These culinary maestros took inspiration from their childhood eats to curate a nostalgic menu, served at their restaurants
It is common for chefs to plumb through their childhood memories to come up with exciting and delicious menus that keep us coming back for more. That is exactly what four of our favourite cuisiniers in Singapore did when planning for the menus at their new restaurants.
From chef Julien Royer’s chou farci, or hearty cabbage dish inspired by his mum’s recipe, to local champion Damian D’Silva’s lamb rendang, which he learnt from his grandfather, here are four delectable dishes you should try now.
1. Rempapa
Lamb has always been the protein of choice in the D’Silva household and Rempapa chef-owner Damian D’Silva shares that his grandfather would always prepare lamb leg rendang for special occasions such as Christmas. “The rendang we grew up with was almost dry, with a rich coconutty and fragrant aroma from all the mixed spices, and it was always fiery,” he recalls. He has introduced his own rendition of the dish at Rempapa, the recently opened restaurant dedicated to what he terms Singapore New Heritage cuisine, preparing it based on his grandfather’s original recipe but tweaked slightly with the addition of a masala blend to complement the spices. He also uses the hogget, a slightly more mature lamb, which is mixed with coconut milk, a concoction of lemongrass, shallots, galangal, fennel and coriander, and masala spices. The mixture is then cooked until it is dry, and the hogget releases a “gentle sweetness” that works well with the mixed spices.
Rempapa, 2 Paya Lebar Road, 01-01/02/03 Park Place Residences at PLQ, S(409053), +65 9459 1603
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