Singapore Snippets
Discovering Items of interest on the red dot Written by and photography by Marta Ferrer Lubeck
Pandan: Using this Versatile Southeast Asian Plant in Desserts Pandan is a quintessential ingredient of Southeast Asian cuisine. Chefs use it to wrap meats, to flavor numerous savory dishes and drinks, and as a basic ingredient in many desserts. This ubiquitous plant, also known as screw pine in English, is native to this region, growing from as far north as Vietnam, all the way to the southernmost Indonesian islands. On a recent AWA neighborhood tour, our guide explained that the equatorial conditions in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, are perfect for its cultivation. In addition to its uses in food, pandan works as an air freshener and to keep pests away from cars and home. Pandan leaves are easy to find in markets, sold for an economic 50 cents per bunch. Pandan Essence Pandan-based desserts abound in Singapore, and many are prepared using pandan essence. To make it, the leaves are cut into small strips and blended with a small amount of water. After straining, the liquid is stored in the refrigerator for up to 20 hours. The sediment that then forms is pandan essence. Southeast Asian desserts often pair pandan with coconut and gula melaka, or palm sugar.
and bakery in Kampong Glam recommended by a Singaporean friend. Juwanda is a self-taught cook and baker who started out at home and eventually opened his own establishment. His Diva and Divo cakes are named after the women and men who’ve been his inspirations over the years. These cakes contain ingredients he connects to the person’s life or character. The Keanu Reeves, for example, contains lemon emulsion and coconut flakes, a tribute to Reeve’s Hawaiian heritage and his Lebanese birthplace. The Beyonce features lemon layers, emulsion and frosting, an ode to her album Lemonade. Juwanda is a fan of Kak Sheila Majid, a well-known Malay singer, and he created a pandan cake in her honor: “Kampong Glam is a Malay community, so many people here relate to Sheila Majid. Pandan is deeply rooted in the culture of Southeast Asia. It is not a must in our cuisine, but people love it.” He added that pandan is just as common in main dishes as it is in desserts. For example it’s used in the Malay version of Rendang, a rich meat dish. The Fabulous Baker Boy bakery will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. It reopened in Kampong Glam in January 2021, a short distance from its original Fort Canning location.
Juwanda, The Fabulous Baker Boy
Lilim’s Pandan Chiffon Cake
One of the first places I visited to learn more about pandan was The Fabulous Baker Boy, a restaurant
Lilim is a skilled Indonesian cook who’s catered many Singapore events. Now living in The Netherlands, she
The Fabulous Baker Boy restaurant & bakery
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AWA Magazine - May/Jun 2021
