Chiao Yuan Hotel

(The restaurant is temporarily closed.) JL is Jimmy Lim, a Singaporean chef who honed his skills in world-famous kitchens. His single evening set menu pays tribute to his heritage and experience with original creations that strike a fine balance of flavours. The dishes are complex, sophisticated and understated with an element of surprise. Singaporean staples like satay and chilli crab are re-imagined in ingenious forms and textures that playfully subvert expectations.

Sur- moved to Central district in 2023 and now occupies the third floor of a quaint building. The minimalist room dotted with wooden furniture and vintage couches sports dark colours. The owner-chef elevates everyday Taiwanese ingredients to haute cuisine using traditional techniques like tempering, charbroiling and smoking in the tasting menu that changes every season. The wine and zero-proof pairings are highly recommended.

This paradise for beef lovers is just the ticket for discerning connoisseurs. The young owner-chef knows his cattle inside out and sources prize-winning breeds from all over Japan, including Akage Wagyu from Kumamoto and some rare ones not found elsewhere. Both the set and à la carte menus showcase premium cuts that are perfectly grilled to your order by the highly-skilled team. They also explain every cut in detail, together with where they source their produce.

The swanky setting seamlessly melds East-meets-West eclecticism with modern elegance. The chef team revisits Taiwan’s food heritage and culture, adding a sophisticated spin to family favourites. The Tasting Set Menu allows diners to pick from the main menu for each course, whereas the Chef’s Menu, served omakase style, needs pre-ordering. The iconic sweet Lukang roasted wheat flour soup is creatively mixed with almond milk imparting a creamy, nutty kick.

The chef worked in France and Italy for 30 years before opening her restaurant in 2003, relocating to this elegant space in 2017. She uses mostly local ingredients in seven- to nine-course prix fixe menus with a choice of mains. Changing every season, the precisely executed menus never fail to surprise with their whimsical ideas and vivid colours. Her signature use of wine, Asian spices and herbs lends her dishes exceptional depth and aromas.

This 60-year-old household name is undergoing an 18-month renovation and is temporarily operating at a spot 50 metres from the original shop. From the cartoon cow on the sign to cow-shaped decorations inside, beef is obviously the staple offering here. Local yellow beef is cooked nose-to-tail in traditional Hakkanese ways and the offal is unmissable – try scallion bone marrow, and cold beef tripe dressed in sweet and sour sauce.

A time capsule circa 1960s and a get-together hotspot for locals, this restaurant takes you back in time with vintage knickknacks and nostalgic home cooking that is inexpensive and generously served. The gua bao set menu is hugely popular – steamed buns stuffed with braised pork belly, bamboo shoot, pickles and ground peanuts, while the stir-fried beef with Madeira wine is gingery and flavourful. Help yourself to the steamed rice with lard.