From solid American junk food to visiting fancy chefs from around the world, March is going to be an exciting month for foodies in Singapore. Here are some great reasons to pull out those credit cards and stretchy pants.

3 of Asia's top 10 restaurants are in Singapore

The annual Asia's 50 Best awards always puts us in the mood to book tables at restaurants with impossibly long waits, and this year is no different. While Bangkok's Indian molecular gastronomy temple Gaggan took the top spot a whopping three years in a row, the bright light for Singapore was Restaurant Andre, which came in at #2, up one spot from #3 last year. The other exciting newcomer on the list was last year's hottest opening, Julien Royer and the Lo & Behold Group's Odette at the National Gallery Singapore, which came in at a very admirable #9. (You'll recall that this sun-drenched French restaurant has weeks-long wait for a table, even at lunch) and David Pynt's Australian barbecue joint Burnt Ends which debuted at #14 last year, climbed up to #10—which actually means that three of Asia's 10 best restaurants are in Singapore—Restaurant Andre, Odette and Burnt Ends—more than Hong Kong or Tokyo, which had two restaurants apiece in the top 10. It wasn't all fun news, though. To read the full lowdown, click here.

Petrina Loh's Morsels is delivering mad thrills on Dempsey Hill

While fusion has gotten a bad rep traditionally, Fusion 2.0 has been a slow but lovely emerging trend in Singapore, and Morsels, which we've loved since it first opened five years ago, knows how to do it right. Bryan Chia has left the kitchen team, but San Francisco Cordon Bleu grad Petrina Loh is slaying it at her new, bigger, gorgeous location on Dempsey Hil that resembles the locale for a Kinfolk wedding reception. Fear not, the classic dishes that made Morsels such a little insitution aren't gone: the steamed Venus clams with fig broth and pickled wakame are still on the menu, as is the charred house-poached octopus with tokibo and saled egg sauce. But pay special attention to the lunch and brunch services. The stars of the brunch menu are the smorrebrod open-faced sandwiches, with topping options like pickled mackerel with burrata and pickled beets; and tiger prawns with green harissa aioli egg salad. For lunch, you can do elevated noodle dishes, or do a $40 omakase set. Read our whole take here.

An LA burger chain has come to town

Housed in Hotel G Singapore is 25 Degrees, an American West Coast burger and liquor bar that first opened in Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and branches in Chicago and Bangkok, as come to Singapore. The decor is classy but also slightly rugged with the striking red patterned wallpaper and bricked window opening. When you're there during the day, the open window concept will turn the restaurant into a sun-drenched burger shack. Highlights on the burger-focused menu include Number One, which consists of the USA angus beef patty, crescenza, gorgonzola, bacon, caramelized onions and Thousand Island dressing  and Number Four, which contains seared yellowfin tuna, lettuce, fried onions and spicy aioli. Oh, and burgers are mostly under the $15 mark. More on their desserts and boozy offerings here.

World Gourmet Summit is back

One of Singapore's most anticipated food festivals is back. Now in its 21st year, the World Gourmet Summit will take place on Mar 20-Apr 16 with the usual top notch international and local chefs taking center stage to create bite-sized gastronomy and degustation dinners. A lot of the details are still in the works, but rest assured there’ll be tons of events and masterclasses. For starters, Mexican restaurant El Mero Mero down at Chijmes is holding a comprehensive mescal degustation masterclass on the second day of festival while while Christian Leusder, a whisky master and owner of Far East Whisky Co (they bring in Japanese whiskys), will be present at Italian fine dining restaurant Oso to share his knowledge of 12 year-old Japanese whiskys on Mar 24. And if you like Argentinian dishes like empanadas, flank steaks and "Dulce de leche" pancakes from Bochinche, you can learn how to make them at their cooking masterclass on Mar 24. More here.

There's now a Philly cheese steak specialist in town

American junk food fetishists are going to want to check new Clarke Quay opening out. Taking a break from endless burgers, the powers that be have delivered unto us Philly Shack, a retro American-style diner that proclaims to be the home of the Philly cheese steak. The star dish features thinly sliced ribeye steak, caramelized onions and a choice of provolone cheese, American cheese or, if you're feeling extra classy, Cheez Whiz. The Fully Loaded option also comes with peppers, jalapenos and mushrooms. Philly Shack also does a couple of basic burgers, onion rings, habanero-glazed wings and other goodies. But other than the signature dish, the other exciting thing has to be the spiked milkshakes. Everyone's talking about the chocolate bourbon one. More here.

South Beach as a Japanese chef of Vegas fame

Located at the glamorous JW Marriott Singapore South Beach is “Best Chef in Las Vegas” Akira Back’s namesake restaurant. You might know that he's behind places like Yellowtail in Las Vegas and Kumi at Mandalay Bay. Helmed by chef Tomoyuki Kiga, his new opening in Singapore serves Korean-Japanese cuisine in a sleek 100-seater space with a high-table sushi bar and semi-private dining area. On the menu, besides the classic sushi and hand rolls are high-end comfort dishes with some pretty touches: the signature Tajima short rib that’s been slow-cooked for 48 hours, and paired with root vegetables; Atlantic black cod with saikyo miso and yuzu sake foam. Dude food also gets a delicate touch with dishes like the tuna pizza with thinly-sliced tuna and ponzu mayonnaise and sprinkled with truffle oil and micro shiso toppings. More here.

And Upper Bukit Timah has a cute new trattoria

Upper Bukit Timah's The Rail Mall has a solid Italian option, if you want a chill but atmospheric weeknight dinner without having to trek all the way back into town. With a name meaning water and flour in Italian, the casual and pretty Acqua e Farina eschews chef-driven, contemporary cooking and instead goes back to basics with trattoria classics using enduring family recipes. The restaurant imports 90% of its ingredients from Italy, and that too directly rather than through suppliers. This means especially good things for the seafood dishes, like the humble but exquisitely done polipo e patate, which is some of the most tender octopus we've had in Singapore, boiled, pan-fried and mixed with fat capers, Italian baby potatoes, olives and cherry tomatoes. It also means that the prosciutto that wraps around the cheese and tomatoes in the fagottino di mozzarella, is pretty moist, mild and memorable. More here.

And Tiong Bahru gets a new fusion date night option

European-Asian restaurant Upper Place has taken over the rooftop of Wangz Hotel. Besides the picturesque views from the rooftop, they also take pride in their use of premium ingredients but still keeping the dishes at an economical price. Helmed by veteran chef Gregory Lau who has more than 16 years of culinary experience, the restaurant boasts a menu that offers reimagined Asian dishes with a Western spin. Some of the highlights include lobster kueh pie tee, a luxurious version of the simple dish with tomato chipotles, coriander and mango espuma and pork belly inspired by Thai flavors consisting of pulled pork, Thai chili sauce, onions and lime, which makes a great appetizer. For the mains, there's the reinvented local favorite: laksa with risotto, Boston lobster, light coconut foam and sambal. They also offer three-course set lunches for $24. More here