Tetsuya receives two Michelin stars

Japanese-Australian chef Tetsuya Wakuda has received two Michelin stars for his Singapore restaurant, Waku Ghin. The stars were awarded at a ceremony at Singapore's Fullerton Hotel on Thursday.

The result is an improvement on the one star Waku Ghin received in the 2016 Michelin Guide Singapore, the first edition of the dining handbook for the Lion City.

Waku Ghin opened at Marina Bay Sands resort and casino in 2010, serving modern Japanese-European creations, similar to the two-hatted Tetsuya's on Kent Street in Sydney.

A 10-course degustation at the fine-dining restaurant costs about $400.

Wakuda has influenced many young chefs at the top of their game in Australia such as Phil Wood (Point Leo Estate), Dan Hong (Mr Wong), Luke Powell (LP's Quality Meats), Darren Robertson (Rocker, Three Blue Ducks) and Dan Pepperell (Restaurant Hubert), who all spent time on the pans in his Sydney venue.

The chef has influenced a younger generation in Singapore, too. Executive chefs at three of the new one-star restaurants in the 2017 Michelin Guide Singapore (Meta, Whitegrass and Cheek By Jowl) have also worked under Wakuda's guidance at Waku Ghin.

Joel Robuchon Restaurant at Resort World Sentosa remains the only Singapore restaurant to receive three Michelin stars.

All restaurants in the guide, according to Michelin, are visited anonymously by its reviewers and paid for independently.

Burnt Ends helmed by Australian chef David Pynt, did not receive a Michelin star, in spite of it placing at 53rd on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in April (the list publishes all placeholders from 1-100).

The only other Singapore restaurants that appear on the current World's 50 Best list are Restaurant Andre at number 14 and Odette at number 86.