There’s more than shopping at Tysons Galleria. Foodies who love Eddie V’s seafood or the local fare at Seasons 52 should add Jiwa Singapura to the lineup. Here, acclaimed chef Pepe Moncayo creates the fine dining equivalent of a trip to Singapore. Drawing on family recipes, street food flavors, and elevated cuisine, he distills the boldest and best flavors of this Southeast Asian melting pot.
Moncayo, a native of Barcelona, spent 10 years living in Singapore. There, he met his wife and launched his first restaurant—an innovative tapas-sake bar named Bam! that earned a Michelin review. A champion of the cuisine of Singapore, Moncayo insists it’s “totally underrepresented around the world.” He’s changing that with Jiwa Singapura, the region’s only fine-dining restaurant of its kind.
Jiwa Singapura, McLean, VA
D.C. diners will recognize Moncayo’s name from Crane’s, the Japanese-Spanish fusion restaurant he opened after moving here with his family in 2019. Two years later, Crane’s earned a Michelin star. His latest culinary adventure, Jiwa Singapura features an open kitchen, chef’s table, spacious bar, and outdoor dining terrace with firepits and private event space. The menu entices with Hainanese Chicken Rice, Whole Fish Tiga Rasa, and red bean ice cream, along with an inspired list of cocktails, international wines, and craft beers from nearby Caboose Brewing Company.
In translating the traditional foods of Singapore, Chef Moncayo takes a few stateside liberties, choosing snow crab over Sri Lankan mud crab and macadamias over Southeast Asian candlenut. But with each dish, he shares his own rich culinary experience, offering diners an exciting introduction to flavors they won’t find anywhere else.
