Known for everything from Michelin-starred chicken carts to world-class hawker stalls as well as some of the chicest fine dining in the world, Singapore’s culinary scene is truly a gastronome’s fantasy. But conquering it, well, that’s a task unto itself. To help uncover some of the most delectable spots in the city, we’ve tasked Michelin-starred chef Kirk Westaway of the landmark JAAN restaurant to help us out our way through The Lion City.

Chef Kirk Westaway

So, where to start?

“I always tell our guests at JAAN it’s good to do fine dining, but they have to try the local street food such as chilli crab or chicken rice, as this is what the true flavours of Singapore are all about,” Westaway says.

As for a particular dish, he praises the black pepper crab on East Coast Park, explaining, “The sweetness and complexity is amazing. In the recipe, they put coffee grounds into the crab, which makes it a lot richer, sweeter and a bit spicy”.

JAAN Restaurant

For equally informal but no less delectable options, the chef also recommends a casual, roadside Tian Tian Seafood. “When we order we go crazy with Singapore Hor Fun – a classic hawker dish of Chinese origin with flat rice noodles and different seafood on top. We also order these delicious cereal prawns, breadcrumbed in cornflakes. We generally get there at around midnight and sit there until 1-2am in the morning eating together as a group.”

As for fine dining, the options are nearly endless. “In Singapore you must definitely visit Malcolm Lee at Candlenut,” says Westaway. The world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan-fare restaurant, Candlenut transforms traditional Straits-Chinese cuisine into refined contemporary dishes that preserve the essence and complexities of the culture.

Shrimp from Candlenut Restaurant

He also recommends Euphoria helmed by Jason Chan, Labyrinth by Chef Han LG, as well as the modern-French, art-driven restaurant Odette, where his personal friend and mentor Julien Royer leads the first-rate kitchen, one of just two in the city with three Michelin stars.

“These are fantastic moments. Every single bite [in Singapore] is incredible and moreish,” says Westaway – and these are just a handful of the hundreds of worthy culinary addresses in this wonderful foodie city.