Restaurant Euphoria shuts down, adding to the growing pool of Michelin-starred restaurant closures in Singapore

The slew of Michelin-starred restaurant closures continues to grow in Singapore. Innovative restaurant Restaurant Euphoria, which received its Michelin star just two weeks ago, is the latest establishment to throw in the towel.

 The closure of the one-starred restaurant on Tras Street was announced by its chef-owner Jason Tan in an Instagram post on August 8. Its last day of operations was on August 3.

Speaking to The Peak, Tan shares that he has been mulling over this difficult decision over the past year and sees closure of Restaurant Euphoria, which opened in 2020, as a happy start to another chapter of his illustrious culinary career.

He says: “I have been cooking at a high level for over 10 years and have achieved my personal goals in my culinary career, so it is time to take a step back.” He shared that one of his personal goals was to snag a spot in the coveted Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 10 years in a row. The restaurant was ranked No. 48 on this year’s list, which was announced in March this year. 

“Since I’ve achieved my goals, I have been actively thinking about closing the restaurant and thinking about other plans,” adds Tan, who has been cooking for over two decades.

A slowdown in restaurant business also contributed to his decision to shut down Restaurant Euphoria. He shares: “Business was still decent, but there were ups and downs, especially in the past year.” He adds that manpower was a bigger issue than rent, as the costs of hiring staff has increased over the years. 

Tan helmed Corner House, which started in 2014 and was known for its ‘Gastro-Botanica’ concept – contemporary cuisine in which he places equal emphasis on meat as well as vegetables and plants. The restaurant received a Michelin star in the inaugural Singapore edition of the guide in 2016 and retained it till 2020.

In 2020, he opened Restaurant Euphoria, which first received a star in 2022. It was known for its signature dish, Oignon Jamboree, which features five different types of onion, cooked in five different ways.

Looking forward, Tan will be taking a step back to recharge. He says: “I want to take a good break for now, but I will come back to do something related to honest cooking, producing good food at something more affordable.”

The closure of Restaurant Euphoria comes hot on the heels of one-starred modern European restaurant, Alma by Juan Amador in Goodwood Park Hotel, which announced its impending closure on July 28 — a few days after the Michelin Guide Singapore ceremony. Its last day of operations will be on August 15. Its head chef Yew Eng Tong, who served as Singapore’s representative at the Bocuse d’Or, one of the world’s most prestigious cooking competitions, from 2013 to 2017.

For its final dining collaboration, Yew has teamed up with fellow Singaporean chef Barry Quek of Whey in Hong Kong from August 6 to 8. The two chefs showcased dishes with creative and modern takes on Singapore cuisine, such as Hokkien ‘Mi’ made with barley instead of noodles and wagyu beef shortrib and lobster nasi ulam.

Yew, who joined Alma in late 2023, managed to retain Alma’s one-starred rating after chef Haikal Johari left in 2022.

At this year’s Michelin Guide Singapore ceremony, 10 restaurants dropped out of the one-starred list. Nine of them, or one-fifth of last year’s one-starred restaurants, shuttered due to a challenging business climate fueled by rising operational costs, tighter dining budgets and a stronger focus on value and accessibility.

They are Art, Chef Kang’s, Matera, Oshino, Poise, Shinji by Kanesaka (Bras Basah Road), Sommer and Sushi Kimura. Rhubarb rebranded to a casual French concept Encore by Rhubarb in June after holding on to its one star for a decade. Japanese-Italian restaurant Terra lost its one-starred status for the second time.