However we choose to spin it, the food and beverage scene this year is going to be one epic bag of mixed reviews. On the up side, though, it looks like we’ve got a lot to chew on — and for a nation of food lovers, that’s always a good thing.

Bolstered by the impending Singapore Michelin Guide 2016, which is slated for September, much is certainly ado about this little island’s feted dining scene. And it will be hard to ignore the invitation to secure a table at some of Singapore’s hottest restaurants, if not for bragging rights, then only to see for yourself if they are indeed worthy contenders.

At the top of many foodie’s list is Odette by French maestro Julien Royer, who left his lofty perch at JAAN to open his own establishment (in partnership with the Lo & Behold Group) at the National Gallery Singapore.

This is the chef’s maiden effort as chef-owner and the Group’s first fine-dining establishment. From the looks of it, Odette has so far been a very successful venture: The current reservation waitlist is between three and five weeks. Dubbed “essential cuisine” and described as “refined in its simplicity”, Royer’s modern French fare here celebrates his lifelong reverence for seasonality, terroir and artisanal produce — and not only French produce, mind you.

Speaking of fine French food, there is also no better time to revisit Singapore’s oldest independent French restaurant Les Amis, which has, under the watchful eye of Chef Sebastien Lepinoy, done more than stay relevant in today’s increasingly fickle market. The fact that it has never been more affordable to dine here says a lot about the chef’s mission to deliver greater value in a market that thrives on novelty and marketable posturing.

Another familiar top chef set to have a greater impact on our dining choices this year is Andre Chiang, who will launch his first cookbook Octaphilosophy: The Eight Elements Of Restaurant Andre (published by Phaidon Press) on April 27. It will be available in English, French, Chinese and Japanese in 21 countries. (Chiang is aiming to follow that with a global tour.) Moving forward, he is also looking at innovating the beverages served at his restaurant, after realising too little effort is spent on non-alcoholic drinks. His answer: Fermented juice (“because juice is the purest way to experience nature in liquid form”).

This is, to be sure, an opportune year for innovative trend-setters like him — coming after a year dominated by an ode to Singapore cuisines and their novel offshoots — to garner more regulars and accolades.

BEYOND THE NOVELTY

That said, one cuisine style that never falls out of fashion is Japanese cuisine. And if you haven’t already, it’s time to start making reservations at hot new restaurants such as sushi-ya Ashino at CHIJMES, Ginza Sushi-ichi at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza and Sushi Murasaki at Millenia Walk. (That last one, by the way, is headed by Raymond Tan, formerly from Fat Cow and Sushi Jin, and is said to offer a creative take and good value.)

There is also good value to be found at month-old Meta, a chic restaurant on Keong Siak Road proffering contemporary French-Asian dishes via three degustation menus. Think wagyu tartare with egg jelly and Korean pear kimchi, and the like.

Of course, it makes sense coming from head-chef Sun Kim who hails from a family of South Korean restaurateurs. He also established a name for himself at Tetsuya’s in Sydney and Waku Ghin in Singapore. The cuisine has been described as “an oriental version” of Cure, which incidentally, is also found in the Keong Saik neighbourhood. Headed by former Esquina head chef Andrew Walsh, it was one of the hot restaurants of last year. Both Meta and Cure purvey dining experiences that are casual yet inventive, original and intelligently restrained.

While tapas-style dining is evidently here to stay (the latest addition to that scene is Loh Lik Peng’s 5th Quarter, which has a menu centred on grilled and cured meats by executive chef Drew Nocente), a new Spanish restaurant has decided to focus on serving, quite literally, the entire hog.

Opened last month, Dehesan (on North Canal Road) is an innovative yet unpretentious venture by chef-owner Jean-Philippe Patruno that specialises in the buzz-worthy concept of nose-to-tail dining that few here have managed to successfully champion.

Far from convention are signature picks such as its platter of pig’s head, pork scratchings and pate, milk-fed lamb sweetbreads and Iberico jowl — a veritable foodie’s last supper if you love all things offal. Besides other delicacies such as calves liver (served with kale and radish) and ox heart with chillies and pesto, there are seafood alternatives, from octopus to pickled gonggong (a variety of conch).

Yes, tasty, unfussy and affordable fare will continue to steal the limelight this year — just check out the likes of Paper Crane, Park Bench Deli and Wolfburgers, for a start — but nothing says unpretentious, bold and delightfully dirty food like the hole-in-the-wall joint dubbed Bird Bird (Palace Of Thai Chicken) by Artichoke-founder Bjorn Shen. Highlights at this barely-two-month-old eatery include fried chicken skin sundae and umami corn (barbecued corn slathered with Sriracha, Japanese mayo, shrimp crumbs and lime).

And in the spirit of creative collaborations, we can also expect more pop-ups such as Spa Esprit Group’s project Lazy Susan, a rotating pop-up dining concept. It first began at House at Dempsey and is currently going on at Open Door Policy on Yong Siak Street until Jan 24 before moving on to two more venues. The dishes are conjured up by Chef Haan Palcu-Chang of Toronto, and it features the chef’s take on Asian classics inspired by Singapore cuisines and his experience overseas.

The company said it believed the concept has legs to run the world and has sights set on cities such as New York, Paris and London. “(We’re) always working with talented chefs to absorb the distinctive flavours of the city, while adding a subtle Asian twist to the ingredients,” it added.

It’s funny how that also describes Singapore’s unique amalgamation of cuisines.