FOOD & WINE
Taste: Fresh on the Scene
by Anton D. Javier
10 Nov 2026
10 Nov 2026
Discover three distinctive dining experiences in Singapore, where thoughtful techniques, inventive menus, and a spirit of sharing bring new perspectives to the table.
- ÁRŌ
- AO
- TANICA
At Árō, Chef Johanne Siy lets ingredients lead the way. Through a 12-serving tasting menu ($268++ per person), she celebrates not only what is on the plate, but also the people, places, and craftsmanship behind it. Drawing on a career shaped by her Filipino roots and kitchens around the world, Siy describes her approach as “Creator’s cuisine”, seeing herself less as a traditional chef, but more “an agent who tells the stories of the communities behind the produce we use”. The result: A menu that moves beyond a single cuisine or geography, bringing together the encounters and traditions that have shaped her journey. It also reflects her belief that Filipino ingredients deserve greater recognition on the world stage.
The experience opens with stingless bee honey, encountered during Siy’s time with farmers in the Philippines, and presented is presented both fresh and aged for two years, alongside a cheese cracker and blue cheese. Elsewhere, pili, a native Philippine nut seldom seen beyond Southeast Asia, is paired with jamón and caviar, while carabinero appears in two expressions inspired by her relationships with artisanal seafood producers along Spain’s Basque coast.
A course dedicated to gamet, a rare purple seaweed harvested along the coastlines of her mother’s hometown in Ilocos, highlights another ingredient rooted in personal history. Towards the end of the meal, Asín Tibuok, a rare artisanal Filipino sea salt made using a centuries-old tradition, serves as a finishing touch through the pre-dessert and dessert offerings. The final course reimagines ube as a delicate wagashi, bringing a familiar Filipino ingredient together with the precision of traditional Japanese confectionery.
- ÁRŌ
- AO
- TANICA
AO
AO brings Japanese craftsmanship to a contemporary à la carte menu shaped around how people in Singapore like to eat: Across culinary cultures, around a shared table, and without a prescribed sequence. The latest restaurant from Cloud Restaurant Group is led by Culinary Director Takeshi Araki, formerly of modern kappo restaurant Esora. His menu reimagines familiar dishes, from sukiyaki wagyu maki rolls to salmon belly donabe served paella-style, giving diners the freedom to enjoy a few plates or settle in for a longer meal.
Araki’s approach is grounded in Japanese craft, balance and restraint, without being confined to traditional Japanese formats. The Wild Northern Amaebi Carpaccio ($26) pairs amaebi and scallop with dashi, yuzu kosho, and finger lime, while the Hay-smoked Bonito Tataki ($20) contrasts a smoky edge with a sashimi-like centre. The “Sakura-dai” Sea Bream Ramen ($28) features a milky fish broth with swordfish chashu and a hint of yuzu, while the Roasted Black Sesame Tiramisu ($16) gives the Italian classic a deeper, nuttier flavour.
The menu’s flexibility extends to how diners eat, too. With the Spanish Chestnut Pork Belly & Sake Lees ($32), guests can customise each bite with vegetables, pickles, and sauces, while the Bluefin Tuna Tartare & Toasted Sushi Rice ($28) is a more casual affair and eaten by hand, much like sushi. “We put a lot of work into technique and balance, but that should not be the first thing our guests notice,” says Araki. At AO, the emphasis is on food that draws people in and lets them shape the meal together.
Visit AO at 1 Claymore Drive, Claymore Road, #01-01, 229594, Tel: 8092 6532
- ÁRŌ
- AO
- TANICA
TANICA
The Singapore EDITION welcomes TANICA, a contemporary restaurant that brings together Southeast Asian flavours, herbs, spices, and fire. Its name combines “botanical” and “tannins”, reflecting a connection to nature and a considered approach to flavour. Led by a philosophy of regional sourcing, seasonality, and responsible ingredient use, its menu draws on local produce and seafood, with an emphasis on making thoughtful use of each ingredient.
Cooking centres on the wok and Josper grill, where herbs, spices, and live fire build layers of char and depth. Starters include the Hokkaido Sea Urchin Pie Tee, pairing uni with herbs and lime, and Charcoal Grilled Indonesian Squid, balanced with pickled watermelon rind and sawtooth coriander. For sharing, the XO Mapo Tofu Lobster combines grilled rock lobster with silken tofu and homemade bacon XO sauce, while the Brown Butter Sambal Wagyu Hanger Steak brings together Western richness and the heat of Southeast Asian chilli.
The menu also reinterprets familiar dishes through regional flavours, from Asam Pedas Seafood Risotto, which combines the Italian classic with a sour-spicy Malay broth, to the Iga Bakar Kicap 72-Hour Wagyu Beef Short Rib, glazed in sweet soy sauce and served with sambal embe. Desserts continue the Southeast Asian theme with ingredients like pandan, cempedak, pulut hitam, and gula melaka.
Visit Tanica at The Singapore EDITION, 38 Cuscaden Road, 249731, Tel: 6329 5000
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