Best New Restaurant Winner: Restaurant Born
It has been a busy year for Malaysian-born chef Zor Tan, who opened Restaurant Born after working with celebrated chef Andre Chiang for over a decade. At his contemporary restaurant, he celebrates the circle of life, or his personal and professional milestones expressed through his nine guiding principles: birth, roots, memories, craft, relationship, vicissitudes, time, progress and legacy.
Best Service Winner: Nouri
Chef-owner Ivan Brehm’s ‘crossroads’ cooking—which means that food cultures are interconnected and that no dish is created in silo—is translated from the kitchen to the plate with the help of enthusiastic staff who communicate the message clearly to the guests. It’s definitely world-class dining, but not stiff nor awkward.
Best Service Winner: Summer Pavilion
Executive Chinese chef Cheung Siu Kong and his team always ensure that guests have a memorable meal Summer Pavilion, with their authentic Cantonese fare and excellent service from professional yet friendly staff.
Best Interior Design Winner: Restaurant Born
Just like Zor Tan's menu, Restaurant Born's interior design is a ‘sensory journey’ that reflects the chef-owner’s passions, adventures and challenges. The design theme is ‘modern meets heritage’, thus the cavernous dining hall (located at a conserved building in Tanjong Pagar) is decked out in two-tiered colonnade, arches and an eye-catching sculpture made out of paper hanging from the ceiling.
Restaurant of the Year Winner: Jaan by Kirk Westaway
Since taking the reigns at Jaan in 2015, executive chef Kirk Westaway has made the restaurant his own by serving up modern British cuisine. Classic dishes such as the British eggs and soldiers, as well as fish and chips are reimagined in many delicious ways, enticing loyal and new fans to keep coming back for more. To boot, the restaurant has debuted a spanking new look that pays homage to Westaway’s hometown of Devon, southwest England.