The Singapore restaurant scene is seeing the ebb and flow of trends and concepts. From a new generation of chefs rolling out their versions of modern heritage cuisines to local culinary experts advocating farm-fresh produce from Singapore and our neighbouring countries. On the food technology front, hotel kitchens are finding ways to increase productivity. The trend of non-alcoholic beverages will continue to spike as more people are opting with the continued spotlight on leading healthier lifestyles.
In this two-part special report, we find out more from chefs, hoteliers and F&B experts what to expect in our food scene 2023.
Related: Chef Malcolm Lee of one-Michelin-starred Candlenut fronts a Peranakan Shake Shack burger
More modern heritage dining concepts have emerged of late as young chefs explore their roots and their identities.
“Singapore is still very young. Yet, within three generations, we are beginning to feel the loss of what we grew up with. Our sense is that we have missed out or overlooked something,” says chef Malcolm Lee of one Michelin-starred peranakan restaurant, Candlenut.
“Old hawkers are retiring and our grandparents or parents are no longer able to cook due to old age. But recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in our culinary roots in Asia, and young chefs are using our heritage food and drinks in contemporary ways. As we rediscover these nuanced, shared culinary histories, I hope we can find new inspiration,” says Lee who also owns contemporary Straits Cuisine restaurant Pangium.
Chef Mano Thevar acknowledges that Singapore’s modern Indian cuisine is trending due to the openings of such spots as Barood, Ahara, and Darjeeling Social. “People now understand that there is more depth to Indian cuisine.”
Thevar, Singapore’s first modern Indian restaurant to receive two Michelin stars in 2022, serves food using premium ingredients and French techniques. “We want to deliver heartfelt, tasty food. We try to be creative, but what matters most is the taste and portraying the flavours I grew up with in Penang,” says the chef. That means focusing on homestyle food such as idlis, dosas, and curries, as well as dishes like nasi kandar and dhansak, a dish of meat or vegetables cooked with lentils.
At Arang, Nurl Asyraffie Mohamed Shukor is a modern heritage food chef. It was Thevar, the man, who encouraged him to cook his own heritage food when he was working at Thevar. “To be recognised for having one of the first modern Malay concepts in Singapore is an honour,” says Asyraffie, who is cooking Malay food professionally for the first time.
He points out, “I’m trying to elevate Malay cuisine to a level where it is more respected. Currently, when most people think of Malay food, they don’t usually associate it with modern cooking techniques.”
To keep things interesting, he feels the need to set a certain standard. “I am constantly thinking about how I can improve or do things differently.” His advice to young chefs like himself: “Be original and set trends instead of following them.”
Unlisted Collection’s serial restaurateur Loh Lik Peng hopes to see the continued growth of fine dining concepts by such local chefs. “I just visited Thevar and Mano improved again after receiving his second star.” Loh continues, “I’m also impressed by Seroja, Born, Willow, and some others who are making inroads into fine dining.
Instead of Western cuisine, these chefs are creating hybrid cuisines that are sophisticated and internationally influenced, but still very local. A new generation of local chefs are starting to mature and truly come into their own.
Related: This Singapore chef serves contemporary Malay cuisine at Arang
Meanwhile, hotels continue to invest in technology for the kitchen and back of the house. Nigel Moore, Accor’s Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage, Southeast Asia, Japan & South Korea, says, “Kitchens consume a lot of energy. Heat generation can be reduced by technology. It’s being developed now.”
Accor is also examining water consumption. “There are companies like SOURCE that extract water from the atmosphere. They use solar panels to collect and filter moisture,” shares Moore. Minerals are then added to the water, making it drinkable. “We can reduce our impact on the planet without depleting any natural resources.”
Artificial intelligence is also increasingly used in commercial kitchens to reduce food waste. Companies such as Winnow, Lumitics, and LightBlue Consulting provide great solutions.
In the last, Moore says an analytical measurement system is offered. “Accor is committed to reducing food waste by 30 per cent over the next five years. Measuring is key. We can’t just say we’re reducing it without having tangible results” he emphasises.
Other initiative to ensure sustainability is Accor’s installation of the innovative ecoTOTE system. Proof & Company’s ecoSPIRITS offers a lineup of house pouring craft spirits – including vodka, gin, whisky, tequila and rum – housed in uniquely made aluminium vessels called ecoTOTEs.
By delivering the spirits in larger formats (4.5L or 25L) and removing 95 per cent of the packaging materials (single-use liquor bottles) from the distribution system, they are able to provide F&B operators with higher quality craft spirits at a much more competitive price.
Alcohol-free tipples will be more popular than ever in 2023, says Aaron Jacobson, Restaurant Zén’s General Manager and Beverage Director, referencing data from NielsonIQ, which valued alcohol-free and low-alcohol wines, beers and spirits at US$3.1 billion (S$4.2 billion) in 2021. In the same year, sales of low-alcohol beverages rose by 8.1 per cent, while non-alcoholic ones rose 33.2 per cent. That trend will continue, Jacobson predicts.
“The lockdowns trapped many inside, changing their outlook. With health and wellness top concerns for many, these industries are on the rise,” Jacobson adds.
“Additionally, the younger generations drink less and are far more interested in creative alternatives. Better options and creativity will fuel growth, but tectonic plates are shifting, and demand for these products is already there. Thus, innovation and growth are driven by more people buying them.
“What I hope to see are more restaurants catching up on international trends and focusing innovative attention on beverage programmes.”
Additionally, the younger generations drink less and are far more interested in creative alternatives. Better options and creativity will fuel growth, but tectonic plates are shifting, and demand for low or no-alcohol tipples is already there.
The market for low-ABV (alcoholic strength by volume) drinks and non- alcoholic cocktails is picking up, says Nigel Moore, Accor’s Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage, Southeast Asia, Japan & South Korea.
“What has been interesting is the explosion of flavoured teas and pairings. For example, Dilmah launched concentrated iced tea mixtures that are excellent.” Additionally, fine dining restaurants like La Dame de Pic at Raffles Hotel are serving Copenhagen Sparkling Tea.
Related: Fine dining in Singapore: A $450 meal at Restaurant Zen
Instead of importing produce from across the world, more chefs are choosing local ingredients or those grown nearby.
Vertical farming is becoming more precise, according to Moore. “The systems have matured. Eight to 10 years ago, they weren’t as effective or efficient. It used to be more techie guys trying to do things rather than people who actually were growing it as produce.”
Since vertical farming emphasises resource maximisation and energy conservation, the younger generation is more engaged in such fields, adds Moore.
Vertical farms are now often installed in warehouses or hotel rooftops. “Besides working with artisanal farms, we also source microgreens and herbs from the hotel’s aquaponic farm,” says Kirk Westaway, executive chef at Jaan at Fairmont Singapore. “These ingredients enhance our evolving menu.”
Seroja’s chef Kevin Wong also advocates locally-farmed and native ingredients from neighbouring countries.
“More and more producers are coming forward to share their stories and ingredients with us. At the moment, we get organic vegetables from Cameron Highlands and Singapore-based vertical farms every couple of days. We also have wild heirloom rice, honey, and unique salt and sugars from Borneo’s mountains.”
Wong adds, “Recently, we talked with a Sabah farm growing a free-range breed of local beef using Japanese technology and nutrition practices. We’re excited to see the results.”
Seroja is not only about celebrating ingredients, but also the people around the region, and hence we’re also placing the same amount of effort to work with artists and artisans such as local musicians, potters, florists, paper makers etc.”
At the moment, we get organic vegetables from Cameron Highlands and Singapore-based vertical farms every couple of days. We also have wild heirloom rice, honey, and unique salt and sugars from Borneo’s mountains.
At Candlenut, chef-owner Malcolm Lee uses ingredients like durian to make fermented sambal tempoyak, and ikan parang (wolf herring fish) to make sambal lengkong, a spicy fish floss. He also incorporates belimbing (starfruit), jering (a pod-like fruit from South-east Asia), breadfruit, and hashima into his menu.
Han Liguang of Labyrinth has been supporting local farmers since 2018. “We were the first to use locally-grown produce before the government even launched its 30 by 30 initiative.” He adds that vertical farms are heavily supported by the government now, “but the problem is that the produce doesn’t always taste that great.”
He believes that nature produces the best-tasting ingredients, while vertical farms and agrotech provide consistency in output. With the government phasing out traditional farming, he laments, “As a chef, I deliver flavour from good quality produce. How will I cope when (traditional) farms disappear? Many are winding down and lowering their production, or having manpower difficulties, which affect their business and output quality.”
Nevertheless, Han strives to use herbs and vegetables from Singapore and Malaysia. He also gets frogs from a Singapore farm, honey from NutriNest Bee Rescue, and crabs from Ah Hua Kelong. His custard apples come from Vietnam, pomelo from Thailand and the Philippines, fermented black bee honey from Indonesia, and chocolate from Malaysia.
As a chef, I deliver flavour from good quality produce. How will I cope when (traditional) farms disappear? Many are winding down and lowering their production, or having manpower difficulties, which affect their business and output quality.
From a new generation of chefs and culinary experts advocating farm- fresh produce from Singapore and its neighbouring countries to hotels using cutting-edge technology, and non-alcoholic beverages, good food has never been more compelling.
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