Michelin Guide Singapore welcomes 11 new Bib Gourmand eateries in 2024 selection

Fish soup and prawn noodles seem to have found their way into the hearts of the famously anonymous Michelin Guide inspectors this year. The gourmet guide by the French tyre company released its annual Bib Gourmand list in Singapore today. Of the 11 newly-listed establishments, four of them sell hawker favourites, fish soup and prawn noodles. 

The Bib Gourmand award highlights eateries that offer value-for-money food experiences, specifically establishments that “offers a three-course meal at a reasonable price,” according to the guide. In total, 81 eateries made the cut on this year's Bib Gourmand list.

The release of the Bib Gourmand results comes one week ahead of the revelation of the starred restaurants on June 25. For the first time in the Guide’s nine-year history in Singapore, the results will be announced without an in-person or virtual ceremony. Instead, the results will be published online and via the Guide's app.

Hawker favourites

A number of the new entrants feature fish soup as their main dish. One of them is Han Kee at Amoy Street Food Centre, which is known for its snaking queue during lunch time. The star of the stall’s offerings is its mackerel soup, which can be enjoyed on its own, or as a base for porridge or bee hoon with sliced fish.

Fellow newcomer Song Fish Soup in Clementi 448 Food Centre offers sliced fish, deep-fried fish, and fish maw, in fish broth or bee hoon soup. Those who want to try all three types of fish can order the fish maw double fish soup.

On the prawn noodle front, Zhup Zhup, formerly known as One Pawn & Co in MacPherson, made the list again. It was first listed in the Bib Gourmand list in 2022. Moving from the Michelin Guide Selection to the Bib Gourmand list is Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee, a prawn noodle stall in Geylang with a history that spans over 70 years.

Thai, Italian food recognised

Besides recognising hawker stalls, some standalone establishments made it to the Bib Gourmand list this year. 

One of them is MP Thai, a Thai restaurant in Vision Exchange building. Their dishes include the popular tom yum soup, which strikes a balance between sour, sweet, spicy, and salty taste of the soup, as well as a popular BBQ squid, served with a hot and sour sauce. 

Also new to the list is Fico, an Italian restaurant by chef Mirko Febbrile at East Coast Park. This restaurant sourced directly from Puglia, a region in Southern Italy. The restaurant's focaccina and pasta made with seasonal ingredients are among the menu highlights. 

Other note-worthy new Bib Gourmand entries include Delhi Lahori in Tekka Centre that serves Naan and tandoor dishes such as seekh kebab and chicken tikka masala, and Jason Penang Cuisine in ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre. Chef Kang Noodle House, which is run by chef Ang Song Kang of Chef Kang's, a one-starred private kitchen restaurant made a comeback on the Bib Gourmand list after its 2019 debut.

“When discussing Singapore's cuisine, one cannot overlook the integral role of hawker centres. These are not only a part of everyday life for the common people, but also a microcosm of the multi-ethnic society,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the Michelin Guide.

“The eighth edition of Singapore’s Bib Gourmand selection reflects the dynamic and diverse smorgasbord of eateries in the casual and hawker category, and our inspectors have discovered rich cultural traditions that include Thai, Italian, Indian and Penang cuisines, in addition to the long-serving heritage hawkers that continue to serve up their much-loved recipes, all at incredible value.” 

Additional reporting by Kenneth SZ Goh