www.wineanddine.com.sg
the art of good living
January 2016/ S$8.50
WEAVE A FEAST WITH BIRD’S NEST Asia’s new breed of hip markets From banker to winemaker— Yoshiaki Sato
plant talk! all you need to know about the mysterious ginseng
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Swing into the New Year at Tamarind Hill! Welcome the Year of the Fire Monkey with sweet, sour, spicy sensations of our delicious Thai cuisine! Enjoy our fiery Festive Menu from Feb 1st to Feb 21st served during this limited time only. Feast in a pack! With every group of 10, get a complimentary large serving of Fresh Salmon Yee Sang worth $68++. Reserve your table today!
30 Labrador Villa Road Singapore 119189 +65 6270 1868, singapore@tamarindsrestaurants.com
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INVENTIVE EUROPEAN FARE WITH FLAIR!
The stellar modern European menu features the masterpieces of Executive Chef and owner Edward Hoe who has almost 20 years of experience under his belt. “My aim is to impress all guests with the winning combination of exquisite and expertly-prepared plates and competitive inexpensive prices that will encourage guests to return regularly to savour more menu offerings,” shares Chef Hoe. 81 Tras Street For reservation call +65 6221 3988 Reservation by email: www.violetherbs.com.sg Operating Hours: Mondays to Saturdays Lunch: 11.30am – 3pm I Dinner: 6pm – 10pm I Closed Sundays Website: www.violetherbs.com.sg
contents JANUARY 2016
NATURE'S GIFTS
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EXPLORING ITS ROOTS
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From gnarled to stocky, and white to red, the ginseng comes in myriad shapes and colours that are enough to confuse the neophyte. We dig up everything you need to know about this prized ingredient.
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BOOZY ELIXIR On its own, ginseng tea is an acquired taste. But four bartenders in Singapore show that with a dash of liqueur or two, you'll be reaching for a second glass instead.
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SEASON'S BEST Stuff it into a chicken or pair it with black truffle, the prized bird's nest is more than just an ingredient for a double-boiled tonic.
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DRINKS
TRAVEL
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The use of cover crops on organic vineyards, and the reason behind different wine bottle shapes.
In Malacca's Portuguese settlement, a small community of Eurasians are holding on to their ethnic cuisine by maintaining ageold methods and handing down recipes to the next generation.
ASK THE WINE GURU
FOOD HERITAGE
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WINE TALK A decade ago, Yoshiaki Sato traded a cushy banker's job for the agricultural life of a winemaker. Today, he is making some of the best wines out of Central Otago.
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CHECKLIST Think you've seen everything in Barcelona? We highlight 10 ways to rediscover this wonderful city.
DRINKSCAPES Ned Goodwin MW, ambassador of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, and La Terre, a whisky and wine bar.
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Erratum: In our December 2015 issue's Tutorial column, we published the name of JAAN's chef de cuisine as Kirk Westwood. The correct surname should have been Westaway.
www.wineanddine.com.sg
the art of good living
WINE & DINE JANUARY 2016
January 2016/ S$8.50
THE ART OF GOOD LIVING / NATURE’S GIFTS
WEAVE A FEAST WITH BIRD’S NEST Asia’s new breed of hip markets From banker to winemaker— Yoshiaki Sato
KDN PPS 886/01/2013(029155)
plant talk!
MCI(P) 092/11/2013
all you need to know about the mysterious ginseng
10
ART DIRECTION URSULA DENISE LIONG PHOTOGRAPHY SARA AMAN
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contents JANUARY 2016
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REGULARS
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Founder and managing director of Jacada Travel, Alex Malcolm, is drawn to Buenos Aires' dynamic mix of old and new.
EDITOR’S NOTE
TOP TABLES Odette lives up to its hype, Ushidoki beefs up kaiseki, and Bread Street Kitchen offers brunch.
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DELUXE FloatWing's water home, and Flyte's levitating bulb.
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ESCAPES
INSIDE OUT
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STOCKISTS
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CHEW OVER Lydia Lim wonders if food shows are to blame for making us fall in love with rude chefs and lose focus on what's real.
Hip and funky—Asia's new breed of marketplaces.
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Contributors James Liang James is a photographer who runs Studio Concept with his wife, Ivory Hu, a make-up artist and stylist. Studio Concept has been operating for more than 10 years. James specialises in food shots, portraits and events photography, and lends his creative eye to publications like Home & Décor, Today’s Parents and Motor Culture.
Mavis Teo Mavis’ journalism beats are as varied as her background. She graduated with honours in law, first cut her teeth as a journalist at Singapore Press Holdings, whiled away many years in finance, before finally returning to her first love of writing. Having worn many hats, the freelance writer is comfortable with a diversity of topics from finance to fitness, and estate planning to jewellery. She is happiest when working on destination stories because they satiate her curiosity about people of other cultures, and the way they live.
Sara Aman Sara is a photographer who started The Lens Project in late 2009 after having worked in a commercial studio for nine years. This led her to realise her ability to transform the love she has for food, beautiful packaging, travel and home décor into lovely prints. She now shares this passion with others through her images.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
BE SPONTANEOUS D
ear readers, it’s 2016. I am not going to start this note by asking you what your new year resolutions are. Let’s be honest, half of your resolutions rarely worked out, not because you did not try (which I hope you did), but because our lives are getting so increasingly complex and unpredictable such that fixed plans don’t have a guaranteed place in this ever-shifting universe Instead, I suggest being more spontaneous. If there’s a restaurant or destination you’ve always wanted to visit, and a very small window of opportunity appears, don’t wait. Book that table or ticket without hesitation, and if your loved ones can’t join you, do it alone. If there’s a recipe you’ve always wanted to rustle up at home, don’t wait—do a spot of grocery shopping and get started in the kitchen right away. It’s not just our busy work lives that have encouraged me to advocate spontaneity. A friend of mine lost his wife in the Bangkok bombing incident last year. It was a tragedy that reminded us of how we often take our everyday lives for granted, expecting things to unfold without any surprises. We need to bring out our inner Richard Branson, and live in the moment; be a little more unpredictable. Which is why, for this coming Chinese New Year, I would encourage you to break some old fashioned rules. If you have always wanted to use this occasion to take your family or loved ones out for a holiday in a gourmet destination but have always resisted for fear of offending your relatives, I say do it. There’s no need to justify your action to anyone. Yes, reunions are great but I don’t see why anyone should be beholden to the idea that it involves being grounded in your own country. If you need travel tips, our Barcelona guide in our Checklist column is a good place to start. For those who are looking to impress their guests at home, we hope our bird’s nest recipes in our Season’s Best column will do the trick. In the meantime, we look forward to bringing you more gourmet news for 2016. It’s going to be another exciting year indeed.
Lin Weiwen Editor
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behind the scenes JANUARY 2015 / NATURE’S GIFTS
editorial/ design editor LIN WEIWEN writers LU YAWEN, LYDIA LIM intern CHARLENE CHOW graphic designer URSULA DENISE LIONG contributing writer MAVIS TEO
publishing & advertising publisher LYNNETTE LIM lynnette.lim@wdemedia.com chief operating officer EUGENE LIM eugene.lim@wdemedia.com assistant advertising sales manager JACK ANG jack.ang@wdemedia.com business manager, Japan specialist KAORU MATSUO sales@wdemedia.com consultant and media representative SUGA KAZUYOSHI brand ambassador, Asia GABRIEL TAN gabriel@blackbookasia.com
group advertising & marketing president, sales & marketing LYNNETTE LIM marketing manager LILIAN NGAY administrative executive EVE CHNG
publishing president, international publishing LYNNETTE LIM chief operating officer EUGENE LIM president, Malaysia publishing CHONG CHYE WAN
corporate (EGL) executive vice-chairman & managing director RICKY ANG executive director FRANCIS TAN CHONG CHAI chief financial officer NG HWEE LING accounts & administrative executive VIVIAN TAN
contact us EDITORIAL TEL: (65) 6672 6014 email: editorial@wdemedia.com ADVERTISING TEL: (65) 6292 0300 email: advertising@wdemedia.com SUBSCRIPTION TEL: (65) 6672 6010/6672 6002 email: subscription@wdemedia.com
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WINE & DINE SINGAPORE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY by Wine & Dine Experience Pte Ltd at 18 Boon Lay Way, #10-96/97 TradeHub 21, Singapore 609966. A unit of Elektromotive Group Ltd (EGL) Printed in Singapore by Mainland Press. Materials in Wine & Dine cannot be reproduced, whether in part or whole, without the written permission of the Publisher. Although every reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of the information contained in this publication, neither the publishers, editors and their employees and agents can be held liable for any errors, inaccuracies, and/or omissions howsoever caused. We shall not be liable for any actions taken based on the views expressed, or information provided within this publication. You should always seek professional advice from the appropriate advisor, professional or institution. We occasionally use material we believe has been placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible to identify and contact the copyright holder. If you claim ownership of something we have published, we will be pleased to make a proper acknowledgement. Copyright 2015.©
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MY TURF
MIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE Whilst searching for a place to set up her office, Lelian Chew, founder of The Wedding Atelier and The Floral Atelier, was sold on Tiong Bahru’s low-key, creative spirit and excellent local food.
I
wanted The Floral Atelier—my event styling arm of my luxury weddings and celebrations company The Wedding Atelier—to be located in an area with neighbours that represent our philosophy and inspire our craft. I knew Tiong Bahru was the right place. The vibe here is laidback and understated, yet full of artistry and character. These qualities are what we wish to emulate in our atelier. One of my favourite shops is Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry. Each time I step into this unassuming bakery, I am transported back to the 80s. I love the Kueh Dadar here, which has the freshest grated coconut filling enveloped by the softest hand-made crepe. Things sell out fast, but the chirpy bakers are always happy to churn out more goodies—just ask nicely. If I had a café, it will very likely look like Plain Vanilla Bakery. On my less busy days, I enjoy taking a slow stroll over to grab a late breakfast take-out. I have a soft spot for their Chocolate Honeycomb and Strawberry Custard Tarts because the flavours and textures are very balanced. They make excellent quiches too. I am a proud Peranakan and I take my Nonya food very seriously. So it’s always nice to find familiar flavours outside my own kitchen. I particularly like how the duck is prepared at House of Peranakan Petit. Their Itek Tim, a soup of duck, pork ribs, salted vegetables and assam, is always comforting, and their Itek Sioh, a braised duck in a rich tamarind and coriander gravy, is done perfectly. You will find many regulars here who let the owner have free reign over what they will be eating. Another favourite of mine is Ah Bong’s Italian, a tiny stall in a coffeeshop. It’s only open four hours a day during lunch and
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run by a Singaporean who was trained by a three Michelin-starred chef Bruno Menard. The menu changes daily, so you’ll never know what pasta you’ll find in your traditional Chinese porcelain bowl. I love their Birthday Pasta (pesto, bacon and broccoli) and Truffle Mac & Cheese. I think Ting Heng Seafood Restaurant best represents the original Tiong Bahru charm. I’ve been visiting this hole-in-a-wall eatery for as long as I can remember and nothing’s changed one bit. Regulars gather under the large trees and dine by the road, sitting on old school red plastic chairs. The fare here is fuss-free, comfort food. On balmy evenings, I love nothing more than to have a charcoal pot of their Fish Steamboat. I also enjoy their smooth and slippery concoction of Tofu with Enoki Mushrooms and Fish Paste. WD
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1 Plain Vanilla Bakery 2 Itek Sioh at House of Peranakan Petit 3 Hae Bi Aglio Olio from Ah Bong’s Italian
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TOP TABLES
A Gem in the Making Chefs don’t make it easy for us food journos these days. They sometimes love labelling their cuisines with fancy names— ‘Ultraprogressive’ and ‘Gastro-Botanica’, to name a few—and giving us a little headache as we try to define their food for our readers. The latest phrase to join this circle of abstract culinary vernacular is ‘Essential Cuisine’, coined by Julien Royer. Royer, who left his fourtenure at JAAN last year, is now chef-owner of Odette, a restaurant named after his grandmother. This elegant 32-seater checks all the boxes for destination dining, from its striking National Gallery Singapore location, to its posh interior of carefully ironed tablecloths and plush pastel banquettes. But let’s get the culinary semantics out of the way: Royer’s food is, in our books, modern French, which is good news for those who enjoyed his oeuvre at JAAN. His trademarks are on show here, such as the use of top ingredients, and the deft balance of flavours and textures. What he has taken up a notch is the presentation of dishes, some of which resemble plated Zen gardens. Take for example, the Heirloom Beetroot Variation, a burgundy-hued medley of beetroot meringues, jellies and sorbet that stands out like a mystical landscape on its gravel-coloured plate. We love the Challans Guinea Fowl, which is served as a leg confit and a charcoal-grilled breast, each serving to highlight the different flavours and textures of this aromatic bird. Odette is a stunning addition to our restaurant scene, and it’s a homegrown brand we can be proud of. Four-course ($88)or six-course ($128) menus at lunch; sixcourse ($208) or eight-course ($268) tasting menus at dinner. 1 St. Andrew’s Road, #01-04 National Gallery Singapore. Tel: 6385 0498
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Cantonese Flair The 200-seater Kai Garden Cantonese restaurant by owner and executive chef Fung Chi Keung doesn’t scrimp on lavish décor; a grand chandelier greets you at the entrance and metres-long scrolls of traditional Chinese paintings adorn the walls. His take on sweet and sour pork served as kebabs stuck in ice ($22) might be novel but it’s the homely flavours he delivers the best such as the warming Doubleboiled Japanese Matsutake served in Hot Pot ($38) and his Signature Crispy Peking Duck ($88 for a whole portion) served with five different wraps and sauces. 6 Raffles Boulevard, #03-128A/128B Marina Square. Tel: 6250 4826
BEEFING UP THE KAISEKI At the 28-seater Ushidoki, little golden cows serve as your chopstick rest. This tongue-in-cheek element hints at the restaurant’s focus on wagyu kaiseki, a first of its kind in Singapore. The dining counter brings you up close with Osaka native chef Nobuaki Hirohashi, who prepares your dishes while engaging in light banter. The Ushidoki course ($200) takes you through 10 courses of dishes like beef tongue served in consommé, Ozaki beef sashimi and beef sukiyaki served with soft boiled egg and truffle. The Ozaki beef gets its namesake from Muneharu Ozaki, a Miyazaki-based farmer who feeds his cattle a mix of 15 kinds of ingredients including moist barley mash, meadow grass and seaweed to give it its beefy flavour. Although most wagyu in Japan are slaughtered at 28 months, Ozaki’s cattle are slaughtered at 32 months as he believes the flavour improves as they mature. 57 Tras Street, #01-01. Tel: 6221 6379
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ASIAN MISHMASH With an interior that is sleek, dark and sexy, Meta, a modern Asian restaurant, is the fresh-faced new player to join the fray of casual fine dining establishments. The soft spoken South Korean head chef, Sun Kim, injects Japanese elements—gleaned from his time at Singapore’s Waku Ghin and Sydney’s Tetsuya—into the five($88) to eight-course ($128) tasting menus that include dishes like the Amaebi with Yuzu and Apples. Naturally, kimchi makes an appearance as well in the Wagyu Tartare with Egg Jelly and Korean Pear Kimchi to provide just the right amount of tartness. 9 Keong Saik Road. Tel: 6513 0898
going the whole hog
For a fine Japanese meal… Head to Takujo. If not for it being located within Emporium Shokuhin, one might not have guessed that it serves Japanese cuisine, what with its contemporary interiors, round tables and towering glass display of wines. The 800-bottle wine cellar that caught our eye also stores an exclusive range of sakes from Ehime prefecture. Our palates were piqued by the appetiser of Shiromi Sakana no Akasu ($22), which was almost too pretty to eat: pristine cuts of seasonal white fish were laid out with an amber-hued homemade sweet vinegar jelly and flower petals atop. Other highlights include the charcoal-grilled Hon Maguro Cheek ($68 or $88 depending on size) and the 21-day A5 Miyazaki Steak ($98 or $118 per 100g, minimum of 200g). The sweet treats don’t disappoint as well. Try the homemade Genmaicha ice cream ($6), small rectangular blocks of flaky, icy layers that have a milky and toasty brown rice flavour. 6 Raffles Boulevard, #01-18 Marina Square. Tel: 6224 3433
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Inspired by his tenure at London’s Quo Vadis restaurant, chef and owner Jean-Philippe Patruno has opened Dehesa, a nose-to-tail dining concept. Look out for the mixed platter of cold cuts such as a three hour slow-cooked pig liver and head pâté (called fifi pâté), cured pork lard, chorizo, and terrine ($25). The porker also makes an appearance as a buttery tower of bone marrow ($22). Patruno intends to serve fried pig’s ears as a snack accompanied with a shot of mezcal and tequila in the near future. 12 North Canal Road. Tel: 6221 7790
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TRADITION AT ITS FINEST
FANCY A KOREAN HOTPOT? With an Instagram-worthy interior that shouts rustic chic, Masizzim , the new South Korean diner on Orchard Road, is dressed for the avid social media user. Tuck into bubbling pots of Australian beef short ribs ($18), Australian mixed pork ribs ($16) or chicken ($16) stews—each is served in a small cast-iron pot then kept warm over a flame—in the sauce of your choice. There are two options for the sauces: non-spicy soy sauce sweetened with pineapples and Korean pear or the fiery gojuchang base. Don’t miss the Margherita pizza-inspired kimchi pancake topped with tomato sauce, melted mozzarella cheese and basil ($13). 313 Orchard Road, B3-02, 313 Somerset. Tel: 6509 5808
87 Club Street #01-01 Singapore 069455 WINE & DINE 23 www.cugini.com.sg | 6221 3791 | cugini@singnet.com.sg
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ITALIAN SPIRIT, ASIAN VOICE East Bureau mixes the flavours of Asian cuisine with Italian classics in creations by executive chef of CRE8 Group, Samdy Kan. The hip industrial-chic restaurant is the latest establishment by the group responsible for Supply and Demand and Equilibrium, and boasts a full length bar and al fresco dining area. Here Kam pays homage to familiar dishes such as Hainanese chicken rice with Poached Drunken Chicken in Savoury Cucumber Granita ($15) and flips a traditional Italian dessert on its head with his rendition of a Savoury Soya Milk Panna Cotta with Shoyu Jelly and Abalone ($15). 6 Raffles Boulevard, #03-03 Marina Square. Tel: 6837 0148
JOINING THE BRUNCH WAGON With so many places around the island promising a comforting spread of breakfast goodies, it can be tough to recognise the gems from the other overpriced wannabes. We say Bread Street Kitchen’s newest brunch menu is worth waking up for. You would find us lazing at this spot on a Sunday morning, digging in to their Buttermilk Pancakes ($18) drizzled with honeycomb butter, maple syrup and fresh banana slices. The avocado wedges on pumpernickel toast with poached eggs and mustard mayo ($15) makes for a healthy choice to go with one of their freshly squeezed juices or Cacao Avocado Smoothie ($11). Brunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm. Bay Level, L1-81, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Tel: 6688 5665
This Month’s Lunch Pick In Town Where Din Tai Fung What This renowned Taiwanese restaurant chain recently celebrated its 12th year in Singapore, by introducing 12 new dishes to the menu at their Paragon outlet. Many items stand out, such as the crunchy and tantalising Black Fungus with Ginger Strips & Vinegar Dressing ($5.50); the Yam Paste wrapped in Crispy Roll ($6.60), which comes across as a savoury snack-like version of the Teochew orh nee (yam paste) dessert; and the Steamed Assorted Mushroom Buns infused with Truffle Oil ($5.80/3 pcs). #B1-03 Paragon. Tel: 6836 8336
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Experience an amazing Japanese feast! Pick from up to 300 dishes from our á la carte menu. All our fresh and high quality produce such as seasonal seafood are imported from Tsukiji, Japan. Our new outlet has opened on Telok Ayer Street . Come visit our new restaurant and enjoy our special offer of beers at below $5 each! (only at Telok Ayer outlet) Lunch 11.30am to 3pm (3pm last order)
Dinner 6pm to 10.30pm (10pm last order)
Tien Court’s new Cantonese spread Sporting a refreshed a la carte menu, Tien Court brings to the dining table more Cantonese dishes created by master chef Ho Tien Tsai. Herbs in the Double Boiled Black Chicken with Cordycep Flower Soup ($14) and Braised Japanese Japonicus with Black Garlic and Spring Onion in Abalone Sauce ($22) strengthen the immune system and aid in the build-up of antioxidants. Seafood lovers will want to get the Pan-fried Scallops buttered with Foie Gras ($34) and enjoy the umami-laced Sauteed Prawns with Egg White and Truffle Oil ($9 for 100g). 403 Havelock Road, Level 2 Copthorne King’s Hotel Singapore. Tel: 6318 3193
New Outlet: 51 Telok Ayer Street #01-02, Singapore 048441 Tel:67868484 E-mail: telokayerst@rakuzen.com.sg Time2@Millenia Walk, Singapore 039596 6333 Orchard 1171 Fax: 6333 1161 078867 1 Tras Link,Tel: #01-16, Hotel, Singapore Email: milleniawalk@rakuzen.com.sg Tel: 6444 8433 Fax: 6444 5660 WINE & DINE
email: orchard@sushi-kou.com.sg
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TEOCHEW DELIGHTS The Paradise Group of restaurants has made its first foray into Teochew cuisine with Teochew Paradise. Teochew diners can be a hard bunch to please, since their light dishes require plenty of fresh ingredients and a sparing use of spices. Thankfully, Paradise Group appears to have spared no expense to ensure the kitchen team rustles up only the most authentic flavours. Executive chef Cheng Fa Kwan, who hails from Hong Kong, has 34 years of experience in Teochew cooking. For starters, pick the piquant Teochew Four Varieties Combination: Teochew Pork Roll, Teochew Prawn Ball, Braised Sliced Duck and Pan-fried Scallop with Minced Garlic ($10 per person, minimum 3 persons). The must-try here is the Steamed Diced Chicken wrapped in Egg White Crepe ($18 for small portion), a scrumptious pancake-like dish packed with chicken bits, Chinese ham, diced water chestnut and bamboo. 21 Amber Road, #03-01 (Arrival Pavilion), Chinese Swimming Club. Tel: 6348 7298
WHOLESOME BITES Chef Emmanuel Stroobant has opened Saint Pierre Market, a gourmet delicatessen. Even though the menu comprises pre-packed and ready-to-eat items, expect the same Saint Pierre philosophy of fresh produce. There’s even the signature flourless chocolate cake here. For breakfast on-the-go, grab a freshly baked chocolate croissant, bircher muesli or a glutenfree muffin. During lunch time, pick from vegan soups to go with any of the six different salads. Try the Chef’s Favourite ($12.80)—a mix of organic chick pea, romaine lettuce, cucumber, shaved 24-month-old parmesan cheese and toasted walnut. Whole wheat tortilla wraps and sandwiches with fillings like organic kale and poached organic sakura chicken are also available. 391 Orchard Road, #02-11 Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City. Tel: 6694 4414
our french pick of the month Where Nicolas Le Restaurant Why Head to this restaurant located along the row of shophouses on Teck Lim Road in Chinatown and try their lunch menu ($42). Pick from starters such as Grilled Iberico ‘Pluma’ Pork Shoulder or Pan Roasted Duck Foie Gras. Do try the main course of Tasmanian Pasture Rack of Lamb served with ratte potato, reblochon, tomato concasse, lamb sausage, or Aged Angus Beef Tenderloin served with reduction of balsamico vinegar. 10 Teck Lim Road. Tel: 6224 2404.
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Red House Seafood
Wan Hao Restaurant
REUNION DELIGHTS RING IN THE MONKEY YEAR WITH THESE MOUTH-WATERING CHINESE NEW YEAR FEASTS.
Yan Ting
Hua Ting Steamboat
Min Jiang
Red House Seafood is offering a Reunion Takeaway Tiffin Set for six persons ($188). Place the three-tiered red tingkat on your dining table and it could be the perfect conversation starter. Dishes contained within are the Wok-fried Sautéed Fresh Lily Bulbs, Wild Mushrooms with Asparagus; Sautéed Trio of Seafood with Pineapple in Chef’s Spicy Sauce; and the Braised Pork Belly with Special Sauce. The set also comes with Prosperity Raw Salmon Yu Sheng, Steamed Fried Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf and Mandarin Oranges. On 7 February, dine-in Reunion Dinner set menus range from $288 for four persons to $888 for ten. Look forward to dishes such as the Signature Scottish Blue Lobster with Creamy Custard Sauce and the Stewed Ginseng Chicken Wrapped with Cabbage. 68 Prinsep Street. Tel: 6336 6080 / #01-14 The Quayside, 60 Robertson Quay. Tel: 6735 7666. New executive chinese chef Bryan Wong at Wan Hao Restaurant, Marriott Singapore Tang Plaza Hotel, has designed a range of Prosperity set menus from $98.80 (four-eight persons) to $1888 (ten persons), available between 18 January to 22 February. Expect highlights such as Tuna & Lobster Yu Sheng, Roasted Duck marinated with Ginseng Sauce, and Wan Hao Signature Roast Chicken with Shredded Fillet. Also available are takeaway goodies such as Wan Hao’s Deluxe Pen Cai ($738 for six persons; $1388 for 10 persons) brimming with delicacies such as pig trotters, 3-head Australian abalone and Japanese large conpoy. 320 Orchard Road. Tel: 6831 4605. Head to Yan Ting at The St. Regis Singapore and check out its Lunar New Year set menus. Available from 11 January-22 February, prices range from $118-$198 (six courses for a minimum of two persons) and $1288-$3888 (eight courses for ten persons). The Prosperity Yu Sheng with Norwegian Salmon is enhanced by refreshing fruits such as marinated papaya, honeydew, peach, pomelo, snow pear and dried orange peel. On the takeaway menu, go for the Abundant Fortune Glutinous Rice Cake ($32), which is just the right clingy texture without being too sweet. 29 Tanglin Road. Tel: 6506 6887. WINE & DINE
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Two new Yu Sheng platters await diners at Min Jiang, Goodwood Park Hotel and Min Jiang at One-North. The Crispy Salmon Skin ‘Lo Hei’ ($118-large) features crispy salmon skin instead of raw fish, and includes fresh vegetables, pine nuts and ‘pok chui’ (crispy golden pillows) for an added crunchy texture. Alternatively, the Fruity ‘Lo Hei’ with Bacon and White Truffle Oil ($128-large) is refreshing with its medley of fruits like mango, rock melon and strawberries, interspersed with strips of bacon, deep-fried yam and potato slivers. Dine-in Prosperity set menus at Min Jiang are at $98 and $128 (minimum two persons) and between $538 (six persons) to $1788 (ten persons). At Min Jiang One-North, prices range from $108 and $128 (two to six persons) and from $788-$1388 (ten persons). 22 Scotts Road. Tel: 6730 1704 / No.5 Rochester Park. Tel: 6774 0122.
Xi Yan
Cherry Garden
Head to Hua Ting’s sister restaurant, the brand-new Hua Ting Steamboat, for a reunion hotpot celebration this Lunar New Year. Choose from three set menus (minimum two persons) available between 2-14 February, priced at $88, $98 and $118. Tuck into Sliced Japanese Top-grade Wagyu Beef, Fresh Scallops, Live Prawns and Handmade Pumpkin Fish Paste Noodles, simmered with nutritious broths like Tomato Soup with Century Egg & Coriander, or Shark’s Bone Cartilage Soup with Fresh Bean Curd Sheets. Your dining experience will include dessert of the day and complimentary bottle of House Wine or Sparkling House Wine (for groups of four persons). Claymore Connect, mezzanine level #01-08, 442 Orchard Road. Tel: 6739 6628.
Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant
Seasonal Tastes
Park Hotel Clarke Quay
Hai Tien Lo
From 26 January onwards, Xi Yan Private Dining will offer special six-course menus at $128 and $148, eight-course menus at $108, $128 and $168, and a special nine-course menu at $188. A lighter lunch menu at $88 will also be available. Try new dishes such as Chilled Fresh Lobster Coconut Jelly; Pan Fried Kurobata in Hua Diao Wine with Pomelo, Water Chestnut, Strawberries and Yuzhi Salad; and Braised Cinnamon Spare Ribs with Osmanthus Wine. 38, Craig Road. Tel: 6220 3546. Usher in the year of the Monkey with Cherry Garden at Mandarin Oriental. Set menus range from $128-$268 (minimum two persons). Don’t miss the Cherry Garden Luxurious Pen Cai, weighing in at 25kg and measuring 45cm in diameter. Dig in to find treasures like braised 4-head abalone, lobsters, scallops, crispy pork belly, waxed sausages, mushrooms and black moss. Highlights on the takeaway menu include the the Red Dates Nian Gao ($48) and the signature Cherry Garden Fortune Gift Box ($58), featuring miniature green tea mochi balls filled with sweet lotus paste and macadamia nuts. 5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square. Tel: 6885 3500. From 18 January to 22 February, choose from nine reunion set menus at Li Bai Cantonese Restaurant, Sheraton Towers. Prices range from $148 (minimum two persons) to $4800 (ten persons) with dishes such as Steamed Red Garoupa with Yunnam Ham and Lotus Leaf, as well as Braised Abalone with 28
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Dried Oyster and Black Moss. There’s also a takeaway menu with dishes like the Lobster and Abalone Fortune Pot for six persons ($388), made up of 19 layers of ingredients rich in auspicious symbolism. 39 Scotts Rd. Tel: 6839 5623.
Forest
Tien Court
Shisen Hanten
If going for a sumptuous buffet is your idea of welcoming the year of the Monkey in style, head to Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Singapore for their Lunar New Year’s eve dinner buffet ($108) or Lunar New Year’s day lunch or dinner buffet ($55 and $75 respectively). Look forward to delicacies such as Mini Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a double-boiled fish maw and crab meat broth with ingredients like abalone and mushrooms. Also have your fill of dim sum and roast meats from the Cantonese BBQ station, and choose from a side selection of sashimi and seafood such as Alaskan king crabs, Maine lobsters and oysters. 12 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 2. Tel: 6922 6968. From 6-22 February, feast on banqueting chef James Wong’s Lunar New Year lunch and dinners at Park Hotel Clarke Quay. Prices range from $228 (for four-six persons), $338 (for six-eight persons), to $518 or $618 (for six-eight persons). Look out for innovative dishes such as the Emperor Herbal Chicken in a Basket, Green Tea Mayonnaise Prawn and Jumbo Salted Egg Yolk Prawns. For dessert, try the Deep-fried King of Fruit with its satisfying mouthfuls of creamy durian paste wrapped in thin crispy batter. 1 Unity Street. Tel: 6593 8888. At Hai Tien Lo, Pan Pacific Singapore, choose from a selection of eight set menus by master chef Lai Tong Ping from 25 January-22 February. Enjoy treats such as Pan-fried Foie Gras with sliced Barbecued Beijing and Smoked Duck, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall with Matsutake Mushroom and Braised Whole Abalone with Sea Cucumber and Dried Oysters. Prices range from $168.80 (minimum two persons), $128.80 (minimum four persons), $118.80 (minimum six persons), to $188.80 onwards (minimum eight persons). If you prefer to host your own reunion party, consider the Premium Wealth Treasure Pot ($368 for six persons) as the centrepiece of your dining table. 7 Raffles Boulevard. Tel: 6336 8111.
Head to Forest for an eclectic feast this Lunar New Year. On the à la carte menu, have a choice of traditional Yu Sheng ($78, serving size for two-four persons), the Fruity & Vegetable Yu Sheng ($23 per person), or the Carpaccio Hokkaido Scallop Yu Sheng ($28 per person). There is also an array of main dishes to choose from, such as the King Prawn steamed with Chinese “Hua Tiaw” Wine and Egg White ($38). Or choose from a selection of lunch and dinner Lunar New Year set menus from 25 January – 22 February, priced from $68-$888 featuring special dishes such as the Trio Sea Treasures (Braised with 6-head Abalone, Fish Maw, Sea Cucumber, Dried Oyster and Black Moss). Equarius Hotel, Lobby, Resorts World Sentosa. Tel: +65 6577 6688. This Lunar New Year, look out for signature dishes like Whole Roast Suckling Pig ($238) and Koi Fish Nian Gao ($18.80) on the takeaway menu at Tien Court, Copthorne King’s Hotel. Another highlight is the Prosperity Pen Cai ($298 for a mediumsized one) which comes filled to the brim with all the good stuff like whole abalone, dried oysters, conpoy, prawns, duck web and black moss. Takeaway set menus are priced from $408 (six persons) to $668 (10 persons). Or dine in at the restaurant and feast on one of their sumptuous reunion dinner sets starting from $68 (minimum four persons), which include dishes like Prosperity Fresh Lobster and Salmon Yu Sheng, Sautéed King Prawn with Foie Gras and Stewed Abalone and Pig Trotter with Mushrooms and Black Moss. 403 Havelock Rd. Tel: 6318 3193. Ring in a prosperous year of the Monkey with a gastronomic experience by chef Chen Kentaro of Shisen Hanten, Mandarin Orchard Singapore. From 15 January-22 February, choose from ten set menus themed around auspicious symbols like Prosperity, Fortune, Success and Wealth. Try new dishes like Alaskan Crab Meat Noodles with Fresh Yuzu Broth, Braised Whole Marble Goby with Chinese Wine, and Stir-fried Kurobuta Pork with Red Wine Sauce. Prices range from $98 (minimum two persons) to $688 (five persons), to $1088$2188 for 10 persons. On the takeaway menu, sample creations like Beetroot Nian Gao ($38) and Spicy Almond Cookies ($28). 333 Orchard Road. Tel: 6831 6262. WINE & DINE
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FEASTS FROM THE HEART
Sheraton Towers Singapore
SOME ESTABLISHMENTS REMIND US THAT A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY WHEN IT COMES TO SHARING THE WARMTH OF A REUNION MEAL WITH THE LESS PRIVILEGED DURING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR Who: Sheraton Towers Singapore Hotel What: Lunch for 25 to 35 residents from Geylang East Home for the Aged How: In collaboration with Food, Drinks and Allied Workers’ Union (FDAWU), Sheraton Towers Hotel will be preparing a 7-course festive menu that includes celebratory dishes such as salmon yu sheng and whole steamed fish. The hotel’s general manager Steven Long, his management team and representatives from FDAWU will join their guests for a boisterous lunch. At the end of the event, each guest will also receive a goodie bag filled with mandarin oranges and red packet. Who: Goodwood Park Hotel What: Activities include visiting St Joseph’s Home and providing residents with a lunch buffet, and inviting low-income and oneroom flat dwellers from the Tiong Bahru area to the hotel for a Chinese New Year set lunch and lo hei. How: Around 15 to 20 hotel staff will join St Joseph’s Home residents in lo hei with yu sheng provided by Min Jiang’s restaurant team. The buffet menu is yet to be confirmed but could include dishes like Sliced Deboned Fish Congee, Fried Bee Hoon with Shredded Duck, Steamed Mini Abalone Siew Mai, and Almond Beancurd with Longan. The hotel staff will also join the elderly and their caregivers in a sing-along session. For the Tiong Bahru residents, dishes could include items like Steamed Sea Perch Fillet and Steamed Chicken with Chinese Herbs. Who: Si Chuan Dou Hua What: Lunch for around 80 underprivileged elderly from the Central Singapore District How: In collaboration with the Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC), Si Chuan Dou Hua will 30
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host around 80 beneficiaries from Central Singapore District on 16 January to a Chinese New Year lunch at their restaurant at TOP of UOB Plaza. Dishes will include auspicious festive items like Fortune Abalone Yu Sheng, Stir-fried Glutinous Rice with Waxed Meat and New Year Cake with Red Beans. Guests will also receive a goodie bag worth $20, containing daily essentials and a red packet. HOW YOU CAN HELP… The Food Bank returns with their Gong Xi Goodies Drive for the month of February. Hoping to raise awareness that food should not go to waste, they will be happy to receive Chinese New Year goodies that are not expired and are undamaged and unopened. They welcome all donations from bakeries (unsold goodies), corporates (hampers), and the public (excess goodies). However, they will not collect party leftovers due to food hygiene reasons. After sorting through the goodies received, they will pass them on to member beneficiaries, who will in turn distribute them to those who are in need. Some of their beneficiaries include Bethel Community Services, Sun Love Home, Brighthill Evergreen Home, HOME (Humanitarian Organisation of Migration Economics), Boys Town, Serangoon Moral Family Service Centre, Man Fut Tong, The Salvation Army, Yong En Care Centre, Family Life First, AG Home, and Thye Hwa Kuan Family Service Centres. Donations can be sent to their warehouse at 9 Keppel Road #01-02/04, Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Volunteers who would like to help them sort through the goodies received are most welcome. For more information, contact enquiries@ foodbank.sg or call 6831 5395.
Goodwood Park Hotel
Si Chuan Dou Hua
SPECIAL FEATURE
More than just a spicy feast Szechuan cuisine brings to mind tonguenumbing Mala hotpots or Mapo tofu doused in copious amounts of chilli oil but as Tian Bao Sze Chuan Kitchen shows, there’s much more to this southwestern Chinese food.
T
ucked away on the fifth floor of Ngee Ann City is Tian Bao Sze Chuan Kitchen, a restaurant serving traditional Szechuan street food alongside fiery bowls of the ubiquitous Mala (‘tongue-numbing’) tofu and fried chicken with spicy peppercorn. The eatery also offers diners the options of lesser known Szechuan flavours that don’t heat up your palate. In fact, the cuisine from southwestern China consists of seven flavours such as sourness, pungency, heat, sweetness, bitterness, aromatic and saltiness that come together to form various flavour profiles. One such combination is the kou shui wei (mouth-watering flavour) that is evident in the crunchy and refreshing Cold-Stir Wild Black Fungus ($2) appetiser. Then there’s the searing Mala flavour that is characterised by the famous Szechuan pepper, a berry from the prickly ash tree. Its numbing properties are attributed to a chemical called hydroxylalpha sanshool. The spice is usually accompanied with a generous quantity of garlic and chilli oil, a style you’ll find in the Wok-fried Chicken Cubes with Dry Chilli ($12.60). It is said that Szechuan locals add chilli to their dishes in order to strengthen their immune systems against the dreary winters and humid summers. Not all Szechuan dishes make your tongue numb, though—fermented bean paste is used in Mapo tofu. The plate of dark red gravy, minced pork and soft tofu is less spicy than it looks. A typical street food from the province’s capital of Chengdu, the Dan Dan Mian ($8.80), a dish of noodles topped with minced pork, pickled vegetables, soya sauce, sesame oil and chilli paste (optional), will also appeal to those with a lower tolerance for spicy flavours. The fried, chewy Glutinous Rice Cake in Premium Black Sugar Sauce ($7) is the ideal dessert to round off those hearty flavours. Black sugar not only lends a maltlike saltiness but is also rich in minerals and vitamins like potassium, calcium and iron. The dark saccharine liquid is also served with the Osmanthus Ice Jelly ($3.80).
391 Orchard Road, #05-06/07 Ngee Ann City. Tel: 6734 4216 WINE & DINE
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TO THE MARKET words LYDIA LIM
GROUND MEAT YOU CAN TRUST
If the recent health warnings surrounding processed meats have prompted you to look for healthier alternatives for your meaty bites, head to Ryan’s Grocery. The gourmet grocer’s sausages don’t contain any harmful ingredients like sulphites or nitrates. They are also gluten-free and made with all-natural casings at the store. Try the Farmhouse Beef Sausages ($2.80 per 100g), made from 100 percent organic beef. Not a fan of beef? They do chicken sausages from antibiotic and hormone-free birds as well as pork sausages from free-range pigs. Available at Ryan’s Grocery.
A MIGHTY MODICUM OF SPICE
Try these Sri Lankan white peppercorns from Tom Hugh Spice. These little white berries, which come from a line of certified Fair Trade and organic spices produced by Sri Lankan farmers, pack a punch. Rustle up some scrambled eggs or potato rosti and sprinkle some of these on top. It also adds a spicy touch to your creamy béchamel sauce. $15 for a 150g pack. Available at The Fishwives.
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TO THE MARKET
ENJOY THIS COOKIE, BLOCK BY BLOCK
Poppy and Co.’s latest treat, the Speculoos Cookie Butter Chocolate, is the answer to every speculoos butter lover’s sudden cravings. The Swiss milk chocolate bar is filled with crunchy spiced Belgian cookie crumbs, cookie butter and chocolate praline. Crush this into some vanilla ice cream for the perfect after-dinner treat. $9. Available at Naiise.
MARVELOUS MIXERS
The newly revamped Jones the Grocer offers a range of unusual cordials to stock in your pantry. Take the Blood Orange and Cardamom cordial, for instance. Its beautifully rich vermillion hue comes from the juice of fresh blood oranges. The citrus flavour goes really well with the fragrant cardamom spice to make this syrup suitable for anything—cocktails, mocktails or desserts. Mix with soda water and it’ll lend a splash of pink to your refreshing drink. $29.90. Available at Jones the Grocer.
DROPS OF GOLD
Mikuni Wild Harvest’s Noble Handcrafted Tonic 02 is one special maple syrup to have in your pantry. Infused with Tahitian vanilla bean and Egyptian chamomile flowers, it has a floral, fruity, anise-like flavour. Use it in your baking adventures, or simply go ahead and drizzle it over pancakes for a very indulgent morning treat. $48 for 450ml. Available at Dean & Deluca.
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DESTINATION DINING words LIN WEIWEN
BACK TO THE CLASSICS The Altamarea Group’s newest venture in New York is French restaurant Vaucluse. Executive chef Jared Gadbaw thinks many French eateries in the city have incorporated local ingredients into their cuisine, to the point “where many of the classics are forgotten”. “At Vaucluse, we want to bring back some of those labour-intensive, technique-heavy dishes because you just can’t find them easily anymore,” says Gadbaw. Expect nods to many old favourites, such as the Escargots á la Bourguignonne (US$22/S$31) paired with red Carmargue rice, feta and garlicparsley butter, and the Truite à la Grenobloise (US$35), a pan-sauteed tout with brown butter and capers. For the sweet-toothed, you can also pop-in for a lunch dessert and savour treats like Paris-Brest (US$12), a choux pastry packed with caramelised white chocolate and praline. 100 East 63rd Street, Park Avenue, New York, 10065. Tel: +1 646 869 2300
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PICNIC IN THE CITY As its name suggests, Picnic on Forbes in Hong Kong’s Kennedy Town is all about casual French fare, the kind of goodies you will find stashed away in a picnic basket. The interior—a set-up of wooden tables and concrete flooring—feels more like someone’s extended kitchen area than an eatery. Chef Philippe Orrico rustles up comfort fare like Roasted Chicken (HK$488/S$88) and the Picnic Basket (HK$298) that includes treats like pork rillettes, olives, baby radishes, quinoa salad, and mushroom salad. 38 Forbes Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2855 0810
PERU COMES TO MACAU Fans of Mitsuharu Tsumura can now look forward to the award-winning Peruvian chef setting up shop in Macau in the last quarter half of this year. The chef, who runs Maido in Lima, will open in Aji in the upcoming MGM Cotai property. Expect a Hibachi grill, a ceviche bar and a pisco bar, along with a wide choice of sakes, shochus and wines.
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DELUXE words LU YAWEN
Home on the Water FloatWing is a luxurious customisable lake house with the capabilities to be self-sustainable for a week, making it the ideal weekend getaway house. Its modular design means that it works just as well as a studio or a three bedroom house, fixed to the bank or gliding across water with two outboard motors. For yuppie tree huggers, the structure can also be fitted with solar panels and a wastewater treatment plant. For enquiries, email info@gofriday.eu
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Getting juiced up The handmade WoodUp Qubi beautifully conceals the Apple Watch’s round magnetic charger and cable in a cube made up of two materials; a top half of sustainable walnut wood processed with Leinos natural oil, and a bottom of anthracite-coloured concrete. A micro suction pad on the bottom keeps the charging stand stuck safely in place as well. Available for ₏69.90 at www.woodup.de
Stand by your work Equal parts statement furniture and office desk, the TableAir adjusts to the height of your outstretched hand, thanks to a motion-sensitive Smart Button. It also has a LED strip that glows in the colour of your choice. Sitting or standing too much could be detrimental to your body so TableAir helps make sure you get enough of both with a self-timer as well. Available for $4,180 (wood tops) or $3,434 (glossy top) at Datumstruct
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DELUXE
FLOAT THIS IDEA
A lighting fixture Houdini would be proud of, the Flyte light bulb floats above its wooden base via magnetic levitation. Elements of conscious design are evident in the long-lasting LED bulb and sustainably sourced ash wood.
Available for US$349 at www.flyte.se
A UNIQUE CUT Brazilian designer, Max Poglia, taps into the rustic South American craftsmanship to create enviable handcrafted knives, of which no two are similar. Intentionally battered, the blades are made from repurposed steel while a combination of wood, horn, bone and solid brass make up the hilts. The steel blade shows signs of wear and tear as it ages, adding to this item’s rustic charm. Get on the waiting list at www.poglia.co/order-now/
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THREE THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT THE SNYPER IRONCLAD Designed for practical utility and built like a tank, the sporty timepiece is the perfect watch for the demanding adventurer.
Made to last The case is carved from a single block of precious metal such as stainless steel, titanium or gold and thus is less likely to break compared to a case made up of multiple different components. It undergoes a 12-hour process (what process? The moulding? The carving?) unlike the regular quick stamping most brands use. Comes with its own accessory Two fixation bars at the 9 o’clock position lets you attach a separate windproof cigar lighter or laser beam. With its angular grooves and detailing, the compact accessory is an uncanny replica of a sniper rifle scope. Make a statement Snyper Ironclad watches are not dainty tickers; the case comes in a diameter of 49mm or 53mm. With its motif crown, sharp corners and sleek hands, the stout, masculine timepiece will draw attention whether you are out sailing with your friends, or leading your team in the boardroom.
Available at E’Collezione WINE & DINE
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Nature’s Gifts
Special
42 The many faces of ginseng 54 Drink this tonic— cocktails with ginseng 58 Cooking with bird’s nest
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EXPLORING ITS ROOTS From gnarled to stocky, and white to red, the ginseng comes in myriad shapes and colours that are enough to confuse the neophyte. We dig up everything you need to know about this prized ingredient. words LU YAWEN, LYDIA LIM and CHARLENE CHOW
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AMERICAN GINSENG VALUABLE FOR TRADE—AND DEER American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is largely found in deciduous forests in the Appalachian and Ozark regions of the U.S. and in Canada’s southwestern Quebec and southern Ontario. The commercial history of the root is traced to the early 18th century, when Father Lafitau, a Jesuit priest and missionary among the Iroquois, found the plant near Montreal, and the Jesuits started shipping dried roots to China. Soon it became only second to fur as a trading commodity in the region. Even before that, Native American tribes were familiar with the herb: the Menominee hunters chewed the root and used their medicinal, herbaceous breath to lure deer, while the Pawnee used it in combination with other substances as a love charm.
AN ALLY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER? Today, American ginseng is commonly taken for its cooling properties. Compared with Asian ginseng, it contains more plant chemicals known as ginsenosides which act as adaptogens that help the body adapt to various stresses. It is also believed to have health benefits such as immunity stimulation, suppression of inflammation and bacterial infection, protection against heart attacks and cardiac failure, reducing metabolic stress, enhancing exerciseinduced muscle injury protection and regulating diabetic complications. In the case of the Wisconsin ginseng, apart from warding off the common cold and
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helping to reduce blood sugar in diabetics, it apparently has some effect on cancer patients: in 2012, a study led by the Mayo Cancer Clinic linked the Wisconsin root with helping to reduce the impact of fatigue levels of breast cancer patients.
WANT THE BEST? GO WILD American ginseng’s age and its cultivation generally set the difference in the quality and price of the product. The most prized is wild ginseng, which is sown naturally in ginseng-growing woodlands. Second in rank is wild-simulated ginseng, where cultivated ginseng is grown under natural tree canopy as shade and pesticide is usually absent. Third, woods-grown ginseng that is grown under natural tree canopy in forestlands but the resulting harvest is not organic. Lastly, field-cultivated ginseng that is grown under artificial shade and intense cultivation, including the use of pesticides. Wild roots are usually smaller and lighter, darker in colour, gnarled, forked, and have many concentric growth rings. Cultivated roots are often larger, lighter in colour, shaped like a carrot, and have less concentric growth rings. Since the plant is considered an endangered species, there are strict rules on the harvesting and export of American ginseng. For instance, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in the U.S., only wild roots that are more
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“Menominee hunters chewed the root and used their medicinal, herbaceous breath to lure deer, while the Pawnee used it in combination with other substances as a love charm.” than five years old can be exported, while in Canada, wild roots are not allowed to be exported at all.
GINSENG POWERHOUSES Ontario in Canada and Wisconsin in the U.S. are two of the main production centres for cultivated American ginseng. Ontario produces the largest amount of American ginseng in the world. Its cultivated ginseng industry was started in the 1890s, by the Hellyer family near Waterford, when brothers Clarence and Albert began growing American ginseng with seeds cultivated from wild roots. It currently produces 4-4.5 million pounds (1.8-2 million kg) of ginseng root annually, of which 90 percent is exported for commercial use in Asia. American ginseng has been cultivated in Marathon, Wisconsin since the 1800s and accounts for 95 percent of total cultivated ginseng production in the U.S. It is known for its bitter taste and believed to be of a higher grade than other cultivated American ginseng. A Nov/Dec 2015 report on Wisconsin ginseng by USDA Magazine Rural Cooperatives highlighted that there were 183 Wisconsin growers who produced 600,000 pounds of ginseng, worth US$45 million this year. However, Wisconsin
ginseng has faced issues with mislabelling and counterfeiting, despite the initiation of the Wisconsin Ginseng Seal programme in 1991. One measure taken by the Wisconsin Ginseng and Herb Cooperative has been to sign distribution agreements with renowned Chinese medicine companies like Eu Yan Sang and Tong Ren Tang.
TERROIR IS NOT JUST FOR WINE Through buying surplus seeds from Canada, some Chinese harvesters have turned to cultivating American ginseng in China since the 1970s, particularly in Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning. According to Growing and Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal and other Woodland Medicinals (2014), over 1000 acres of American ginseng are planted and harvested annually in open fields under artificial shade. The Ontario Ginseng Growers Association (OGGA), however, thinks that the Chinese would not be able to reproduce quality North American Ginseng by growing it in their country, as it is native to Canada: the climatic conditions and soil make a big difference to the taste and aroma of the root. Demand for Canadian-grown ginseng is high which is why both volume and price have risen over the past few years.
ENJOY IT EVEN AS AN ICE CREAM American ginseng is usually taken as a dried root, powdered root (loose or in capsules), as powdered extracts (in capsules), as a tea or infusion, or as tinctures (liquid extracts). But there are also innovative ways of incorporating ginseng into other food products. In 2013, the OGGA partnered XTC Gelato in Hong Kong to launch a limited edition Ginseng Gelato in four flavours: Honey Ginseng Gelato, Ginseng Green Tea Gelato, Ginseng Oolong Tea Gelato and Stracciatella Ginseng Gelato. This year, they brought back the promotion featuring Honey Ginseng Gelato and a new Yuzu and Canadian Ginseng Gelato. In 2014, they teamed up with Kisses Cupcake in Hong Kong to produce a limited edition Honey Canadian Ginseng Cupcake.
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ASIAN GINSENG WINE & DINE
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THE ROOT EVERYONE WANTS Indigenous to the mountainous forests of the northern temperate zone of Eastern Asia, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer or Asian ginseng is found in Korea as well as north-eastern China. As wild ginseng naturally occuring in mountains is extremely rare and expensive, most of this medicinal root is cultivated by man in natural, shady forests or grown in fields that mimic the moist, cool environment. It has been used in traditional Chinese and Korean therapies since the ancient times. Today, Panax ginseng is highly treasured as its restorative benefits outweigh its American counterpart. The herb is from a plant with yellowish-green umbrella-shaped flowers that grow in the centre and produce red berries. The portion with all the nourishing qualities is the taproot, distinguished by its resemblance to a human body with two arms, legs and thin offshoots called root hairs. The etymology of ‘Panax’ comes from the Greek word which means to cure all. Traditionally in Korea, Panax ginseng is called insam. In China, it is known as ren shen.
WHITE, RED OR BLACK—PICK YOUR POTENCY Within Korea, there are various ginsengs that are differentiated by their processing methods. Naturally dried ginseng, for example, is known as white ginseng. A more popular variety is red ginseng, created by steaming prior to drying, which is believed to enhance its efficacy:
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the steaming process causes chemical reactions within the root, greatly amplifying its properties and turning it red, while the drying condenses the active compounds. Hence, Korean red ginseng, which is usually four to six years old, produces a stronger effect when compared with the regular white ginseng. Korean red ginseng is further categorised into three grades: chunsam (heaven-grade red ginseng), jisam (earthgrade red ginseng) and yangsam (goodgrade red ginseng), with chunsam being the finest quality. For top quality chunsam, the root tissue appears more compact. Other varieties include Taekuksam, a yellowish brown ginseng that is derived by blanching in hot water (90°C) for 20 minutes before it is dried, and Black Red Ginseng, a high quality six-year-old black root prepared through a process of steaming and drying for nine times in order to create higher levels of saponin.
GREAT FOR THE WINTER Panax ginseng contains higher amounts of Rb1 ginsenosides than American
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“Pharmaceutical studies have also shown that amino acids and other compounds in ginseng help in dilating the capillaries in the skin, promoting its blood circulation, and regulating sebum and moisture levels. ”
ginseng. Its benefits include increasing digestive tract movement, liver protection and antioxidant properties. In addition, it also improves stamina and boosts the immune system. Broadly speaking, Panax ginseng is considered heaty (yang) while American ginseng is cooling (yin). Brandon Yew, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician who graduated from NTU Biomedical Sciences-TCM Double Degree Programme, clarifies that the terms are abstract and figurative. The effects of Asian and American ginsengs are different due to their growing conditions: generally, herbs that thrive in colder places such as Panax ginseng are ‘hot’ because they need to withstand the temperature and vice versa, while those nurtured in warmer climates like American ginseng are ‘cooling’ in nature. Thus Panax ginseng, which is believed to warm up our body and promote healthy blood circulation, is considered heaty when compared with American ginseng, Yew explains.
FOR BETTER SKIN, APPLY GINSENG Pharmaceutical studies have also shown that amino acids and other compounds in ginseng help in dilating the capillaries in the skin, promoting its blood circulation, and regulating sebum and moisture levels. It isn’t surprising that many Korean skincare labels like Sulwhasoo and The History of Whoo have dedicated ginseng product lines. According to research by Sulwhasoo, even the ginseng berries are found to have powerful antioxidants and skin barrier capacity, further magnified when combined with the root itself. These precious fruits are only found on 4-yearold or older ginseng once in its life during one to two weeks in July. Applying ginseng externally can be greatly effective in the prevention of wrinkles and signs of skin aging.
KOREAN SOUP FOR THE SOUL Ginseng is commonly enjoyed as a traditional soup dish called Samgyetang in South Korea. Specialty restaurants serve this nourishing broth comprising whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, Korean ginseng, dried jujubes, garlic and ginger. Served as a tonic in the summer, this replaces nutrients lost through excessive sweating.
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PANAX NOTOGINSENG PRIZED IN CHINA
A relative from the Araliaceae family, Panax notoginseng is most commonly known as sanqi (meaning ‘three seven’ in Mandarin) or tianqi in its native country, China. Named after the appearance of its foliage—it has three branches and each grows seven leaves—the plant’s tuber has a stockier form than the more popular Asian or American ginseng. In Yunnan and Guangxi, where it is cultivated under black tarp to reduce the herb’s exposure to sunlight, farmers believe that it can only be harvested when it has matured
“The plant is said to absorb so much nutrients from the soil that the earth it is grown in can’t be used to farm crops for 20 years.”
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between three to seven years. Wild varieties are longer and more nodulated than their farmed counterparts and highly valued given their rarity. Earliest records of Chinese herbalists using Panax notoginseng date back to the 16th century during the Qing Dynasty when it was revered by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts, including renowned Chinese pharmacologist Li Shizhen. Like authentic ginseng, the tuber contains chemical compounds such as ginsenosides and saponins that lend the root its many health benefits. The herb’s main advantage, however, is its homeostatic or regulating effects on the cardiovascular system.
NEED A MEDIC? LOOK FOR PANAX The Panax notoginseng has been hailed as a ‘miracle root’ in TCM for
its antioxidant properties and ability to aid with blood coagulation to stop bleeding, and regulating blood flow by dilating arteries and preventing blood clots; two paradoxical traits that make it potentially dangerous if administered incorrectly. More notably, it is the primary ingredient in Yunnan Baiyao, a powdered herbal remedy, which was used to stop soldiers from excessive bleeding during the Vietnam War. As a result, the herb has been given a class 2B rating by the American Herbal Products Association, who has advised that it should not be consumed by pregnant women. The Panax notoginseng’s potency mostly comes from its thick root, which is either dried and ground into powder or used in herbal soups. Its flowers offer different health benefits such as ‘cooling’ the body and reducing cholesterol when consumed as tea. The plant is said to absorb so much nutrients from the soil that the earth it is grown in can’t be used to farm crops for 20 years.
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JAPAN’S OWN PRECIOUS ROOT Ginseng was so sought after even in the 18th century that the root was cultivated in Japan to compete with the prized Korean ginseng. Named Panax japonicus, it was used widely in kampo, traditional Japanese medicine with origins in TCM. It also goes by the name of zhu jie shen, zhu san qi and chikusetsu-ninjin. The health properties of the tuber don’t differ too much from the Panax ginseng but it does contain lesser ginsenosides and thus deemed less potent or valuable. However, it has an edge over its closest cousin, the Panax notoginseng, as it is known to treat respiratory ailments including cough and phlegm. As with all ginsengs, the wild variety of the Panax japonicus can demand a higher price but finding some is rare due to exploitation and environment deterioration. These days, the species of Panax is grown in parts of Japan such as Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku and also in China’s Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan. It offers a more affordable option but is rarely used by TCM herbalists in Singapore. Instead, it’s been known to show up in flavourings for teas and liqueurs or in cosmetics and skin care products such as moisturisers or face creams.
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CALLING BLUFF A HANDFUL OF HERBS HAVE BEEN THRUST ONTO THE GINSENG WAVE FOR THEIR SIMILAR TONIC-PROPERTIES WHEN THEY ARE, IN FACT, NOT AT ALL RELATED TO THE PANAX GENUS.
Before you consume ginseng Ginseng may not be for everyone though. Those with a ‘heaty’ constitution (symptoms such as frequent sore throat, swollen gums, headache and migraine and insomnia) should avoid taking it. The same rule applies to those who are pregnant or nursing, suffering from high or low blood pressure, or taking blood thinners or anticoagulant drugs. It is recommended to seek the consultation of a doctor if you are unsure about how ginseng consumption would affect your current health.
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Siberian ginseng Commonly
marketed with the Asian and American ginseng, the Siberian variety is called eleuthero or ci wu jia, and comes from a different genus in the Araliaceae family. Native to Russia, East Asia, China and Japan, the root is used in TCM to treat bone marrow suppression, angina, insomnia and boost appetite. In the U.S., it is illegal to mislabel eleuthero as a ginseng.
Alaskan ginseng The Devil’s Club or devil’s walking stick is found in conifer forests from South Central Alaska to parts of Canada such as west Oregon, Alberta and Montana. The plant looks nothing like the Panax ginseng; it has large leaves and its stem is covered in spines. The shrub is considered sacred by the Tlingit and Haida tribes who use it to treat diabetes, make paint or ward off evil.
Indian ginseng
From the solanaceae (nightshade) family, the ashwagandha or poison gooseberry is a prominent herb in Ayurvedic medicine. The plant, whose Indian name means ‘the smell of a horse’, is known to strengthen the immune system and restore vigour. Ashwagandha’s orange-red berries can also be used as a substitute for rennet enzymes in cheese-making. Cultivated mostly in India’s dry regions, it can also be found in Yemen where its leaves are ground to make a sunscreen-like paste.
Brazilian ginseng Suma or hebanthe eriantha from the Amaranthaceae family grows in the Amazonian forest. It is reputed to enhance well-being and boost overall health. The main part of the plant used is its root, which is dried and ground into powder. Suma can also be consumed as capsules or as a liquid extract added to water or juice.
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SALMON AND VEGGIE SALAD WITH JAPANESE MISO DRESSING AND CANADIAN GINSENG POWDER (RECIPE PROVIDED BY THE ONTARIO GINSENG GROWERS ASSOCIATION (OGGA)) Ingredients • 20gm black fungus • 50gm carrot • 60gm onion • 1 tomato • 100gm salmon Dressing • ½ lemon • ½ tbsp Japanese miso salad dressing • ½ tbsp olive oil • ½ tsp Canadian ginseng powder Method 1. Soak the black fungus and boil until fully expanded. 2. Cut the carrot, onion, black fungus and tomato into slices. 3. Mix all dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad. Ready to serve.
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BOOZY ELIXIR On its own, ginseng tea is an acquired taste. But four bartenders in Singapore show that with a dash of a liqueur or two, you’ll be reaching for a second glass instead. words LU YAWEN art direction URSULA DENISE LIONG photography JAMES LIANG
T
he health benefits of ginseng tea list like an overachiever’s report card—it suppresses arthritis and diabetes, aids digestion, fights obesity and boosts the immune system, thanks to the high amounts of ginsenosides or chemical compounds it contains. Its distinctive bitter and earthy flavour, however, is an acquired taste. We challenged four bartenders to come up with concoctions that revolve around this gnarled tuber. Pairing ginseng with citrusy notes seems to be a favourite way to lend the cocktail a spritz of zest.
MEI LI REN SHEN By Kelly D’Cruz, bartender at The Secret Mermaid Serves 1 • 200ml sugar syrup • 1 sachet ginseng tea • 40ml Half Moon gin • 20ml Atsby Armadillo Cake vermouth • 10ml Campari • 20ml lemon juice • 2 dashes Barkeep Chinese bitters • 1 egg white • assorted spices, for garnish Methods: 1. Boil sugar syrup and ginseng tea over low heat for 10 minutes. 2. Add all the ingredients and 20ml of ginseng tea syrup into a shaker. 3. Shake and serve in a Collins glass with assorted spice garnish.
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“Serve the drink in a collins glass to accentuate its herbal flavours.”
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“i added coriander to incorporate Latin American flavours; the herb is used in a lot of South American dishes as well.”
PANAX & RIO By Christian Hartmann, owner and executive bartender at Vasco Serves 1 • 45ml Cachaca (Brazilian rum) • 20ml ginseng tea (unflavoured) • 25ml honey • 25ml lemon juice • a handful coriander or cilantro Methods: 1. Muddle 8 to 10 coriander leaves in a shaker. 2. Add the remaining ingredients then add ice. Shake hard. 3. Strain over ice cubes into a lowball glass and garnish with coriander.
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WINTER REVERIE By Mark Graham Thomas, bartender at Tapas 39 Serves 1 • 40ml housemade geranium gininfused with lavender • 5ml housemade Cointreau-infused with osmanthus • 5ml chamomile liqueur • 30ml ginseng tea • 20ml lemon juice • 10ml nutmeg and honey syrup Methods: 1. Add all ingredients into a shaker. Shake well. 2. Double-strain and serve in a teapot and matching cup.
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“the iron teapot and cup imitate a traditional chinese tea ceremony while nutmeg, once an ingredient at the heart of the spice trade, is a nod to trade routes of the past.”
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EAST MEETS WEST By Aaron Goodall, bartender at The Cufflink Club Serves 1 • 45ml J&B Scotch (Rare) • 25ml citrus • 20ml honey syrup • 30ml ginseng tea • dehydrated lemon and candied ginger for garnish Methods: 1. Combine ingredients into shaker. Add ice. 2. Shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds 3. Double strain into small rocks glass with a large ice cube. Zest with lemon (discard the skin). 4. Garnish with dehydrated lemon and candied ginger.
“Ginseng tea reminds me of the old Western remedy of Penicillin, which is why my cocktail is inspired by New Yorker Sam Ross’s concoction of the same name. I had to substitute Laphroaig whisky with a subtler Scotch to avoid masking the root’s delicate taste.”
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SEASON’S BEST
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SEASON’S BEST
SPIN A PRECIOUS THREAD Stuff it into a chicken wing or pair it with black truffle, the prized bird’s nest is more than just an ingredient for a double-boiled tonic. words LYDIA LIM art direction URSULA DENISE LIONG photography JAMES LIANG
W
ith a touch of water, the finely-spun bird’s nest seems to unravel itself into a transparent, jelly-like texture. Before it takes on this supple form, it resembles the thinnest of thread woven together. This powder-beige handiwork is done by swallows that excrete their saliva to create nests for laying their eggs. Considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, bird’s nests are found in caves or house nests in Southeast Asia, with the Bai Yan nest from Indonesia being one of the most valuable—it contains more than 90 percent pure saliva while the Feather and Grass types, on the other hand, contain a mixture of the swiftlets’ saliva with other materials like feathers, twigs or leaves. Speciality bird’s nest store, King of Nests, carries this superior grade bird’s nest. Co-founder Ying Yih shares that harvesters take the nests after the birds have abandoned them. In traditional nesting sites like Borneo’s Niah or Gomantong Caves, workers have to scale flimsy bamboo poles to heights of sometimes 60 metres to scrape nests off the rock surfaces. Nowadays, more bird’s nests suppliers (like the ones King of Nests work with), collect the nests in man-made swiftlet houses which are fourstorey high, windowless concrete structures that mimic the natural habitat. The birdhouses have tiny holes for the swiftlets to fly in. They are painstakingly cleaned by hand (a meticulous task that involves removing feather with a tweezer), washed and dried naturally before
consumption. It’s not just the arduous preparation process that lends bird’s nest its high price and reputation as a delicacy in Chinese cuisine—the ingredient is also prized for its nutritional benefits. Those who consume it believe that the salivary excretions are rich in protein, amino acids and other nutrients, which aid digestion, rejuvenate the skin, and alleviate sore throat and asthma. Advocates of traditional Chinese medicine have also consumed it as a tonic for decades. The bird’s nest can be incorporated into many Chinese dishes, adding a nourishing element to your food. While popularly made into a sweet soup, executive Chinese chef Tony Wun of The St. Regis Singapore flaunts the versatility of bird’s nest in three savoury recipes. His chicken wings stuffed with a mixture of bird’s nest and shrimp paste is a surprising example of how this delicacy can be fried and incorporated into simple dishes. When soaking dried bird's nest to prepare for cooking, executive chef Nicky Ng of Mitzo Restaurant & Bar recommends checking it every 15 to 20 minutes to prevent it from becoming overly gelatinous. Wun shares that authentic bird’s nest will expand into whole strips in the water and not break into pieces. Beware of artificial versions which will turn the water murky. After cooking the wispy ingredient, it should be silky smooth in texture. Bai Yan bird’s nests are available from King of Nests. Visit www.kingofnests.com to purchase.
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NICKY NG
Executive head chef, Mitzo Restaurant & Bar
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efore joining Mitzo, 49-yearold Ng built his repertoire at notable five-star hotels around the world. He also served as executive chef de cuisine at the Michelin-starred Hakkasan in New York in 2011.
DOUBLE BOILED ALMOND DESSERT WITH SUPERIOR BIRD’S NEST Serves 4 Bird’s Nest Topping • 100gm Superior Bai Yan Bird’s Nest (Available from King of Nests) • 1 litre water • 110gm sugar Almond Dessert • 300gm whole almond nuts • 150gm Chinese almonds (South) sweet • 75gm Chinese almonds (North) - bitter • 225gm rock sugar • 18gm almond powder • 2.1 litre water • 45.5gm corn starch
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Method: 1. Prepare the bird’s nest topping by soaking the dry bird’s nest in tap water for 30 minutes. 2. Once softened, mix the bird’s nest with water and sugar, and simmer for 30 minutes. Set aside. 3. Combine whole almond nuts, Chinese almonds (North), Chinese almonds (South), rock sugar and almond powder in a blender and blend till it resembles fine powder. 4. Mix in water and strain the mixture to get rid of lumps. 5. Bring the mixture to a boil and add in corn starch. Mix well and set aside. 6. Place the bird’s nest topping on top of the almond dessert, and serve.
SEASON’S BEST
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CHILLED AVOCADO MILK SHAKE WITH SUPERIOR BIRD’S NEST Serves 4 Bird’s Nest Topping • 100gm Superior Bai Yan Bird’s Nest (Available from King of Nests) • 1 litre water • 110gm sugar Vanilla Custard • 600gm avocado • 225gm honey • 150gm whipping cream • 1150ml fresh milk 62
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• 1 drop green colouring Method: 1. Prepare the bird’s nest topping by soaking the dry bird’s nest in tap water for30 minutes. 2. Once softened, mix the bird’s nest with water and sugar and simmer for 30 minutes. Set aside. 3. Combine all ingredients for milkshake into a blender and blend until smooth. 4. Top the milkshake with bird’s nest topping and serve chilled.
BIRD’S NEST COCONUT BRÛLÉE
SEASON’S BEST
Serves 4 Bird’s Nest Topping • 100gm Superior Bai Yan Bird’s Nest (Available from King of Nests) • 1 litre water • 110gm sugar Coconut Brûlée • 120gm coconut juice • 120gm fresh milk • 2 whole eggs • 40gm sugar Method: 1. Prepare the bird’s nest topping by soaking the dry bird’s nest in tap water for 30 minutes. 2. Once softened, mix the bird’s nest with water and sugar and simmer for 30 minutes. Set aside. 3. To make the coconut brûlée, combine coconut juice, fresh milk, whole eggs and sugar in a bowl and mix well. 4. Strain the mixture and pour into a small bowl. 5. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and steam for 20 minutes until firm. 6. Once brûlée is ready, add the bird’s nest topping on the top of it, and serve.
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SEASON’S BEST
TONY WUN Executive Chinese chef, The St. Regis Singapore
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stalwart with over 35 years of culinary experience, Wun helms the kitchen at The St. Regis Singapore’s exquisite Cantonese restaurant Yan Ting. He adds a refined, modern touch to authentic Cantonese dishes.
CHICKEN WINGS STUFFED WITH BIRD’S NEST AND SHRIMP PASTE Serves 1 Ingredients • 20gm black garlic • 100ml chicken broth • salt, to taste • concentrated chicken seasoning, a pinch • 50gm shrimp paste • 20gm Superior Bai Yan Bird’s Nest, crushed (Available from King of Nests) • 1 pc chicken wing • sugar, to taste • vinegar, to taste
2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
Method: 1. Prepare black garlic essence by
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blending black garlic, chicken broth and salt together till it forms a juice-like liquid. Add concentrated chicken seasoning and salt to the shrimp paste and mix slightly. Add the crushed bird’s nest into the mixture. Mix well. Next, remove the bones from the chicken wing, then stuff the mixture into the chicken wing. Rub vinegar and sugar over the chicken wing and leave to dry. Fry the marinated chicken wing over high heat until it turns golden brown. Ready to serve.
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BRAISED BIRD’S NEST BROTH WITH BLACK TRUFFLE Serves 1 Ingredients • 1 pc Superior Bai Yan Bird’s Nest (Available from King of Nests) • 300gm pumpkin • 100ml chicken broth • pinch of concentrated chicken seasoning • pinch of salt • pinch of potato starch • 10gm black truffle Method: 1. To prepare the bird’s nest, submerge the bird’s nest in tap water and leave to soak
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overnight. 2. Steam pumpkin for 45 minutes and stir it until it resembles a paste. 3. Boil the bird’s nest for 10 minutes, and dry with a paper towel. Set aside. 4. Mix chicken broth, pumpkin paste, concentrated chicken seasoning and salt together. 5. Add potato starch onto the bird’s nest then place bird’s nest on top of the chicken broth mixture. 6. Place sliced black truffles on top. Ready to serve.
SEASON’S BEST
FRIED BIRD’S NEST WITH EGG WHITE Serves 1 Ingredients • 1 pc Superior Bai Yan Bird’s Nest (Available from King of Nests) • 3 egg whites • 50ml fresh milk • 50ml chicken broth • pinch of salt, • pinch of concentrated chicken seasoning • pinch of potato starch
Method: 1. To prepare the bird’s nest, submerge the bird’s nest in clear water and leave overnight. 2. Mix egg whites, fresh milk, chicken broth, salt and concentrated chicken seasoning together. 3. In a wok, add the mixture and fry over low heat until it solidifies. 4. Add the bird’s nest and continue to stirfry for a while. Ready to serve.
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TUTORIAL
Fancy footwork Under the hands of Fu Lin’s head chef Warren Poh, the gelatinous Teochew pork trotter jelly gets a crispy, deep-fried update. words LU YAWEN art direction URSULA DENISE LIONG photography JAMES LIANG
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or some, pig’s trotters are seen as the less desirable parts of an animal along with its intestines, head and rear end. Still, the gelatinous offal is used in many dishes, usually to thicken soup stock with its natural collagen in cuisines such as Okinawan oden (a type of soup) and Hungarian körömpörkölt (pig feet stew). It is also used in Teochew cuisine to make a terrine-like jelly of skin and meat. Warren Poh, head chef of Fu Lin, a yong tau foo eatery by day and modern tapas joint by night, has made the pig’s feet more palatable by presenting it as a crunchy, deep-fried finger food with an Asian twist. The entire cooking process takes more than a day but Poh reckons “it’s worth your effort”.
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Similar to its Teochew counterpart, the dish is a mainstay at Fu Lin but Poh has added red date stuffing to suit the Chinese New Year festivities. The fruit, also known as jujube or Chinese date, has long been used in tonics and herbal soups for its various health properties like treating indigestion and replenishing qi. In the Pork Feet Stuffed with Red Dates Purée recipe, the fruit also lends a sweetness to the blend of salty and sour flavours.
PORK FEET STUFFED WITH RED DATES PURÉE SERVES 1 • 1.2kg pig’s trotter • 2 pieces bay leaves • 20ml Chinese rice wine • 15 black pepper corns • 2 star anise • 5 cloves • 80ml olive oil • 3gm salt • 1 cinnamon stick • 100gm pitted red dates
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500ml water 30gm butter plain flour egg wash of 2 eggs 300gm bread crumbs 350gm mirin (Japanese sweet wine) zest of 1 lemon zest of 1 orange 2 sprigs spring onions 75ml honey 150ml Kikkoman soya sauce 1 Japanese cucumber handful of chives, chopped
Method 1. Blowtorch the hair off the pig’s trotter. In a Ziploc bag, put the trotter, bay leaves, rice wine, pepper corn, star anise, cloves, olive oil, salt and cinnamon. Sous vide the bag at 85˚C for 10 hours. 2. After which, make an incision to debone the trotter then place it on a pan with skin side down. 3. Make red date purée by soaking red dates in water for 20 minutes then drain well and chop roughly. Sauté in butter for 3 minutes then add water and bring to a boil. Keep it on medium heat for 15 minutes. Blend the mixture into purée. 4. Shred the meat then cover the bottom of a flatbased A4-sized container (or smaller) with 40 percent of trotter meat and spread a thin layer of red date purée. Cover it with the remaining meat. Ensure the height of the meat is at least 1½ inches thick. 5. Using another pan as a weight, compress the trotter for 4 hours in the fridge to let the gelatin set. 6. Remove from fridge, flip the pan over and torch the pan to allow the trotter to detach from the pan. Cut the meat to 28cm by 14cm or your desired size, and coat each portion with a layer of flour. Shake off excess flour then coat with egg wash and bread crumbs. Fry at 170˚C till deep golden brown. 7. Prepare the teriyaki sauce by flaming mirin in a pot to evaporate its alcohol content then add lemon zest, orange zest, spring onions, honey and Kikkoman soya sauce. When the mixture comes to a boil, let it simmer on low heat till it reduces to a thicker gravy-like consistency. Put it aside and let it cool. 8. Julienne a Japanese cucumber and slice the pig trotter patty. On a plate, place the cucumber and patty alongside then drizzle over teriyaki sauce. Sprinkle with chives to finish.
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SAVVY KITCHEN words CHARLENE CHOW
In Fine Form
With its heavy-duty motor and stainless steel blades, the Cuisinart SG-10 Electric Spice-and-Nut Grinder helps you blend your essential ingredients such as five-spice powder or nutmeg into fine silt. The machine is equipped with a push-top lid for easy on-off control while the container bowl holds up to 90gm. Available at stores like ToTT and LemonZest for $148.
take out the (useful) garbage BAKE SMART The new and improved Bosch MaxxiMUM Sensor Control Kitchen Machine comes with a power-packed 1600W motor and a sensor control for making perfectly whipped cream and egg whites. Baking buffs would also appreciate this appliance’s new smart dough sensor that maintains a consistent mixing speed even when handling stiff dough. Accessories include handy add-ons like a meat mincer and a sausage stuffing set. Available at all leading departmental stores for $1,699.
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Do your bit for the environment with the compact and odourless Smartcara Food Recycle composter. In just three hours, your food waste will be reduced by 90% and turned into a nutrient-rich fertiliser for your garden. It’s also easy to use—just load the food scraps into the removable dishwasher basket. Its sleep mode feature also ensures that electricity bills are kept low. Available at Kitchen Story for $499.
SAVVY KITCHEN
STRICTLY FOR HOPHEADS
Get creative with PicoBrew’s Zymatic all-grain fully-automatic beer-brewing machine. Design your own combinations or choose from thousands of recipes in the recipe library—they even have some for gluten-free beers. The machine takes four hours per brew and produces 2.5 gallons per batch. You can keep track of the progress on your computer or smart devices, share your recipes with others, or rate recipes from other enthusiasts in the PicoBrew community by connecting it to the Internet with its WiFi mode. Each complete set comes with a keg, a keg cozy, brewing accessories and a beer ingredients kit. Available at www.picobrew.com for US$1,999.
A Machine Your Barista Would Approve of
Bring your favourite coffee joint into your kitchen with Rocket Espresso Milano’s sleek dual boiler espresso machine, the Rocket R58 V2. The handmade beauty features PID temperature control, a full commercial rotary pump and the flexibility of either plumbing water from your kitchen water source or making use of its 2.5 litre water reservoir. The combination of independently operating dual boilers and a thermos siphon system gives the espresso boiler stability with higher levels of steam pressure and hot water supply. Available at Papa Palheta for $3,900.
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ASIAN FOOD CHANNEL EXCLUSIVE’
Pride on a Plate Food Wars Asia is back with new host Debbie Wong, who is raring to suss out the best versions of iconic dishes in Southeast Asia. images FOOD NETWORK
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resh from taking one of the two top spots on Food Hero—AFC and Food Network’s Asia-wide search for new on-air talent—Debbie Wong helms season two of Food Wars Asia. Spanning the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the show will pit renowned local food establishments against each other to see who makes the best versions of dishes like the Filipino Kare Kare or the Indonesian Nasi Padang. Since 2012, Wong, who spent the last 10 years living in Montreal, New York and Hong Kong, has produced and hosted her own web series Wok and Gong, where she cooks, explores new eateries and interviews chefs. She is also the host of Food Network’s original web series Kitchen Quickies, in which she recommends easy recipes for people on-the-go. Who are the judges on the panel this time around? The judges are a mix of fans, celebrity food personalities and other public figures. For instance, in the Philippines segment, we have actor Joel Torre, chef JP Angolo and chef Mike Tatung. For Indonesia, one of the fans (of restaurant Sari Bundo) is actress and singer Ria Irawan. Can you give some examples of dishes that will be featured on Season 2? We go very local, picking the iconic dishes of each place. In Singapore, we tried Chicken Rice, and in Malaysia, we tried Assam Pedas, a fish served with a sourspicy gravy. How does the show round down to the two restaurants that will face off against each other in each episode? The judges, fans, production team and I all had a say in the process of rounding down and selecting the dishes and restaurants. The dishes were judged on taste, visual appeal and technique.
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Were there any instances where the two dishes had very similar tastes and it was almost too close to call? Yes, there was one dish from Indonesia, Bebek Goreng, that was very similar. I realised that the judges were commenting on how the flavours brought them back to their memories of the dish. It was really down to what they preferred and which dish they had an emotional reaction to. What is your observation on the relationship between food and the locals you met in Southeast Asia? I think the common thread running through the places we visited was the authenticity of the culture and the importance of food to the locals. There is such a blend of different ethnic groups in Southeast Asia, and this really shows in their cuisines. I loved talking
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to the restaurant owners and the cooks because you can see that all of them are passionate about their work. To be able to bring them to a bigger audience meant a lot to me.
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1 Debbie with contestants in Quezon, Philippines 2 Kare-Kare from the Philippines 3 Bebek Keleyo from Indonesia 4 Nasi Padang from Indonesia
During the face-off, is the atmosphere among the fans as competitive as it sometimes appears on the show? People are very passionate in Asia about the particular establishments that serve a certain kind of food. For example, some people will go, “This is the only place that I go to for Chicken Rice.” In the end, there is no real animosity towards the winners or the losers. The atmosphere is usually friendly and people are congratulatory with each other. Did you glean any culinary tips while you were filming the series? I learnt that many establishments in Southeast Asia used fresh ground turmeric in their dishes and it is just beautiful as the flavours pop. I am very used to using ground dry turmeric instead. I also picked up tips on how new flavours blend and behave. You also host the web series ‘Kitchen Quickies’ on Food Network. What’s your favourite recipe for a quick and delicious meal? Pasta! It’s very versatile, seems to be universally loved, and offers endless variations to cooking it. It is also a great way to use leftovers. With whatever you have in the fridge, all you need is to add pasta to them and—boom!—you have dinner. Catch season two of Food Wars Asia starting 11 January, every Monday at 10.00pm, on the Food Network (StarHub TV Ch 433). WINE & DINE
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Singapore’s
top restaurants 2015
Singapore’s Singapore’s Top Restaurants 2015
top restaurants 2015
18th EDITION
presented by
18th EDITION
MCI (P) 071/12/2015
WINE&DINE Singapore's Top Restaurants Digital App The authoritative guide to the award winning places to dine in Singapore is now digital! Interactive content features reviews from incognito tastings along with essential information on quality dining spots. Plus the chance to provide instant feedback with the Zapp Feedback scanner.
social media share buttons • interactive navigation • provide instant feedback through Zapp • menus
TRG SPECIAL
In this special feature, we present two Special Award winners from WINE&DINE Singapore’s Top Restaurants 2015. They beat some 400 restaurants island-wide to be recognised as the crème de la crème of the industry.
Best Ambience (Asian)
BUILDING A THEME
The intricate décor of Rang Mahal holds tales of tradition and craftsmanship. Managing director of Rang Mahal Restaurants, Ritu Jhunjhnuwala, tells us what to look out for. What décor elements did you retain after Rang Mahal’s facelift in 2012? We kept our antique handcrafted Indian bronze cooking vessels or urlis, which are representative of the restaurant’s heritage as well as the authenticity of our food served. These pots were handmade in India by a single mother of two and were previously known to store rice, fermented pickles, lentils and grains. We also retained our feature screens. They are reminiscent of the ones used in palaces in Rajasthan and represent the grandeur of royalty in India. Another unique piece is our Ganesha statue—the elephant god—at the entrance of the restaurant. It has stood by our doors since 1971. What is the most unique artefact in Rang Mahal? Our Madhubani painting in the private room. This intricate piece, which took artist Chandra Bhushan 11 months to complete, was designed especially for guests to appreciate. These types of paintings are made using natural dyes on handmade paper, and set within a thin layer of cow dung to stop the ink from spreading. It is often painted using only twigs, leaves and fingers, making the process an extremely immaculate one. Tell us about the private dining room’s ambience. Our private dining room features a long, 18-seater timber dining table that is set against champagnecoloured raw silk-covered walls as well as a comfortable private lounge area for guests to enjoy some pre-dinner chatter. Lighting is adjusted continuously throughout the day depending on the amount of sunlight streaming into the restaurant to ensure a warm setting. Other details include the projection of traditional Indian motifs on the ceiling as well as the modern Indian music playing in the background. How would you describe the style of food served here? It is authentic Indian food with a modern presentation. The dishes are from the northern, coastal and southern regions of India. Some of our signature fare are our lamb chops, grilled prawns, tandoori Portobello mushrooms and quinoa upma. Our most popular vegetarian dish is our home-smoked eggplant bharta (minced eggplant).
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TRG SPECIAL
Most Outstanding Dining Experience
CASUAL FRENCH FLAIR
Chef de cuisine of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Lorenz Hoja, walks us through the philosophy of his counter-dining restaurant. In your opinion, is L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon considered a fine dining restaurant? Singaporeans consider us a fine dining establishment, but we are not. We want people to understand we are a casual dining restaurant that serves high quality ingredients. We also want our service staff to be friendly towards customers: they should laugh and be comfortable with them. How do you differentiate yourself from other French restaurants? You can interact directly with the chefs as you sit at the dining counter in front of the open kitchen. You can hear, smell and see everything that is going on. The kitchen was first constructed, and the entire restaurant was built around it. What are the signature dishes we should try? The quail stuffed with foie gras and caramelised with soya sauce and garlic. Another signature dish every diner asks for is the mashed potatoes that Joël Robuchon is famous for. It is an outstanding dish that personifies what he is all about—simplicity. Is there anything you’ve tweaked for the local palate? We use less salt and tend to make everything spicier to cater to the local palates. In Europe, everything is saltier. When we braise things, the sauces are heavily reduced, creating a rich, natural saltiness but the guests here are not accustomed to it. It is a learning process for both sides—for us to be more open to local produce and ingredients from this region, and for people here to be more willing to accept our dishes in their unadulterated European tastes.
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PERSONA
Old world romanticism Matthew Shang, principal at multidisciplinary design practice Hassell, can’t resist the allure of heritage buildings and learning the stories behind them.
matthew
words LU YAWEN
You recently designed The Club Hotel on Ann Siang Road. How was the project like? We sat with them to reimagine what it could be, and decided on the inn model. It’s a challenging property to start with because it’s a protected heritage building. It also comprises three separate shop houses so there are variations in height between each unit. We worked around the narrow space by making sure the connection between spaces is as accessible as possible; there’s a wide stairway to the courtyard and direct access into the basement club. The building consists of four floors with a rooftop bar, a basement and two floors of accommodation so there’s quite a bit of navigation you’ve to do. Where do you find inspiration? It’s crucial for any designer to travel as much as possible because it is when you get emotional moments that you gain insight on what elements are needed to recreate the same feeling. For example, I went to Salina in Italy and felt that I had the best salad of my life at an al fresco eatery, looking out at the view. As a designer, I break down the pleasant experience to factors such as the breeze, shade and even type of furniture. It’s all those small moments that build up to create great experiences. What is an interior design trend in Singapore? There’s definitely an interest in crafts. For Luke’s Oyster Bar & Chop House at Gemmill Lane, we worked with Italian craftsmen and they created the bar from a two-tonne block of marble. There’s something inherently beautiful in knowing that the huge marble counter is made by hand. We had the same idea to emphasise craftsmanship with Manhattan at Regent Singapore where we put the barrel-ageing room right by the entrance. The barrels were actually going to be located at the back of house but putting them in front lends some sort of mysterious charm, which prompts the guests to learn about them. What would be your dream project to work on? At Hassell we have a pool of various professionals from different fields such as landscaping and architecture so I’d like more projects that enable us to tap on all of our resources. Personally, I’d love to be involved in a restoration of an old
hotel. I’m a little bit of a romantic and I love the idea of old stories; the romance of the place. I worked on the Lake Palace Hotel in India, a palace built on an island in the 60s which wasn’t renovated until now. I had so much fun reimagining a new purpose and narrative for the property. Any future projects you’re working on? We are working on a lobby bar at Park View Square where we’re proposing an art intervention to give the existing Art Deco interior a breath of fresh air. We also completed a new Italian restaurant called Angeleno’s along Gemmill Lane. It’s exciting to be part of a dynamic new community that’s being created in that area.
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ASK THE WINE GURU
WE GET OENOPHILES TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ON ALL THINGS VINO. What is the purpose of cover crops grown on organic vineyards? Cover crops, also known as green manure, are plants grown to suppress weed and control diseases and pests. They are also vital to the soil quality. Cover crops can range from grasses, buckwheat or brassicas, which include mustard, rapeseed or forage radish. Their residues enhance the earth’s organic matter and biological activity as well as protect it from water and wind erosion. Choosing the types of crop to grow depends on the site you have. Wineries have to consider their style of farming and yield, for example, whether to increase or decrease vegetative growth. For instance, grass produces high biomass and dense fibrous root systems, preventing soil erosion in the vineyards. Due to their high carbon content, grasses break down slower than legumes, resulting in longer lasting residue. Albet i Noya, a Spanish winery and one of the pioneers of organic winemaking, uses cover crops instead of chemical fertilisers. The vineyards are treated with organic material recycled from composted cellar residues and shredded vine shoots. Every autumn, a mixture of five grasses is sowed between the vines. They are cut in the spring and left for a fortnight to decompose, before being ploughed back into the soil. The plants contribute a balance of nitrogen, carbon and cellulose to the earth. - Manoj Jaiswal, sommelier and assistant manager of Catalunya Singapore I noticed some Pinot Noir bottles have low-shoulders while those from Bordeaux have higher ones. What is the significance of their different shapes? Bordeaux bottles have high shoulders to allow sediments to be captured, rather than having them poured into the wine glass. Lower tannin varieties like Pinot Noir from Burgundy don’t have as much sediments and thus their bottles have lower shoulders. Another thing to note about bottles is their storage capabilities. On a flat surface, Bordeaux-shaped bottles can be stacked with all the necks facing a single direction, whereas Flute- and Burgundy-shaped bottles should be stored in opposite directions. Bottles with indentations at the base are also sturdier because they are fortified with more glass. I do not think the different bottle shapes affect the taste of the wine, though, especially since it is not the final vessel in which it is consumed from. - Yeo Xi Yang, sommelier of Les Amis WINE & DINE
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WINE TALK
A LEAP OF FAITH A decade ago, Yoshiaki Sato traded a cushy banker’s job for the agricultural life of a winemaker. Today, he is making some of the best wines out of Central Otago. words LIN WEIWEN
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ith a fine point marker and an A4 paper, Yoshiaki Sato draws me a map of the Mount Pisa area in Central Otago, New Zealand. Elongated shapes and wavy lines dance across the paper. “My Pisa Terrace vineyard faces the east,” he says, as he shades a round corner to emphasise its contour, “so it receives plenty of morning sunlight.” He writes the Japanese kanji characters for the cardinal points, and then—realising that I may not understand them—scribbles their English equivalents. Now the whole drawing looks a little peculiar; an outline of some mountainous prefecture in Japan, penned with observations like “alluvial soil” and “schist”. The map is almost like Sato’s own calling card, a sketch of his own background and ethos: a former Japanese banker who left his decade-
long finance career in 2004 to pursue his dream of making Pinot Noir in Central Otago, where he has plenty of faith in the region’s terroir. “The banking industry is wonderful; it gave me many opportunities to see the world,” recalls the bespectacled, mildmannered 44-year-old, who worked in Tokyo and London during his days as a suited up sarariman. “But I was lending money to others to make something for themselves or their company—I wasn’t creating anything for myself. I wanted to do that, and the only thing I could think of was wine, since I had a big interest in it. I decided to change my life.” PAYING HIS DUES After studying oenology at Lincoln University in Christchurch in 2007, Sato headed to Central Otago to “try to get myself settled in a region”. He found
work at Felton Road winery, where, under the guidance of winemaker Blair Walter, he tried his hand at organic and biodynamic winemaking. “Blair is a kind guy,” says Sato. “I learned a lot from him but I felt I needed to prove to myself and others that I really had what it took to survive in this industry; I had to see if I could take more physical work.” Some may call his next move rather ascetic. He took six weeks off from Felton Road to do a stint at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Germany’s Malterdingen because “German winemaking culture is very strict and I wanted to work in a tough place”. Under the supervision of the late, renowned winemaker Bernhard Huber (he died of cancer in 2014), Sato got the boot camp he wanted: he worked from 7am to 7pm in the vineyards, picking grapes alongside Polish workers. It was only after his shift was done that he was allowed to work in the winemaking facility—he would end each day at 2am. Sato’s diligence impressed Huber, and the German reciprocated by answering whatever technical questions his Japanese worker had. The subject of Huber’s death draws a little sigh from him. “Without his training, I don’t think I could have made it this far,” he opines. He is equally modest about his own wines, which already have a reputation for being among some of the best in Central Otago. After joining Mount Edward as their winemaker in 2009, he started his own wine business, Sato Wines, on the side, and sought the advice of Alsatian natural winemaking pioneer Jean-Pierre Frick by visiting him and letting him try his quaffs. He continues to visit Frick every two years with some of his vintages in tow. His goal? To understand the art of natural winemaking. “I don’t think I can learn how to make natural wine in New Zealand. Vintners are still rather conservative, and many of them still prefer to add additives to their wines,” says Sato, who eventually left Mount Edward in 2012 to focus on his own company with the help of his wife, Kyoko. “But I believe you can make wine just from the grape itself.” Sato subscribes to minimal intervention and purity for his natural WINE & DINE
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“ADDING PRESERVATIVES TO A WINE TO MAKE IT LAST EIGHT OR 10 YEARS SOUNDS ARTIFICIAL TO ME."
winemaking. He uses natural yeast— found on the grape skins—during fermentation, and does not add sulphur dioxide (conventionally used as a preservative) during vinification and ageing. He thinks that sulphur dioxide kills most of the microbial activity in the vino, eventually leading to a loss of complex flavour development. “If my wine can last for only four to five years, then I’d explain to my customer that he should drink it within that time span. Adding preservatives to make it last eight or 10 years sounds artificial to me,” he muses. ADAPT TO THRIVE At present, adhering to his zero-additive policy is a little tricky but manageable. As he does not own a winery, he shares Rockburn Wines’ winemaking facility in Central Otago. From 9am to 6pm, as Rockburn’s winemakers use the equipment and work with industrial yeast, Sato’s fermenters are shut tight. Like his midnight shifts at Huber’s winery, he can only begin his tasks in the facility late at night. He sanitises all his tanks and barrels, to ensure that other bacteria from the day’s chores don’t end up in his wines. He doesn’t own the five hectares of vineyards in Mount Pisa too, preferring to work like a negociant. However, he manages those organic plots alone, and all viticultural work is done by hand. The vineyards bear schist in the soil, a characteristic that lends a stony, minerally edge to the wine. In 2012, he started making Chardonnay, a wine he feels is underrated in Central Otago “because local consumers got bored of it many years ago”. If anything, Sato’s Chardonnay 2013 should encourage more 82
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1 The rugged landscape of Central Otago 2 Yoshiaki Sato and his wife, Kyoko 3 Sato's vineyard at Northburn Station, Central Otago 4 All ready for the fermenters 5 Sato's range of wines 6 Pinot Noir grapes
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of his peers to revisit the grape’s potential in their region: the ambrosia boasts a cutting minerally character, with delicious hints of nougat and touches of spice. Getting a few cases of his wines isn’t exactly a cinch for anyone outside the wine trade—his total production is around 1,300 cases, with about 80 of them allocated to his importer, Artisan Cellars, here in Singapore. The good news is it’s easier to get his ambrosias here than in New Zealand, where just a handful of cases are divided between a distributor in Auckland and a wine shop named The Winery in Queenstown. Sato thinks his wines would gain better traction in more sophisticated overseas markets such as Singapore, Australia and Europe, as New Zealanders don’t really know how to appreciate his rather austere style of wines yet. “I am not trying to imitate Burgundy or Alsace. What I want to do is to express the terroir of Central Otago through a very traditional, European-style of winemaking,” says Sato. “There is still a lot to learn. I need to visit Frick more often; I have to compare my wines with his.” WD
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TASTING NOTES Sato Pinot Noir 2013 A floral, perfumed bouquet. On the palate, expect a gentle burst of cherries, followed by peppery touches and very silky tannins. Sato Chardonnay 2013 A minerally and slightly citrusy and acidic wine. Savoury notes like almonds, nougat and toasted bread unfurl gradually with each sip. Available at Artisan Cellars. Prices upon request.
Happy Chinese New Year!
新 年 快 樂
Promotion Schedule 1sr Jan - 17th Jan Highly Rated Wines Special sr st Treasure Box 8 Jan - 21 Jan sr nd 10 Feb - 22 Jan LNY Prosperity Bag
391 Orchard Road #B2-02 1 Takashimaya Department Store Tel: +65 6836 3068 www.enoteca.com.sg Enoteca.Co.Ltd.SG
DRINKSCAPES words LYDIA LIM
A ROUND OF DRINKS WITH… Ned Goodwin, Master of Wine and Asia-Pacific ambassador of PiperHeidsieck Champagne.
with commercial enterprises as they see fit and make up their minds as to how they explore and enjoy the world of wine, within the parameters of the Institute’s Code of Conduct. There is no issue as long as one avoids conflicts of interest such as reviewing wines that one promotes. We come from many walks of life like winemaking, retail, journalism and marketing. For many of us, associating ourselves with a winery is something that we are happy and proud to do. What is your take on zero dosage champagnes? I am not a fan. The wines are too often brittle and lacking the sufficient textural richness to mitigate champagne’s high acidity. The lack of judicious dosage, too, compromises the reaction between sugar and amino acids, a bi-product of the second fermentation. This is known as the Maillard Reaction. Without it, zero dosage champagnes lack the toasty complexity.
You are currently based in Australia. What are some of your favourite Aussie sparkling wines? The wines from House of Arras, Stefano Lubiana, Jansz and Holly’s Garden from Moondarra are stunning. Holly’s Garden, in particular, is made in a minimalistic, interventionist style with low sulphur dioxide, a large oak format for fermentation of base wines, and lower dosage levels.
irreverent, and enjoyable manner. For example, I speak of champagne as a wine with a mineralic disposition that is able to slice through fatty meats as ably as it serves as a celebratory aperitif. Being a sommelier also allows me to tailor questions and wine suggestions to the customer at hand. For example, a serious collector will be more eager to try unusual grape varieties and wine styles, rather than obvious brands.
How has your background as a sommelier helped in your current role? I am able to communicate the tastes and textures of wine, among other aspects, in what I like to believe is an insightful, albeit
In your opinion, should a Master of Wine be discouraged or encouraged from having a commercial relationship with a winery or estate? Neither. Master of Wines are free to work
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What is your opinion on global warming and champagne making? It will prove a challenge given that with higher temperatures, acidity levels in wine are compromised. Champagne is inherently energetic and rides on an acid line. However, better site selection and finely tuned winemaking will obviate these challenges to a large extent. Do share with us how to pair Piper-Heidsieck champagnes with various dishes. Nothing is set in stone so do use your imagination when pairing champagne with food. Generally, a dry champagne does not go well with a sweet dish and vice versa. As such, rosé does not marry well with desserts, as it is largely dry. Instead, try the Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage with stronger tasting meats like char siew or glazed duck as the bubbly carries a tinge of red wine and is a bolder quaff. The ginger and exotic curry notes of the Rare Millesime 2002 will also go well with poached fish with ginger and shallots.
DRINKSCAPES
A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi With an air of quiet sophistication, La Terre sure does not fit in with its noisy neighbours at Upper Circular Road. This whisky and wine joint is the calm within the storm that is the bustling pub scene of Boat Quay. Slide up to the 14-seater cedar bar counter, where the affable co-founder and chief sommelier Daisuke Kawai serves up Japanese whiskies like the rare Karuizawa 1978 36 years #8383 ($8100/bottle) or Hanyu 1988 21 years Noh #9306 ($6228/bottle). Scotch is available too, such as the Bowmore Black, Gold and White series, old Silver Seal bottles and an extensive vertical selection of Glenfarclas Family Casks dating back to the 1950s. The vino list will also be constantly updated. 11 Upper Circular Road. #01-01. Tel: 6532 1031
CLICK TO CREATE YOUR OWN WHISKY You can now play whisky maker and create your own bespoke dram—at your desk. Glenfiddich’s online portal, Glenfiddich Gallery, allows you access to its library of exceptional single malts of various ages and cask types, such as those aged in bourbon barrels, sherry casks and even a 1958 Sherry Butt—a rare malt with only three bottles—which has complex flavours of mellow caramelised fruit and deep coffee notes. First, you begin by identifying the aromas that appeal to your palate with a short questionnaire and choose a whisky that matches your taste. Then personalise the label with your own text, and spruce up the packaging by picking from a range of four primary colours and twelve accents. Each bottle comes with an engraved copper plaque. Visit www.glenfiddichgallery.com/sg/en
rum with milo
A bar befitting of its location at the historic National Gallery Singapore, Smoke & Mirrors shakes up drinks inspired by art and Asian culture. There’s a sense of mysterious allure translated in their décor of dark wood and copper elements as you head up to this watering hole on the sixth floor. Thanks to the creativity of bartender Yugnes Susela, local flavours find their way into some of the cocktails, such as the Milo Haze ($24), a concoction of Barbados five-year-old rum, Italian vermouth, Spanish sherry and Milo tincture (a dry ice extract from the chocolate powder) which gives off the smell of Milo while you sip your drink. The familiar tastes extend to the bar bites: the Deep-fried Crab Claw is served with spicy chilli dip and fried mantous ($18), albeit presented in a contemporary fashion. #06-01, National Gallery Singapore 1 St. Andrew’s Road. Tel: 6384 5595 WINE & DINE
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PRIZED PICKINGS
This month, a Tassie Pinot Noir steals the show with its seductive character of earthy notes and silky tannins. words LIN WEIWEN
Quinta do Vale Meão, Douro 2012 Douro, Portugal Portuguese wine needs to break out of its Port wine shackles here. Sommeliers aren’t doing enough to promote the dry wines from this Mediterranean land. One of the most delicious reds we tried recently was Quinta do Vale Meão Douro 2012, a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz. 2012 was a rather odd vintage marked by early periods of heavy rainfall, lower than average temperatures and a couple of heat spikes in summer. The quaff, which was matured in new and old oak barriques, probably reflects a little of those growing conditions. This inky wine trades powerful, full-blooded dark fruit for a more medium-bodied profile of cherries and raisins. It also boasts savoury notes of bark and soya, and its delightful long finish. Available from ewineasia.com
Tolpuddle Pinot Noir 2013 Tasmania, Australia Vintners Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith’s Pinot project in Tasmania has gone from strength to strength. This 2013 vintage, which bagged the Best Australian Red Wine trophy at the International Wine Challenge in London last year, is one for the cellar. On the nose, the wine has a lovely, rustic scent of bark and olives. Its flavour profile is a seductive whirl of vanilla, cherries and mint chocolate, with a touch of oiliness. The tannins are silky—quite impressive for such a young wine. Age it for another five to seven years. OFF THE STORE: $104, from Monopole
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Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa, Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Aconcagua Costa, Chile This easy-drinking Sauvignon Blanc is a refreshing quaff to sip on a sunny day. Expect grassy, herbaceous notes with vibrant acidity and touches of minerals and bell pepper. Pair this with some oysters. OFF THE STORE: Price upon request, from The Beam Cellar.
SPECIAL FEATURE
SWEET CHARMERS BROWN BROTHERS’ MOSCATO GOLD COLLECTION OFFERS REFRESHING, DELICIOUS WINES THAT ARE VERSATILE ENOUGH TO PAIR WITH A VARIETY OF ASIAN DISHES.
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oscato in Australia has always been made as an easy-drinking quaff, one to serve with desserts or to uncork at a picnic. Victoriabased Brown Brothers, one of Australia’s leading family-run wineries, has raised the bar for Moscato by introducing its ultra-premium Moscatos. The wines are made from the best selection of their Muscat of Alexandria grapes from their Milawa vineyard. It is believed that that the grape earned its namesake when the Romans found that the fruit smelled of musk and thus named it Moscato. Brown Brothers is no stranger to Moscato, having made their first vintage of the wine since 1996. The ultra-premium Moscato range includes the Moscato White Gold 2014 and the Moscato Rose Gold 2014. The Moscato White Gold, which includes a component of Orange Muscat for added complexity, is intense with delicious layers of spice, honey and nougat. Because of its fruity, sweet character, it pairs well with spicy Asian dishes that have hints of herbs such as coriander and lemongrass, making it an ideal wine to pair with your Chinese dishes this Chinese New Year.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
“BROWN BROTHERS IS NO STRANGER TO MOSCATO, HAVING MADE THEIR FIRST VINTAGE OF THE WINE SINCE 1996.”
On the other hand, the Moscato Rose Gold is for those who prefer something a little more refreshing. Its small component of Cienna lends the wine a lovely salmon hue. Balance underpins this wine’s profile: its gentle fruitiness is complemented by a fresh acidity, touches of spice and subtle bubbles. Serve this as an aperitif or as a dessert wine to go with ice cream or glutinous rice balls. It also works with a rogan josh curry. Available at all Cold Storage and Market Place outlets.
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Travel
92 Marketing methods— the new bazaars of Asia 98 Rediscover Barcelona 100 Why Buenos Aires should be next on your travel list
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ESCAPES
Travel News & Great Getaways words LYDIA LIM
photos THE GREAT OUTDOOR MARKET, BAO & BUNS, MADE BY LEGACY, 3/3RDS, LYDIA LIM
NOT YOUR USUAL MARKET MOVE OVER, CHATUCHAK AND SHILIN NIGHT BAZAARS. A NEW BREED OF MARKETPLACES IN ASIA IS MAKING WAVES WITH ARTISANAL BITES, LOCAL PRODUCE AND CREATIVE VIBES.
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aking over the docks facing the Chao Praya River, The Great Outdoor Market breathes new life to Bangkok’s street food scene. Popping up just once a month, the bazaar brings together restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs serving up top quality street nosh. Along the pier, food trucks dish out treats like burgers from Mother Trucker, cold-brewed teas from Tea Atelier, and baked pastries. Come nightfall, the combination of live music, cascading fairy lights dotting the trees and cool riverside breeze creates a refreshing vibe that is lacking in the usual tourist-swamped night markets. Visitors can picnic on the grass or tables while listening to Thai musicians belting out tunes in the background. Visit www.facebook.com/thegreatoutdoormarket
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The Commons is a new marketplace that just opened a month ago. Housed at the trendy Thong Lor district in Bangkok, the villagelike setting is filled with food specialists like artisanal bakery Maison Jean Philippe, and Bao & Buns, a restaurant known for its Chinese steamed buns with gourmet fillings. The concept aims to offer a sense of community between the vendors and the public. The rooftop yard also features a communal green space and herb garden where visitors can relax. Visit www.thecommonsbkk.com 335/1 Soi Thong Lo 17, Sukhumvit 55, Klongton Nua Wattana, Bangkok 10110
The bazaar is big on supporting the green initiative as seen in its partnership with social enterprise, Honestly Green. Under the white tentage, look out for a curated collection of homegrown F&B players like Bread & Beast, Common Ground and Teakha. Visit www.tongchongstreetmarket.com 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
A walk through the laidback Made of Legacy in Bangkok makes you feel like you’re at a flea market in Brooklyn. There is a mishmash of curios here at this monthly market as the sellers tend to focus on vintage clothing, jewellery and objects. While it’s perfect for the vintage lover to trawl through, there is also a huge community of folks selling their own handmade crafts and art. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s great to bask in the atmosphere, have some light drinks and meet new people. Visit www.madebylegacy.com State Railway of Thailand (Hua Lamphong Station), Bangkok
A first of its kind in Hong Kong, Tong Chong Street Market happens every Sunday at the address of its namesake. Unlike the other souvenir-laden street markets you’ll find in this clustered city, this is a gastronomic fair, which also includes a section with local farmers offering organic produce.
Consisting of a few parts within a complex, Maji Square is another place for the curious foodie. There is a collection of stalls and restaurants sprawled around the venue, including a Japanese yakitori and Taiwan’s popular bagel shop Good Cho’s. Shop at Maji Food & Deli, a gourmet grocer in the style of Dean and Deluca, stocked with small batch products mostly made in Taiwan. Wander through Maji Market where you’ll find little trinkets and fashion items before ending the evening with some drinks at the atrium. The fountain in the outdoor space is also a popular area to hang around and enjoy performances from local musicians. Visit www.majisquare.com No. 1 Yumen St, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 104
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FOOD HERITAGE
Keeping the Flavours Intact IN MALACCA’S PORTUGUESE SETTLEMENT, A SMALL, CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY OF EURASIANS ARE HOLDING ON TO THEIR UNIQUE ETHNIC CUISINE ALIVE BY MAINTAINING AGE-OLD METHODS AND HANDING DOWN RECIPES TO THE NEXT GENERATION. words CHARLENE CHOW photos SIMPLY MEL’S, CHARLENE CHOW
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t is Friday night at the Portuguese Settlement in Malacca. Hugh Theseira is organising a bachelor’s party at a house on Jalan D’Albuquerque (named after Portuguese conqueror Afonso de Albuquerque). Like many of his neighbours’ abodes, a modest crucifix hangs outside the door. He has ordered Inchi Mintu (curry with bittergourd stuffed with mackerel fish paste) from chef Benildus De Silva of Big Ben’s Restaurant Cafe (+60 16446 9077). For him and his Catholic friends who abstain from meat on Fridays, it’s the perfect dish. Theseira is part of the 900-strong Malaccan Portuguese community living by the sea off Pasir Ujong. Also known as the Kristangs (Christian people), they are predominantly Catholic and speak a unique Malaccan Portuguese Creole language. Many trace their lineage to Portuguese ancestors who married locals during the Portuguese colonial era from 1511 to 1641. In some cases, it became normal for Catholic converts of other ethnicities to take on Portuguese last names. Throughout the Dutch and British colonial periods, many Kristangs were fishermen. Today, their unique Creole language can still be heard. Phrases like “Beng kumih!” (Come and eat!) or “Mutu sabrozu!” (It’s very nice!) ring out during mealtimes with friends and family. Their heritage—a patchwork of influences from the East and West—is reflected in their food. Malaccan Portuguese chef Melba Nunis of Simply Mel’s in Kuala Lumpur (+60 32241 4525) and author of Kristang Family Cookbook describes the cuisine as “fiery sambals, curries made using dried spices, fragrant coconut and tamarind curries, and light and tasty vegetable dishes”. Apart from her Kari Debal (Devil Curry) cooked with smoked bacon bones, dishes like Ox Tongue Semur and Sugee Cake are popular favourites as well. She says while many Kristang dishes are influenced by Malay sambals, Chinese stir-fries and Indian curries, they also derive from Portuguese traditions. “[According to] Kei Defreitas, a Portuguese chef who has conducted research into the cuisines of former Portuguese colonies, the origins of many of our dishes such as Kristang chicken stew can be traced to foods you can still find in Portugal,” says Nunis.
HOLDING ON TO TRADITION While there is a rough consensus on the characteristics of Kristang food, there is less common agreement on the way to prepare them, as cooking methods differ between families. At Restoran De Lisbon (+60 06284 8067) at the settlement’s Portuguese Square, the Kari Debal packs a deepflavoured punch. Owner Julie Rodrigues’ family recipe for the curry base comprises biji sawi (black mustard seeds), buah keras (candlenuts) and other ingredients like lengkuas (galangal), lemon grass, kunyit (turmeric), dried chilli and onion, but no coconut milk. Rodrigues is still learning from her 78-year-old mother Theresa, who cooks the Kari Debal herself. She says, “We’ve been using the same ingredients for more than 30 years, but it all depends on the way it’s cooked. Even if my mother gives me the recipe, I will have to do it my way to see how to get the same taste, and so will my daughter when I pass it to her.” Nunis highlights that seafood that is indigenous to the Straits of Malacca such as karing-karing (silver threadfish), geragok (krill) and ikan sepat (perch) are common ingredients because of the locals’ fishing tradition. The community still celebrates Festa de San Pedro or Feast of Saint Peter (patron saint of fishermen) every June with much importance. However, Peter Gomes, the regidor or village headman, says that there are now only about 40 full-time fishermen and 150 part-time fishermen in the community. There are fears that the ongoing reclamation may destroy the seabed and affect marine life. To get the same haul as before, fishermen may have to venture into deeper seas instead of depending on shoreline fishing. Tony Monterio is one of those who have had to go further from the coast for his catch of exotic shellfish. For the past 13 years, he and his wife, Amy, have been selling seafood such as horseshoe crab, scallops, oysters, cockles and sometimes elephant snails at their open-air stall at Portuguese Square. “We usually grill or boil my seafood items—the traditional way we eat boiled elephant snails is to slice them up and serve with cucumber and salad,” he says. Tony’s sister, Vera, is the chef of
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“We’ve been using the same ingredients for more than 30 years, but it all depends on the way it’s cooked. Even if my mother gives me the recipe, I will have to do it my way to see how to get the same taste, and so will my daughter, when I pass it to her. ” WINE & DINE
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Monterios Portuguese Seafood Restaurant (+60 10213 0729), which opened in May last year. She is known for her Fried Chicken Wings, Steamed Fish with Chilli Padi and Salted Egg Crab or Prawns. During Christmas, she whips up some of her traditional curries for overseas Eurasians who have returned to the town. For De Silva, whose father was a parttime fisherman, using locally caught fish to prepare dishes like Curry Maraydu (yellow curry using ikan gulama (bream)) and Curry Pimenta (pepper curry using stingray) remind him of his heritage. On special occasions like weddings, sugee cake is still one of the must-haves. Joan Pouline Nunis (+60 06283 9424), is one of the few people in the community who makes it the traditional way by painstakingly hand-cutting her almonds and drying them in the sun before adding them to the batter. Her customers have included those residing outside Malacca: her daughter Marcia Goonting recalls her father going to Melaka Sentral Express Bus Terminal from time to time to drop off deliveries. Like many other Kristang cooks, Pouline Nunis hopes to pass on her recipe to her grandchildren one day, all in the name of keeping the Kristang spirit and culture alive, in her own individual way. WD
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1 Simply Mel’s Sugee Cake 2 Chef Melba Nunis 3 Simply Mel’s Ox Tongue Semur 4 Fishing boats moored at Portuguese Square 5 Restoran De Lisbon’s Kari Debal 6 Entrance to the cluster of eateries at Portuguese Square
SCOTTS • SERANGOON CENTRAL
Available at Isetan, Metro, Robinsons, Takashimaya Department Store and TANGS
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Check how La Sagrada Familia has evolved (sagradafamilia.org). In 2013, the Basilica of La Sagrada Familia announced that the church will be completed in 2026, to mark the centennial of Antonio Gaudi’s death. This month, the church’s western perimeter along Carrer de Sardenya would have been largely completed. The north Sacristy would be worked on as well, as would the dramatic Raking Cornice, which is the last piece needed to finish the Passion facade.
thINGS YOU MUST DO IN BARCELONA
SO THIS IS YOUR THIRD VISIT TO BARCELONA AND YOU THINK YOU’VE SEEN EVERYTHING? MAVIS TEO VISITS THE CITY FOR THE FIFTH TIME AND FINDS THAT IT STILL SURPRISES HER. photos MAVIS TEO, SPAIN TOURISM, DISFRUTAR , L’EGGS, HOTEL PRAKTIK BAKERY
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Drop in at Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau (santpaubarcelona.org). Often overlooked but in no way less deserving of attention is the massive Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, designed by Gaudí’s teacher, Lluis Domènech i Montaner, and built between 1902 and 1930. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, it completed a massive restoration in 2014. Learn about the city in the 20th century where it underwent rapid growth by walking through underground tunnels that connect the different wings of the hospital and the gardens above ground.
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Go into a food coma at L’eggs (leggs. es), opened by Paco Pérez who has won Michelin stars for his fine dining restaurants in the north. Through L’eggs, Pérez aspires to bring good food involving the humble egg to the masses but his offerings are anything but simple, whether the egg is scrambled, fried or served raw in beef tartare. Order the fried eggs with Andalucian baby cuttlefish and tartare sauce, and mop up the gooey yolk with the crispy cuttlefish.
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Have a long lunch at Disfrutar (en. disfrutarbarcelona.com). Disfrutar is a collaboration between three former El Bulli alumni—Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casaña. The cuisine was an experimental gastronomic journey. For nearly four hours, I enjoyed 28 courses of mostly delightful inventions. Particularly memorable was the rice bows with ibérico ham. The crispy texture of the rice ribbons was the perfect foil to the oily saltiness of the cured meat.
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Savour creative nosh at BisTreau (mandarinoriental.com/barcelona). Ángel León, who is known for his Michelin-starred Aponiente in Cádiz ) oversees this restaurant that specialises
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1 Interior of La Sagrada Familia 2 L’eggs restaurant 3 Hotel Praktik Bakery 4 Disfrutar 5 Fresh bread at Hotel Praktik Bakery
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this is a stall that every returning tourist knows about and is most likely to revisit. I usually get the seafood platter. At €25, it is a plateful of grilled plump squid, juicy bamboo clams, and sweet langoustines drizzled with pesto olive oil.
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in reinventing seafood from the Barcelona coast. The Mackerel and Harissa (Salt-cured, accompanied by seaweed pil pil sauce) hits all the right umami and salty notes. But my favourite was the raw squid with squid ink, hollandaise sauce and caramalised onion, a combination which suppressed any fishy edge in the squid.
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Sign up at Cook and Taste (cookandtaste.net). Learn to recreate Catalan classics like pan con tomate (crusty bread with overripe tomato) and crema Catalan, a rich, creamy custard with a caramelised top made in shallow terracotta dishes. Participants pay €65 for the fourhour workshop, which includes a sit-down meal with wine. Pay €13 more for market visits.
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Indulge in seafood at La Boqueria (boqueria.info). After all that creative molecular grub, a simple hearty meal of fresh grilled seafood might be a refreshing change. The Universal Kioskos (stall 691) is always packed with long queues as
Shop for tea at Sans and Sans (sansissans.com). Few cities in the world boast more delightful narrow, winding alleyways or secret, hidden squares than Barcelona. Of all of Barcelona’s neighborhoods, none is packed with more hidden treasures prettier than El Born. Amidst the large number of herbolariàs (herbalists) on Carrer de l’Argenteria is an exquisite tea shop with over 300 types of tea for sale.
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Buy groceries at Colmado Quilez (lafuente.es/grupo-lafuente/). First established in 1908 as a candy store, this shop became known as Colmado Quilez (colmado means general store) when it was purchased by the Quilez family in 1938. Owned by the Lafuente family who bought it in 1974, it has become known for selling top quality gourmet products including cheeses, sweets, Ibérico hams and charcuterie, premium preserved goods and wines, and Europe’s largest selection of whiskies (more than 1,000 varieties). The larger of its two shops is on a busy corner on Rambla de Catalunya.
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Smell the breads at Hotel Praktik Bakery (hotelpraktikbakery.com). This hotel’s bakery does more than just breads—its pizza, croissants and pastries are said to be some of the best in the city. Its bakery counter also doubles as a checkin desk.
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INSIDE OUT
My Kind of Town Globalisation may have caught up with Buenos Aires but it still holds on to many of its traditions: coffee keeps the city running, and dinner starts at 10pm. Founder and managing director of Jacada Travel, Alex Malcolm, is drawn to the Argentine capital’s dynamic mix of old and new. words LU YAWEN
1. In your opinion, what is Buenos Aires’ charm? The city is a unique mix of European grandeur and Latin American heart; a culture that is more inviting and open compared to where I’m from just outside of London. I lived in Buenos Aires for several months and then returned regularly during the weekends after I moved to Rio. Now, I try to go back once a year to stay updated on what’s new to include into our custom tours we do for Jacada Travel, a luxury travel tour operator based in Hong Kong. 2. Tell us a local idiosyncrasy. The locals or porteños, as they are known, stay out till late. Restaurants don’t fill up until 9pm or 10pm and it’s normal to meet your friends at a bar at midnight. The following day is spent recovering with many strong espressos and pastries filled with dulce de leche. 3. How is the café culture like in the city? It has a strong Italian influence due to the large Italian immigrant population so people generally like strong and bitter blends, although they are not always the best. A lot of the flavour in your cup of joe will depend on the way it’s locally roasted. There are a couple of cafés that serve great coffee, one of which is Full City Coffee House in Palermo where they serve delicious Colombian coffee with friendly service. 4. Where can we go to experience the city’s melting pot of cultures? The Sunday market in the San Telmo barrio (neighbourhood). Although you’ll see tourists, you’ll also find the locals ambling around and enjoying impromptu street performances. A walk around the Recoleta area, including the famous cemetery where the tomb of Eva Perón is located, gives you a sense of Buenos Aires’ past—the city was once considered the Paris of South America. The residential neighbourhood was home to nobles and elites who built mansions in traditional 19th century European styles, some of which still stand beside the modern buildings today. On a sunny day, I like to take a stroll and stop by the Alvear Palace, Buenos Aires’ answer to The Ritz London, for afternoon tea.
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5. For traditional Argentinian food, where should we go? For street bites, get yourself some empanadas, baked or fried pastries filled with meat like beef, cheese or vegetables. San Juanino, a stone’s throw from the Recoleta cemetery, is where the locals go to get their fix. The recipe hasn’t changed for years and they even offer vegetarian options; something you rarely come across in a city that loves meat. Go to Don Julio for asado (barbecue). There are different cuts from locally raised grass-fed Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle to please everyone. For those with a hearty appetite, the bife de chorizo (sirloin) with a side of grilled vegetables is a winner. I love watching the chefs prepare the meat over a hot grill while sipping on a glass of Malbec. 6. Talking about Malbec, which restaurant has an impressive wine cellar? Aldo’s Restorán & Vinoteca, located in the neighbourhood of San Telmo. Tucked in the lobby of Moreno Hotel, the eatery has up to 500 Argentinian wine labels, all selected by sommelier Aldo Graziani. Apart from the Malbec, you might want to try some Torrontés from the high altitude region of Salta or, for something more unusual, Patagonian wines from the Rio Negro area.
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1 Alex Malcolm 2 The homely interior of i Latina 3 The floor-toceiling bookshelf at Legado Mitico 4 i Latina’s Sweet Potato Sorbet with Creamy Goat Cheese, Candied Lemon Peels, Crispy Sesame Tuile and Hibiscus Meringue 5 Street performer at San Telmo’s Sunday market 6 La arrabalera room at Legado Mitico
7. Latin America’s fine dining scene has raised its game over the past few years. What’s a headlining restaurant we should check out? i Latina is a must-go. It has been highlighted by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna’s Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants as one to watch out for. It easily topped all of the meals I’ve had in Argentina. The restaurant is opened by three Colombian siblings named Camilo, Laura and Santiago Macías Acuña: two manage the operations while Santiago runs the kitchen. Their seven-course tasting menu is dictated by seasonal ingredients, and their dishes often combine Caribbean and Andean herbs and spices. Opt to pair the food with wines that are handpicked from some of the top wineries in Chile and Argentina. 8. Name a boutique hotel that bears a distinctive Argentinian identity. I like Legado Mitico, a homely boutique hotel located in the oldest section of the Palermo barrio. The Legado Mitico’s old school furnishings such as the floorto-ceiling wooden bookshelves, lush carpets and fireplace, reflect Palermo’s strong Spanish Colonial Revival influence. Each room also pays tribute to iconic Argentinian personalities or figures including revolutionary Che Guevara, who used to live in the same barrio, and writer Victoria Ocampo.
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COOKING UP A PARTY The occasion: Interaction was the name of the game at Wine&Dine magazine’s first ever Wine&Dine Marketplace—an event of culinary masterclasses and cooking demonstrations—held on 28 and 29 November 2015. The fun sessions, which were organised as part of the magazine’s 30th anniversary celebrations, were held in the spacious culinary entertainment centre of CulinaryOn at One Raffles Place. More than 10 restaurants and gourmet producers such as Restaurant Sela, Viva Mexico, Pepenero, Xi Yan Private Dining, Den, Violet Herbs, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Uogashi and Clair Atlantic took part in the event, offering culinary tips to the 300 visitors. The bites: From the avant-garde to the traditional, the food on offer was a vibrant display of the culinary chops on show. Bacchanalia’s chef Ivan Brehm shared his rendition of French Onion Soup (caramelised onion broth, rye croutons, cheddar aeros, stout pickled onions and house made ricotta). On the Italian front, chef Marco Violano of Double TwentyTwo whipped up a hearty Handmade Tagliatelle With Two Sauces: Amatriciana and Arrabiata, Alkaff Mansion Ristorante served up a tantalising Canadian Beef Carpaccio and Seabass Fillet Gratin with Pecorino Cheese, and Burlamacco Ristorante’s chef Gabriele Piegaia whetted appetites with his Carnaroli Squid Ink Risotto. Saha Restaurant featured Indian delights like the Kerala Chicken Istew Espuma with Citrus Pudding, Garlic Crumbs and Black Olive Powder.
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The sips: Thomas Sobota, head bartender of Nox-Dine in the Dark, provided lively banter as he shook up cocktails like Ignite My Passion (a mix of rum, passion fruit, lemon, mint, and all-spice liqueur). Those loyal to their hops had a field day with beer brands like Primus Haacht, Tongerlo Abbey Beer, Chateau Neubourg and Hertog Jan in the house at the United Dutch Breweries Bar. Wine distributor Enoteca ensured the oenophiles didn’t go thirsty, by offering quaffs like Grant Burge Benchmark Shiraz and Sileni Cellar Selection Pinot Noir. VCT Wines uncorked selections such as the Trio Sauvignon Blanc, Casillero del Diablo-Devil’s Collection from Concha Y Toro, and the Marques Casa Concha Chardonnay.
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SEAFOOD AND SAKE—A PERFECT COMBINATION The occasion: Fans of Japanese cuisine were treated to a sumptuous feast at Wine&Dine’s five-course sake pairing dinner held at Sumiya’s Suntec City outlet on 13 November. The menu was specially curated by the restaurant’s master chef, Naoki Tsuzuki. The bites: The dinner kicked off with Seared Aka Ebi Prawns & Grilled Eel in Egg Vinegar Sauce, followed by a medley of sashimi such as Chu Toro (Middle-fatty Tuna) & Sea Urchin with Truffle Sauce and Salmon & Asparagus with Caviar. The piquant grilled items like Sumiya’s Signature Homemade Dried Mackerel done Irori Genshiyaki style (food cooked over a charcoal pit) and Salt-baked Kurobuta Pork Shoulder Loin with Kelp in Potato Cream Sauce showed off the restaurant’s expertise in charcoal-grilled dishes. The Ryoshi Mushi (steamed seafood with special broth in a square can) ended the meal on a comforting, nourishing note. The sips: Sake sommelier Fiona You was on hand to explain the different types and grades of sakes that were paired with the dishes, such as Bunraku Yawaraka Junmai Rin, Soden Yamahai Shikomi Tokubetsu Junmaishu, Suishin Junmai Ginjo ‘Inaho’, and Kuriya Original Sake Junmai Daiginjo.
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STOCKISTS
Artisan Cellars #04-21/22 Palais Renaissance Tel: 6838 0373 Crate & Barrel 2 Orchard Turn, #04-21/22, ION Orchard Tel: 6634 4222
The Fishwives #01-05B Cluny Court, 501 Bukit Timah Road Tel: 6464 8384
ToTT Store #01-01A Sime Darby Centre 896 Dunearn Road Tel: 6219 7077
Datumstruct 33 Changi South Avenue 2 #03-00 Singapore 486445 Tel: 6749 0206 Dean & Deluca 181 Orchard Rd, 04 – 23/24 Tel: 6509 7708 Jones the Grocer 9 Dempsey Rd, #01-12 Dempsey Hill Tel: 6476 1512 Kitchen Story 482 River Valley Rd Tel: 6735 1478 Lemon Zest@Holland Village 43 Jalan Merah Saga, Chip Bee Gardens, #01-80 Holland Village Tel: 6471 0566 Monopole 23 Tagore Lane, #01-16 Tel: 6554 3680 Naiise@Westgate 3 Gateway Drive, West Gate Mall, #01-30 Tel: 6702 3248 Papa Palhetta 150 Tyrwhitt Rd Tel: 6299 4321 Ryan’s Grocery 29 Binjai Park Tel: 6463 3933 The Beam Cellar 229 Mountbatten Road #01-03 to 07 Tel: 6559 1155
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CALENDAR
YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE FOR THE MONTH OF january/february photos CRAGGY RANGE VINEYARDS, PEGASUS BAY WINERY, ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY, GALERIE FORSBLOM
New Zealand by the glass 14 January, 6pm - 9pm
Tippling Club, 38, Tanjong Pagar Road Level 2 Bin 38 Tickets at $40 per pax or $70 for 2 pax The Five Senses New Zealand Wine Event lets you taste over 35 wines from a collection of wineries located across New Zealand such as Matahiwi Estate, Villa Maria Estate, Framingham Wines, Georges Michel and Babich Wines. Tippling Club will also be rustling up some canapés to go along with the Kiwi wines. For bookings, email admin@ wine-family.com or go to www. wine-family.com
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Cultural Immersion 12–21 February
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay Tickets available from Esplanade’s Box Office at the Mezzanine level, SISTIC and www.esplanade.com/huayi Huayi–Chinese Festival of the Arts returns for the 14th time with highlights such as Beyond Time, a drumming theatre with multimedia performance by Taiwanese drumming performance group U-Theatre. Check out One Hundred Years on Stage, a Taiwanese theatre production by GuoGuang Opera Company tracing the lives of Peking opera artists over a century. Also look out for a satirical take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth by directed by Huang Ying from China with Tadashi Suzuki of Japan as artistic director. For more information, visit: www.esplanade.com/huayi
Regional Art
21–24 January (preview on 20 January) Marina Bay Sands, Expo and Convention Centre Standard 1-day ticket $32 from all Marina Bay Sands Ticketing Counters, Marina Bay Sands Sales Websites, SISTIC and Art Stage Ticketing Box Office during the Fair In its sixth edition, Southeast Asian contemporary art fair Art Stage Singapore 2016 returns with 143 participating galleries across 32 countries and 30 cities. 65 new galleries will be participating in Art Stage for the first time, including Aspan Gallery (Kazakhstan) Galerie Forsblom (Finland) and Martin Browne Contemporary (Australia). Catch works by prominent regional artists like Kinez Riza and Syagini Ratna Wulan from Indonesia, and take part in Seismograph: Sensing the City–Art in the Urban Age, a new forum that examines global issues affecting our region. For more information, visit www.artstagesingapore.com
Revolving Chefs 5-24 January Open Door Policy Chef Haan Palcu-Chang, who runs his Toronto-based restaurant consultancy Mama Flo’s, will be in town as a guest chef at Open Door Policy this month. His stint is part of Spa Esprit Group’s pop-up dining concept Lazy Susan (playing on the image of a lazy susan in a Chinese restaurant) in which toques rotate to host various restaurants. Haan’s menu is filled with quirky twists on hawker fare and dim sum staples like Braised Young Jackfruit with Gula Melaka BBQ Sauce and Pistachio-studded Guacamole ($12) and Crispy Har Cheong Kai on Rice Flour Waffles with a Fried Egg, drizzled with Sambal Maple Syrup ($22). For information and reservations, go to www.lazysusansg.com
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THE DEVIL WEARS A TOQUE
illustration Nalar Naluri Asia
CHEW OVER
Are entertaining food shows to blame for making us fall in love with rude chefs and lose focus on what’s real? Lydia Lim wonders.
“T
his beef is so undercooked that it’s starting to eat the salad!” You’ve had a taste of the kind of insults Gordon Ramsay dished out on his chefs on television, and this isn’t even the worst of them. Some of you may have had a case of schadenfreude as you watched the outburst. Today, evil sells. Some worship these bad boy chefs just for their temperament. People have come to love the anti-hero more and it’s not because we condone their actions, but maybe we can relate easier to these flawed characters. With shows like Hell’s Kitchen and movies like Burnt, where Bradley Cooper’s language mirrors that of a Quentin Tarantino script, has the media influenced people into viewing chefs as stars whose personalities outweigh their cooking? Do we now have a higher tolerance for foul-mouthed cooks because pop culture has glorified their behavior and desensitised us to their transgressions? Even though it is true that the kitchen is a heated environment, many agree there is a fine line between upholding good discipline and being downright abusive. Chef Willin Low of Wild Rocket suggests that if people see enough of [bad behavior] in the media, they’d assume it is acceptable in the industry. “I have seen young chefs emulating such bad conduct of head chefs they work with. Tempers do flare in the kitchen but there is a line to be drawn. Whether it is from a head chef or a line cook, such [abusive] attitude is not to be tolerated,” he remarks. Issachar Lee, head chef of Lollapalooza, agrees that sometimes you have to shout like a sergeant but he doesn’t accept it if a chef behaves egoistically and uses foul language towards his teammates. “The kitchen is hot and uncomfortable, so, it doesn’t get drilled into [your teammates’] minds if you speak in normal, polite tone. However, there are instances where you talk to the errant staff personally to let him understand where you are coming from,” Lee elaborates. Chef Andre Chiang of Restaurant ANDRE
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thinks playing Mr Nice Guy all the time doesn’t work in the kitchen .“It’s like teamwork in a basketball game where you need that tension to boost the energy and focus. In my kitchen, I don’t shout that much though, as my team has been with me for very long and we understand each other,” he shares. Low makes another valid observation: “At the end of the day, it boils down to the individual’s values. In the army, your officer may be a monster full of abuse, but when you become one yourself, do you choose to be like him because you suffered or do you resist the temptation to be lured by the Dark Side?” I believe the kitchen’s militaristic culture is part of the tradition since it has been hierarchal and male-centric. The fast-paced and highly stressful environment brought about by having to create quality, precision and creativity in a tight amount of time contributes to the harsh and direct tone chefs have to use. I feel there needs to be a dash of the devil in every chef, and I define that not by having an obnoxious, egoistical attitude but by a toughness and
ability to withstand heat (both physically and metaphorically speaking). What matters is the motive behind it. Don’t get me wrong. I am not advocating chefs to bring out their inner Ramsay. A good toque is not defined by his personality, it involves the whole package. He is a leader before anything else. Veteran food writer Sim Ee Waun feels that people who make a judgment on the chef by his personality or media persona are the naïve ones who don’t really know their food, but just want to show that they do. “Many sophisticated diners these days are discerning enough to make up their own minds about chefs beyond their personality. Many toques who are widely admired are also not in the media limelight, and they too are appreciated by those in the know,” Sim notes. I agree with Sim but I do feel that the media should avoid playing up a chef’s character and fueling a cult of angry-equals-skilled chefs. Cooking skills among other things are still the top priority in this business. WD
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MADE IN ITALY