To some, the saying ‘food is a blessing’ may be a tad too earnest, even old-fashioned. Yet, in the hands of Chef Dylan Ong, it transforms into a compelling personal mission to delight and excite with unique takes on the well-loved, bringing to the everyday diner the best quality at unrivalled value. It becomes a manifesto for radical rethinking, and a blueprint for spreading joy.

Chef Dylan and his team see all guests as friends and family. And for seven fulfilling years, this is what they have built at 85 Beach Road — connections, which they seek to weave more of at their new home in The Capitol Kempinski Hotel.

In 2017 Chef Dylan opened a restaurant on Beach Road, aptly named ‘The Masses’, to which he brought to bear his spirit, his talent, his life’s lessons, and his focus and determination — to cook ‘for the people’. The Masses began with Contemporary French cuisine, later morphing to Franco-Asian: an intriguing offering of a cuisine with a French core harmoniously layered with Asian elements, drawn from Dylan’s childhood memories and his team’s personal culinary inspirations. Underlying this was a culinary philosophy thoughtfully prioritising flavour, texture, the balance of acidity and fat, price, plating, and an ‘X-factor’ elevating a dish to distinctiveness.

C&C&C&C&C Pasta

Every recipe served is personally loved and dearly shared. Dylan believes that food comes alive in the connections it forges between people. And a large part of that is accessibility, in every sense of the word. The restaurant is now more convenient to get to; and while a better location usually means more expensive dining, the old prices are maintained through astute cost engineering, thus ‘beating the curve’.

While the new setting stylistically balances the casual and the refined, the atmosphere remains warm and welcoming. Towering palm trees and an al fresco feel add to a relaxed ambience. Within the contemporary scheme, posters and objects, some moved from the previous restaurant, bring a homely continuity. These are joined by more handpicked prints of fun, quirky art and photographs, alongside other keepsakes and décor that Chef Dylan has collected over time. Music from a playlist of the chef’s favourite tunes adds to the laid-back, unfussy ambience of a restaurant dedicated to the enjoyment of accessible, ‘democratic’ dining.

The ethos of The Masses remains the same: to offer exceptional food at accessible prices. The signature Franco-Asian cuisine continues in a menu assiduously tuned over time to appeal as widely as possible. Guests can look forward to holdovers from the previous restaurant, including the Duck Confit and the Purple Cabbage. Other favourites like the C&C&C&C&C Pasta, and the Foie Gras, will be updated with new layers of flavour and served alongside new dishes and weekly specials.

Address: 13 Stamford Road, #01-84, Arcade @ Capitol, Singapore 178905

Reservations: Online