Candlenut

The flagship in Singapore’s armada of funky new-age Peranakan restaurants, Candlenut presents Singapore’s most emblematic cuisine in a way nobody has before. In its new and larger premises at new lifestyle destination COMO Dempsey, Candlenut is refined and exquisite yet unpretentious and casual. It is one of those restaurants hard to put in a box with a label on it – unless that label is a Michelin Star, because Candlenut is the only Peranakan restaurant in the world to hold one. The brainchild of young superstar chef Malcolm Lee, Candlenut has made waves reverberating well beyond Dempsey, Singapore and Asia – but Candlenut is a place you can still feel the pure passion, unornamented authenticity and desire to enjoy cooking and eating that started it all for Lee.

Candlenut celebrates the fusion of Asian flavours and techniques that is at the heart of Peranakan cuisine. As well as the traditional Chinese and Malay influences, Lee injects plenty of his own intuition to make some downright delicious creations – one favourite at Candlenut’s celebrated Outram Park restaurant was a classic Peranakan buah keluak dish, souped up with sous-vide Wagyu beef instead of traditional pork ribs. The menu changes frequently at Candlenut but whatever it is will probably be one of the most memorable meals you eat in Singapore. The new Candlenut restaurant at COMO Dempsey has an expanded seating capacity of 92, including an eight-seat private room perfect for intimate dinners or casual business lunches, as well as an al fresco dining area. Book a table and head to Dempsey Road to find out what all the fuss is about for yourself.