Mod-Sin champions Willin Low and Han Li Guang muse about the enduring qualities of contemporary Singaporean fare.
“We are a small country; our cuisine will always be the cuisine of a small country in a global market,” explains the pioneering chef, who is perhaps most famously known to have been the first to coin the term mod-Sin (modern Singaporean) cuisine to describe his novel take on staple local dishes 12 years ago.
“Nonetheless, Singapore has always punched above its weight, so maybe we can repeat the magic with our food,” he adds. “But before we can do that, we need to ensure that mod-Sin cuisine takes root in our homeland first.”
Following Candlenut’s groundbreaking achievement last year, when it became the first Peranakan restaurant to earn a Michelin star, mod-Sin restaurant Labyrinth further drummed up interest in Singapore’s uniquely diverse dining scene when it became the first such restaurant to earn a Michelin star in the 2017 edition of the Michelin Guide Singapore.
(Related: Interview: Willin Low)
“People know Singapore as a financial hub, a modern city, but people don’t know of Singapore cuisine as much as they do of Thai, Japanese or Vietnamese cuisine. So, to be able to represent mod-Sin is somewhat a dream come true,” says Labyrinth’s chef-owner Han Li Guang. He believes this might inspire more consumers and professionals alike to take Singapore cuisine more seriously, and not just for its famed hawker scene.
He also hopes to one day represent Singapore in the same way Noma did for Denmark. “Why is it that a Nordic country that sees winter nine months in a year can have produce it can call its own and represent on a global stage, when Singapore is technically sunny almost every day of the year, but doesn’t have anything to showcase?” Han posits.
We imagine the answer will require time and insight into this inspired style of cuisine. And who better to offer that than the chef who started it all, and the chef who is continuing this legacy?