and chips, served at Waku Ghin Bar
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For a more relaxed dining experience, Waku Ghin Bar offers an elegant yet inviting setting, serving approachable à la carte dishes such as Wakuda’s signature fish and chips and Wagyu beef rice set, perfectly complemented by handcrafted cocktails. Here, diners can enjoy the chef’s renowned cuisine on their own terms and without the formality of an omakase menu.
The balance between refinement and approachability has always been a cornerstone in Wakuda’s cooking. Wakuda, his second restaurant at Marina Bay Sands, reimagines his signature philosophy through comforting, familiar dishes, among which are the sushi and sashimi platters that highlight his unwavering commitment to the freshest seasonal ingredients, an assortment of crisp tempura that lets each ingredient’s natural flavours shine, and donburi bowls that elevate humble staples into flavour-packed creations.
Above Chef Tetsuya Wakuda with former protégé Sun Kim
Above Chef Tetsuya Wakuda receives the President’s Medal
Chef Tetsuya Wakuda with former protégé Sun Kim
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In June this year, Wakuda received the President’s Medal at the AustCham Singapore President’s Lunch, recognising his contributions to gastronomy and the generations he has inspired. Many of his protégés—Dave Pynt of Burnt Ends, Sun Kim of Meta, and Rishi Naleendra of Cloudstreet and Kotuwa—now lead some of Singapore’s most acclaimed kitchens, each carrying forward his quiet mentorship.
On August 1, he even reunited with Kim for a one-night-only four-hands dinner and it was an unforgettable, full-circle moment between mentor and protégé. The menu celebrated their shared journey, mergin Wakuda’s refined Japanese cuisine with Kim’s contemporary Korean flair.
Until today, Wakuda is guided by the same humility and passion that took him from Shizuoka to Sydney at just 22. It was in Australia where he discovered his love for cooking and found the freedom and experience that would define his culinary philosophy. His expansion to Singapore with Waku Ghin in 2010 marked a new chapter in his already illustrious career, allowing him to share his approach to seasonality, precision, and respect for ingredients on this side of the world. And, with the opening of Wakuda in 2022, he also revealed a more playful side of modern Japanese dining.
His contributions to the industry over his decades-long career were honoured in 2015, when Wakuda received the Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards.
Perhaps the same humility, drive and commitment to produce since he started his career are the secrets to his enduring influence until today. Whether through an intimate omakase meal at Waku Ghin’s Chef’s Table or a convivial gathering at Waku Ghin Bar, Wakuda continues to define what modern Japanese dining means today—seasonal, soulful and forever evolving.
Credits
Images: Marina Bay Sands
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.
