Singapore restaurant to close after Asia’s ‘most googled chef’ dies

The announcement came after the chef died unexpectedly on April 25 at age 29, The Straits Times reported.

On May 17, the restaurant announced its impending closure on its Facebook fan page.

"Fleurette is synonymous with Tariq. One cannot exist without the other. As much as we want to further his dream, we realize that we must carry his legacy in our hearts and in our own personal ways," read the announcement.

"It feels right that those who loved Tariq remember Fleurette for what it is: the embodiment of everything he wanted the world to taste through his cuisine. We hope you will join us in this homage."

Until the closure, the 18-seat restaurant will continue offering its Spring three-course lunch menu starting at S$88 (US$65), while five-course dinners will still be available from S$198.

The highlights of the menu include octopus with chickpea and bell pepper velouté, wagyu short rib with carrot and kai, and its signature Hokkaido milk ice cream with olive oil.

Octopus with chickpea and bell pepper veloute served at Singapore’s Fleurette Restaurant . Photo courtesy of the restaurant's Instagram

Chef Tariq garnered 1.62 million searches on Google in 2023, according Explore Worldwide, which said the study looked at the number of Google searches for more than 1,700 chefs from around the world from November 2022 to October 2023.

The study ranked Tariq seventh globally, while British chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver took the number one and two spots, respectively.