When in London, it’s a must to have a fry-up at a “greasy spoon” – a neighbourhood café serving up affordable, tasty food. The family-run Pellicci’s, established in 1900, in down-to-earth Bethnal Green is something of a national treasure, and its full English breakfast draws long lines of hungry diners every morning. The venue’s Art Deco interior is also iconic and has been featured in several movies.
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Fine dining can sometimes feel overly formal, even stuffy – but not at The Water House Project. Here, in East London’s Bethnal Green, you’ll almost feel like you’re at a dinner party, where diners strike up conversation at communal tables and chefs plate up modern British fare in the open kitchen a few feet away. The atmosphere is intimate, never intimidating, with chef Gabriel Waterhouse himself introducing each dish. Plus, it’s wallet-friendly to boot, at just £115 for 15 courses.
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Berlin and Munich may be just a few hours apart, but in the kitchen, they’re worlds away.
In Berlin, a city known for rule-breaking creativity, René Frank has built a two Michelin-starred tasting menu entirely out of desserts. Down south in Munich, Tohru Nakamura blends his Japanese heritage and Bavarian upbringing into a cuisine built on precision and personal storytelling.
Their dishes couldn’t be more different, but both chefs are redefining what it means to cook with a sense of place in modern Germany.
Coda doesn’t announce itself with fanfare. Housed in a ground-floor space nestled between Altbau (“old building”) façades and graffiti-tagged doorways, it sits discreetly in Neukölln, a district known for its cultural mix and creative energy.
Inside, the scene shifts from edgy and eclectic to warm and refined. In an open kitchen built around low-lit tables and bar seating, Frank’s team turns ingredients like gherkins, golden beets and bone marrow into eye-opening desserts – a description that may be apt but still doesn’t do it justice.
Coda’s menu moves from savoury to sweet and back again, drawing on fermentation, acidity and umami as much as sweetness. In fact, there’s no added sugar in any of the dishes. Think caviar popsicles with Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, grilled apple with shallot and chicken skin, and raclette waffles.
That kind of concept might have struggled elsewhere, but not in Berlin.
“I couldn’t do what I’m doing anywhere else,” says Frank. “Berlin is a symbol of freedom. If you have an idea, you just try it. And if you fail, nobody says, ‘you’re out of here.’”
When Coda opened in 2016, however, the idea of a dessert-only restaurant was so unconventional that Frank knew he had to aim higher to be taken seriously. “It was really necessary to get a Michelin star,” he says. “We introduced a full dinner menu. That helped people understand the idea.”
The stars followed – the first in 2019, the second in 2020 – along with accolades like World’s Best Pastry Chef from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and The Best Chef Awards. But even as Coda rose to global prominence, Berlin itself was starting to shift. 2020 marked a turning point.
“Before the pandemic, Berlin’s gastronomic scene was booming,” he says. “Then it all stopped, and the city slowed down.”
As fine dining chefs adapted their menus for takeaway and restaurant windows started selling sourdough sandwiches and sweets to-go, Berliners developed a stronger appreciation for simplicity, sourcing and the small details.
“Berliners became more aware of good produce,” says Frank. “It used to be that people went to high-end restaurants for quality. Now even in bakeries, cafés and ice cream shops, you see young chefs using organic ingredients, working with local milk.”
That growing appetite for quality without pretension is helping to reshape Berlin. Casual restaurants with Michelin-trained chefs now offer fine-dining polish without the formality.
“Tasting menus were still a big thing 10 years ago. Now, people are moving away from that,” he says, adding that might include him, too. Moving forward, Frank hopes to open a casual dessert bar: “Something accessible; just good dessert people can share.”
In a city once lovingly called “poor but sexy” by its mayor, Frank’s cooking reflects what Berlin has become – still bold and unconventional but now driven by a new purpose.
If Berlin is all grit and edge, Munich offers a more measured backdrop – and Nakamura’s restaurant embodies that clearly. Set in a 16th-century townhouse, Tohru in der Schreiberei serves dishes shaped by memory, identity and technique.
His cuisine doesn’t play on Bavarian clichés. Don’t expect pork knuckle or pretzels, but rather veal sweetbread cooked like karaage, lightly grilled oysters with buckwheat and mussel jus and pollock topped with morels, pickled spruce shoots and Macvin sauce.
“One of the most important things about Munich is that it allows me to express diversity,” Nakamura says. “Many of my guests are locals who come back every month. They aren’t dining in Paris tonight and London tomorrow. They just care about good food and products.”
That loyalty has made Munich a stronghold for quality even beyond fine dining. In recent years, Nakamura has seen a shift in how even traditional Bavarian restaurants approach food. “It used to be that if you were in the city centre, tourists would come no matter what,” he says. “Now, even the big places are focused on quality.”
That change has come partly from locals demanding more and a new generation of chefs continuing family legacies while introducing new ideas. “Young people want to eat in these places again,” he says. “That’s a good thing.”
It’s a shift Nakamura is both witnessing and helping to shape.
Born in Munich to a Japanese father and German mother, Nakamura might have become a diplomat if it weren’t for his unshakeable passion for food. Once, he says, his father brought him to an embassy function to network with diplomats, but he found Nakamura shadowing chefs in the kitchen instead. Now, he’s a culinary ambassador of sorts.
After training across Germany and abroad, Nakamura returned home to work at the prestigious Werneckhof by Geisel. When he struck out on his own in 2020, he knew his restaurant had to be in Munich, too.
“I was always looking forward to coming back to cook in my hometown,” he says.
For him, it’s all about the community. He sources mushrooms from vendors at the Viktualienmarkt nearby, and some of his staff have worked with him for 10 years.
“What I like about our restaurant is that we have real people connected to the city,” he says.
But Nakamura’s kitchen also mirrors Munich’s evolution. Some of his chefs and service staff hail from Slovenia, South Tyrol and Thailand and speak a mix of languages.
“It used to be all German chefs [in Munich]. Now, most restaurants speak English in the kitchen because our teams are so international,” he says.
For Nakamura, that diversity isn’t incidental – it’s core to hospitality. “We want people to feel relaxed,” he says. “It’s not just about what’s on the plate. It’s the dialogue you have.”
That openness gives him the freedom to cook without labels. “I never ask myself whether it’s more Japanese or more German,” he says. “I just feel like me.”
It’s a mindset that represents what Munich is today: a city where the food is rooted in tradition but always moving forward.
For more information on Singapore Airlines’ flights to Germany, visit singaporeair.com.
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Savouring the journey is as important as reaching the destination. Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) Suites, First Class and Business Class customers can look forward to enjoying special dishes from some of the world’s best chefs even before they touch down. In addition to the exquisite menus offered by the International Culinary Panel, notable guest chefs also provide elevated local dishes from select cities.
Celebrated chef and TV presenter Monica Galetti is the latest chef from the United Kingdom (UK) to create a gourmet spread for SIA customers. From now through to August 2025, customers flying from the UK will be able to enjoy her vibrant summer menu that highlights the freshest local produce.
Chef Monica’s dishes will be available on flights from London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester. The airline’s award-winning wine collection complements the gourmet menu in Suites, First Class as well as Business Class.
This summer, Chef Monica has created a four-course menu for Suites and First Class as well as a three-course spread in Business Class. Highlights from her delectable menu include a refreshing tomato salad with bresaola and mint with black garlic emulsion and smoked bacon salt; and slow-cooked Iberico pork, glazed in honey and fennel seed, served with grilled leeks, potato purée and nasturtium leaves. For a sweet finish, strawberry fraisier and lime sherbet features a delicious harmony of pastry cream, almond sponge and a light dusting of lime sherbet and strawberry coulis.
In Business Class, customers can look forward to dishes such as charred lamb neck with basil and courgette purée, paired with sweetcorn and a vibrant pea salsa, followed by a raspberry pistachio tartlet that looks as amazing as it tastes.
For a wider selection of meals, customers in Suites, First Class and Business Class may opt for the Book the Cook service at least 24 hours prior to their flight.
In the meantime, to further tantalise your taste buds, here are five more reasons to get excited about Chef Monica’s menu.
For 15 years, she has used her extensive experience as a chef, judge, mentor and TV presenter in BBC’s MasterChef: The Professionals. She’s also a co-host of the BBC travel documentary Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby. Chef Monica has also penned three books – Monica’s Kitchen; The Skills; and At Home – and is currently working on her fourth book set for release in 2026.
Born in Samoa, she developed an early interest in food and later trained as a chef in New Zealand, where she fell in love with Marmite (and used it in her cooking). In 1999, she moved to Britain to work alongside Chef Michel Roux Jr at the two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, where she rose to prominence in the UK fine dining scene. Her refined classic cooking style shines through in the soft confit Iberico pork belly caramelised with honey and fennel seed served as the main course in Suites and First Class.
Chef Monica describes her menu as “bringing summer on a plate” and features a few of her most-loved dishes. “I’ve included one of my favourite soups to enjoy in the summer: a white almond gazpacho with olives and grapes, which is bursting with flavour and a real crowd-pleaser,” says Chef Monica. “There’s also a choice of desserts using fresh summer fruits, such as the uplifting strawberry and vanilla slice and indulgent raspberry pistachio mousse in a sweet pastry tartlet. Customers have a lot to look forward to!”
She has refined her culinary skills in the UK’s most prestigious fine dining restaurants, including her very own Mére, which she ran with her husband, David Galetti, until last year. Now, she’s recreating the experience with SIA customers. “Bringing fine dining to customers at 35,000ft is my most exciting culinary journey yet,” says Chef Monica. From a salad of heritage tomatoes dressed in verjus, black garlic emulsion, smoked bacon salt and summer herbs to locally-sourced lamb, customers can expect a world-class, in-flight dining experience on board Singapore Airlines flights.
Chef Monica’s work takes her worldwide, visiting markets, sampling street food and immersing herself in the local culture. “It’s hard to pick a favourite city when there’s great food in every corner of the world. However, I certainly have a soft spot for Singapore, which I visited in February this year – of course, with Singapore Airlines! I visited the wet market in Chinatown and some rooftop bars and restaurants. The great dining at every level blew me away,” she says.
Chef Monica’s menus are now available on Singapore Airlines’ flights from the United Kingdom.
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From Osaka’s leafy Garner hotels to Kuala Lumpur’s colourful Ibis Styles, Manila’s rooftop party spot Lime Resort and Penang’s community-driven Lyf Georgetown, these stays cater to modern travellers who value vibe. Think self-serve snack bars instead of butlers, co-working lounges over concierges. Whether you are city-hopping solo or planning a group getaway, these mid-range hotels deliver style, substance and a strong sense of place.
First launched in December 2023 in Seattle, three new Garner hotels have landed in Osaka – and with them, IHG Hotels & Resorts is betting on a new breed of value-conscious traveller, one who prefers character over polish and values a good sleep over bells and whistles. All located in the Honmachi district – the hotels were converted from existing properties in partnership with leading local design firm Ilya. Though unified by a laid-back ethos and signature Garner touches (free Wi-Fi, a 24/7 snack shop and a breakfast menu featuring superfood bowls), the properties each take on their own identity.
Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Kita Semba is the greenest of the three – literally. Plants cascade from ceilings and a skylit lobby bathes in natural light, nodding to the city’s garden landscapes with a living moss wall. Thanks to its French garden vibes and sustainable space design, this property has been shortlisted for a Sky Design Award 2025. It’s also just 10 minutes away from Kyochabana Minami Senba, serving Osaka treats like okonomiyaki and grilled avocado cha soba.
A short stroll away, Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Station goes maximalist, with retro-futurist interiors, infinity mirrors and lounge areas styled with Mad Men flair. It’s also one train stop from the Shinsaibashi shopping district and an authentic jazz kissa (jazz café) where you can order the house wine made from grapes harvested by the owner while listening to his curated vinyl record collection.
Meanwhile, Garner Hotel Osaka Honmachi Midosuji riffs on tradition, blending torii gate-inspired shapes and bamboo accents with contemporary materials along one of Osaka’s grandest boulevards. Head to the Matsuyama Shopping Street for traditional Japanese toys and crafts. “The Garner hotels in Osaka were designed for travellers who are in love with life, not luxury,” says Abhijay Sandilya, managing director for Japan and Micronesia at IHG Hotels and Resorts. “We wanted to create a stay that’s joyful, flexible and rooted in place.”
For a stylish stay that won’t break the bank, Accor’s new hotel in the entertainment and shopping hub of Bukit Bintang hits the mark. Ibis Styles Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang delivers all the essentials – clean rooms, plush bedding and high-speed Wi-Fi – packaged in bold interiors and playful pops of colour.
Best of all, it’s within walking distance of Pavilion KL, Berjaya Times Square and the Bukit Bintang MRT station, making it easy to explore the city right after check-in. Craving a midnight bite? The on-site Anytime Dining serves local comfort food like nasi lemak until 11pm.
If sunsets, Ibiza-inspired beats and social energy top your travel checklist, Lime Resort Manila delivers. Perched along the Manila Bay shoreline in Seascape Village, Pasay City, this lifestyle hotel is built for golden-hour moments. Head to the rooftop infinity pool for sunset views and cocktails from the Sky Lounge and Bar – perfect for your Instagram feed.
With the relaunch of Lime Beach Club, guests can expect themed parties, live DJ sets and events like “Coachella in the City”. Travelling with friends or family? The 51m2 Family Quad Bayview offers four single beds and a front-row seat to the bay.
Ascott Limited’s Lyf Georgetown Penang is reinventing the social side of travel. Set in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage zone, this design-forward hotel brings travellers together in bright, communal spaces filled with cheeky prompts and geometric patterns. You’ll spot “Say Hi” above the reception desk, while shared areas like Bond (the kitchen), Collab (co-working), Unwind (lounge) and Dip (pool) encourage interaction. Even laundry gets a social twist at Wash & Hang.
Whether you’re travelling solo (Good for One/Studio), in pairs (Side by Side Plus/Studio Twin) or with a group (All Together), there’s a room for every kind of explorer, and a conversation waiting to happen.
A quick 30-minute train ride from China’s financial capital is Wuxi or “Little Shanghai” – where you can stay in a historical poet’s old home. Indeed, stepping into Dangkou Ancient Town Hotel Wuxi–MGallery Collection feels like entering another era. Set within the historic Taishi Mansion – originally built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–-1644) by Hua Cha, a taishi (grand tutor) who constructed it after his retirement, the 178-room boutique property pays elegant tribute to Jiangnan’s iconic water towns.
The property is framed by winding canals and stone bridges, while inside, its Courtyard Suites feature murals of flowing rivers and misty landscapes. Whether you choose a garden-facing room or one overlooking the water, the blend of traditional Chinese architecture and French design flair creates a serene, storybook escape.
For more information on Singapore Airlines’ flights to the above destinations, visit singaporeair.com.
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