singaporecity360° Willow
Willow is chef-owner Nicolas Tam's one-star restaurant on Hongkong Street near Clarke Quay — his first solo room, serving a contemporary pan-Asian tasting menu with a Singaporean point of view.
- Cuisine
- Asian Contemporary
- Neighbourhood
- Singapore River / Clarke Quay
- Nearest MRT
- Clarke Quay (NE)
- Chef
- Nicolas Tam
- Indicative price
- Lunch from S$98++; dinner S$258++
- Address
- 39 Hongkong Street, Singapore 059678
Willow is chef-owner Nicolas Tam's one-star restaurant on Hongkong Street near Clarke Quay — his first solo room, serving a contemporary pan-Asian tasting menu with a Singaporean point of view.
Signature dishes
- Crispy-scaled Japanese amadai (tilefish), scales basted crisp and finished over charcoal
- Willow bouillabaisse with Japanese firefly squid, shinjo and crustacean sauce
- Aged Japanese fish and caviar snacks
- Donabe rice
The menu is seasonal — the amadai has appeared with dashi, dried scallop and chrysanthemum, and more recently with conpoy and snow crab — so treat these as examples. Sit at the counter for the best view of the amadai being cooked.
The concept
Tam calls it "cuisine without borders": a seasonal tasting menu, with no a la carte, that reworks familiar Asian flavours through modern technique. Japanese ingredients feature heavily on a French-technique foundation, with the emphasis on refinement, balance and texture. The setting is a shophouse with an intimate dining room and an open-kitchen counter.
The chef
Nicolas Tam is Singaporean, and Willow is his head-chef debut after cooking at Zen, Esora, Joel Robuchon and within the Frantzen Group. He trained in Culinary Management at Temasek Polytechnic and represented Singapore at the Bocuse d'Or Asia. His approach is simple, precise food with no frills — French discipline meeting Japanese respect for the ingredient.
Getting there
39 Hongkong Street, in a conserved shophouse in the Singapore River area near Clarke Quay and Boat Quay, on the edge of Chinatown. The nearest MRT is Clarke Quay (NE5) on the North East Line, roughly an 8-to-10-minute walk; Chinatown is an alternative.
Prices
Lunch is a three-course at S$98++ or four-course at S$138++ (alcohol pairing +S$78++). Dinner is S$258++, with pairings at +S$168++ or +S$318++. The "++" adds service charge and GST.
How to book
Reserve through the website or the MICHELIN listing. Seating is limited and only on selected days, so book two to four weeks ahead — four to eight weeks for Friday, Saturday, the counter or larger tables. Request the counter for the open kitchen; the private room suits nine or more. State any dietary restrictions early.
Opening hours
Lunch runs Friday and Saturday, noon to 3pm. Dinner is Tuesday to Thursday 6pm to 11pm, and Friday and Saturday 6.30pm to 11pm, with last orders at 8.30pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.
The room & dress
Intimate and understated, in warm chocolate-brown and grey tones — a calm room near the river and CBD. There is a 10-seat counter at the open kitchen, plus tables and a private room. Dress is smart casual: collared shirt, dress or tailored trousers and closed shoes, no beachwear or flip-flops.
A little history
Willow opened in 2022 in the Hongkong Street space previously home to Vianney Massot and Bacchanalia, as Tam's first solo venture. It won its first star in 2023, about a year in, and has retained it through 2026.
Who it’s for
For couples, celebrations, solo diners and food travellers who like counter dining and a tasting menu over a la carte, with Japanese seafood, French technique and Asian references. Note it cannot accommodate full-vegetarian or heavy-allergy needs, and it is not a quick or cheap meal.