Elevate Singapore stays with Iglu Cruise’s exclusive Chef’s Table dining experiences

09 March 2026

Singapore, a vibrant city-state in the heart of Southeast Asia, is a popular place to spend time both before and after cruises to Southeast Asia and Australasia cruises. An exciting melting pot of multiple cultures, the culinary landscape you’ll encounter in Singapore is jaw-dropping, boasting a wide range of cuisines and flavourful foods to indulge in.

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Kyle Wilson Content Executive

Kyle has over a year's experience creating and improving content for Iglu Cruise, and over five years of experience creating digital content in both travel and entertainment elsewhere. When he's not learning about new cruise destinations and planning his next getaway, he's improving the cruise-related content you see and creating content that helps you plan your next dream holiday.

If you’re looking to explore some of the sensational food here, Iglu Cruise is proud to offer a selection of exclusive Chef’s Table dining experiences on select 2027 cruises; these incredible experiences invite you to enjoy an intimate, personalised dining experience with talented local chefs that have are carefully curated to offer elevated evening meals packed with flavour and engaging conversations you won’t forget. 

An incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in the culinary landscape here while indulging in unforgettable food you won’t find anywhere else, keep reading to find out more about this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Contents:

  1. What is an exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience with Iglu Cruise?
  2. Which Singapore-based chefs can you choose from?

What is an exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience with Iglu Cruise?

On an exclusive selection of sensational sailings in Southeast Asia, particularly sailings that stop in Singapore on select dates throughout January and February 2027, you’ll have the unique opportunity to enjoy an exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience that promises to be unforgettable.

Inviting you to enjoy intimate evening meals prepared by talented Singapore-based chefs, all of which use locally-sourced ingredients in dishes perfectly paired with a range of beverages from Asia and beyond, there’s a lot to look forward to. Not only will you be able to admire the culinary talents of each chef, but you’ll also have the chance to ask questions about their techniques, learning more about their careers and what inspires them to continue creating sensational food. Whether they’re sharing interesting anecdotes from their impressive lives, explaining why an unexpected flavour combination works so well, or exploring the inspiration behind their signature dishes, this is a highly personalised dining experience exclusively available with these select sailings.

A wonderful way to elevate your Singapore stay, which perfectly complements a cruise through Southeast Asia and beyond, you’re certain to remember this experience for years to come.

Which Singapore-based chefs can you choose from?

Right now, you have the opportunity to choose from one of four Singapore-based chefs, each with their own sensational menu and engaging stories to share. While every chef’s exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience will feature flavours and dishes from Singapore and around Asia, their cooking styles and favoured cuisines vary dramatically, making each experience unique and unforgettable. Below, you’ll find more information on each of the four chefs currently available.

Chef Samia Ahad: traditional pan Asian cuisine with a twist

Who is Chef Samia Ahad?

An incredible pioneer of pan-Asian cooking, Chef Samia Ahad is a passionate chef with decades of experience perfecting her craft and innovating to deliver traditional Asian food you won’t want to miss. Graduating from Le Cordon Bleu at New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education, an institution specialising in haute cuisine, Ahad spent some time in the 1980s apprenticing at the renowned Quilter Giraffe before working with Michelin-starred Chef Wayne Nish at March Restaurant in the 1990s, where she contributed to several signature dishes. Then, in 2001, Ahad traded America for Asia and travelled to Singapore to open Coriander Leaf: one of this nation’s first multi-concept restaurants and the sensational venue where you’re invited to enjoy an unforgettable meal.

Ahad, a true master of her craft who can’t live without salt, serves authentic Asian food family-style, believing this is the best way to enjoy the region’s vibrant flavours. So, dining with her is about so much more than just the food; it’s about sharing a table with friends and family, breaking bread together, and creating unforgettable experiences. If you choose this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience, you’ll enjoy an educational and interactive evening meal where conversation flows, and fun is guaranteed.

Please note, the chef you interact with at Coriander Leaf for this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience may change.

What food can you expect to indulge in with this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience? 

Serving a selection of meticulously crafted multi-course menus featuring a wide variety of authentic Asian dishes, Ahad and the culinary team at Coriander Leaf invite you to explore the rich flavours of this region through familiar favourites with an exciting twist – be it a fresh flavour, a new cooking technique, or unique presentation. With everything from a kimchi brisket bun and roast duck curry to harissa baby lamb chops and masala spiced lava cake on the menus here, expect an incredible range of unforgettable dishes with this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience.

Sample menus also include the following dishes: 

  • Ssamjang-stuffed chicken wings
  • Crab cakes with tomato chutney
  • Thai-style steamed seabass
  • Kasundi prawns
  • Jackfruit curry with spicy eggplant and coriander rice
  • Kombu-rubbed angus with koshu butter

Important dietary requirements information for this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience

This exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience will accommodate the following dietary restrictions, if required: vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Please ensure this information is highlighted at the time of booking.

Which cruise packages is this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience available on?

Intimate dining experiences with Chef Samia Ahad at Coriander Leaf are available on the following cruise packages:

Chef Deming Chung: dangerously delicious modern Singaporean meals

Who is Chef Deming Chung?

A culinary innovator with a passion for Straits ingredients and pushing ‘Mod Sin’ – a gastronomic trend that highlights traditional Singaporean cuisine in fresh ways – Chef Deming Chung is a culinary whiz who relishes taking his guests on a flavour adventure with modern interpretations of traditional dishes, highlighting Singaporean cultural heritage and global influence with every bite. Known as a standard-bearer of modern Singaporean cuisine, Chung has experience working closely with Holland America Line and as the former chef-owner of The Quarters at Icon Village, a casual dining spot in the heart of Singapore. Offering you the chance to indulge in authentic local foods, while learning about Singaporean culture with a refreshing candidness, this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience is one you won’t want to miss. 

When he’s not overseas acting as a guest chef at a variety of world-renowned events or travelling with Holland America Line – where he hosts intimate multi-course dining experiences, cooking demonstrations, and insightful fireside chats during the Southeast Asian leg of their Grand Voyage experience – Chung opens his house for an evening of intimate dining and incredible story-telling where every moment is memorable and every mouthful is worth savouring. 

If you choose this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience, you’ll have the chance to enjoy a casual evening meal in Chung’s cosy kitchen, something that invites you to relax as he inspires you with his culinary talents and engaging conversational storytelling.

What food can you expect to indulge in with this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience?

With this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience, you’ll have the chance to enjoy a wonderful selection of traditional Singaporean dishes served in a modern way, with fresh ingredients and flavour combinations ensuring that every bite is utterly incredible. With a particular fondness for buah keluak, ‘The Asian Truffle’, expect an elevated take on modern Singaporean cuisine with Chef Deming Chung. He’s also credited with originating the sensational Duriancanboleh, a crème brûlée dish that takes advantage of the infamous durian fruit, satay burgers, and Singapore’s most flavourful salted egg sauce.

Sample menus also include the following dishes:

  • Seared scallops in a seafood bisque inspired by the Malay Peninsula
  • Flambéed Venus clams with Singaporean chilli crab sauce
  • Beef ribeye rendang with buah keluak fried rice
  • Chargrilled tiger prawns with an anchovy sambai
  • Foie Gras with scrambled eggs on kaya toast
  • Laksa pesto salmon with asparagus and vine tomatoes

Important dietary requirements information for this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience

This exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience will accommodate the following dietary restrictions, if required: vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free. This dining experience, however, is not suitable for those with shellfish allergies. Please ensure this information is highlighted at the time of booking.

Which cruise packages is this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience available on?

Intimate dining experiences with Chef Deming Chung at his home are available on the following cruise packages:

Chef Woo Wai Leong: hearty home-cooked Asian food with French elements

Who is Chef Woo Wai Leong?

MasterChef Asia winner and former operator of a Michelin-rated tasting restaurant in the heart of Singapore, Chef Woo Wai Leong is a former lawyer with a searing passion for a wide variety of contemporary Asian cuisines and French fine dining. Self-taught and constantly innovating, Leong has decades of experience working in kitchens at traditional ramen shops and modern bistros, as well as  Japanese kaiseki spots and Michelin-starred restaurants. For eight years, until early 2026, he operated Restaurant Ibid, a world-renowned tasting restaurant that explored both traditional and contemporary Asian dishes and cooking styles. Closing Restaurant Ibid to pursue creating even more intimate dining experiences, Leong enjoys a curious approach to melding cuisines and flavours, crafting unforgettable and personalised evening meals.  

If you choose this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience, you can expect to enjoy a sensational tasting menu with energetic drink pairings that feature locally-inspired flavours and seasonally-sourced produce from throughout Asia. An evening of sensational food, hosted at Leong’s home in one of the few historic residential enclaves left in Singapore, this experience invites you to enjoy a warm atmosphere, conversational storytelling, and a culinary adventure you won’t soon forget.

What food can you expect to indulge in with this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience?

A chef who can’t live without butter, savoury-sweet shio koji, and natural vinegars, each mouthful of these meals is going to be full of flavour. The dishes you enjoy will be bold, hearty, and feature a unique blend of fresh regional ingredients, Asian cooking techniques, and elements of French fine dining. With everything from roasted halibut with onion jam and mango bisque, signature sourdough with yeasted butter, and salted lemon sherbet with a yoghurt foam featured on sample menus in the past, expect an incredible variety of dishes when you dine here.

Sample menus also include the following dishes:

  • Ora king salmon with achar and green chilli relish
  • Devilled Hong Kong century eggs with brunost
  • Alba lamb tartare with Xi'an spices and shiso leaf
  • Soy milk chawanmushi with Hokkaido scallops
  • Yamagata miatake with cacio e pepe and Hong Kong bacon
  • Gula melaka ice cream with a ginger crumble and Medjool dates

Important dietary requirements information for this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience

This exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience will consider catering to the following dietary restrictions, if required: vegetarian, pescatarian, lacto-ovo, and nut-free. Please ensure this information is highlighted at the time of booking.

Which cruise packages is this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience available on?

Intimate dining experiences with Chef Woo Wai Leong at his home are available on the following cruise packages:

Chef Lee Chee Keong: refined Italian fusion food in an intimate restaurant

Who is Chef Lee Chee Keong?

Chef Lee Chee Keong is a creative culinary master with an insightful approach to Asian fusion cuisine, drawing on refined techniques honed over the last decade. In 2015, Keong earned a Cuoco certificate from the world-renowned Chef Academy in Terni, Italy, before spending several months interning at The Kingham Plough in the Cotswolds, further developing under Great British Menu winner Chef Emily Watkins. Upon returning to Singapore, Keong began hosting private degustation dinners at his home while working as a Chef de Partie at the Italian restaurant Forlino. Sensationally popular, space limitations prompted him to open 8picure, an intimate 18-seater restaurant where you can enjoy an exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience.

A passionate chef offering a casual fine-dining experience with conversational interactions and a relaxed atmosphere, this is going to be a joyful meal where you’ll enjoy an evening full of rich flavours in fantastic company. If you’re looking for innovative fusion food in an elevated environment, this is an exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience you won’t want to miss.

What food can you expect to indulge in with this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience?

With menus that focus on delivering flavourful fusion food, blending Italian and Japanese cuisine with wider Asian ingredients and flavours, this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience is unlike anything else. Chef Lee Chee Keong’s signature Chilli Crab, crab cakes with a homemade chilli crab sauce, are sensational, and can be found on sample menus alongside a signature tiramisu, burrata on compressed watermelon, and more incredible, innovative dishes.

Sample menus also include the following dishes:

  • Raw hamachi with roasted cherry tomatoes and yuzu kosho mayo
  • Argentinian red prawns with a curry chickpea puree and chilli oil
  • Capellini Al Limone with cured lemon pulp and Parmesan cheese
  • Iberico pork tenderloin steaks marinated overnight in shio koji and spices
  • Slow-cooked Wagyu beef cheek with baked maitake mushrooms

Important dietary requirements information for this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience

This exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience will consider catering to the following dietary restrictions, if required: gluten-free and nut-free. Please ensure this information is highlighted at the time of booking.

Which cruise packages is this exclusive Chef’s Table dining experience available on?

Intimate dining experiences with Chef Deming Chung at 8picure are available on the following cruise packages:

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