A peek at the three-starred Restaurant Zen after its three-month refresh

Shortly after Restaurant Zen at Bukit Pasoh Road retained its three-Michelin-star status at this year’s Michelin Guide ceremony in Singapore, it reopened in late August following an extensive three-month refresh. 

Just as the age-old adage “good things come in threes” goes, Zen’s refurbished three-storey space has also returned swankier, but with a more intimate vibe.

The restaurant was founded in 2018 by Swedish chef Bjorn Frantzen, who also has two other three-starred restaurants under his belt — Frantzen in Stockholm, Sweden, and FZN in Dubai, UAE. He is, at present, the only chef in the world to operate three 3-Michelin starred restaurants simultaneously.

In the eight years that it’s been around — of which it has held three stars for five of them — Zen has earned a reputation for its unique blend of Nordic and Japanese culinary influences, and unique dining experience that takes you through various floors of its shophouse venue as the night progresses. 

Helmed by a Singaporean team comprising head chef Kelvin Ng, general manager Rachel Ezekiel, and beverage director Warren Estrop, the revamped Zen continues to hold true to these elements, albeit with some refinements and swaps.

Once you step into the heritage shophouse, instead of being received into a cosy lounge area, you’re now invited to take a seat at a glossy stone 16-seater counter. Here, you’ll be served seven canapes to start your evening.

Every canape comes out in quick succession, with the chefs seamlessly taking turns in a well-choreographed sequence to deliver the finishing touches to each plate and take you through the dishes.

It bears noting that Zen’s menu evolves, just as the produce it imports and uses moves through the seasons — it makes three to four full menu changes in a year.

Some starter highlights include the raraka, a take on the classic Swedish potato pancake, embellished with roe, the bright-tasting tartlet with marron, broccolini and mint, and of course, one of Zen’s most iconic canapes, the French toast “grande tradition 2008”.

Probably one of Zen’s most photographed dishes, the crisped-up sourdough bread comes stuffed with onion and parmesan, and is finished with aged balsamic vinegar and generous layers of black truffle shavings.

It’s decadent, yes, but everything is carefully measured, such that nothing gets too cloying, which is important because you’ve yet to reach the bigger plates. 

It usually takes slightly under an hour to go through all seven, before you’re ushered up the stairs to the second floor where the mains await.

Before being seated on the second floor, there’s a brief stop at a visual display of the meal’s key ingredients. It was previously situated on the first floor, towards the back of the room. 

The second-floor dining room feels a little more muted visually, save for a stunning chandelier centrepiece. But that’s not an issue, because the mains are all you need to keep your eyes on here. 

You’re eased in with light nudges, starting with a shima aji (striped jack) crudo with artichoke barigoule (Provencal-style braised artichokes), quince, and nasturtium.

Next, the silkiest chawanmushi with tender abalone and shiitake chunks arrives, doused in a smoky beef broth. 

It’s just the catalyst to kickstart the heavier mains of the evening, starting with the fleshy marron in a robust vin jaune reduction, topped by caviar, walnuts, and brown butter.

This is swiftly followed by the deeply savoury scallop, which comes with miso sabayon, chicken dashi, garlic, and matsutake.

By all accounts, seven canapes and four mains would leave anyone stuffed, but the ensuing wagyu, which is finished tableside on a binchotan grill, is irresistible, especially with its punchy, fermented Kampot pepper sauce. 

As with every main that has landed on the table, the team walks you through what has gone into the dish and its finishing touches, and lingers ever so slightly to ensure everything is alright, before moving on. 

Once the heavyweights are ensconced in your belly, it’s back to the stairway to the final level — the living room where you’ll enjoy a waffle party and fresh fruits. 

On the third floor, not much has changed, but the new furnishings and dimmer lights give it a cosier vibe that allows conversation to flow more freely.

After an evening of back-to-back bites and plates, you’re invited to lounge on couches and savour earl grey-tinged crispy waffles, served with a creamy vanilla ice cream and mikan honey, and premium fruits such as Shine Muscat grapes, Miyazaki mango, and Crown melon from Japan’s Shizuoka. 

By the time you’re done, a good four hours would have passed but that’s unsurprising considering that you’ve just had seven canapes, five mains, a palate cleanser, two dessert courses, and petit fours. 

It doesn’t come cheap, of course — Zen’s fixed dinner menu is priced at S$620 per guest, with a slightly leaner lunch menu at S$450. 

With a meal that goes on for this long, with that many courses, it’s inevitable that some dishes will land better than others. 

But what has me — and perhaps you, too, by the end of it — truly considering a return visit for a special occasion is the personable service by a well-prepared team. At no point did it feel disingenuous nor rehearsed, as some fine-dining venues can sometimes be. 

It’s been a couple of months since my meal there, but the faces and warmth of every staff member that explained each plate to us, or walked us between floors, have lingered in my memory.

Oh, and the buttery finish of that incredibly well-marbled wagyu main, of course. 

This was a hosted tasting.

For more elevated eats, check out the all-new Jjan, a modern Korean dining bar at Craig Road and our round-up of the 50 Best Restaurants for 2026.