Celebrity chef restaurants in Singapore

Who David Myers made his name in Los Angeles after training under illustrious chefs like Charlie Trotter and Daniel Boulud. His past efforts in LA – such as Pizza Ortica, Comme Ça, Sona, and Hinoki and The Bird – garnered him titles like Best New Chef by Food and Wine Magazine, and a Michelin star for the fine dining Sona. With the opening of Sola and David Myers Cafe in Tokyo, and Adrift here in Singapore, he's spending more of his time in Asia. 

The restaurant Adrift is a modern izakaya that takes its references from Asian cuisine, particularly Japanese. The produce is said to be shipped over from California, and the cocktail bar, with top-flight bartender Sam Ross consulting, turns out stellar drinks in a Ginza-inspired space. 

Eat for cheap(er) Book in for all-you-can-eat brunches on the weekends at $88 a person. Cocktails, wines and beer are an additional $70 a person. 

Who Gordon Ramsay, 'nuff said. The restaurant and TV juggernaut, who trained under the likes of Marco Pierre White, Joël Robuchon and Guy Savoy, is associated with over 36 restaurants around the world, including the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London.

You've seen him throwing pans on Hell's Kitchen, facepalming at failing establishments on Kitchen Nightmares, and playing nurturing mentor on MasterChef and MasterChef Junior.

The restaurant Bread Street Kitchen is the relaxed, casual brand within Gordon Ramsay's empire with counterparts in London, Hong Kong and Dubai.

Local punters were slightly disappointed that he introduced such an elementary concept to restaurant-obsessed Singapore, where signature dishes are dressed-up shepherd's pies, slow-roasted pork belly, fish and chips, and a token addition of tamarind in chicken wings. Still, it's not stopped a crowd of locals and tourists alike flocking in to earn the right to exclaim, 'I've eaten in one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants!'

Who Austrian-born Wolfgang Puck trained at star-studded restaurants in France and Monaco, before moving to Los Angeles in 1975, where he minted California casual cuisine and earned prominence at the LA institution, Ma Maison.

He then moved on to open his own restaurant, Spago, in 1982 that turned into a Hollywood favourite – and you can say the rest is history. Puck's picked up James Beard Outstanding Chef of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award accolades, Michelin stars and an international portfolio of restaurants since.

The restaurant This one-Michelin-starred restaurant is another member of the CUT clan of steakhouses around the world. Puck's man on the ground, Joshua Brown, is in charge of firing an extensive meat selection over wood and charcoal, as well as crafting side dishes built on flown-from-California produce.

The cocktail bar has one of the biggest menus of original drinks in town, and you're always reminded of Puck's star power, with blown-up portraits of Oprah, Angelina Jolie, Jay-Z, Clint Eastwood, and other A-listers hung all over the handsome space.

Eat for cheap(er) Order from the lounge menu with dishes like Kobe beef sliders ($28/four) on offer, and get a cocktail ($26-$30) while you're at it.

Who Lyon-born Daniel Boulud, whose empire stretches from North America to the UK to Singapore. His eponymous Daniel in New York City is a two-Michelin-starred hotspot that was also named one of the top ten restaurants in the world by the International Herald Tribune. And he used to hold head chef jobs in the European Commission in DC, and New York's top-rated Le Cirque – you've definitely seen that restaurant name-dropped in based-in-NYC fiction.

The restaurant Steeped in the clean lines and art deco touches that channel a New York kind of cool. The restaurant underwent a minor revamp in 2015, and together with its renaming, it now also includes a raw seafood bar that assembles impressive seafood platters. Executive chef Jonathan Kinsella and executive pastry chef Benjamin Siwek are in charge of the fancy bistro fare here. 

Eat for cheap(er) Lunch sets are $42 and $52 for two and three courses, respectively, and pre-theatre meals are $58 for two, and $68 for three courses.

Who Celebrity chef Sam Leong has over 26 years of culinary expertise, with a handful of credentials under his belt – namely as the executive chef of Jiang Nan Chun at Four Seasons Hotel and director of kitchen as well as corporate chef for the Tung Lok Group.

The restaurant Expect Chinese cuisine with regional flavour profiles, plated with Western sensibilities at this one-Michelin-starred restaurant. The five-course classic set menu ($138) has restaurant signatures like the Thai-inspired Boston lobster hot and sour soup, and Japanese somen served in a coconut.

Who The Naked Chef, who trained as a chef before being talent-spotted by the BBC to star in his own series of cooking shows on television. His empire has grown to include multiple cookbooks, endorsement deals with Sainsbury's, a bevy of restaurants, and social causes aimed at improving the quality of school dinners and the everyman's diet. 

The restaurant One part of a franchise that has more than 30 locations around the world, Jamie's Italian has two affordably priced casual outlets – in VivoCity and Forum Shopping Centre – that serve Oliver's refreshing interpretations of Italian staples, with ingredients purportedly sourced from quality suppliers in Italy.

The food here is hit and miss – standards were stellar when his team of British chefs and service staff were flown in when the VivoCity outlet opened in 2013, but the reviews have been testy ever since.

Who The holder of the most Michelin stars in the world and mentor to chefs like Eric Ripert and Gordon Ramsay, Robuchon piqued the world's attention when he earned three stars within three years of opening his own establishment, Jamin, in France.

He bowed out of the restaurant game in 1995, at the age of 50, before trips to Japan inspired him to create the luxury L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon brand that has been rolled out around the world.

The restaurant Opulent in red and black, this two-Michelin-starred eatery fits in the same mould of the chef's many other haute cuisine outposts around the world. Across from this restaurant, with three Michelin stars, Joël Robuchon Restaurant offers a $428-a-head seasonal degustation menu.

Eat for cheap(er) Pre-theatre menus served from 5.30 to 6.30pm are priced at just $40 for three courses at L'Atelier, and a five-course Ladies Night menu comes with all-you-can-drink glasses of sparkling wines or Bellinis for $88 a person.

Who David Thompson, the Aussie chef who launched a career-long mission to master and archive Thai cuisine – and not just of the Chinese-derived variety – after a meal cooked by a friend's mother. He's since picked up a Michelin star for Nahm in London, but none yet for Long Chim.

The restaurant Flanked by outposts of fellow celeb chefs Hide Yamamoto and Tetsuya Wakuda, Thompson's cavernous restaurant is the most affordable star-studded restaurant in the MBS complex – dishes are priced between $20 and the low $30s.

The family-style dishes trek from all the regions of Thailand onto the plate, so expect untamed pain-is-pleasure levels of spice in hot favourites like the chicken minced larb Chiang Mai ($15).

Eat for cheap(er) If you can't gather a troop to make the numbers, lunch sets are $35 for two courses, and $40 for three.

Who The real lady Iron Chef on the American edition of the show, the Mississippi-born Cora earned her chops at The Culinary Institute of America. She then did stints with three-Michelin-starred George Blanc and Roger Verge in France, before co-hosting a food show with fellow chef Rocco Di Spirito. She's since starred in a whole host of food-related TV shows like Food Fighters and Around the World in 80 Plates.

The restaurant Cora's SEA Aquarium-side restaurant lets you chow down on responsibly sourced seafood while watching the sea life float by. Chef de cuisine Yew Eng Tong – also Singapore's rep at the 2016 Bocuse d'Or – is in charge of the refreshing and kinda-healthy plates. 

Eat for cheap(er) Go at lunchtime, where à la carte options are available so long as you hit a minimum spend of $38 a person.

Who Australian celebrity chef Scott Webster has more than 30 years of experience as celebrity chef and entrepreneur. He's the powerhouse behind Australian Culinary Consultants (ACC), and found the leading bi-annual gastronomic event ‘The Masters of Australian Food and Wine'. Webster also contributed to legendary Savoy Hotel in London, the Grand Hotel at Leysin, and the prestigious Beverly Hills Country Club.

The Restaurant Meats like the Byron Bay Berkshire pork rack, Kühlbarra barramundi fillet and Grainge Black Angus New York steak are grilled in a stone hearth and come with chutneys, pickles and sauces. The chefs have designed an innovative à la carte menu inspired by fresh Australian produce, combining Asian influences with Western grilling techniques. For an appetising start to your meal, order from a wide array of fresh seafood, including ceviche cured with refreshing citrus juices and vibrant spices. Osia also earned a Michelin star in the 2016 edition of the guide. 

Who The Crocs-obsessed Mario Batali, who launched a career on TV with his own show, Moto Mario, on the Food Network in 1997, then followed up by kicking butt in Kitchen Stadium as Iron Chef Italian in the US edition of the show.

In 2007, he partnered grilled cheese godmother (and James Beard Award Outstanding Pastry Chef winner) Nancy Silverton and restaurateur, winemaker and ex-MasterChef bad cop judge Joe Bastianich to set up Pizza and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles.

The restaurant Moodily dark and heaving with punters every day of the week, Pizzeria Mozza turns out an all-Italian menu of fresh antipasti, cold cuts and of course, thin-crust pies.

Osteria Mozza is Pizzeria's fine dining counterpart, serving authentic and fresh Italian plates with Batali's signature twist. The Mozzarella Bar stocks an impressive collection of curds plated with salads and the works, and the Amaro selection here is unparalleled in the city.

Eat for cheap(er) Steal out of work early and order the three-course pre-theatre set meal ($60) and a Bastianich co-produced wine at $15 a glass at Osteria. Or roll out of bed on the weekend for the Bellini Brunch for one-dish fillers ($25-$48), pastries and all-you-can-drink Prosecco ($50). An average cheque at the cheaper Pizzeria is $55 for an antipasti and pizza.

Who Melbourne-born Luke Mangan trained with godfather of fine dining in the UK, Michel Roux, before opening his own Salt group of restaurants that spans from Australia to the Maldives to Tokyo.

He has also authored five cookbooks, and makes frequent appearances on the boob tube – though he's declared that he'll only do small stints on the box as unlike other celeb chefs, he prefers to stay hands-on with his restaurant business.

The restaurants French and Asian influences paired with native-to-Australia ingredients go into the cooking here by head chef Matt Leighton. Salt grill is a picturesque fine dining perch on top of ION Orchard, and Salt tapas and bar at Raffles City Shopping Centre is a buzzing small plates restaurant also strong with Australian influences.

Eat for cheap(er) Tapas at Raffles City are priced between $5 and $32, but the trick to scoring a taste of Salt at ION's food is to either go for weekday lunch ($49/three courses), or bunk off work and order an afternoon tea platter ($38/person).

Who Singaporean son Justin Quek made a homecoming in 2010 to helm this rooftop restaurant anchored on his Franco-Asian inventions. After stints in Michelin-starred kitchens in Europe, being personal chef of the French ambassador to Singapore, and co-founding Les Amis, he went on to set up lauded establishments in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The restaurant Serving Hokkien mee with a view, Sky on 57 is kitted out in modern fashion, laying the canvas for updated Asian dishes with premium ingredients like beef noodles with wagyu, king prawn laksa and top-shelf seafood yu sheng.

Flight Bar and Lounge, the resort-cool rooftop bar flanking his glass-walled restaurant, opens up to views of our straits, port and skyline. Property mixologist Lucas Swallows shakes up cocktails built around the same philosophy of flavour.

Eat for cheap(er) Flight serves bar-bite portions of his signature snacks, like foie gras and truffle-perfumed xiao long bao ($25), Lu Shui hamburger with Kagoshima Kurobuta pork ($12), and wagyu beef noodles ($14). Three-course business lunches go for $55 a person.

Who Chen Kentaro comes from a lineage of culinary icons: Chen Kenmin, Japan's father of Sichuan cuisine, is his grandfather, and cleaver-wielding Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi in the Japanese version of the show is his dad.

Kentaro picked up his flavour memories and craft from his father, who expanded Shisen Hanten into a 14-outlet-strong brand in Japan, and published bestselling cookbooks while doing so. Kentaro also trained in Sichuan cuisine restaurants in China and is said to be on his way to carrying on the famous family name.

The restaurant This two-Michelin-starred eatery is the first international outpost of the Shisen Hanten chain. The gilded Mandarin Orchard Singapore restaurant maintains the vibrantly flavoured legacy passed down through the generations.

Most à la carte dishes are priced between $18 and $30, though the occasional delicacies like Buddha Jumps over the Wall, or foie gras-laden grilled wagyu beef can shoot the bill up by at least $42.

Who Wolfgang Puck

The restaurant The Hollywood restaurant that launched produce-driven Californian cuisine in 1982 is a restaurant and bar at the top of the Marina Bay Sands surfboard. The infinity pool-flanking space is modelled to look like a breezy bungalow, and plates are put together with seasonal produce brought in from farmers' markets in California. The Hollywood original has nothing on the views of the city and southern straits here. 

Eat for cheap(er) Head to the lounge, where finger food options carry the same California-cool aesthetic with an international point of view. Dishes are priced between $18 for a Cantal grilled cheese sandwich and $42 for half a dozen oysters. If you can make the trek up at lunchtime, USDA Prime steak frites is $52 a serving.

Who Susur Lee, badass Cantonese and fusion cuisine chef who raised his profile with a number of restaurants in Toronto. A tour through the international TV circuit followed, with appearances on Iron Chef America and Top Chef: Masters, both as a contestant, and MasterChef Asia as a chef judge.

The restaurant Susur Lee's not new to these parts. He was co-owner of Club Chinois at Orchard Parade Hotel that opened in 1997, and moved Chinois to Resorts World Sentosa, where it was subsequently renamed to TungLok Heen.

This modern Chinese restaurant focuses on Lee's signature style of cooking, along with touches of Teochew and Hunan cuisines infused into the menu by the restaurant's senior executive chef Ken Ling.

Eat for cheap(er) The individually plated dishes here are sold in sets priced at $38 to $120 (includes a glass of Australian wine).

Who Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan, chef Tetsuya Wakuda made the journey to Sydney at the age of 22 and set up his eponymous restaurant a few years later. He's since reigned as one of the country's top chefs, earning his Three Hats – the highest ranking on Sydney Morning Heralds' Good Food Guide – and raking in a sweep of awards on international best-of lists.

The restaurant This one-Michelin-starred restaurant caters to an intimate 50 people in two seatings every night, and the ten-course degustation meals of modern Japanese fare are prepped and served right before diner's eyes in four private rooms.

Eat for cheap(er) A dinner seating inside the restaurant can cost upwards of $450, and a person and advanced reservations are necessary, so grab a bar stool instead.

Head bartender Kazuhiro Chii is a genius at his craft, and bar snacks are priced from $35. Pastry chef Yasushi Ishino also puts on 18 types of cakes, macarons and pastries (from $10) daily for takeaways under the Patisserie Platine label at the Sands hotel's RISE Lounge.