After more than a decade of redefining Singaporean fine dining, Chef LG Han’s Michelin-starred restaurant Labyrinth has unveiled its most mature iteration yet. Located at Esplanade Mall, the 2026 menu marks a deliberate departure from the playful visual illusions and molecular gastronomy that first put the restaurant on the map. Instead, Chef Han is now sourcing ingredients from across the globe while maintaining the unmistakable DNA of Singaporean cuisine.
A New Culinary Philosophy
When Labyrinth opened its doors in 2014, it made an immediate splash with its “Neo-Sin” concept—dishes that relied on clever visual tricks, often hiding unexpected flavours beneath familiar appearances. In 2018, the team pivoted toward hyper-local sourcing, with menus featuring up to 80 percent Singapore-grown produce. Now, 12 years in, the restaurant is undergoing its third transformation.
The space itself remains unchanged, but the theatrical touches are gone. Gone are the yellow hawker-style tables and branded tissue packets meant to mimic the local practice of “choping” seats. The new direction raises a provocative question: Can a dish still taste undeniably Singaporean when its ingredients come from all over the world?
Dishes That Travel the World
Chef Han’s answers come in plates that reinterpret local classics with international flair.
Take the Shima Aji with Oscietra Caviar. Inspired by yu sheng, the salad traditionally tossed during Lunar New Year, the dish achieves its signature sweet-tart profile through an unexpected combination: Korean sesame oil, a Philippine honey from stingless bees that offers a kombucha-like tang, and watermelon.
The Spaghettoni with Abalone nods to mee rebus. A house-made rempah is thickened with Japanese sweet potatoes and abalone liver sauce. Toppings include fried shallots, tofu puffs, red and green bird’s eye chillies, and a squeeze of sudachi. South African abalone crowns the plate, with trimmings folded into the sauce for added texture.
The seasonal soup course draws from both sup tulang and beef sinigang. Oxtail and beef bones simmer in a 10-spice blend, finished with Kampot peppercorn oil from Cambodia. It arrives with an oxtail mandu, a nod to Chef Han’s recent cooking show appearances in Korea.
Even congee gets reimagined. Preserved Japanese turnip (kabu) is blended into a porridge-like base, with crunchy bits stirred in for texture. A house-cured quail century egg—jammy, rich, and intensely savoury—tops it off.
A Glass Half Full
The drinks programme has evolved in parallel. Instead of sticking to familiar regions, the alcoholic pairing now highlights small-batch producers, including an increasing number of Chinese labels, Iranian wines, and even a Junmai Daiginjo-style sake produced in Singapore.
What Stays the Same
Some beloved signatures remain: the indulgent coffee brioche, the iconic Labyrinth chicken rice, and the kaya toast meringue. Most notably, Chef Han has revived his famous chilli crab ice cream for the first time in years. Dubbed “My First Chilli Crab v2014,” the dish is a playful throwback to the deconstructed food craze of the 2010s—seaweed scattered across the plate, crumb “sand,” and a fried soft-shell crab centre stage. The ice cream itself is as flawless as ever, its sweet-savoury balance perfected.
The Verdict
The 2026 Labyrinth is less whimsical, more composed—a reflection of shifting diner preferences. Some will welcome the restraint. Others may miss the old mischief that felt so at home in Esplanade’s arts hub. But the quality on the plate is undeniable. This is Labyrinth at its most confident, globally minded, and technically precise.
For those craving the fun, Chef Han’s newest venture, Milli Sky Dining & Bar, is just a 10-minute walk away.
Labyrinth is located at 8 Raffles Avenue, Esplanade Mall, #02-23. Open Wednesday to Thursday, 6.30pm to 11pm; Friday to Sunday, noon to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 11pm.
For more dining coverage, explore our guides to Atlas’ refreshed cocktail menu, Telok Ayer’s hidden bar gems, and Singapore’s only Wenzhou cuisine restaurant.