Fine dining in Singapore just got a new address worth knowing. ASIN (pronounced Ace-in) opened quietly at 38 Carpenter Street in May 2026, with no fanfare, no massive launch party, just Chef Ace Tan letting the food do the talking. We visited during the Summer chapter of the menu, and it’s one of the most considered dining experiences we’ve had this year.
TL;DR
ASIN is a 22-seat fine dining restaurant at 38 Carpenter Street by Chef Ace Tan, offering an eight-course tasting menu at $188++ per person. The food is rooted in Progressive Asian Cuisine: seasonal, thoughtful, and deeply personal. The supplements are worth it, especially the Chef’s signature Ngor Hiang 6.0 and the Pepper Hanwoo. The space is minimalist and serene. Go for a special occasion, or any time you want to understand what modern Asian fine dining can be.
What Is ASIN Singapore?
ASIN is Chef Ace Tan’s progressive Asian fine dining restaurant, built on the philosophy that great food should achieve elemental balance for the palate and for the body. The name is a play on “Asian,” and also means “salt” in Tagalog and Bahasa Indonesia, a nod to the foundational ingredient upon which all flavour is built.
Chef Ace spent 18 years moving through some of the world’s most demanding kitchens: Les Amis in Singapore, Flowerchild in Korea, his own restaurant ASU. ASIN is the distillation of all of that, his most intentional work yet. His business partner here is Desmond Heng of Suguru.
The menu rotates with the Four Seasons and is guided by the Five Elements and the principles of 食疗 (shi liao), the ancient Chinese understanding of food as nourishment and balance. It sounds conceptual, but on the plate it’s anything but abstract.
The Space
The ASIN dining room is exactly what the food calls for: quiet, restrained, and beautifully considered. Think monastic calm with no loud design statements and no overt Asian motifs trying too hard. The centrepiece is a ten-seat semi-elliptical counter that anchors the room, where you watch the kitchen in full flow. There’s also a four-seat main dining hall and a private dining room for up to eight.
If you’ve been to NAE:UM, the energy is similar, minimalist without feeling cold. Walnut tables, stone surfaces, textured plaster walls, warm amber lighting that shifts like embers as the evening progresses. The Five Elements are embedded in the materials: wood, earth, metal, water, fire, each present without ever announcing itself.
Even the tableware is deliberate. Plateware is by Japanese manufacturer Yamaguchi Touki; cutlery is custom-made by Kra Sanctuary, a Thai artisanal workshop with a five-century heritage. You notice it, and it makes every course feel like it was served with intention.
What to Eat at ASIN
The standouts are the Oyster Omelette, the Yum Pu Ma Noodles, and the Black Beauty Fish. If you’re adding supplements, the Ngor Hiang 6.0 and the Pepper Hanwoo are non-negotiable.
Snacks & First Bites
The meal opens with three snacks that set the tone immediately. The Oyster Omelette (⭐) is the one that stops conversation: a beloved hawker dish reimagined as a crystalline sphere. Hyogo oysters, egg, Chinese egg floss, garlic chive flowers, Thai basil chilli sauce. It’s technically stunning but still genuinely delicious, which is the balance ASIN consistently strikes.
The Assam Hamo follows: pike conger eel in a light tempura batter, with Amela tomatoes hollowed and set into a clear jelly with kombu, finished with a tamarind assam and perilla oil sauce. Coastal, bright, and deeply flavoured.
The Tori Luffa Bao wraps braised chicken cooked in Dong Qu yellow wine inside a house-fermented, beetroot-coloured bao with luffa gourd and sweet jujube. Subtle and comforting.
The Supplement You Shouldn’t Skip
The Ngor Hiang 6.0 (+$18) (⭐) is Chef Ace’s riff on his grandmother’s Hokkien classic, the dish he grew up eating. Tiger prawn and five-spiced Jeju pork wrapped and fried, served with tuhau sauce. It’s the most personal thing on the menu and one of the best bites of the night. Don’t skip it.
Appetiser
The Yum Pu Ma Noodles (⭐) is one of the most technically impressive dishes on the menu. Hanasaki crab sits at the base, layered with fern noodles and banbangan seeds, inspired by yum pu ma (Thai raw marinated crab), with the flavours pulling between Teochew restraint and Thai brightness. It works perfectly.
If you’re adding the FTQ Dumpling (+$35), do it. Spiny sea cucumber stuffed with scallops and fish maw, slowly braised in fo tiao qiang sauce, basted to a crisp exterior, with poached Korean abalone and pickled goji berries. Opulent without being gratuitous.
Mains
The Black Beauty (⭐) is the centrepiece of the savoury courses. Black emperor fish loin, wrapped in velveted belly meat and moroheiya, served with Hokkigai surf clams and three sauces: a pale hua diao wine reduction, a vivid green moroheiya and clam jus, and a jungle garlic caramel. Every element feels considered.
The Jiang Mu Ya duck course serves as a palate reset: Irish duck with mountain yam rice and a clarified consommé, lightly poached watercress, and trio ginger. Elegant and cleanly executed.
The Pepper Hanwoo (+$55) is Korean beef presented two ways, one half coated in Sarawak white pepper, dehydrated mushrooms, and toasted sesame; the other unadorned to showcase the pure flavour of the beef. A bokbunja pepper jus, black garlic, kumquat kosho, lily bulb, and grilled leek on the side. This is a supplement worth every cent.
Dessert
The Biwa Honey Sago closes the savoury-to-sweet arc beautifully. Lightly fermented coconut and glutinous rice, braised tapioca, wild bird’s nest from East Malaysian caves, stingless bee honey, and chrysanthemum-poached loquat. Inspired by jiu niang (sweet fermented rice dessert), it hits that rare note of being rich yet refreshing.
The Gula Apong Caramel (+$18) supplement is a celebration of Sarawakian mangrove palm syrup: a velvet sherbet on salted cashew crumble with shoyu crumbs, Japanese cherries in sour plum, and decaf coffee jelly. Complex, not too sweet, and a lovely way to finish.
The Beverage Program
The drinks here are built with the same seasonal logic as the food. You can go with a three-glass alcoholic pairing at $88 (sparkling sake, baijiu martini, Japanese nebbiolo) or extend to five glasses at $128, which adds a ginger highball and a nightcap. The non-alcoholic pairing, three glasses of house mocktails and sparkling teas, is $48 and genuinely well-crafted.
The wine list leans into artisanal sakes and wines from Japan and China, while cocktails run from $12 to $28. Low-ABV and zero-proof options are available throughout.
Is ASIN Singapore Worth Visiting?
Yes, especially if you’re looking for fine dining that feels personal rather than performative. ASIN is not trying to impress you with luxury for its own sake. Every dish has a clear idea behind it, and you leave understanding something about the food, the chef, and the traditions he’s drawing from.
It’s also one of the more approachable fine dining experiences in Singapore. The 22-seat space means service is attentive without being fussy. The price point is $188++ base, with supplements from $18 to $55, which is fair for what’s on the plate. If you’re new to fine dining and want a first proper experience, this is the one we’d recommend.
One honest note: if you’re visiting purely for indulgent comfort food, this might not be your night. ASIN is thoughtful and layered, the kind of meal you’ll still be thinking about a week later, not the kind that hits you immediately with richness and satisfaction. Know what you’re going in for.
ASIN Singapore
38 Carpenter Street, Singapore 059917
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, Dinner Only 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM (Last order 8:30 PM) Closed Monday & Tuesday
Price: $188++ per person (8-course tasting menu) Supplements: Ngor Hiang 6.0 +$18 | FTQ Dumpling +$35 | Pepper Hanwoo +$55 | Gula Apong Caramel +$18 Beverage pairings: Alcoholic 3-glass $88 / 5-glass $128 | Non-alcoholic 3-glass $48
Reservations: Tel: +65 9722 9638
Email: hello@asin.sg Website: www.asin.sg
Instagram: @asin.sg
FAQ
What is ASIN Singapore? ASIN is a fine dining restaurant at 38 Carpenter Street by Chef Ace Tan, offering Progressive Asian Cuisine through an eight-course tasting menu at $188++ per person. It draws on Asian culinary traditions, seasonality, and shi liao (食疗) principles to create a balanced, deeply personal dining experience.
Where is ASIN located? ASIN is at 38 Carpenter Street, Singapore 059917, in the Tanjong Pagar / Boat Quay area.
How much does dinner at ASIN cost? The eight-course tasting menu is $188++ per person. Optional supplements range from $18 to $55. Beverage pairings start at $48 (non-alcoholic) or $88 (alcoholic, three glasses).
Do I need to make a reservation for ASIN? Yes. ASIN seats only 22 guests per service and reservations are strongly recommended. Book via +65 9722 9638 or hello@asin.sg.
Is ASIN good for a special occasion? Yes, it’s one of our top picks for birthdays, anniversaries, or any occasion that calls for something genuinely memorable. The space is intimate and the service is warm without being stiff.
Is ASIN good for fine dining first-timers? Absolutely. The format is welcoming, the team is happy to guide you through each dish, and the food is rooted in familiar Asian flavours. It’s an ideal entry point into fine dining without the intimidation of a more formal European-style restaurant.
Does ASIN offer non-alcoholic drink pairings? Yes. A three-glass non-alcoholic pairing of house mocktails and sparkling teas is available at $48.
What are the must-order dishes at ASIN? The Oyster Omelette, Yum Pu Ma Noodles, and Black Beauty are the standouts on the base menu. For supplements, the Ngor Hiang 6.0 (+$18) and the Pepper Hanwoo (+$55) are both highly recommended.
Visited in May 2026. Prices are in SGD and subject to change. Menus rotate seasonally.
*This article is based on a media-tasting event, but all opinions expressed about the food are entirely our own.
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