SINGAPORE, Aug 9 — The national pride and identity Singaporeans find in the foods they have grown up with is undeniable. And it is not hard to appreciate the multi-ethnic buffet we so fervently indulge in. “The way we connect with our fellow Singaporeans revolves so much around our common love for dishes from home, especially hawker food,” said Tan Su-Lyn, chief executive officer of Ate Integrated Communications and cookbook author who has worked with chefs such as Justin Quek and Jereme Leung on their tomes. Its affordability is a social equaliser, she continued, adding that such foods have helped locals build a shared history.
Elaborating on this unique culture, Christopher Chang, manager at Red House Seafood, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, described Singapore’s once-vibrant hawker food scene as “a fortuitous coming together of prudent government policy, the grit of hawkers, and strong demand from a population that needed affordable, convenient food”. But he also lamented that while some dishes have outgrown hawker centres, others are slowly disappearing “because of the laborious processes associated with them”.
On the upside, there has been a renewed interest in celebrating and preserving Singapore’s heritage dishes. “Growing confidence in our own identity is opening our palates up to the idea of modern Singaporean or new Singaporean cuisine,” Tan said. “This, too, contributes to our sense of nation as we take to the idea that we actually have a national cuisine that can now be subject to evolution.”
And there is no bigger ambassador of this evolution than lawyer-turned-chef Willin Low, who coined the term “mod-Sin cuisine” to describe the food he serves at his Wild Rocket restaurant. “When we first created mod-Sin 11 years ago, people thought of it as a fun concept,” shared Low, whose dish of laksa pesto linguine has been popular from the start. “And then it stayed on and flourished beyond its novelty stage, and today, it is evident in restaurants, patisseries, cafes and even cocktail bars.
“I believe it will continue to expand in the next three to five years into the next frontier, which is into people’s homes. I know my friends are already cooking it at home and it will just become part of our culinary diversity.”
Another recent exponent of modern Singapore cuisine, chef-owner Han Li Guang of Restaurant Labyrinth, confirmed the growing interest in the concept. “Ever since the fusion wave over 10 years ago, you see a return to Singapore food, with chefs expressing themselves via familiar local foods,” he shared, noting that the approach is not limited to fine-dining restaurants. “You see it in cafes, bistros, and local restaurants such as Wanton Seng’s Noodle Bar, A Noodle Story and Keng Eng Kee (in Pandan Gardens),” he said, as more diners crave the likes of salted egg yolk crab spaghetti and Singapore-style ramen.
Can innovate or not?
This amalgamation of food cultures clearly showcases how much we have embraced diversity. But is Singapore food largely defined by what we eat when we dine out? “Perhaps it is,” Tan posited. “After all, chilli crab, fish head curry and yusheng (if you trace their histories) were created to appeal to dining audiences. So, if there are enough of us who hunger for a salted egg yolk burger often enough, that might be one direction that our national food will evolve towards.”
Careful not to relegate the idea to a trend, she shared how chefs are naturally influenced by the flavours of the food they enjoy in their everyday lives, adding that the most exciting are the dishes that subtly enter menus without necessarily being heralded as being local. “They are built upon an understanding of diners’ palates, and are composed of flavours that have resonance with them,” she explained.
Still, the question of where to draw the line remains. “Just like fashion, architecture and all other aspects of life, food (when it comes to cooking and presentation) has to evolve to stay relevant,” Chang said. “The most important thing to bear in mind is meaningful change. Don’t make changes for the sake of it but do it because you believe it is a better product that benefits your customers.”
Its Chilli Crab Bao, he added is a good example. “The Singapore F&B scene is very dynamic and the clientele we serve is extremely demanding — this is good as it forces us to be creative ... (Last month), we also started serving sea urchin noodles — a play on the multi-cultural offerings in Singapore. To remain relevant, we have to innovate or risk being phased out.”
Han shared similar views but said he does not believe innovation is crucial to the existence of the Singapore cuisine. “I innovate at the restaurant because Labyrinth is created or conceptualised based on how I see Singapore food,” he said. “However, it is not crucial for Singapore cuisine, moving forward. In fact, I believe going deeper into our cuisine is more crucial. It is important that we never forget our roots. I feel that a good chilli crab, chicken rice, or fish ball noodles can be (and has been) internationalised, without having to innovate.”
To Low, the irony lies in that it was innovation that gave birth to Singapore food. “Our forefathers had to be smart and used whatever they could get their hands on and create food of their homeland with variations that still tasted good. Likewise it will be innovation that will ensure that Singapore food remains not only relevant to us but have an international market.”
One possible exporter of Singaporean cuisine is Chef Malcolm Lee of one-Michelin-starred Candlenut, whose restaurant will be housed in Como Dempsey, which is owned by hotelier Christina Ong. He concurred that applying new ideas to our heritage food will help it thrive and added: “Being too traditional, you risk being old fashion, obsolete.” However, he stressed that striking a balance is key.
To that end, Lee and his team continue to explore new curries and sambals, made with new ingredients but based on the principles and traditions of Peranakan cuisine. “We are also on a quest to refine and rework kueh (traditional cakes or snacks) making, (taking it) to a whole new level, so it can stand on a par with French pastries, and that, in itself, can be (an example of) innovation, yet staying true to its heritage.”
Will such innovation contribute towards our culinary legacy? Tan thinks so, if our populace “love these dishes enough to want to continue eating them through the ages”, or seek to reproduce their likenesses in our home kitchens. “In my opinion, the dishes that tick these boxes are the ones that are more likely to become part of our national cuisine.” — TODAY
