Hundreds of earthquakes rattle Japanese island chain
TOKYO - A remote island chain in southern Japan has been rattled by more than 470 earthquakes since June 21, the national weather agency said on June 26, calling for residents to stay alert.
No major damage has been reported from the series of quakes with a strength of at least one – slightly perceptible to people seated quietly indoors – on Japan's seven-point seismic intensity scale.
As of the morning of June 26, 474 such earthquakes had been observed around the Tokara island chain, south of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.
'Seismic activity has increased. As this region has experienced extended periods of earthquake activity in the past, please be vigilant against earthquakes that cause strong shaking,' it said in a statement.
The largest tremors recorded since June 21 were two magnitude-5.1 quakes, one on June 22 and one on June 24.
They had a seismic intensity of four on the Japanese scale – described as an earthquake in which 'most people are startled', dishes rattle and 'hanging objects such as lamps swing significantly'.
A similar period of seismic activity in the Tokara area was seen in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded within 15 days, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total.
The islands, some of which have active volcanoes, are reached by a ferry that runs twice weekly in good weather.
'An earthquake of up to magnitude-6 strength could take place, so please be vigilant,' Associate Professor Hisayoshi Yokose, a marine volcanology specialist at Kumamoto University, told NHK.
Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for around 18 per cent of the world's earthquakes.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth's surface at which they strike.
On New Year's Day 2024, more than 400 people died after a massive earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, including 'quake-linked' deaths as well as those killed directly in the disaster.
The January 1 quake and its aftershocks toppled buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure at a time when families were celebrating the new year. AFP
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Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Swiss ‘Mountain Tinder' sparks high-altitude attraction
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mr Patrick found the message on the peak of Wandflue, left by Ms Rotzetter a week later and was charmed. BULLE, Switzerland - Ms Cathy and Mr Patrick relish describing how they found each other: through a message left on a Swiss mountaintop. 'It was just a beautiful way to meet,' said Ms Cathy Rotzetter during a recent hike in the Pre-Alps of the western Swiss canton of Fribourg. Sick of online dating sites, the 58-year-old said she was thrilled to discover an analogue alternative, with a Swiss twist: 'Mountain Tinder'. In October 2024, she clambered up to the Wandflue peak, at an altitude of 2,133m, and jotted down her information in the red notebook she found there. Ms Rotzetter recalled the message as she sat in a mountain pasture, her arm laced around Mr Patrick, with the Wandflue towering behind them. 'I wrote that I liked relaxed hikes, and also to have a drink afterwards,' she told AFP with a laugh. Mr Patrick, who is also 58 and who declined to give his surname, found the message a week later, and was charmed. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Israel to decide next steps in Gaza after ceasefire talks collapse Singapore 'I wish I can hear her sing again,' says boyfriend of Yishun fatal crash victim Singapore Singapore-made bot amble matchmakes strangers virtually - without profile photos Asia What's it like to deal with brutal US tariffs? Ask Malaysia Singapore Singapore launches review of economic strategy to stay ahead of global shifts Singapore A look at the five committees reviewing Singapore's economic strategy Singapore Conditional warning for ex-manager at Mendaki accused of trying to obtain laptop as bribe Started as a joke Mountain Tinder is the brain-child of Mr Thibaud Monney, a 29-year-old avid hiker who told AFP the whole thing started in 2023 as 'a joke'. During a climb up the Dent de Broc, overlooking the picturesque Lake of Gruyere, he realised he missed having someone to share the view with. On a whim, he jotted down his feelings in a leather-bound visitor's book. The books are traditionally found on peaks across Fribourg. 'I wrote that I had climbed up for the sunset, and next time there would be two of us,' he said. Mr Monney, who provides woodwork vocational training for disabled people, said that when he shared the story with colleagues they jokingly suggested he place dedicated 'Tinder' notebooks on mountaintops. 'It has worked well,' he said during a recent hike to the La Vudalla peak. 'A number of couples have been created,' he said, thumbing through the red notebook he had stashed alongside the traditional visitor's book in a metal letterbox mounted on a large wooden cross. In all, Mr Monney said he has placed notebooks on seven Fribourg peaks, swapping them out for new ones as they fill up. The idea has also spread, with people in other Swiss cantons and as far away as Argentina telling him they have started Mountain Tinder notebooks. Nature 'a good filter' Mr Monney said he felt 'proud' when hearing from couples who met through the notebooks. It is nice, he said, 'to make someone happy'. The notebook on La Vudalla is filling up fast. 'Passionate about mountains, skiing and climbing,' one message reads, while another is seeking someone who 'likes sports, metal and tattooed women'. 'The idea is very simple,' Mr Monney said. 'If you contact someone, that person has also reached the peak, and probably likes nature and mountains. You already have something in common.' Ms Rotzetter agreed.'The shared love of nature... is a good filter,' she said. Her first date with Mr Patrick last winter was a long scenic walk, ending with a picnic. Mr Rotzetter said she loved that Mr Patrick brought along food and drink for her, and noticed that he kept pace with her. 'I wasn't looking for someone I had to run after,' she said, adding that walking makes for a perfect first date and provides good insight into the other person's character. 'You can see if they adapt their pace... or if they charge ahead.' Mr Patrick added: 'It is very revealing.' Mountain 'algorithm' Mr Monney said he preferred his system to the online dating apps he stopped using a decade ago. 'I didn't like the idea of choosing a person based on a picture and swiping left or right,' he said. Others have congratulated him for liberating dating from algorithmic dictates. With Mountain Tinder, he said, 'you have to reach the peak. That's the only algorithm'. The peaks also naturally filter for age and physical ability. La Vudalla, at an altitude of 1,669m, is one of the easier peaks to reach, allowing older or less fit people to leave messages there. But Mr Monney said only the fittest will make the technically difficult climb up the 2,376m high Vanil de l'Ecri across the valley. He has himself found love, not by leaving messages but still thanks to his notebooks. 'She saw me on television' speaking about Mountain Tinder and 'got in touch', Mr Monney said of his partner. 'Now I am happy.' AFP
New Paper
a day ago
- New Paper
Meet the Singaporeans bringing char kway teow to Mumbai
One runs a supper club that evokes memories of home-cooked flavours, and the other is billed as the city's first Singaporean street food restaurant. For these two chefs abroad, food is a way to stay connected to their Singaporean identity. Supper club dishes out Singaporean flavours with Indian produce At Mumbai's southernmost tip, crowds gather for a breeze in the thickening heat. Beyond the storied silhouettes of the Gateway of India historical monument and The Taj Mahal Palace luxury hotel, colonial facades stand cheek by jowl with sleek restaurants along buzzing streets. This is Colaba - an island-turned-peninsula - dangling like a charm off the city's chaotic necklace, reaching into the Arabian Sea. Singaporean Renjie Wong opens his apartment in Mumbai once a month for his by-invitation-only supper club, Salon Colaba. PHOTO: RENJIE WONG In the heart of this neighbourhood, Singaporean Renjie Wong opens his apartment once a month for his by-invitation-only supper club, Salon Colaba. A red pineapple lantern glows at the entrance. Inside, the lofty living room is a collage of curiosities from his travels: snakeskin from coastal destination Goa coiled along a driftwood branch, Japanese scripture scrawled on paper, a traditional woven raincoat from north-eastern state Arunachal Pradesh crowning the back of a chair. His decor, like his cooking, is a vivid extension of himself. "Indians and Singaporeans are among the most homesick people in the world, at least when it comes to food," says the 34-year-old Singapore Tourism Board (STB) area director of India and South Asia (Mumbai). "Growing up in Singapore, you take good food for granted because it's everywhere. When we're eating lunch, we're already thinking about what to have for dinner." That appetite drove him first as an eater, and later as a cook. He began honing his skills as an undergraduate in San Francisco, while pursuing a double major in anthropology and Italian literature at Stanford University. "Cooking was a comforting way to deal with homesickness. No matter where I go, my food is tied to my Singaporean roots," he says. Growing up in Singapore, his parents ruled the kitchen, so he rarely cooked. It was not until he moved abroad to study that he began making meals for himself, and fell in love with cooking. For his dissertation research, he spent three summers in Naples, learning to make pasta and sugo (an Italian tomato sauce) from scratch in the Italian city. He describes his culinary style as improvised - a riff on comforting flavours, shaped by global influences and whatever happens to be in the pantry and at seasonal markets. His slow-cooked broths draw out the flavours of the ingredients, much like the rich Cantonese soups he grew up on, he says. The pasta he serves in India, for instance, bears traces of home. Fermented black bean paste, dried scallops and fried shallots are echoes of his family's kitchen, reborn abroad. From pasta kits to supper clubs Mr Wong was working for STB in the United States when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, and he moved back to Singapore temporarily while working remotely for the statutory board. During that time, he launched Pasta Singapura, selling meal kits of fresh handmade pasta and sauces to raise funds for Myanmar-based non-profit Doh Eain, which focuses on urban regeneration and heritage conservation. Amid the pandemic, the organisation pivoted to offering critical daily support to hard-hit communities in downtown Yangon. When restrictions eased in late 2020, he hosted a seven-course tasting menu built around the single ingredient of fish sauce, from his serviced apartment in Singapore. It was his first experience running a supper club for friends and acquaintances he had met online - and the precursor to Salon Colaba. After returning to the US in late 2021 to work in STB's California office, he launched his maiden supper club, Salon San Francisco, to welcome close friends. Inspired by 19th-century European salons, he hosted meals for around six people every fortnight, envisioning a space where people gathered to share ideas, challenge perspectives and connect. He continued to channel proceeds to Doh Eain. In 2022, when he moved to Mumbai to take up his current role, Salon Colaba was born. A meal comprises six to eight courses, with three to five alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It opens with a seafood oolong brew: a cold umami mixture of charred jawla (dried Konkani shrimp), anchovies, cuttlefish and scallop, steeped with oolong tea and aged tangerine peel. Snow fungus lends a silken, gelatinous texture. Seafood oolong brew. PHOTO: RENJIE WONG Crudites with sambal. PHOTO: RENJIE WONG With the crudites of Totapuri mango slices and picador chillies come two sambals - one with dried shrimp, balado-style, cooked down with red chillies, wild desi tomato and fried jawla; the other raw and punchy, made from charred bombil (a type of fish also known as Bombay duck) that is lacto-fermented for six weeks with yellow chillies, Tripura pineapple and aromatics, then hand-pounded into a rich, layered paste. Mee suah kueh. PHOTO: RENJIE WONG The mee suah kueh, made from heritage Fuzhou noodles hand-pulled in Sarawak, is rare even in Singapore. Wong serves it with a shallot-rich curry built on a robust rempah, the crisp alliums adding earthy depth. Ulam thunder tea. PHOTO: RENJIE WONG Then comes the show-stealer: ulam thunder tea, a broth entwined in South-east Asian and Hakka traditions, made with 14 aromatic greens from Colaba Market - among them methi (fenugreek leaves), bathua (wild spinach), khatta bhaji (Indian sorrel), kulfa saag (purslane), gondhoraj lime leaf and sawtooth coriander. It fuses the spirit of ulam, the fragrant Malay herb salad, with the depth of Hakka thunder tea. Between courses, conversation flows as easily as the drinks, which include fennel sugarcane wild soda and mulberry mint wild soda. Around six people attend each dinner. When I was there in March, the crowd was a mix of writers, creatives and food entrepreneurs. Himalayan walnut soup. PHOTO: RENJIE WONG Dessert crescendos with coral jelly in Himalayan walnut soup - a nod to Wong's visit to northern state Himachal Pradesh for the last walnut harvest in October 2024 - and slivers of preserved tangerine peel. "My mother makes this for every family gathering," he says. Sublime, nostalgic, quietly stunning - it is the perfect parting note. Meals cost around 5,000 rupees (S$75) a person, with all proceeds going to charity. For more information, go to @saloncolaba on Instagram. Beautician serves Singapore hawker favourites In the Mumbai suburb of Bandra lies Makan Lah, billed as the city's first Singaporean street food joint. On its menu are familiar dishes including chicken rice, kaya toast and chendol. Even before you enter, the aroma of freshly pulled kopi wafts from the kitchen, where Singaporean owner Synthia Liu, who is in her 40s, is at work. Ms Synthia Liu is the founder of Makan Lah, which serves Singaporean street food in Mumbai. PHOTO: POOJA NAIK "It has been my dream to bring Singapore street food to India," says Ms Liu, who spent 15 years in Mumbai as a beautician and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapist before her close friends, devoted fans of her home cooking, suggested she venture into the food and beverage industry. She opened the cafe in the suburb of Khar in June 2024, before moving to its current location in July 2025. Ms Liu first visited Mumbai in 2010 at the suggestion of a student from Hyderabad, who was enrolled in her beauty training programme in Singapore, where she taught nail and eyelash extensions. Seeing potential in Mumbai's nascent hospitality industry, she began conducting beauty and wellness training programmes there, as well as in second-tier cities such as Coimbatore, Ahmedabad and Bhopal. By 2011, she had made Mumbai her home. TCM diets inspire Singapore cooking Ms Liu comes from a family of cooks. In Singapore, her uncle runs a hawker stall serving bak chor mee, while her mother has worked at various hawker stalls for the past three decades. Ms Liu began cooking at age 10, taught by her vegetarian grandmother. Later, her mother taught her how to perfectly simmer hunks of chicken and fish in flavourful broths. In school, she favoured cooking classes. In Mumbai, she found that planning diets for clients based on TCM philosophies played a key role in their treatment. The positive feedback she received inspired her to launch her food venture. But it was not easy for a first-time eatery owner to build the business from scratch. The exterior of Makan Lah. PHOTO: POOJA NAIK The interior of Makan Lah. PHOTO: POOJA NAIK Despite hiring chefs with experience in Chinese restaurants, Ms Liu says they did not know how to cook Singapore food. Many quit before the restaurant's launch. Sourcing the right produce was a challenge, though she adapted - using, for instance, local chillies for chicken rice and native kolam rice for nasi lemak. "Copying a recipe makes you a cook. Here, we're chefs, creating something unique with what we have, without compromising on quality," she says. Social media proved a double-edged sword. A month after its launch, a popular food vlogger reviewed the restaurant online, and the video went viral - drawing large crowds it was not equipped to handle. It took three months for Ms Liu and her team to find their rhythm. Ms Liu says Makan Lah's extensive menu, with around 40 dishes, is like encountering a variety of hawker stalls at once. Hainanese chicken rice. PHOTO: MAKAN LAH As in Singapore, Hainanese chicken rice is a bestseller. The laksa is rich and aromatic with prawn broth and coconut milk, and the chicken gyoza and prawn har gow, served with garlic chilli oil and sambal, are delicate. Nasi lemak, topped with anchovies, peanuts and egg, gets its kick from fiery sambal and comes with a choice of meat: chicken, pork or prawns. There is even a vegetarian char kway teow to suit local palates. Laksa with prawns and chicken. PHOTO: MAKAN LAH And the beverage menu brims with variations of kopi, alongside bubble teas and soothing herbal infusions. Ms Liu has many plans in the pipeline. She intends to launch a brand selling Chinese tea and sauces, a pan-Asian eatery, Makan Lah's second outpost in the commercial suburb Lower Parel, and DIY cooking kits. She also wants to open a cooking academy to teach people to cook Singapore food, as well as support young entrepreneurs who want to set up their own brand or restaurant. Ms Liu says: "India is growing fast and there are far more opportunities for foreigners now than there were a decade ago. Indians are eager to learn. That makes a big difference." Meals cost around 500 rupees a person. For more information, go to @ on Instagram.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Is Taiwan the new Japan: How restaurants are expanding their food sources
SINGAPORE – Nae:um, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Telok Ayer, serves contemporary Korean dishes under the direction of a South Korean chef. Its name is equally rooted in that peninsula, derived from a poetic Korean word connoting a fragrance that evokes memories. The ingredients that make up the restaurant's artful creations, however, draw from a more cosmopolitan range. Seafood, for instance, comes from Japan, Europe, New Zealand an d Singapore. About 70 per cent of the fish on Nae:um's current menu is sourced from local fishermen at Jurong Fishery Port. And the diamond trevally – a rarity in fine dining and modern Korean restaurants – caught off Singapore's coasts is the star of its seafood main course. Diamond trevally on Nae:um's A Hanok Prelude menu. PHOTO: NAE:UM With exacting preparation, chef-founder Louis Han wants to introduce diners to the texture and flavour of the underrated yet delicious fish. 'I'd like to erase the misconception that what is more costly equates to better quality. With proper handling and preparation with care, locally bred fish can taste just as good as fish from Japan or elsewhere,' says the 35-year-old Seoul native. Like chef Han, fine-dining restaurants in Singapore are casting their nets beyond traditional waters – meat and seafood are usually hauled in from Japa n, and wine from France or Italy – and embracing less tapped regions. It mirrors a wider national shift towards greater supply chain diversity. In 2024, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) greenlit pork from Portugal, beef from Brunei and Poland, and poultry from Turkey . This brought the Republic's total number of food supply sources to 187 countries and regions, up from 140 some 20 years ago. SFA say s this diversification strategy has 'proven crucial in mitigating risks associated with global supply disruptions, arising from various factors including disease outbreaks, climate change and geopolitical tensions'. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks Business Property 'decoupling' illegal if done solely to avoid taxes: High Court Singapore HSA investigating teen who was observed to be allegedly vaping in MRT train Singapore 60 years of building Singapore Asia 'Every day, we think about how to upgrade': China's factories see rise in robot adoption Sport Spurs captain Son Heung-min says he is leaving the English Premier League club Life Tastemakers: Burnt-out serial entrepreneur cooks up $16m success with Lau Wang Claypot Delights Such is true in chef Han's case. For him, variety is a safeguard against volatile shipment schedules and price fluctuations. International ingredients compensate for the lack of local produce on public holidays, while alternative sources keep the restaurant running when Japanese stock dries up during Golden Week from end-April to early May. But not all restaurants are driven by practical considerations. Some eschew the easy, stable option for produce that, though inconvenient, aligns with their culinary identity. As Ms Chong Ri Jia – chief executive of FoodPlant, the Singapore Institute of Technology's small-batch food production facility – points out, diversification helps to meet evolving consumer expectations. 'There's rising demand for seasonal produce, speciality ingredients and ethically sourced products, which pushes restaurants and suppliers to explore new regions,' she say s. She adds that more produce from South America, Central Europe and Africa might find its way to Singapore in the coming years. 'These regions offer untapped potential in both quality and cost efficiency, especially as trade routes and supply capabilities mature.' For now, meat and seafood from Taiwan and Ireland are gaining traction in Singapore, as are wine and cheese from Japan. Taste of Taiwan Iru Den chef-owner Javier Low started incorporating Taiwanese ingredients into his menu in 2024. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE In 2023, chef Javier Low was plying a well-trodden route to culinary prestige. His ingredients were Japanese and his techniques, European. He was running the show at Iru Den restaurant in Scotts Road, a stretch replete with other Japanese and European establishments celebrated for their premium produce. It was, from the outside, a perfectly viable approach. But behind the scenes, cracks started to show. 'The aftermath of Covid-19 was pretty tough. There were period s w hen the prices of produce from Japan went crazy. And when Japan started releasing treated nuclear waste water from Fukushima into the sea in 2023, we knew that bringing in Taiwanese produce was the right move,' says the 33-year-old chef-owner of the Michelin-selected restaurant. That was also the year he took a trip to Taiwan with his Pingtung-born wife, Iru Den's sommelier Emily Chen, 3 2. There, he was introduced to the wonders of Taiwan – rich, juicy carabinero prawns, maguro and sakura ebi that could give the Japanese versions a run for their mone y , as well as his mother-in-law's cai pu (pickled radish). 'Everyone's supporting Japanese products, so we wanted to take the risk and do something different, more meaningful too because of our connection to Taiwan,' he says. He added that it is rare for Singaporean restaurants to incorporate familial touches in the form of produce grown and prepared by their loved ones. So including his mother-in-law's cai p u in Iru Den's chicken broth and brown butter is the closest he gets to that. Initially, the couple found it difficult to fill their larder with Taiwanese produce. There were few suppliers they could tap in Singapore, so they had to approach fishermen and farmers in Taiwan. Unlike Japan, where produce is brought to a central market and distributed through a tightly organised process, seafood in Taiwan is scattered across its various ports an d d ependent on the whims of fishermen. 'They're a lot more laid-back. If the fisherman wants to fish, he'll fish, but if he doesn't feel like it, then too bad,' observes chef Low, who had to endure a few failed shipments that bit off a chunk of his savings when he first made the switch. Over time, however, the couple cobbled together a reliable band of suppliers through Ms Chen's family connections and fellow chefs. They rebranded as a Taiwanese restaurant in mid-2024 . Now, 80 per cent of the restaurant's produce hails from the island , which saves them around 10 to 20 per cent on ingredient costs. Certain meats are still sourced from other countries – wagyu from Japan and chicken from Malaysia – due to government restrictions, but Taiwanese pork has become a staple on Iru Den's menu since chilled and frozen pork products were approved for export to Singapore in November 2024. Such imports were s uspended in 2009 due to an outbreak of f oot-and-mouth disease in Taiwan. However, SFA has since assessed that Taiwan's food safety and animal health systems meet requirements for accreditation. Taiwanese pork is now available in FairPrice supermarkets, and has been well received by customers, according to a FairPrice Group spokesperson. 'Taiwanese pork is particularly suited for Asian cooking and recipes. It is known for its sweet, juicy and tender qualities compared with other pork variations, an apparent result of Taiwan's advanced farming methods and careful selection process when it comes to pig breeding,' adds the spokesperson. Despite its moreish quality, a minority of chef Low's customers have baulked at the prospect of a meal sourced mainly from Taiwan. 'Perception is always going to be a problem. Some people think Japanese food is always the best, and everything else is cheaper,' he says. 'So we know our job is to show them better, more interesting alternatives.' Irish ingredients Irish whelk at Luce's buffet. PHOTO: INTERCONTINENTAL SINGAPORE Ireland is sometimes called 'The Emerald Isle', and for good reason too. Its rolling hills and wide pastures are covered in a lush blanket of green, on which animals graze for an average of 220 days a year. This, in turn, makes for robust grass-fed meat and dairy products packed with nutrients. In the cold, clean waters that surround the island, shellfish such as oysters, whelk, crab and lobsters thrive. Now, such natural abundance is making its way to Singapore in greater volumes. In 2024, Ireland exported €42.5 million (S$63.2 million) worth of products to Singapore, a 10 per cent increase compared with 2023. It was an especially significant jump for Bord Bia, or the Irish Food Board, as many markets in Europe and the United States experience only single-digit growth. The most drastic jumps in export numbers were observed in the pigmeat category, which surged by 1 47 per cent. Dairy and beef exports also rose by around 20 and 30 per cent respectively. 'Singaporean consumers and food service professionals prioritise food safety, traceability and nutritional value – areas in which Irish produce excel, thanks to Ireland's grass-fed farming systems and rigorous quality standards. Irish dairy is prized for its rich flavour and purity, while Irish beef and pork are valued for consistent quality and adherence to strict animal welfare practices,' says Bord Bia's South-east Asia director Lisa Phel an. She credits Singapore's dynamic hospitality and food service sectors for driving demand. Restaurants such as Carnaby at Robertson Quay import Silver Hill Irish Duck, while Bread Street Kitchen at Marina Bay Sands serves cuts of Irish Beef . Bord Bia also runs initiatives such as its Taste of Ireland campaign, which ran from March to April . Despite a slight dip in drink and seafood exports, which fell by 9.3 and 3.6 per cent from 2023 to 2024 respectively, demand for those products has increased steadily over the last decade. Eateries such as Luce at InterContinental Singapore continue to swear by Irish seafood. For the last 1½ years, the buffet restaurant has stuck to Irish whelk, which it favours for its consistent texture and clean, briny flavour with a subtle sweetne ss. InterContinental executive chef Kenny Chung, 43, says these whelks have an exceptionally clean and delicate taste profile. Supply has remained stable too. Likewise, Irish oysters – with their plump texture, clean salinity and refined mineral finish – regularly stream into Singapore. 'Compared with oysters from other regions, Irish oysters are less metallic and more rounded in flavour, making them highly versatile and elegant on the palate,' says Mr Carl Verrelst, 37, operations manager at Italian restaurant Le Pristine Singapore at Grand Hyatt Singapore. The restaurant serves Irish Mor oysters. Ms Phelan says Bord Bia will continue to promote Irish produce through a campaign scheduled near Halloween, which borrows some traditions from the Gaelic festival of Samhain marking the beginning of winter. It will showcase Irish meats, dairy, seafood and snack brands such as Keoghs crisps that are new to Singapore. While clouds of geopolitical uncertainty loom over the food industry and its supply chains, she is choosing to focus on the silver lining. She says: 'We see potential US tariffs as an opportunity for Irish exporters who are heavily invested in the US to diversify their markets and expand into Singapore and South-east Asia.' Japanese wine and cheese New Japanese wines served at Odette. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Japanese produce is far from foreign to Singaporeans. But while wagyu and sashimi have thoroughly infiltrated Singapore's kitchens, Japanese wine and cheese – traditionally seen as European domains – remain more elusive. That could soon change, with the profile of Japanese wine, in particular, steadily growing. According to the Embassy of Japan in Singapore and the Japan External Trade Organization, the value of such exports to the Republic has risen from 18 million yen (S$157,000) in 2020 to 51 million yen in 2024. 'The number of Japanese winemakers who have studied abroad, including in France, has increased in recent years, leading to rapid improvement in winemaking techniques,' says Mr Takeshi Koga, 42, first secretary (agriculture and food) at the Embassy of Japan in Singapore. He adds that international awards and attention have also boosted awareness of Japanese wines. Whereas in the past, many Japanese wineries struggled with international outreach due to language barriers and limited marketing experience, producers and export managers – many of whom are educated overseas – have started to help bridge that gap, notes Mr Daisuke Shibuya, 44. He is the head sommelier at Terra Tokyo Italian, an Italian-Japanese restaurant in Tras Street. To him, the appeal of Japanese wine lies in its delicate taste. 'In Japan, most grapes grow in volcanic soil, so Japanese wine contains a high level of minerality. The climate is also cooler , like Germany or Austria , so it has a higher acidity, elegant aroma and lighter body.' While temperature fluctuations once made it difficult to preserve this delicacy during travel, reefer containers as well as better storage and handling techniques mean that the infrastructure to ensure safe deliveries is now firmly in place. Odette wine director Vincent Tan takes an exploratory approach to his curation of pairings. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Which is why Japanese wines can now be found in restaurants such as three-Michelin-starred Odette at National Gallery Singapore. Its wine director Vincent Tan added the first bottles to the French restaurant's menu two years ago, after a trip to Hokkaido in 2023. Of the restaurant's 1,100 wines, 50 or so are from Japan. 'The wine programme was always meant to be more exploratory,' says Mr Tan, 37. 'For wine pairings, we focus on bringing people to regions they might not expect. And I like the idea of using Asian wine in Asia.' He makes it a point not to pair Japanese wine with Japanese-style dishes. A smoked egg dish with potato and chorizo goes with a sweet and rich Niigata pinot noir, for instance, while a langoustine dish is served with a Hokkaido white. So far, guests seem to love it, and some have purchased bottles of Japanese wine to bring home. It is cheaper than European wines too. Mr Tan says a top-of-the-range bottle from Japan is priced in the same ballpark as a mid-tier French wine, as the former does not yet have the history to command a higher figure. Even the Japanese have yet to fully embrace the fruit of their vineyards. Suppliers who import Japanese wine to Singapore have told Mr Tan that they get little business from Japanese restaurants, which still view French and Italian wines as the apex. Mr Koga hopes that recognition in Singapore will help to spur interest back home. 'Japan takes pride in its craftsmanship and quality. But like Lexus or Suntory whisky, many products are valued at home only after earning praise abroad.' He also notes the improving quality of Japanese cheese, though this has proven a harder sell. The value of its Singapore exports has hovered around 21 million yen since 2020, through worldwide demand has inched up from 520 million yen to 608 million yen over the same period. However, some fine-dining restaurants have started to pave the way for this new category of cheese. For example, newly minted one-Michelin-starred restaurant Omakase@Stevens' summer menu features cheddar from Nagano. Executive chef Kazuki Arimoto believes that Japanese cheese has immense potential, but its prevalence is curtailed by the lack of established import channels, which makes distribution to Singapore difficult. 'Japanese cheeses offer a more subtle but robust character – not overpowering, yet deeply flavourful,' says the 31-year-old. 'In my cooking, I strive to showcase the individuality of each cheese while ensuring a harmonious balance in the dish.'
