[Big read] How Chinese regional fine dining is redefining Singapore’s F&B scene

(Edited and refined by Josephine Hong, with the assistance of AI translation.)

A shake-out of Singapore’s food and beverage (F&B) industry is accelerating as rents and labour exert a double squeeze, while costs continue to rise. As local restaurants shut their doors one after another, Chinese dining brands and chefs are entering the market in force. Bringing seasonal ingredients and masterful culinary techniques, they are forging vibrant new flavour profiles — reigniting the passion of Singapore foodies and fine dining enthusiasts to rediscover the appeal of Chinese cuisine.

Linkus, a Fujian cuisine brand founded in Fujian in 2004 with 27 outlets in China, chose Singapore’s Suntec City for its first overseas outlet in February 2026. It opened a second restaurant on the fourth floor of Ngee Ann City in mid-July. Like Linkus, many Chinese brands have made Singapore their first overseas stop. In November 2025, Ban Lan, a Michelin-recognised Fujian restaurant in Suzhou, opened at Scotts Square in Orchard. Other brands, including Hakka Yu, Peking Chamber, Nong Geng Ji, Xiao Noodles and Bao’s Pastry, have also entered the market.

They are bringing in seasonal star ingredients from across China to Singapore tables: sea cucumber from Dalian, Zhangqiu king scallions from Jinan, Shandong; large yellow croaker from Ningde in eastern Fujian; hand-line-caught squid from Dongshan; small spiny lobsters from the Xisha Islands in Hainan; Lipu taro from Guangxi; lotus seeds from Jianning, Fujian; Hakka preserved mustard greens; aged Buddha’s hand and aged preserved radish from Chaoshan.

Where gastronomy meets cultural experience

Jin Ting Wan, the Chinese fine-dining restaurant on the 55th floor of Marina Bay Sands, features lotus root from Mata Lake in Shandong, winter melon from Shunde, white jade bitter melon from Guangdong, and pumpkin shoots and horsehead fish from the South China Sea on its summer menu. For autumn, it has prepared dishes featuring Yunnan matsutake and porcini mushrooms.

During the 2025 hairy crab season, executive chef Albert Li incorporates crab roe from Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs into braised sturgeon tendon with rice noodles, claypot rice, and crispy yellow croaker rolls. Diners can enjoy the luxurious richness of crab roe without having to pick apart the crabs themselves. The tradition of drinking huangjiu (yellow wine) with hairy crabs is also elevated at Jin Ting Wan, which exclusively presents a rare 2009 Dongqu huangjiu brewed by heritage custodian Pan Xingxiang. Head sommelier Joe Yang ladles it from a traditional clay jar, creating a highly ceremonial experience unlike any hairy crab meal seen in Singapore.

The restaurant’s wine list is equally impressive, particularly its 134 premium Chinese wines, said to be the most comprehensive selection in Southeast Asia. Head tea master Jacky Zhao’s tea cabinet holds rare Chinese teas, including aged Buddha’s hand, one of Chaoshan’s “three treasures”. He brews it into a tea to serve after meals, while explaining the process of steaming and sun-drying it nine times. This refined tea experience, steeped in regional culture, breaks from convention and reflects the transformation and possibilities of Chinese dining in Singapore.

John Sloane, F&B vice-president at Marina Bay Sands, told Lianhe Zaobao (LHZB), “We aim to present an experience rooted in culture, rather than simply showcasing traditional cuisine. From its food and interior design to its service, Jin Ting Wan has been carefully conceived. Every decision comes back to this question: how can we honour Cantonese culinary traditions while making them resonate with diners today?”

As Marina Bay Sands’ first Chinese restaurant since its opening in 2010, Jin Ting Wan broke with the longstanding practice among major local hotels of appointing executive chefs from Hong Kong. Instead, it brought in Albert Li, a China-born chef with more than 20 years of experience who has worked at several Michelin-starred and Black Pearl-awarded restaurants. Cantonese cuisine accounts for 70% of Jin Ting Wan’s menu, while the remaining 30% incorporates Teochew and Hakka dishes as well as Shunde techniques, offering a more complete reflection of Guangdong’s culinary traditions.

Rise of regional Chinese flavours in Singapore

Regional cuisines have gained popularity in China in recent years, a trend clearly reflected in the cuisines covered by the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide. In response to queries, the guide’s representative said, “The culinary map has been expanding continuously; this is not growth that emerged only in 2026. The number of regional cuisines covered increased from 49 in 2023 to 53 in 2024, 57 in 2025 and 64 in 2026. Restaurants serving regional Chinese cuisines such as Jiangxi, Anhui, Wenzhou, Liaoning and Qingdao cuisines have all made the list.”

Chinese dining in Singapore is likewise no longer dominated by Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine. In August 2025, Wenzhou restaurant Wenzhou Mansion opened in Tanjong Pagar, an area known for its concentration of Korean restaurants. Founder Li Chuhua, 45, presents Wenzhou’s deeply rooted food culture through refined techniques, focusing on the natural flavours of seafood from the East China Sea and using mainly steaming and braising methods. Over the past year or so, it has attracted business and political figures, including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, while Chinese diners account for 70% of its clientele.

In December 2024, Hakka Yu, a Hakka brand from Heyuan in Guangdong with 90 outlets, made Singapore its first overseas market. Founder Xu Kepeng introduced sizzling claypot dishes, heritage-style hand-shredded salt-baked chicken, and classic Hakka stuffed tofu and pork soup. In just 18 months, the brand had found its footing, opening its fifth outlet recently at VivoCity.

Known for its signature hanging-oven roast duck, Peking Chamber began studying the Singapore market before the pandemic. Restaurant manager Cui Yong, who trained as a chef, said the brand spent three to four years getting to know Singapore and found the country to be inclusive, well-regulated, home to many ethnic Chinese and discerning diners. Founded in 2008, Peking Chamber has 28 outlets across Beijing and Shanghai. It opened at Weave in Resorts World Sentosa in August 2025 and plans to expand to Orchard Road and Raffles City.

Beyond roast duck, Peking Chamber also serves Beijing and Shandong dishes that are less common in Singapore, including braised sea cucumber with scallions, stir-fried 3A wagyu with scallions, stewed crispy pork with vegetables and vermicelli, deep-fried meatballs, stewed Chinese cabbage and chestnuts in thick soup, and old Beijing fried bean sauce noodles. A platter of five handmade Beijing-style snacks is served after the meal: Lüdagunr (glutinous rice rolls with sweet bean flour), pea flour cake, kidney bean rolls, aiwowo (rice cake pastry) and red bean cake.

Peking Chamber sells more than 40 roast ducks a day in Singapore. It selects ducks weighing more than 2.5 kg from Malaysia, which are slaughtered on the same day, then roasted through a 16-step process. Cui explained, “The biggest difference between our roast duck and others is that we do not pump air into the duck. Air-pumped ducks take only 40 to 50 minutes to roast. Ducks that are not pumped are more difficult to prepare. Ours are roasted over Japanese bamboo charcoal in a traditional hanging oven and require a full 60 minutes.”

Reinterpreting classics without losing tradition

Duck dishes can showcase the techniques of very different cuisines. Ginger duck is an iconic dish from Quanzhou in Fujian, with preparation standards jointly developed by official bodies, academics and the industry.

Qiu Shangzhen, 49, founder and chairman of Linkus Restaurant Group, said, “The preparation technique for this dish is listed as one of Quanzhou’s intangible cultural heritage. It cannot be made carelessly, or it would damage the reputation of Quanzhou ginger duck. In China, Linkus uses the red-faced, white-feathered Muscovy duck, a protected Minnan breed, together with 5-mm-thick Yongchun old ginger and hand-milled sesame oil. It is slowly braised over a gentle fire to produce Quanzhou’s golden ginger duck. As poultry cannot yet be imported from China into Singapore, Linkus uses ducks from Malaysia.”

Jin Ting Wan’s roasted pipa duck with aged tangerine peel is a new interpretation of a traditional Shunde classic. Chef Li debones a 90-day-old Irish duck, marinates the meat with water chestnuts and 15-year aged tangerine peel, then stuffs it back into the skin before roasting it over lychee wood.

While the restaurant uses ingredients from around the world, such as Alaskan king crab and Hokkaido geoduck, to put a fresh spin on Guangdong classics, Li remains committed to expressing China’s terroir. In its signature braised Angus short rib, the beef is tightly wrapped with “nine steamings and nine sun-dryings” preserved Hakka mustard greens and encased in straw leaves, then slow-braised over a gentle flame. While Angus beef ribs are expensive, what truly elevates the dish is the rustic flavour of the preserved mustard greens that Li goes out of his way to source.

Porridge is rarely a signature dish at fine-dining restaurants in Singapore. But after China-born chef Huang Jinghui (Chef Fei) took over Mandarin Oriental’s Cherry Garden in 2025, he introduced boneless crucian carp congee, a dish that pushes knife skills to the limit. The carp is imported from Chaoshan, while Thai fragrant rice and mineral water are used to create its delicate flavour. Yet it is the chef’s skill in deboning the fish, which is full of fine bones, that diners should truly appreciate.

In 2025, I made a visit with Huang back to his home town, Huilai county in Chaozhou, and learned that it is home to Shenquan Fishing Port, one of China’s historic fishing harbours.

Huang shared, “My grandmother once told me how, in the past, the poor families that could not even afford cooking oil would boil fish in seawater. This practical, zero-cost method is called sa sek by Teochew people. Teochew cuisine values clean, fresh and natural flavours. The people of Chaoshan live off the sea, foraging for everything from cheap small fish and prawns to lobsters, conch and other premium seafood. But there are a few things that Teochew people cannot live without: Puning bean paste, fish sauce, braising stock, raw marinated seafood, cold dishes, rice noodles and plain congee. A bowl of plain congee is the enduring nostalgia that Teochew people can never forget.”

In his view, the beauty of Teochew cuisine lies in its dedication to local ingredients. He insists on bringing preserved radish, preserved mustard greens, salted plum sauce, bitter melon and winter melon from his hometown. He uses Teochew methods of poaching or braising in soy sauce, bean paste or preserved radish, and cooking with salted plum and pickled vegetables, or Thai basil, to present seafood in its authentic Chaoshan form.

Huang said, “I hope that diners can experience the rich layers of Chinese cuisine with these new cooking styles and distinctive flavours. By interpreting tradition in a modern way, retaining classic techniques such as wok hei while incorporating contemporary aesthetics into plating and the dining experience, we can create something new from familiar flavours.”

Hotels partnering with celebrity chefs

Collaborations between hotels and prominent Chinese chefs in an advisory capacity remain relatively new in Singapore. In mid-2025, Cherry Garden was renamed Cherry Garden by Chef Fei, underscoring the hotel’s strategy while benefiting from Huang’s rise as a personal brand amid China’s fiercely competitive dining scene.

Affectionately known as Chef Fei by stars such as Tony Leung, Carina Lau and Karen Mok, Huang has spent more than 30 years in the culinary world and is widely recognised as one of China’s outstanding chefs.

Jill Goh, 60, general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, told LHZB, “To remain competitive in the dining landscape, it is crucial to introduce fresh culinary styles that resonate with discerning diners. Chef Huang Jinghui is accomplished and experienced, and passionate about cooking. His distinctive treatment of classic dishes will elevate Cherry Garden and set a new benchmark for Cantonese and Teochew cuisine.”

A leading figure in fine dining in Asia, Huang owns several Michelin-starred restaurants in China. As culinary director for several Mandarin Oriental hotels, he oversees seven Chinese restaurants across Asia, including in Bangkok, Jakarta, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing. Jiang by Chef Fei at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou, has retained two Michelin stars for seven consecutive years and has held one diamond in the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide since 2018.

Huang said, “Singapore has a deep Chinese culinary tradition and a large Chinese community with a natural affinity and resonance for Chinese cuisine. Visa-free travel has also brought in a new wave of consumers seeking authentic Chinese flavours. We are here precisely to satisfy these discerning diners.”

Ban Lan founder Sun Xiaoyang said, “Fujian has a tradition of venturing south to Nanyang. Ban Lan is also located in the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, so Singapore has always interested us. We wanted to open here to share Fujian cuisine, while also responding to changes in China’s F&B industry, such as regulations on alcohol consumption.”

Adapting to local palates

Many brands emphasised that, when setting roots in new soil, they must adjust their flavours flexibly to suit local customers’ preferences and needs.

The chefs and brands interviewed all identified ingredients as their biggest operational challenge in Singapore. Poultry and meat commonly used in Chinese cuisine cannot currently be imported from China, making local sourcing and recipe adjustments necessary.

Peking Chamber’s Singapore menu is 80% similar to its China menu, but includes abalone and lobster, which are not offered in China. Restaurant manager Cui Yong said this was because “there are many southerners in Singapore, and they also enjoy seafood”. 

Linkus has incorporated bak kut teh (pork ribs soup) elements into its signature Quanzhou beef soup, which has become a bestseller at Suntec City. Founder Qiu Shangzhen said, “When coming to Singapore, you must quickly learn the local customs and etiquette. Do not use Chinese culture to impose demands on diners here.”

Chef Huang has observed that Singapore diners are highly knowledgeable and demanding, “succeeding here means that a brand has undergone a rigorous test, laying a solid foundation for expansion into Southeast Asia and even global markets”.

Competition fosters connection

Chinese brands have become a significant force in Singapore’s F&B sector, prompting one hotel executive chef to exclaim that “the times have changed”. But chef Cheung Siu Kong of Summer Pavilion, the one-Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, takes a positive view.

He said, “Without diversity and comparison, people may assume that all Chinese cuisine is the same. When regional cuisines from eastern China, Sichuan or northern China enter the local market, they can instead help diners better appreciate the uniqueness and refinement of Cantonese cuisine. Diversity does not dilute Chinese cuisine; it enriches it. The more varieties we welcome, the deeper our appreciation of Chinese cuisine will be.”

Cheung noted that the influence works both ways. He said, “For example, the cuisines of the eastern coastal regions share much in common with ours. They likewise emphasise freshness, seasonality and simple cooking methods that allow the ingredients to shine. These shared values connect us more than they divide us.”

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “中国餐饮品牌抢滩新加坡 用地方风味征服本地味蕾”.

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