Restaurant in Singapore, Singapore
Michelin-recognised hawker food at $ prices.
Kitchenman Nasi Lemak has held a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 and carries a 4.6 Google rating — at a $ price point, that validation is hard to ignore. The hawker-format setup at CT Hub in Kallang means no reservations, no dress code, and a fast, focused meal. Go for the nasi lemak, not for ceremony.
Kitchenman Nasi Lemak at CT Hub in Kallang is one of the more direct decisions in Singapore's dining scene. The price tier is $, meaning you are spending hawker-range money, and the venue has held a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, a recognition reserved for restaurants the Michelin inspectors consider worth visiting. Google reviewers back this up with a 4.6 rating across 131 reviews. For a single-dish specialist at this price point, that combination of external validation and crowd sentiment is unusual, and it is the core reason to make the trip to Kallang.
The Kallang address, specifically 2 Kallang Ave, #01-08/13 CT Hub, Singapore 339407, puts this outside the central tourist and hotel corridor. CT Hub is a commercial and industrial complex, not a dining destination in its own right, so first-timers should budget extra time to locate the unit. That is the main logistical friction. Once you are there, you are at a hawker-style setup rather than a sit-down restaurant, which shapes everything about how the visit works: order at the counter, find your table, eat without ceremony. If that format suits you, keep reading. If you are planning a formal celebration dinner, look elsewhere first.
Nasi lemak is a Malaysian rice dish cooked in coconut milk, traditionally served with sambal, anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and a protein of your choice. The aromatic quality of the rice, and the depth and heat of the sambal, are the two variables that separate a forgettable plate from one worth a return visit. At Kitchenman, the Michelin recognition suggests inspectors found both elements worth noting, though the specific preparation details are not available in our data. What the format does guarantee is speed: this is not a long-lunch venue. A meal here moves quickly, which makes it viable for a weekday lunch before or after Kallang-area appointments, or as a deliberate detour for anyone staying near the city fringe.
The Malaysian cuisine category in Singapore is competitive. If you want to compare value and quality signals on Malaysian food within the city, Hjh Maimunah (Jalan Pisang) is the other Michelin-recognised name in this segment and operates as a traditional Malay buffet rather than a single-dish focus. For a more contemporary Malaysian register, Fiz takes modern techniques to the cuisine at a significantly higher price tier. Kitchenman sits confidently at the affordable end of this range, and that is a genuine distinction rather than a limitation.
There is no cocktail or bar program at Kitchenman Nasi Lemak. This is a hawker-format specialist, and the beverage offering at venues in this category typically runs to teh tarik, kopi, and canned drinks. If a drinks program matters to your visit, and you want to pair a meal with well-made cocktails or a serious beverage list, you will need to plan a separate stop. Singapore has a dense bar scene; our full Singapore bars guide covers the options across the city. For the purpose of booking Kitchenman: come for the food, not the drinks.
Only under a specific set of conditions. If the occasion is a casual celebration with people who genuinely love hawker food and Malaysian cuisine, and the shared experience of eating something Michelin-noted at under $20 a head is the point, then yes. If you want a private room, a wine list, attentive table service, or the kind of setting that photographs well for a milestone dinner, this is the wrong venue. For a celebratory Malaysian meal with more structure and a higher-end register, Seroja operates in the Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine space at the $$$ tier. For French or European fine dining occasions in Singapore, Odette and Les Amis are the reference points at the leading of the market.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. Hawker-format venues like this do not typically take advance reservations; you arrive, queue if necessary, and order. Given the Google review volume and the Michelin recognition, there may be a wait at peak lunch hours. Going slightly off-peak, mid-morning or mid-afternoon if hours allow, is the sensible move for anyone visiting specifically for the food rather than convenience. Precise opening hours are not confirmed in our data, so verify directly before making the trip from a distance.
If Malaysian cuisine is your focus and you are tracking it across cities, the format at Kitchenman is comparable in spirit to Roti King in London or Mambow in London: affordable, specialist, and built around a single cuisine executed with precision. For Malaysian dining at a more ambitious level, Dewakan and Beta in Kuala Lumpur represent the fine-dining version of the same culinary tradition. Kitchenman occupies a different position entirely: democratic, fast, and validated by one of the most rigorous external review bodies in global dining.
For context on where this fits within Singapore's broader food scene, our full Singapore restaurants guide covers the full range from hawker to three-star. If you are planning a wider Singapore trip, our Singapore hotels guide, experiences guide, and wineries guide round out the planning picture. Malaysian cuisine fans in other cities can also find curated picks via Hainan Chicken House in New York, Kelang in Brooklyn, GaGa in Glasgow, and Akar in Kuala Lumpur.
Kitchenman Nasi Lemak is one of the easier calls in Singapore dining. Two consecutive Michelin Plates, a 4.6 Google rating, and a $ price point add up to a low-risk, high-upside lunch stop. The location at CT Hub requires a deliberate trip rather than a passing visit, and the hawker format means no reservations, no dress code, and no ceremony. If that suits your itinerary, go. If you need something more formal, adjust accordingly.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchenman Nasi Lemak | $ | Easy | — |
| Zén | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Jaan by Kirk Westaway | $$$ | Unknown | — |
| Summer Pavilion | $$ | Unknown | — |
| Burnt Ends | $$$ | Unknown | — |
| Seroja | $$$ | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
There is no tasting menu at Kitchenman Nasi Lemak. This is a hawker-format venue where you order at the counter and pay $ per head. The value proposition is a Michelin Plate-recognised nasi lemak at hawker prices, not a multi-course dining experience. If you want a tasting format in Singapore, that's a different category entirely.
Wear whatever you'd wear to any other hawker centre. This is a $ hawker-format spot in CT Hub, Kallang, and there are no dress expectations beyond basic practicality. Singapore's humidity is the main variable — light, breathable clothing is sensible.
Arrive knowing the format: order at the counter, find a seat, and expect hawker-centre conditions rather than table service. The venue holds two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025), so quality is validated, but this is still a casual, queue-and-go setup. No reservations are taken, so timing around peak meal hours will affect your wait.
Nasi lemak is a defined dish with traditional components — sambal, anchovies, peanuts, coconut rice — so customisation options are limited by the format. The database does not confirm specific allergy protocols or vegetarian alternatives. If dietary flexibility is a priority, check the venue's official channels or check before visiting, as this is a specialist hawker stall rather than a full-service restaurant.
Yes, clearly. Two Michelin Plates at a $ price point is one of the stronger value cases in Singapore dining. You're getting recognised quality at hawker prices, which is precisely what Michelin's Plate designation is intended to highlight. The only caveat is that you're paying for the dish, not an experience — there's no ambience, service, or atmosphere premium involved.
Only if the occasion is informal and the group genuinely wants hawker food. Two Michelin Plates give it a credible talking point, but the setting is CT Hub Kallang — a hawker-format counter with no private dining, no wine list, and no table service. For a birthday dinner or celebration that calls for atmosphere and service, look elsewhere in Singapore.
Within the hawker and Malaysian food category, Seroja offers a more formal take on Malaysian-rooted cooking with a sit-down format if you want the cuisine with added service and setting. For Michelin recognition at comparable or higher price tiers, Burnt Ends represents the grilled-meat end of Singapore's acclaimed casual dining. Kitchenman is the call if you want Michelin-validated nasi lemak specifically, at the lowest possible spend.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
