INFRAME ASIA, CULINARY – Chef Johanne Siy has opened Aro, a new restaurant in Singapore that places Filipino ingredients and Southeast Asian flavors at the center of its menu. The restaurant opened in October 2026, Singapore Standard Time (SGT, UTC+8), at The Singapore EDITION on Orchard Boulevard. It is Siy’s latest project after her work at Lolla.
Aro takes its name from the Filipino word “aro,” meaning “to know” or “to be aware.” The restaurant’s menu focuses on ingredients and food traditions from the Philippines while using techniques developed through Siy’s experience in professional kitchens. The approach gives familiar Filipino flavors a place within Singapore’s contemporary dining scene.
Siy has previously built her reputation around ingredient-driven cooking. Her food often combines Asian ingredients with European techniques, while keeping the original character of the produce visible on the plate. At Aro, that approach is applied more directly to ingredients from the Philippines and neighboring parts of Southeast Asia.
One of the ingredients highlighted at Aro is seaweed from the Philippines. Siy works with varieties that are less familiar to international diners and uses them in dishes designed around their natural texture and salinity. The ingredient is presented as part of a broader exploration of the Philippines’ coastal food culture.
Pili nuts are another ingredient featured at the restaurant. The nuts are native to the Philippines and are traditionally used in both savory and sweet preparations. Aro uses them in contemporary dishes while retaining their rich, creamy character.
Artisanal Filipino salt also plays a role in the restaurant’s cooking. Siy sources specialty salt from producers in the Philippines and uses it to season seafood, vegetables and other ingredients. The use of regional salt connects the dishes to specific places rather than treating seasoning as a generic component.
The menu also draws on Filipino preservation techniques. Fermentation, curing and other methods are used to develop deeper flavors in ingredients before they are incorporated into dishes. These techniques are particularly relevant to Filipino cuisine, where preservation has historically played an important role in cooking.
Seafood forms an important part of Aro’s menu because of the Philippines’ extensive coastline. Fish, shellfish and marine ingredients are prepared using techniques that combine Filipino flavors with contemporary European cooking methods. The dishes also make use of herbs, tropical fruits and other ingredients common across the region.
Aro is located inside The Singapore EDITION, placing the restaurant in one of Singapore’s major luxury-hotel dining environments. The hotel is situated on Orchard Boulevard, close to Orchard Road’s shopping and hospitality district. The restaurant’s setting gives Siy a platform to introduce Filipino ingredients to both local diners and international visitors.
The opening also adds another Filipino-focused restaurant to Singapore’s increasingly diverse dining landscape. Filipino cuisine has become more visible in the city through restaurants, chefs and food businesses highlighting regional ingredients and traditional dishes. Aro approaches that cuisine through a chef-led tasting and contemporary dining format.
Siy’s cooking at Aro continues to focus on ingredients that can be traced to specific communities and producers. Filipino seaweed, pili nuts and artisanal salt are presented alongside other Southeast Asian ingredients rather than being separated from the broader regional food system. The menu changes with available produce and the chef’s selection of ingredients.
Aro began welcoming diners in October 2026, Singapore Standard Time (SGT, UTC+8), at The Singapore EDITION on Orchard Boulevard. The restaurant’s menu centers on Filipino ingredients including seaweed, pili nuts and artisanal salt, alongside seafood, vegetables and preparations influenced by Filipino culinary traditions.
