B4 iDEAL Thursday 21 February 2013 Shanghai Daily Shanghai Daily Thursday 21 February 2013 iDEAL B5 self through its preservation of age-old Kopi Tiam No Signboard Seafood Restaurant recipes. Everything — flavor, histories and stories — is passed down from one Dining in Singapore Kopi is Malay for coffee while This is locals’ first choice for Singaporean fusion without confusion generation to another,” says chef Wong tiam is Fujian dialect for shop. chili and pepper crab due to the from the Fairmont Singapore. The restaurant name refers to a chef’s insistence on the freshest in- Only by visiting Singapore can visi- traditional cafe in Southeast Asia gredients. “No Signboard” refers to Although Singaporean food is tors truly experience the beauty of multicultural and diverse, there are serving street food and beverages. its origins as a street stall without a the cuisine due to the fresh, quality It’s a place where diners can enjoy sign in a hawkers’ center. Singaporean cuisine is often underestimated as being merely multicultural street food, common ingredients. ingredients and many talented chefs. Seafood of all kinds is popular. authentic taste in a nostalgic, air- At that time it sold family recipe Shanghai Daily offers tips for a conditioned atmosphere. for white pepper crab. Now it’s a Coconut milk is often used, whether Singapore food trip. but Ruby Gao says there’s more to it than crab and coconut milk. in savory seafood dishes or sweet des- Ambience: There are wooden modern restaurant featuring Sin- serts. Pandan leaves are another fa- shelves lined with kettles, and a gaporean seafood and other dishes vorite: sweet, floral, piney and citrusy. barrel containing colorful chop- with both Fujian and Cantonese ingaporean cuisine is a famous sticks. influence. Dining in Shanghai Pros: It’s a good stop for first- Ambience: Streamlined furnish- hybrid of multicultural influ- Upscale street food Sences, fusion without confusion City Garden time visitors because the menu is ing, black leather chair and tradi- and a passion for tradition. Young Singaporean cooking is often diverse, including all signature tional Chinese home-style table The newly opened restaurant is one of not considered part of fine dining Singaporean dishes, from laksa settings create a modern and cozy Singaporean chefs are reinterpreting Shanghai has around 30 Singaporean restaurants, and the qual- the hottest dining destinations because of because many snacks and dishes are and curried fish head to bak kuh experience. street snacks sold by hawkers into ity is uneven. We pick two of them that have a good reputation good food and moderate prices. The menu made and sold on the street. The taste teh, or pork rib soup. Pros: All the seafood lives up fine dining fare. and many repeat customers. includes nearly all classical dishes. Some is excellent but the presentation is a The restaurant is located in a to its reputation. Customers can For a long time, Singaporean cuisine of the foods, such as curry, are adapted little rough. five-star hotel so the staff are request any style of preparation, has seemed comparatively tepid and to the Chinese palate and are milder and Over the past three years, some well-trained, speaking both Man- including steaming, stir-frying and obscure in Shanghai. sweeter than what’s typical in Singapore. Western-trained Singaporean chefs darin and English, and able to deep-frying. Waiters are fluent in “I don’t need to go to a Singaporean Ambience: Wooden blinds, white cur- are trying to change that, re-imag- explain each authentic dish and both Mandarin and English. There’s restaurant for a bite of Indian curry tains, blue chairs, mosaic wall and tropi- ining and elevating the recipes for Curried fish head at Kopi Tiam its history. an outdoor dining area with a view and Fujian-style fried noodles. Why cal plants create a post-colonial Southeast proper dining tables. Notable among Cons: Prices are comparatively of Marina Bay. not just choosing an Indian or Chi- Asian atmosphere. At the door stands a them is Willin Low, founder and head higher than in some independent Cons: Service is friendly but not nese restaurant and that will be much street sign showing directions for Chi- chef of Wild Rocket, a fine dining restaurants but still affordable. too efficient. Chili crab is some- more authentic,” says Faye Gu, a local natown and Orchard Road, two famous restaurant in Singapore. Recommended: Curried fish head times sold out due to rigorous who expresses many people’s views of places in Singapore. His creations are known as Mod Sin, (served with Indian-style crispy flat sourcing and limited volume. Singaporean food. Pros: Great variety. Menu features mod- for Modern Singaporean. bread); bak kut teh (lighter than the Recommended: Chili crab, pork But Singaporean cooking is much ern dishes like coconut cheese cake. For example, chef Low deconstructs version sold on the street); Hainan ribs coated with coffee sauce, deep- more complicated than what Gu Cons: Crowded and noisy. Service is not traditional chili crab and turns it into chicken rice, teh tarik (hot Indian fried prawns coated with cereal, thinks, and it should not be stereo- very efficient. crab meat linguini with chili tomato milk tea known as pulled tea made tofu stuffed with seafood and typed. Recommended: Grilled pork neck; laksa, “I will order some fusion food in curried shrimp (milkier and milder for cream. from black tea and condensed topped with minced meat, longan a Singaporean restaurant, especially Chinese palates); mango juice. He transforms otak otak into roast milk). juice. those mixing Chinese and Malay. Price: 70 yuan per person red snapper with otak otak sauce and Price: 250-300 yuan per person Price: Around 200 yuan per These are the true genius of Singapor- baby sprouts. “Most of the dishes are person ean cuisine,” says Du Caiqing, chef de Address: 303, 1350 Sichuan Rd N. inspired by Singapore flavors, hawker Pork ribs coated with coffee sauce, Address: 2/F, Swissôtel The Stamford, 2 cuisine at Hyatt on the Bund, who has Tel: 6611-9777 dishes or food I grew up with as a a signature dish at No Signboard Stamford Rd Address: The Esplanade, 8 Raffles Ave worked as a guest chef at Grand Hyatt child,” the chef says. Seafood Restaurant. — Ruby Gao Tel: (65) 6431-6156 Tel: (65) 6336-9959 Singapore. Pulau Ketam Fusion not confusion This is probably the first fine dining restaurant in the city that features Singa- Car Rental “Singapore food is a summation of porean chili and pepper crab. Cofounder all the different cultures, including Vincent Liu hopes to create the Morton’s of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Pernakan crab houses, referring to the famous Mor- (Chinese/Malay). These all converge ton’s steak house, a global chain. Crabs and results in a distinctive culinary are imported. Singaporean chef Jason Lim Curried shrimp at City Garden culture that brings out the best of insists on the authentic Singaporean way each cuisine’s style and flair,” says to prepare crab. Black pepper crab at Pulau Ketam Wong Chin Yee, Singaporean executive Ambience: A fusion of modern and sous chef at the Fairmont Singapore & traditional. Stainless steel ceiling lighting Swissôtel The Stamford. and Western-style table settings work with Fairmont Singapore is just above wooden screens bearing traditional Malay Raffles City, which collects many patterns and wooden blinds. popular local brands, such as Grand- Pros: Crabs are freshly sourced from ma’s Kitchen featuring Chinese-Malay Indonesia and Sri Lanka, each weighing home cooking and Ya Kun known for at least 1 kilogram. There are elegant its kaya toast. private dining rooms with tatami mats Some famous Singaporean dishes accommodating eight to 10 people. These demonstrate the cultural hybrid. are suitable for business dinners. Service Chilli crab, known as Singapore’s is friendly and efficient. Guests receive national dish, combines European, a complimentary drink and warm, moist Chinese and Malay cuisines. towel. Some window seats offer a nice Mud crab is stir fried in semi-thick view of Xintiandi. gravy made from soy sauce, tomato Cons: Prices are extremely high. puree and Malay spices and served Recommended: Black pepper crab; deep- with Chinese man tou (steamed buns). fried prawns coated with cereal; coconut Butter and beaten eggs are added to juice; garlic-flavored noodles. give the crab a buttery flavor and Price: 450 yuan per person more textures. Fish head curry, the head of red Address: 123 Xingye Rd snapper stewed in a thick Indian cur- Tel: 5306-3706 ry, is an example of cooking Chinese ingredients in a classical Indian way. Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya food is a major part of Singaporean cui- sine. It refers to the cooking of the in a banana leaf and grilled over the Preserving the old taste dates back to the 19th century when descendants of Chinese immigrants charcoal. It has a strong coconut Chinese dock workers on the Malay In addition to fusion foods, some who settled in Singapore, Penang aroma and spicy taste. Peninsula at the cheap ribs cooked in dishes in Singapore originated else- (Malaysia) and Indonesia. “This is the Kaya toast, the must-try Singapore herbs to boost their energy. where but have been adapted and epitome of cultural integration,” says breakfast food, is a Chinese adapta- Hainan chicken rice includes a bowl elaborated upon in the island nation. chef Wong from the Fairmont Singa- tion of French toast. The fruit jam of steamed rice (first fried in chicken pore. typically used to spread on toast is Bak kut teh, pork rib simmered in fat, then cooked in chicken broth), a Examples include laksa and otak replaced by local jam kaya, a combi- broth made from herbs and spices, dish of steamed chicken, soy sauce otak.