One-Michelin-starred Alma restaurant by Juan Amador to close on Aug 15
Alma by Juan Amador restaurant in Goodwood Park Hotel, when it first opened in 2015.
SINGAPORE – Just four days after Singapore's Michelin Guide ceremony, the one-Michelin-starred modern European restaurant Alma by Juan Amador has announced it is closing on Aug 15 via its electronic newsletter and social media accounts.
Rumours were already swirling during the ceremony on July 24, following talk over how
eight of 10 one-Michelin-starred restaurants had dropped off the guide because they had closed.
The eight are Art di Daniele Sperindio, Chef Kang's, Matera, Oshino, Poise, Shinji, Sommer and Sushi Kimura.
The other two are 10-year-old Rhubarb in Duxton Hill – which has rebranded into the more casual Encore by Rhubarb concept – and Terra Tokyo Italian in Tras Street, which did not make the cut.
Titled A Fond Farewell: Closing Announcement, Alma's e-mail and social media posts said that it is with mixed emotions that the closure is announced.
'This decision has not come easily, as we hold a deep appreciation for the community we have fostered. Each meal shared, celebration hosted and story told has contributed to the unique tapestry of our restaurant's history,' added the post, which is signed off by Team Alma.
Alma, located at Goodwood Park Hotel, was established in 2015 with French chef Christophe Lerouy. It has been a fixture on Singapore's Michelin Guide since 2016, when Singaporean chef Haikal Johari was in charge.
Chef Haikal left the restaurant in February 2023 and, in October 2023, Singaporean executive chef and general manager
Yew Eng Tong took over.
Alma by Juan Almador's executive chef and general manager Yew Eng Tong.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Chef Lerouy's eponymous restaurant in Mohamed Sultan Road, as well as chef Haikal's French restaurant Avant at the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok hotel, have one Michelin star each.
At Alma, chef Yew has been instrumental in not only retaining the star, but also revamping its menu of modern European cuisine into one with Asian accents. Following Alma's closure, chef Yew, 47, has confirmed that he has a new position in another establishment lined up.
This news follows another recent closure announcement, of
heritage restaurant Ka-Soh in Greenwood Avenue. It will not renew its lease and its last day of operations is on Sept 28.
Mr Cedric Tang, third-generation owner of Ka-Soh restaurant in Greenwood Avenue with his signature sliced fish soup with thick bee hoon.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
It is the last remaining Ka-Soh outlet standing, following the closure of its 20-year-old flagship in Outram – a recipient of the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand accolade since 2016 – in June 2022. Before that, its sister outlet, Swee Kee Eating House in Amoy Street, shut in May 2021.
The brand, established in 1939, is best known for its traditional Cantonese-style fish soup with a rich, milky broth achieved by hours of boiling.
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