SINGAPORE — This year's Bib Gourmand list sees a bumper crop of 79 entrants comprising 19 new awardees — 17 hawker stalls and two restaurants.
In 2022, only nine out of the 67 recipients of the accolade given by the Michelin Guide were new.
The eateries on the Bib Gourmand — picked by Michelin inspectors — offer diners value-for-money food priced at no more than $45. The category was created in 1997.
Among the new entrants this year were six stalls, three each from Adam Road Food Centre and Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre.
Those which made the list from Adam Road Food Centre are Adam Rd Noo Cheng Big Prawn Noodle, Bahrakath Mutton Soup and Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari, known for its mee soto and mee rebus.
Over at Geylang Bahru, Hui Wei Chilli Ban Mian, Spinach Soup, and Cheok Kee — which specialises in boneless braised duck — got the nod.
Two hawkers at Whampoa Makan Place hawker centre also make their debut on the list. They are Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon and Singapore Fried Hokkien Mee.
In Jurong, two Bib Gourmand stalls are tu tu kueh maker Du Du Shou Shi at Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre, and Tai Seng Fish Soup at Taman Jurong Market & Food Centre.
Other Bib Gourmand recipients include Nam Sing Hokkien Fried Mee at Old Airport Road Food Centre, Yong Chun Wan Ton Noodle at 115 Bukit Merah View Market & Food Centre, and curry chicken noodle establishment Heng Kee at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre.
Two stalls, which were previously listed as part of the Michelin Guide, have been promoted to Bib Gourmand status.
They are Ji De Lai Hainanese Chicken Rice at Chong Pang Market & Food Centre and No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow at Zion Riverside Food Centre.
Meanwhile, the two new Bib Gourmand restaurants are no strangers to the accolade.
Popular zi char restaurant Kok Sen is considered a new entry because of its move to a new location on the same street in Keong Saik Road in 2022.
The Coconut Club's Beach Road outlet sees the return of the famed nasi lemak specialist after dropping off the list in 2019 and 2022.
Six eateries from 2022 did not make the cut this year.
They are Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre, Hong Kee Beef Noodle at Amoy Street Food Centre, Jun Yuan House of Fish at Old Airport Road Food Centre and the now-defunct Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre.
Bar-Roque Grill at Amara Singapore and Unagi Tei (formerly known as Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant) in Keong Saik Road also failed to make the grade.
The Bib Gourmand release comes in the midst of food award season which kicked off on June 8 with the announcement of The World's 50 Best Restaurants list of those ranked from 51 to 100.
The top 50 on the list will be revealed on June 20 in Valencia, Spain.
Following this, Singapore's 2023 crop of Michelin-starred restaurants will be unveiled at the Michelin Guide's award ceremony on June 27 at the Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay hotel.
ALSO READ: Michelin Bib Gourmand zi char restaurant Kok Sen is moving out of its premises on Oct 30
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
