Pollen Street Social’s Jason Atherton to open Singapore restaurant

Pollen Street Social chef-proprietor Jason Atherton is to open a restaurant in Singapore.

The chef, who was awarded a Michelin star for his London restaurant earlier this month, has bought a Chinese launderette in Chinatown, which he will convert to a 15-cover "gastro tapas bar". He plans to open L'esquina (meaning "the corner") in December.

Atherton told Caterer and Hotelkeeper that the Singapore outpost would be headed up by one of his sous chefs from Pollen Street Social. Although he wasn't able to confirm who that would be, he said: "It will be his menu, he'll cook. It has been inspired by the canapés at El Bulli. It will also have a raw seafood bar and a baby Josper grill serving confit lamb chops, for example."

The chef also confirmed that his Shanghai restaurant, Table No 1, had just entered the Miele Guide to Asia's best restaurants, which comes out next month.

"I'm thrilled. Scott [Melvin], my head chef, flies to Singapore to pick up the award - he's delighted. But that's for the team there - it's very important for people to understand that Jason Atherton doesn't cook at Table No 1, I just helped to create the restaurant," Atherton said. "It's my vision of what that type of gastro bar restaurant should be and me and Scott work very closely together, but it's Scott's menu, Scott created it - I just tweak it for him and put him on the right path in terms of taste and textures and what the dining room should look like and feel like."

Watch Jason Atherton's video, following his award of one Michelin star at Pollen Street Social

Michelin awards four new stars in London >>

The Michelin guide to Great Britain & Ireland 2012 >>

Jason Atherton to provide Twickenham menus for Compass's Keith Prowse >>

Jason Atherton wins Time Out's top fine dining award >>

By Amanda Afiya

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