Long before he became a Michelin chef in Singapore, Mano Thevar was a boy in Penang, Malaysia, trailing his father to the local hawker centres. Nasi lemak, char kway teow, nasi kandar, these weren’t backdrops to his childhood, they were the foundation of it. Decades later, that same childhood is what diners taste at Thevar, the restaurant that carries his name and, since 2022, two Michelin stars.
From Penang Hawker Stalls to Singapore’s Fine Dining Scene
Chef Mano’s path into professional kitchens wasn’t part of a grand plan. Faced with an uncertain future, he made his way to Singapore, where he landed a role in a French kitchen almost by chance. That first job set off a training journey through some of the region’s most demanding kitchens, including Guy Savoy and Waku Ghin, plus time at the two-Michelin-starred Pure C in the Netherlands.
Those years shaped his technical foundation in French and Japanese cuisine. But when the chance came in 2018 to open a restaurant under his own name, Chef Mano chose a different direction. Rather than compete on classic Western fine dining terms, he asked a simple question: as a Malaysian Indian chef in Singapore, why not be the one telling that story properly? That decision became Thevar.
Thevar: Reinventing Modern Indian Cuisine in Singapore
Since opening in October 2018, Thevar has built its identity on one clear idea. Taking the flavours of Chef Mano’s Malaysian Indian upbringing and refining them through French and Japanese technique, without losing the soul of the original dish.
The Experience Menu (currently S$298) reads almost like chapters from Chef Mano’s own life. A Tomato Chaat built on tiny Tomberry tomatoes opens the meal, alongside an Obsiblue Prawn Uttapam and a Crispy Pork “Sambal Aioli” Betel Leaf. From there, the menu moves through dishes like Shirako Vadai and Crispy Scale Amadai with a Kerala-style ishtu foam, showing off his French and Japanese training layered over Indian technique.
The most personal dish may be the Chettinad Chicken Roti, a refined take on a snack Chef Mano and his sister used to make at home. The showstopper is the Mysore Spiced Rack of Lamb, served with butternut squash masala and lamb biryani, echoing the communal spirit of a traditional banana leaf meal. Dessert closes with a Muskmelon Payasam, pairing the humble south Indian sago dessert with a musk melon sorbet made from fruit sourced in Provence. The wine list runs past 600 labels.
A Michelin Chef Singapore Diners and Critics Keep Watching
Thevar’s rise has been steady and well-earned. The restaurant received its first Michelin star in 2021, and just a year later, in 2022, it was promoted to two Michelin stars, briefly making Chef Mano the first Malaysian chef to lead a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, ahead of fellow Malaysian chef Darren Teoh’s Dewakan, which reached the same distinction the following year.
Thevar has also climbed Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, moving from 92nd in 2021 to 56th in subsequent years.
Thevar has retained its two-Michelin-star status in every edition of the MICHELIN Guide Singapore since, including the milestone 10th anniversary 2026 selection, where it stands among just nine restaurants in the city holding two stars. That consistency is a big part of why Chef Mano is regarded as one of the more significant Michelin chefs Singapore has produced this decade.
Why Chef Mano Thevar’s Story Matters for Fine Dining Singapore
What sets Chef Mano apart in Singapore’s crowded fine dining scene isn’t just the Michelin stars, it’s the clarity of his point of view. Rather than using “fusion” as a catch-all label, he built Thevar around a specific idea: Malaysian Indian food, told through French and Japanese technique, without apologising for where it comes from.
That combination of technical rigour and personal honesty is what keeps drawing Michelin inspectors and everyday diners to his table.
For anyone exploring Singapore’s Michelin star restaurant scene, Thevar remains one of the most distinctive tables in the city, not because it borrows from everywhere, but because it tells one chef’s story with unusual precision.
Thevar also welcomes private dining bookings for those looking to experience Chef Mano’s menu in a more intimate, exclusive setting.
Visit Thevar 16 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238965 Get directions and reserve a table.
Long before he became a Michelin chef in Singapore, Mano Thevar was a boy in Penang, Malaysia, trailing his father to the local hawker centres. Nasi lemak, char kway teow, nasi kandar, these weren’t backdrops to his childhood, they were the foundation of it. Decades later, that same childhood is what diners taste at Thevar, the restaurant that carries his name and, since 2022, two Michelin stars.
From Penang Hawker Stalls to Singapore’s Fine Dining Scene
Chef Mano’s path into professional kitchens wasn’t part of a grand plan. Faced with an uncertain future, he made his way to Singapore, where he landed a role in a French kitchen almost by chance. That first job set off a training journey through some of the region’s most demanding kitchens, including Guy Savoy and Waku Ghin, plus time at the two-Michelin-starred Pure C in the Netherlands.
Those years shaped his technical foundation in French and Japanese cuisine. But when the chance came in 2018 to open a restaurant under his own name, Chef Mano chose a different direction. Rather than compete on classic Western fine dining terms, he asked a simple question: as a Malaysian Indian chef in Singapore, why not be the one telling that story properly? That decision became Thevar.
Thevar: Reinventing Modern Indian Cuisine in Singapore
Since opening in October 2018, Thevar has built its identity on one clear idea. Taking the flavours of Chef Mano’s Malaysian Indian upbringing and refining them through French and Japanese technique, without losing the soul of the original dish.
The Experience Menu (currently S$298) reads almost like chapters from Chef Mano’s own life. A Tomato Chaat built on tiny Tomberry tomatoes opens the meal, alongside an Obsiblue Prawn Uttapam and a Crispy Pork “Sambal Aioli” Betel Leaf. From there, the menu moves through dishes like Shirako Vadai and Crispy Scale Amadai with a Kerala-style ishtu foam, showing off his French and Japanese training layered over Indian technique.
The most personal dish may be the Chettinad Chicken Roti, a refined take on a snack Chef Mano and his sister used to make at home. The showstopper is the Mysore Spiced Rack of Lamb, served with butternut squash masala and lamb biryani, echoing the communal spirit of a traditional banana leaf meal. Dessert closes with a Muskmelon Payasam, pairing the humble south Indian sago dessert with a musk melon sorbet made from fruit sourced in Provence. The wine list runs past 600 labels.
A Michelin Chef Singapore Diners and Critics Keep Watching
Thevar’s rise has been steady and well-earned. The restaurant received its first Michelin star in 2021, and just a year later, in 2022, it was promoted to two Michelin stars, briefly making Chef Mano the first Malaysian chef to lead a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, ahead of fellow Malaysian chef Darren Teoh’s Dewakan, which reached the same distinction the following year.
Thevar has also climbed Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, moving from 92nd in 2021 to 56th in subsequent years.
Thevar has retained its two-Michelin-star status in every edition of the MICHELIN Guide Singapore since, including the milestone 10th anniversary 2026 selection, where it stands among just nine restaurants in the city holding two stars. That consistency is a big part of why Chef Mano is regarded as one of the more significant Michelin chefs Singapore has produced this decade.
Why Chef Mano Thevar’s Story Matters for Fine Dining Singapore
What sets Chef Mano apart in Singapore’s crowded fine dining scene isn’t just the Michelin stars, it’s the clarity of his point of view. Rather than using “fusion” as a catch-all label, he built Thevar around a specific idea: Malaysian Indian food, told through French and Japanese technique, without apologising for where it comes from.
That combination of technical rigour and personal honesty is what keeps drawing Michelin inspectors and everyday diners to his table.
For anyone exploring Singapore’s Michelin star restaurant scene, Thevar remains one of the most distinctive tables in the city, not because it borrows from everywhere, but because it tells one chef’s story with unusual precision.
Thevar also welcomes private dining bookings for those looking to experience Chef Mano’s menu in a more intimate, exclusive setting.
Visit Thevar 16 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238965 Get directions and reserve a table.