As Chinese tourists – and migrants – flock to Singapore, restaurants are capitalising on the city’s diverse palate and culinary openness

Singapore’s culinary landscape is undergoing a transformation as a new wave of Chinese food-and-beverage chains make their mark on the city state. With a diverse array of offerings – from spicy Sichuan hotpot and grilled fish to hearty beef noodles – the new restaurants promise to tantalise local palates.

This culinary boom is no coincidence. While Singapore’s Chinese-majority population makes it a natural fit for these businesses, experts point to other driving forces including an influx of Chinese tourists and the global expansion of Chinese companies.

“Chinese F&B companies are looking to further expand globally, particularly in areas that are culturally and culinarily close such as Singapore and Thailand,” said Mark Greeven, a professor of innovation and strategy at IMD Business School and director of its China initiative.

“The trend underscores the industry’s stance in preparing for the future and part of that trend is also a transformation into becoming more global organisations.”

A 2023 study by Singapore’s Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao found that the number of China-based restaurant chains in the country had risen annually since 2014.

Following pandemic-related disruptions, the number of new outlets doubled in 2021, with two restaurants making their debut that year. By the end of June, there were around 184 outlets operated by 32 Chinese F&B brands in Singapore, according to local newspaper The Business Times.

“The flourishing of these Chinese companies, coupled with Taiwanese (such as Din Tai Fung) and local Chinese food companies, has created the impression that the Singaporean market has been flooded with Chinese food,” wrote Leo Suryadinata, a visiting senior fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, in an August commentary.

About 75 per cent of Singapore’s 5.6 million population are ethnic Chinese – around 450,000 of whom were migrants as of 2015, according to a 2020 report co-published by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre – and the city state welcomed 1.4 million Chinese tourists last year.

Veteran operators like Haidilao International have thrived, expanding to 11 locations across the island. It opened its first outlet a decade ago in the vibrant riverside district of Clarke Quay, a popular hang-out spot for tourists and locals alike.

Meanwhile, new players like Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles have also emerged, bringing a variety of different dishes to the scene.

Since entering Singapore in 2018, the chain has expanded to nine outlets and founder Xu Rong says locals now make up around 90 per cent of his customer base – double what it was five years ago.

“The city’s reputation as a food paradise and its openness to diverse culinary experiences made it an ideal market to introduce authentic Chinese cuisines like Lanzhou beef noodles,” he said, adding that expects the boom to continue.

“The increasing number of Chinese tourists and expatriates in Singapore and an uptrend in Chinese cuisine among Singaporeans is likely to sustain the demand for authentic cuisine.”

Still, adapting to local tastes is crucial for success, according to Winson Ng, marketing manager of Xiao Long Kan Hotpot.

Despite being known for its mala and butter soup base, the restaurant also offers less spicy alternatives for locals who may not be accustomed to high spice levels.

“If restaurants just stick to authentic Chinese dishes, not everyone may like this. We try to stick to our spicy soup bases but we also have to promote our non-spicy or ‘yuan yang’ options,” Ng said, referring to hotpot divided into two parts.

A taste of home

Experts attribute the influx of Chinese migrants to factors such as Beijing’s crackdown on tech billionaires and strict Covid-19 curbs during the pandemic, which has heightened the demand for familiar dishes.

“The drive for these restaurants is invigorated by the Chinese moving here to work and settle down, and many of them prefer to keep to their original taste buds,” said Lawrence Loh, a business professor at the National University of Singapore.

As markets reopened post-pandemic, many businesses and high-net-worth investors also turned their attention to Singapore for new opportunities, said Yan Li, a senior lecturer at Nanyang Technological University’s business school.

The food industry offered a “relatively low-risk way to test the waters and gain experience in Singapore’s business landscape” for cautious new investors facing a steep learning curve and tighter regulations in the financial hub, he said.

However, this influx of restaurants is intensifying competition for local food businesses offering Chinese dishes, according to IMD China’s Greeven.

“With its dominant Chinese culture in the society, Singapore naturally emerges as a compelling and obvious choice for Chinese companies because of the familiarity … culturally and societally, these things fit very well. Nonetheless, this alignment also leads to a lot of competition, meaning that it’s not an easy game,” he said, noting similar tensions brewing in Thailand.

New shops and eateries backed by Chinese entrepreneurs have been sprouting up in Bangkok’s Chinatown districts of Yaowarat and Huai Khwang, Benar News reported last year, resulting in a fourfold increase in commercial rental rates, according to local vendors.

While Singapore may face similar challenges, veteran industry observers believe the multicultural city state remains an open market that has long welcomed global chains, enhancing the vibrancy of its dining scene.

“When these Chinese chains come to Singapore, they’re definitely eyeing popular malls like Ion or Vivocity. For some of them, they just want to set up something because their kids are studying here,” said Andrew Tjioe, president of TungLok Group, noting that such motivations can lead to higher rents. “That may actually affect the market a bit if that is the case.”

Ultimately, industry experts agree that the mix of diverse cuisines enriches Singapore’s culinary landscape.

“For many young Singaporeans especially, mala is considered the same as bak chor mee and it’s in almost every coffee shop now,” said Kenneth Lee, chairman of Kheng Keow Coffee Merchants Restaurant and Bar Owners Association.

Leong Chan Hoong, a senior fellow for social cohesion research at the Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, described Sichuan mala dishes as a “staple” of Singapore’s food culture, alongside offerings from South Korea, Japan, and South Asia.

“This is an example of local integration, our gastronomic cravings don’t differentiate tribal identities, it’s all about how the food stimulates our taste buds,” he said.

Dr Yan Li is a senior lecturer, at Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University.

Source: South China Morning Post