Singapore’s dining scene welcomed a fresh wave of restaurants, cafes and bars in September, with new openings ranging from Japanese specialists and Puglian seafood to Korean barbecue and a new beer garden.
The latest arrivals include overseas concepts making their Singapore debuts, established restaurants opening second outlets and chefs launching new independent projects. Several existing restaurants have also introduced seasonal menus and new daytime offerings.
One of the notable openings is Unagi Yondaime Kikukawa, the Michelin Selected Japanese unagi specialist that has opened its second Singapore outlet at Raffles City. The Nagoya-born brand traces its roots to Nakasho Shoten, an eel wholesaler established in 1932.
The restaurant grills live eels to order over binchotan charcoal before finishing them with its house tare and serving them with Koshihikari rice from Niigata. Dishes include the S$48++ Kabayaki Ippon Jyu Set and S$37++ Hitsumabushi Set, while a larger Unagi Mountain featuring two whole kabayaki eels is available through October for S$88++.
Chef Johanne Siy has also opened Árō on Mohamed Sultan Road, marking her debut as an independent restaurateur. Siy, who previously headed the kitchen at Lolla and was named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2023, is serving a 12-course tasting menu priced at S$268++.
The restaurant’s “Creator’s Cuisine” draws from Siy’s travels and incorporates ingredients and flavours from across Asia. Filipino produce features prominently, including stingless bee honey, pili nuts, aligue and Asín Tibuok salt from Bohol.
Japanese hamburg steak is another major addition to Singapore’s food scene. Yamamoto’s Hamburg opened its first Singapore outlet at Lau Pa Sat, following a soft launch on Sept. 22 ahead of its official opening on Oct. 5.
The restaurant specialises in hand-formed hamburg steaks made from a beef-and-pork blend. Its signature Yamamoto Hamburg costs S$19.90 and combines Gorgonzola and mushroom cream sauce with miso and dashi demi-glace. A kimchi-and-cheese version is also available, along with a chicken patty created specifically for the Singapore menu.
Fico has expanded to Sentosa with a second outlet at Tanjong Beach Club. The restaurant brings chef-partner Mirko Febbrile’s Puglian cooking from East Coast Park to the beach, with a menu adapted for the coastal setting.
Among the offerings is a site-exclusive focaccina topped with pesto, mortadella, stracciatella and pistachios for S$25. A seafood platter cooked over a new two-metre charcoal barbecue dome is also available, with prices starting from S$108.
For diners looking for a more casual evening, WHUCHU has opened a Korean beer garden beside its restaurant at UE Square. The outdoor space serves draught beer from S$8, including Cass, Krombacher Pils and Krombacher Dark poured into frozen mugs.
The beer garden also offers matcha and ube makgeolli, soju and Korean highballs, alongside sharing plates such as chicken pancakes, bulgogi fries and fried chicken. Games including cornhole, giant noughts and crosses and shuffleboard are available, while the outdoor area is pet-friendly.
At Tras Street, Ingleside has introduced a seasonal tasting menu called Embers, running until December. The restaurant, listed in the Michelin Guide Singapore in both 2025 and 2026, is known for its focus on fermentation, wood-fire cooking and dry-aged ingredients.
The new menu includes dishes such as horse mackerel brushed with scallop garum and charred over charcoal, along with a True North wagyu striploin dry-aged for 32 days. The à la carte menu has also been refreshed with dishes including grilled shoyu koji duck heart and dry-aged duck breast.
Kee’s Restaurant & Bar on Carpenter Street has meanwhile expanded its daytime offering. The restaurant, housed in a restored 1936 building, now opens from 8am and serves breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes influenced by the culinary backgrounds of executive chef Sujatha Asokan.
Its new daytime menu includes chicken curry shakshuka with coin prata, a Benedict featuring Chinese olive and calamansi brown butter hollandaise, and bubur cha cha French toast made with kaya-stuffed brioche. Weekday set lunches start from S$42.
The September openings reflect the breadth of Singapore’s current dining landscape, with Japanese, Korean, Italian, Southeast Asian and modern cross-cultural concepts arriving within the same month.
For diners, the new choices range from quick meals such as Japanese hamburg steaks and rice bowls to tasting menus, beachside seafood, barbecue and casual outdoor drinking. Several of the new venues also build on established culinary concepts while introducing them to new neighbourhoods or audiences.
With September’s new openings adding another layer to Singapore’s already crowded food scene, diners now have more options to explore across the CBD, Orchard, Mohamed Sultan, Sentosa and other parts of the city. The mix also shows how restaurants are increasingly combining specialised cuisines with social spaces, seasonal menus and experiences beyond a traditional sit-down meal.
