Rule number 1 of living in Singapore: you don’t mess with our food. Whether it’s Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rice, or Char Kuay Teow, our local hawker fare is amongst some of the best in the world. No arguments there.
Still, it’s nice to spice things up every once in awhile, like how McDonald’s did with the Nasi Lemak Burger (you know that when Malaysia copies us, it’s something good).
If you didn’t get to try that since it’s now sold out, here are 10 other fusion dishes that might just make you go Majulah Singapura with pride:
Po: Gourmet Popiah
Heard of the term mod-Sin? It stands for modern Singaporean cuisine (basic, we know). Well, it’s a style of cooking that you can find at The Warehouse Hotel’s Po – a restaurant helmed by Chef Willin Low. Do check out his Signature Popiah, a reinterpretation of the classic spring roll dish, with fillings of pork, shrimp, and hand-cut jicama; or the Ice Cream Popiah, that comes with servings of pineapple, peanut, and taro gelato.
Po, The Warehouse Hotel, 320 Havelock Road, Singapore 169628. Opening Hours: Open Daily, 7am to 10.30am, 12pm to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm.
Ding Dong: Scallop Kui Pie Tee
*Insert ringing bell sound* Your next version of mod-Sin food is here, courtesy of Ding Dong, a stylish restaurant known for whipping up flamboyant renditions of traditional Southeast Asian fare. Here, they serve Scallop Kuih Pie Tee. But instead of the regular Nyonya version, this dish comprises of Hokkaido scallop tartare with coconut, pickled ginger, and sea grapes wrapped in crispy bamboo shoots.
Ding Dong, #01-02, 115 Amoy Street, Singapore 069935. Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 12am; Closed on Sunday.
Food Anatomy: Design Food
We bet you’d never thought Nasi Lemak or Beef Rendang could look so artsy. We didn’t too, till Food Anatomy popped onto the scene. This restaurant at Timbre+ features all sorts of local goodies, and even international ones too like Thai Pork Basil, and crams them into delightfully colourful cubes of munch-worthy goodness with the aim of combining the beauty of design and food.
Food Anatomy, #01-31, Timbre+, 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, Singapore 139957. Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 11pm. Closed on Sunday.
Restaurant Labryinth: Chilli Crab
Singaporeans are fiercely proud of their Chilli Crab. However, Restaurant Labryinth ignores everything that’s intrinsic to this dish. Instead, the restaurant’s version comes as a deep-fried soft shell crab that’s placed on a bed of crispy mantou crumbs and crab bisque foam. On the side, you’ve got spicy chilli crab ice cream. Better than the original? Nope. But definitely makes for an interesting alternative.
Restaurant Labryinth, 8 Raffles Avenue, #02-23, Singapore 039802. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12pm to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 11pm; Saturday and Sunday, 6pm to 11pm; Closed on Monday.
Candlenut Kitchen: Buah Keluak Ice Cream
Buah Keluak has to be one of the most polarising foods ever. You either love it or hate it. Or learn to love it. Ah, you get the point. Still, that hasn’t stopped Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant Candlenut Kitchen from using it as the main ingredient in one of its deserts. For this dish, the earthy-tasting nut comes with dark Valhrona chocolate, salted caramel, chocolate crumble, and chilli specks. Delicious.
Candlenut Kitchen, 17A Dempsey Road, Singapore 249676. Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm; Friday and Saturday, 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 11pm.
Lepark: Chicken Rice Sushi
Lepark is based in probably one of the coolest spots in Singapore, but little do people know that they also serve up a mean variety of locally inspired dishes, chief of which is the Chicken Rice Sushi. Okay, so the dish doesn’t need any explanation thanks to its name, although there are other cool stuff to check out here, like the Tempura Otah Slider and Slipper Lobster and Crabmeat Tom Yam Pasta.
Lepark, People’s Park Complex, 1 Park Road, #06-00, Singapore 059108. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 4pm to 11pm; Friday, 4pm to 12am; Saturday, 12pm to 12am; Sunday, 12pm to 11pm; Closed on Monday.
WANTON – Seng’s Noodle Bar: Wanton Mee
Don’t think of the Wanton Mee here as fusion. Think of it as somewhat like a spruced up version of your local coffeeshop favourite, with premium ingredients instead. Down here at WANTON, only the best ingredients are used. For instance, there are regular dumplings and char siew with springy noodles, but you can top off your dish with sides like salted egg sweet potato, batulong eggs, and aburi pork belly.
WANTON, 52 Amoy Street, Singapore 069878. Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm; Friday, 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 11pm; Saturday, 6pm to 10pm; Closed on Sunday.
Hyde & Co: Nasi Lemak Risotto
If you can’t live without Asian food, the first thing you’d probably want to look for is rice. And risotto is the best Western alternative out there. That said; Hyde & Co, a petite British café at North Bridge Road, combines the best of both worlds with its Nasi Lemak Risotto. Comprising of sambal, prawns, a poached egg, and ikan bilis, this dish is definitely a fusion feast for the senses.
785 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198753. Opening Hours: Monday, 12pm to 6pm; Wednesday to Friday, 12pm to 10pm; Saturday, 11am to 10pm; Sunday, 11am to 6pm. Closed on Tuesday.
Wild Rocket: Pan Seared Scallop Nasi Lemak
Like Po (mentioned earlier in this list), Wild Rocket is a restaurant under Chef Willin Low’s stewardship. The man is well known for his mod-Sin creations that draw inspiration from local hawker fare, and at his first flagship restaurant, you can look forward to trying out novelty dishes like the Pan Seared Scallop Nasi Lemak and the Minced Pork Prata Pizza.
Wild Rocket, 10A Upper Wilkie Road, Singapore 228119. Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 10.30pm; Saturday, 12pm to 4pm, 6.30pm to 10.30pm; Closed on Sunday.
Sinpopo: Ais Kacang
A sister branch of Everything with Fries and Awfully Chocolate, Sinpopo is a chic café located along Joo Chiat Road that serves up a wide variety of locally inspired, Insta-worthy desserts. And boy, the dessert list here is extensive: there’s chilled pandan soufflé, orange kaya pisang crème brulee, and gula melaka cake, while savoury items aren’t left out either, with a har cheong gai burger sure to make mouths salivate.
Sinpopo, 458 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427671. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Wednesday, 12pm to 10pm; Friday and Saturday, 12pm to 12am; Sunday, 12pm to 10pm; Closed on Monday.
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