Michelin-starred restaurant Esora of Lo & Behold Group to close end-2025
This is the latest in a string of fine-dining closures here
[SINGAPORE] One-Michelin-starred modern Japanese restaurant Esora – part of the Lo & Behold Group – announced that it will shut its doors on Dec 29, the latest in a string of fine-dining closures in Singapore.
Esora follows the likes of one-starred restaurants Euphoria and Alma by Juan Amador, both of which shuttered in August. This brings the number of Michelin-starred closures to 11, in an industry that has seen more than 3,000 food and beverage businesses close down in the past year.
The dining scene has been under heavy pressure due to a variety of reasons, from high rental and manpower costs to economic uncertainty and more Singaporeans travelling overseas.
“Singapore’s dining landscape is deeply influenced by shifting consumer tastes and economic tides, and Esora’s closure is part of this broader change,” said Wee Teng Wen, Lo & Behold’s founder and managing partner.
The group’s other restaurants include the three-starred Odette, Somma, Fico and The Coconut Club. Lo & Behold is also behind the lifestyle and dining enclave New Bahru.
Esora – which announced its closure on social media – opened in 2018, serving modern kappo-style cuisine in its Mohamed Sultan Road premises. It earned its Michelin star in 2021 under its original chef, Shigeru Koizumi, who was terminated in 2022 over allegations of staff mistreatment. He was replaced by its current chef, Takeshi Araki.
While it is unclear what the next steps for Araki will be, “we are doing our best to support every team member as they move into new roles both within and outside the group”, a Lo & Behold spokesperson said.
Other Japanese Michelin-starred restaurants that have shut include Oshino, Shinji and Sushi Kimura. In the latest edition of Singapore’s Michelin Guide, eight one-starred restaurants were dropped from the list due to closures, although one of them – Art di Daniele Sperindio – is set to reopen at the end of the year.
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