The best chef restaurants in Singapore

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 Michelin-starred chef Tetsuya Wakuda, a culinary genius with a knack for turning simplicity into an art form. His track record is nothing short of impressive – four consecutive Michelin stars for his first Singapore venture Waku Ghin, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. That’s no small feat, even for someone who practically invented modern Japanese dining. 

The restaurant: Wakuda takes “less is more” to glorious heights at his Marina Bay Sands restaurant, letting premium ingredients shine in modern Japanese dishes that range from delicate sashimi and succulent yakimono to luxe truffle soba. Feeling extra? The omakase experience (from $128 for 13 courses to $328 for 17 courses) is an umami-packed marathon that pairs exquisite sushi with expertly curated sake and wine.

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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.

Who The real lady Iron Chef on the American edition of the show, the Mississippi-born Cat 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. 

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 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.

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. 

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.

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.