First came the battle of London-style roast ducks, with local brand London Fat Duck at Scotts Square and Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant at Capitol Piazza duking it out.
Next up, wonton noodles.
The famous Mak's Noodle from Hong Kong will open at The Centrepoint by the end of the month.
Sushi restaurant chain Itacho Sushi, which is run by Hong Kong-based company Taste of Japan, will also open a casual restaurant selling wonton mee at Plaza Singapura by the end of August.
Mak's Noodle here is a joint venture between its current third-generation owner Tony Yung and new food and beverage company Asia Gourmet.
Mr Yung is the son-in-law of the second-generation owner, and his daughter will eventually take over the business.
A spokesman for Asia Gourmet says the company is confident that the brand, which started in 1920 in Guangzhou, will be a hit with diners here.
He tells Life! that Mak's Noodle had been eyeing the Singapore market, but previous negotiations with a big F&B group here fell through.
The chain, with six outlets in Hong Kong, is known for its springy noodles and plump wontons filled with chunky prawn in a bowl of flavourful soup.
It is priced at HK$36 (S$6.25) in Hong Kong and will cost $6.90 a bowl here. The 900 sq ft, 40-seat outlet will specialise in noodle dishes for a start, and may introduce congee only after a year.
The noodles and wonton skin will be imported from Hong Kong. To ensure smooth operations, the 70-year-old chef from the flagship Wellington Street outlet in Hong Kong will be based in Singapore for two years.
Hong Kong chefs will also head the kitchens of the upcoming branches.
The spokesman points to the success of Hong Kong dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan here and says: "Many new food concepts have entered Singapore over the years and we strongly believe that our wonton noodles are the best."
The restaurant will have a modern decor and the Hong Kong outlets will also be renovated, in line with Mr Yung's plans to revamp the brand's look.
Itacho Sushi's yet-to-be-named wonton noodle restaurant will take over the space at Plaza Singapura vacated by burger joint Carl's Junior.
On the new brand, Ms Zoe Tan, director of Itacho Sushi, says: "The wontons in Singapore are small and have some shrimp and a bit of meat. As our general manager is from Hong Kong, we wanted to do something authentic.
In Hong Kong, the group also runs other concepts such as Itamae Sushi.
Engineer Richard Yee, 30, who has tried Mak's Noodle in Hong Kong, says: "I like that the wonton noodles are different from the local version, only that the portion is quite small. I'll definitely give it a try when it's here. I think $6.90 for a portion is worth it."
