In a city flush with critically acclaimed fine-dining restaurants from some of the food world’s most decorated chefs, Waku Ghin just might be the best of the best. From the intimate 25-seater’s somewhat hidden entrance above the glitzy casino floor of Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Marina Bay Sands hotel, to a bespoke private dining experience unlike any other in Singapore, you won’t soon forget an evening at this ultra-exclusive culinary hideaway.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- Consistently recognized as not just one of the top restaurants in Singapore, but on the entire Asian continent, the 8,000-square-foot Waku Ghin opened in 2010 under the direction of Japanese-born Australian chef Tetsuya Wakuda.
- Wakuda collaborated with the U.S. architects of Joshua Zinder Architecture & Design on the restaurant’s chic interiors, defined by gracefully curved corridors, plush furnishings, soothing wooden materials and a pervasive silver color tone.
- After pre-dinner drinks and snacks, staff escorts you to one of the Singapore fusion restaurant’s four private dining rooms.
- At your table, a personal chef displays a bountiful spread of seasonal produce, meats and seafood, all of which is used in a 10-course degustation menu prepared at an induction grill in front of a rapt audience.
- This is dinner theater at its finest, with the chefs explaining each dish as it’s prepared and cheerfully answering questions with aplomb throughout the meal.
Things to Know
- Waku Ghin is only open for dinner, except on Fridays when the Singapore restaurant serves up a spectacular five-course executive lunch.
- With room for just 25 guests each time, reservations at least two weeks in advance of your intended visit are essential.
- Note that bookings are not required for The Bar at Waku Ghin, which opens at 5:30 p.m. and never has a last call.
The Food
- Though Waku Ghin’s set menu changes daily, expect an exuberant mix of exquisite Japanese and European flavors and ingredients.
- Dishes might range from Alaskan king crab legs steamed in the shell under a mound of sea salt and bamboo leaves, to lightly grilled abalone garnished Italian-style with greens and cherry tomatoes.
- Signature dishes include Australian wagyu with citrus and wasabi soy, as well as marinated botan shrimp with osetra caviar and sea urchin, the latter distinctly presented on ice in its own spiky shell.
- The light and fluffy Ghin cheesecake, with its refreshing infusion of tart lemon curd, is a marvelous cap on the decadent affair.
The Bar
- At elegant The Bar at Waku Ghin, skilled mixologists serve more than 85 Japanese-inspired cocktails and an exceptional choice of fine Japanese whiskies.
- The bar also features an impressive array of sakes — no surprise given Wakuda’s distinction as Japan’s Sake Samurai Association’s first overseas sake ambassador.
- A tasty assortment of gourmet à la carte bar bites, including caviar, meat and cheese boards, and freshly shucked oysters, are also available.
Getting There
