Pan Pacific Singapore Revamps Dining With New Chefs at Hai Tien Lo, Keyaki

Pan Pacific Singapore has introduced new culinary leadership at its signature restaurants Hai Tien Lo and Keyaki as part of its 40th anniversary positioning, reinforcing its food and beverage strategy through global chef appointments and menu refinement. The move, implemented across 2025, aligns with the hotel’s continued focus on premium dining experiences for international travellers.

The appointments include Executive Chinese Chef Edden Yap at Hai Tien Lo in September 2025 and Executive Japanese Chef Teruya Noriyoshi at Keyaki in May 2025. Both chefs bring international experience across multiple markets, supporting the hotel’s objective of maintaining relevance in Singapore’s competitive luxury dining segment.

Leadership Changes Across Two Legacy Restaurants

Hai Tien Lo, one of Singapore’s longest-running Cantonese restaurants, has entered a new phase under Chef Edden Yap. Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Yap has previously worked at high-profile establishments including Zheng He’s at Madinat Jumeirah, Lotus Palace at The Parisian Macao, and DIVA at W Macau.

His experience includes leading Lotus Palace to a one-diamond rating in Meituan’s Black Pearl Restaurant Guide in 2019 and contributing to DIVA’s inclusion in South China Morning Post’s 100 Top Tables for Best Cuisine in 2024. His appointment signals a focus on balancing traditional Cantonese techniques with operational consistency required for long-term restaurant performance.

At Keyaki, Chef Teruya Noriyoshi has taken charge following a global career spanning Tokyo, the United States, Europe, Australia and cruise-based operations. His experience includes working with Masaharu Morimoto at Nobu New York and Antonio D’Angelo at Nobu Milan, bringing international exposure to the restaurant’s Japanese culinary direction.

Menu Strategy Focused on Craft and Technique

Both restaurants have retained their core cuisine formats while introducing refinements aligned with the new leadership. At Hai Tien Lo, the menu continues to emphasise Cantonese culinary principles, including daily-prepared stocks, hand-crafted dim sum and in-house meat preparation.

Signature offerings include Braised South African Fresh Abalone and Sea Cucumber stuffed with shrimp paste, alongside Double-boiled Dendrobium Chicken Soup with Fish Maw, dried scallops and sea whelk. The preparation approach prioritises controlled cooking techniques and ingredient handling to maintain consistency in flavour and texture.

Keyaki’s updated menu reflects a combination of traditional Japanese methods and global influences. Dishes such as Corn Flan with Uni, Foie Gras Terrine in Monaka, and Amadai Matsukasa Yaki with wasabi salsa demonstrate a shift toward composed plates that integrate international elements while maintaining a Japanese base.

The culinary direction at Keyaki is structured around seasonality and presentation, with emphasis on ingredient-driven dishes and minimal intervention to highlight natural flavours.

Positioning Within Singapore’s Luxury Dining Market

The dual restaurant update forms part of Pan Pacific Singapore’s broader positioning strategy as it marks four decades of operations. The hotel continues to target international travellers and premium diners seeking established dining brands with consistent quality.

Hai Tien Lo and Keyaki, both operating for decades, represent long-standing assets within the hotel’s food and beverage portfolio. Their continued evolution through chef-led innovation allows the property to maintain competitiveness against standalone fine-dining restaurants and newer hotel concepts entering the Singapore market.

The approach reflects a wider trend within the hospitality sector, where legacy restaurants are refreshed through leadership changes rather than full concept overhauls. This allows operators to retain brand equity while adapting to evolving consumer expectations.

Operational Continuity With Incremental Innovation

Both chefs have adopted a strategy that integrates tradition with incremental updates rather than major repositioning. At Hai Tien Lo, the focus remains on consistency and familiarity, supported by controlled execution of classic Cantonese dishes. At Keyaki, innovation is introduced through ingredient pairings and presentation while maintaining Japanese culinary fundamentals.

This approach supports operational stability while enabling menu differentiation. It also aligns with the hotel’s objective of delivering a cohesive dining portfolio, where each restaurant maintains a distinct identity while contributing to an overall premium positioning.

Pan Pacific Singapore’s restaurant strategy continues to rely on experienced culinary leadership, established brand recognition and targeted enhancements to sustain long-term performance within the city’s competitive hospitality landscape.