SINGAPORE — Eighteen Singapore restaurants earned spots in the 2026 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, up from 16 last year, as the Chinese Meituan-published rival to the Michelin Guide unveiled its latest honors at a Sands Expo ceremony on March 23.
Peranakan standout Pangium in the Botanic Gardens, Greek venue Estiatorio Milos at Marina Bay Sands, and Sushi Zen on Teck Lim Road each secured one diamond, with chef-owner Malcolm Lee hailing the nod as a boost for heritage cuisine. “It’s about sustaining… the spirit of the cuisine, its emotions and feelings, for future generations,” said Lee, whose Candlenut in Dempsey has drawn Chinese diners curious about local flavor evolutions since 2019.
Jaan by Kirk Westaway held two diamonds, while French powerhouses Les Amis and Odette claimed three, the guide’s top tier. Cloudstreet, Meta, Burnt Ends, Peach Blossoms, and Zen also made the cut.
Odette’s kampot pepper crusted pigeon and Restaurant Born’s monkfish with jade fungus and chicken fat snagged two of four annual dish awards. The guide added 26 new restaurants, five cuisines, and Seoul as a city, evaluating on culinary presentation, service, heritage, and innovation via anonymous judges and AI insights.
Hong Kong’s Terry Ho won Young Chef honors for Amber, and Vicky Cheng took Master Chef for Wing and VEA, calling passion “a universal language we all share as chefs.” Head Tang Yan framed the expansion as “a tribute to the diverse and delicious cuisines around the world.”