Singaporean chef Damian D’Silva is ready for the recognition he deserves
Damian D’Silva is a name synonymous with Singapore heritage food. Having spent the last 20 years plumbing his childhood memories to recreate dishes that have long disappeared from local tables, the lanky 63-year-old has come to be regarded as a treasured keeper of time-honoured recipes. Folklore, the restaurant he has helmed since 2017, is his most successful venture yet. Not only has it garnered plenty of buzz for its stellar food, it has also thrust him into the spotlight, earning him a place on the judging panel of MasterChef Singapore. Yet, when asked about his achievements, D’Silva would say that he hasn’t achieved much at all.
That’s because despite the praise and cabal of loyal fans, D’Silva hasn’t garnered the industry recognition he knows he deserves. In the last year, he has taken time out for “eating holidays”, travelling to the likes of Japan to understand how a restaurant garners those all-important stars or the mantle of one of the world’s best. All too often, he says, the most feted of restaurants failed to live up to their hype. “They’re just okay, you know?” he says pensively.
I come away from them thinking, ‘if they can do it, I can do it too’. I just have to find the right partners.