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Imagine a carousel of exquisite plates rotating around your table, each crafted as a masterpiece in a tasting menu presentation. These curated ‘flights of flavours’ offer bite-sized globetrotting — one moment you are in Tokyo, the next, you are exploring Singapore. Perfectly paired sips? The encore. South East Asia’s gems await. Go, indulge!
Where: 83 Neil Road, Mondrian Singapore Duxton
When Tokyo’s fire maestro, Chef Makoto Suetomi joins forces with Ebb & Flow Group, both sparks and flavours fly. Firebird by Suetomi, the overseas debut of Japan’s legendary Makitori Shinkobe (yes, ‘that’ place with the famous year-long waitlist), brings a rare art form to life — a 13-course tori-focussed wood fire omakase, where the humble chicken is elevated into different show-stopping masterpieces. At first bite, Firebird has you hooked. From the flicker of flames in the open kitchen to Makoto’s meditative precision, there’s an intimacy here that feels almost spiritual.
Every dish is a revelation; the fire hums softly like the heartbeat of nature, while the chicken is perfectly grilled, charred, and smoked. The highlight? The Soboro Claypot Rice, where minced chicken dances over the flames, infusing each grain with a comforting, smoky hug. And then there is the sake pairing, Aramasa’s Invisible Pink Unicorn — a zesty, whimsical pour you must try. What truly sets Firebird apart is its primal simplicity, especially the craftsmanship of one man transforming chicken into unexpected poetry.
Where: Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Ubud, Bali
If a stay at Mandapa soothes the soul, then dining at ‘Kubu,’ its riverside sanctuary, sets your heart (and appetite) alight. Expect candlelit bamboo cocoons beside the Ayung River, and Chef Eka Sunarya at the helm. While the world’s top kitchens chase fleeting trends, Eka listens to Bali itself, creating a 10-course homage to the island, using ingredients sourced within a 100-kilometre radius. “Bali speaks to me,” Eka says. And it shows. His menu is a wild, exquisite celebration of Bali’s biodiversity.
Take the Lobster with Marigold Petals, for instance, where sweet, tender flesh meets the subtle perfume of flowers. Then, there's Kintamani Citrus, a vivid combination of pomelo, tangerine, and creamy jackfruit leading to a dazzling explosion of flavours. The show-stopper? Eka's zero-waste concept elevates the rich, marbled flavours of the Tabanan Heritage Pig, which is slow-roasted to perfection. Nothing is wasted at Kubu. Every scrape is given a purpose and becomes something amazing.
Where: 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
With its sweeping waterfront views of Victoria Harbour, it’s like stepping into a chapter of 1930s Cantonese elegance at One Harbour Road. Designed to mimic a Taipan’s mansion, it’s polished in nostalgia with a modern twist. Think santos rosewood beams, custom furniture, handcrafted carpets, a mosaic-covered fountain, and glass ceiling letting in natural light onto stone verandas. However, nostalgia isn’t just limited to the decor.
The executive Chinese chef, Chan Hon Cheong, creates dishes that combine luxury and tradition. Braised South African abalone is a sumptuous taste of the finest seafood, while crisp French quail legs, seasoned with pepper and salt, crunch like golden perfection. Tender steaming garoupa (ray-finned fish) is surrounded by hot Sichuan peppercorns that counterbalance the golden crackle of deep-fried, battered Boston lobster claws. Then comes dessert, a chilled mango pudding so lush and velvety, it’s practically sunshine on a spoon. This one is a story told in flavours, with Hong Kong’s past penned beautifully on your plate.
Where: Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo, Pacific Century Place, Marunouchi
In the slick Marunouchi district, SÉZANNE gleams like a perfectly-cut jewel. Awarded its third Michelin star in 2025, it’s where ultra-precision meets quiet artistry. Led by Chef Daniel Calvert, whose resume spans London, Paris, New York, and Hong Kong, the restaurant is a lesson in elegance, from the meticulous service to dishes that feel like poetic statements. Diners are ushered from the bar into a dining room that’s close enough to catch the crackle of the kitchen but private enough to keep things serene. It’s Tokyo with a whisper of French charm.
The genius here? Menus aren’t shown upfront. Instead, you’re teased with a list of star ingredients, a cryptic promise of what’s to come. It all remains a mystery until the finale, when you’re handed a sealed menu — part treasure map, part memento — revealing the journey you’ve just savoured. The 12-course tasting menu is pure theatre. Each plate has focus and purpose, no frills. Abalone liver parfait with a 2008 Château d’Yquem? A brilliant match of sweet and umami that speaks volumes about the sommelier’s skill. Or try fugu shirako (prized milt of pufferfish) bathed in roasted crab sauce, a bold dish with deep Japanese roots. Calvert’s cooking takes the finesse of French haute cuisine and spikes it with his Asian travels.
Where: 422 Vanich Rd. Samphanthawong, Bangkok
In Bangkok’s pulsating Chinatown, Potong is a time portal disguised as a restaurant. This 120-year-old pharmacy selling herbal cures is an intimate dining stage today, where Chef Pam wows with her culinary magic. Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024, Pam became the first Asian to win the World’s Best Female Chef title in 2025. Her star power radiates from the moment you walk in, yet POTONG feels deeply personal, like stepping into her family’s journal, one inked with tradition and transformation. The restored building brims with old-world charm — walls laced with crumbling brick and rich oak shelves lined with amber apothecary bottles.
But it’s Pam’s 11-course tasting menu that commands full attention. Built on her ‘five elements’ philosophy — salt, acid, spice, texture, and the Maillard reaction — it’s a blend of boldness and restraint. Her crowning achievement? A duck dish perfected over a year of trial and error, its skin impossibly thin and crisp, the meat tender and rich without tipping over into indulgence. Upstairs, at the Opium Bar, Chinatown’s hazy past comes alive. Vintage family photos, secret letters, and cocktails spiked with mischief offer a sensorial echo of days gone by.