7 major things that happened in the Singapore dining scene this year

There’s been a whole lot of change on the Singapore dining scene this year. And while some of the more overhyped fads have lost their novelty and become dull, most of the new developments have been good. We revisit some of the biggest trends of 2013.

Celebs! Celebs, everywhere!

Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian (see top photo, the porchetta from their recent Christmas menu) and Mark Sargeant’s Oxwell & Co were overbooked in 2013 due to their association with big-name personalities. No surprise really, given this town’s love of celeb chefs.

Coffee took the city

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Caffeine addicts swarmed to new joints like Revolution Coffee, CAD Cafe, Common Man Coffee Roasters, Ronin, espressoLab and The Bravery. Now, all this city needs is more tea houses. The latest tea specialists including Betjeman & Barton and Newby look set to change that in the new year.

Emergence of food markets

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Small food businesses bandied together to form independent markets this year, such as Rochester Market at Rochester Mall, Le Gluttony at Chijmes, and Craft at Kampong Glam restaurant, A for Arbite. Plus, huge new project Pasarbella opened. It’s a pity they didn’t draw larger crowds.

Food trucks arrived, but no one knew where they were

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Mobile dining finally arrived in Singapore. Too bad few folks seemed to know where to find local food trucks. If you’re still searching, your best bet’s to hit up the The Travelling C.O.W ramen bar at The U Factory pop-up (through January 26) at Gillman Barracks. Another truck, The Kerbside Gourmet’s on hiatus till 2014. But you can check them out at the National Museum of Singapore come next year.

Parties in broad daylight. ‘Nuff said

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Brunch parties by Bacchanalia and La Alta Vita launched this year, popularising daytime drinking. They were great fun. Though, food was sometimes a skimpy (not a huge deal with Champagne aplenty at Bacchanalia’s bashes) and the vibe sometimes a little intense for folks who’d just rolled out of bed (La Alta Vita’s events had a real disco vibe, with flashing purple strobe lights, and servers dressed in hot pants and low-cut tanks).

Ramen got (too) fancy

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Tonkotsu Kazan, Daruma, Menzo Butao (see photo), a new branch of Ramen Bar Suzuki and fresh projects by Tonkotsu King — Japanese noodle bars were big this year. And while very yum, there’s no denying those bowlfuls are pricy. (Including add-ins like egg and bamboo shoots, we’re looking at a $20 of noodles.) What ever happened to a simple serve of wanton mee?

Restos started hitting the malls

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Forget hip hoods like Tiong Bahru and Kampong Glam. Malls were the hot new location for restaurants this year. Marina Square got a new food wing, The Dining Edition. Suntec City went though a revamp with new eateries galore (including swank spot LÈ Restaurant and Asian Tapas Bar), and VivoCity welcomed spacious venues like The Chop House.