When it comes to Latin American cuisine, Mexican-born chef Tamara Chavez is a shining beacon. From being part of the opening team of Mexican fine-dining restaurant El Mero Mero to helming Asia’s first Peruvian cevicheria Tono as its head chef, Chavez spent the past decade promoting Latin American cuisine in Singapore since she first moved here in 2014.

Today, she is head chef of Canchita Peruvian Cuisine, the restaurant she set up with her husband and business partner, Daniel Chavez. Whether it is the myriad of tongue-tingling ceviches (marinated seafood), crispy patacones (fried plantains), or hearty anticuchos (assorted beef skewers), authenticity is of utmost importance to Chavez. And while the menu is extensive enough to feed a fiesta, each dish tangoes well with the lush ambience to evoke a sense of place unlike any other.

Taking over the reins of the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Lolla in 2020, Johanne Siy has achieved many feats—most notably clinching the Asia’s Best Female Chef 2023 award. It is no secret that Siy’s cuisine focuses heavily on produce, but what sets her apart is her innate passion and deep respect for provenance (of ingredients), and when mixed with her flair for presentation, fuels her cooking to a higher echelon. Creative plates always come packed with balanced but robust flavours.

Think irresistible stuffed crab (crab relleno) with potent crab fat paste (aligue) and kaffir leaves, created as an ode to her Filipino roots, or avocado, featuring beautifully textured layers of the rich fruit, smoked eel consomme and a vibrant jalapeno granita. Outside the kitchen, Siy champions more equitable practices in modern kitchens.

As the only female head chef running Japanese fine-dining restaurant Ichigo Ichie in Singapore, Akane Eno isn’t about to let her gender define her legacy. Although many of her female peers didn’t end up becoming chefs, the Tokyo-born chef’s laser-like focus and dedication to her cuisine have kept her at the top of her game in her over 20-year career.

Today, Eno puts fine art in motion by combining unconventional elements to create innovative versions of familiar Japanese kappo dishes—think signature ebi somen layered with chewy Miwa Yamakatsu somen noodles bathed in a delicate prawn broth. Her seasonal cuisine regularly features strokes of brilliance, deftly sliced sashimi and masterfully cooked appetisers included, which delight both the eyes and the palate. Like a curtain call, her signature stroke only arrives at the end with a donabe rice bowl, famously peppered with luxurious ingredients such as Wagyu beef, abalone, and even caviar, for a resounding finish.

At the helm of this gorgeous Art Deco-inspired bar is Lidiyanah ‘Yana’ K, whose journey at Atlas Bar began as a barista on the opening team seven years ago. Thanks to her unwavering dedication and tenacity—she joined the bar team and rose quickly through the ranks—Yana holds the positions of head bartender and gin researcher today.

This week marks the launch of “Preservation of Fire”, the bar’s new programme for the year. The menu features four chapters of meticulously crafted cocktails that promise passion and expertise in every glass.

Celebrating a decade of helming Morsels, chef-owner Petrina Loh still manages to push boundaries with her signature progressive Asian plates. Since 2018, the local chef has tapped into her penchant for fermentation and introduced handcrafted alternative ingredients into her cooking: all to eliminate monosodium glutamate, or MSG, in her cooking while retaining all the umami goodness. Imagine a four-year-old fermented soybean paste from South Korea (which she made and left behind before the pandemic) paired with Jeju abalone and sakura chicken, or the inclusion of pickles to weave in another flavour dimension. Loh is also a steward of environmentally friendly practices where she advocates for zero-waste policy and the use of sustainable ingredients.

Most recently, Loh took her signatures—venus clams in fig broth, firecracker pulled pork pasta, and salted egg squid ink risotto—off the menu as a personal challenge to innovate. She now updates her menus once every two to three weeks.

In case you missed it: Where to eat in Singapore this week: La Bottega Enoteca, Altro Zafferano, Morsels, and more

At this speakeasy, fronted by head bartender Hazel Long, find unique concepts and menus that rotate regularly. Currently, the speakeasy is on its 11th menu volume titled “The Bund”. Head down and sip on tantalising concoctions like the Stevedore which features a medley of whisky and oolong tea, housemade Chinese pear and green apple cordial, orange bitters, and smoke. Or, for something more savoury, the Silk Route is a deftly crafted blend of gin, shiitake mushrooms, peppercorns, vermouth, and grapefruit bitters.

Read more: Tatler Tours: The best speakeasies to explore in Singapore

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