Food Picks: Contemporary Asian flavours at one-Michelin-starred Willow
SINGAPORE – Willow executive chef Nicolas Tam, one of those self-styled straight-talker types, has no time for fine dining's typical frills, despite his restaurant's one Michelin star. So, do not expect ironed tablecloths or lavish courtesy here.
As the contemporary Asian restaurant sways into a new season, it turns its attention from Japan to the rest of the continent. The gastronomic essence of other cultures, such as the Chinese and the Peranakans, comes to bear here in a menu that is constantly updated to keep pace with seasonal specialities and supply chain fluctuations.
The $228++ dinner menu starts off with the familiar: a soothing and herbal black chicken consomme made with the Silkie breed of poultry prized for its gamier taste.
Following a quick detour through the restaurant's traditional stomping ground of Japanese cuisine – a trio of snacks with uni and chutoro – chef Tam's French background delivers a cloud-like Pain Au Lait, to be dipped in a sweet-savoury miso sabayon that cradles in its centre a confit egg yolk.
A zesty appetiser of zucchini, green apple and caviar cleanses the palate before the mains, generously portioned and boldly spiced, make landfall.
One of the highlights is the toothfish with sauerkraut – an elegant nod to the suan cai yu (fish with pickled mustard greens) that has become so ubiquitous in Singapore. Willow's version is creamier and less puckering, the succulent fish dusted with rattan pepper for a light citrus zing.
Also inspired by a local favourite is the Iberico pork with buah keluak sambal. The condiment's caramelised nuttiness, traced every so slightly with a bitter hint, complements the richness of the pork.
Miyazaki A5 wagyu at Willow.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
Diners can upgrade this dish to a plate of Miyazaki A5 wagyu, grilled over binchotan and crowned with a nugget of foie gras. It is the kind of melt-in-your mouth luxuriance expected of a restaurant of this calibre and, in some ways, exemplifies Willow's ethos – maximum quality, minimal fuss.
A final rice course rounds off the savoury act, before two desserts and a trio of sweets tuck you gently into a blissful food coma.
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That became an unlicensed hawker stall in East Coast with two tables, and morphed into Palm Beach restaurant in Upper East Coast Road. Copycats did not faze Madam Cher, who died in 2023 at age 90. She figured the buzz around chilli crab could only bring better business. The family sold the restaurant in 1985 and emigrated to New Zealand. Her son Roland Lim, 67, later came back and opened Roland Restaurant in Marine Parade Central in 2000. That 1,000-seat restaurant still serves chilli crab the way his mother made it. Versions of chilli crab are available at seafood chains and restaurants such as Jumbo Seafood, Palm Beach Seafood, Red House Seafood and Long Beach Seafood. Chilli crab flavours have been worked into ice cream, xiao long bao and doughnut fillings, pasta, and dips for mantou and crackers, among other things. For National Day, three fast-food chains have come up with chilli crab specials. 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When there is a glut, as there seems to be in 2025, long queues form at famous durian stalls and heartland fruit shops, as people lap up this yearly treat. Enterprising food businesses freeze durian pulp so they can offer durian desserts all year round. For 42 years, Goodwood Park Hotel has offered durian cakes, puffs, crepes, ice cream and other desserts in its annual Durian Fiesta. Then when the Mid-Autumn Festival rolls around, it offers snowskin mooncakes with durian filling. Resorts World Sentosa, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Paradox Singapore Merchant Court hotels and FairPrice Xtra supermarkets at VivoCity and JEM have seasonal all-you-can-eat durian buffets featuring prime varieties such as Mao Shan Wang and D24. Not keen to jostle with the crowds? Restaurants, cafes and bakeries work the fruit into roll cakes, cream puffs, ice cream, cakes, pengat, ice kacang and other desserts. 6. Ice-cream sandwich Ice-cream sandwich is considered a nostalgic treat, usually dispensed by ice-cream uncles on the roadside. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Forget cones and cups. True-blue Singaporeans know the best way to eat ice cream is in a sandwich. A rectangular piece of raspberry ripple, sweet corn, yam or chocolate ice cream hacked off a large block, with a slice of rainbow or white sandwich bread folded over it. Some might prefer to have it in between wafers. This nostalgic treat is dispensed by ice-cream uncles, who ply their trade on motorised ice-cream carts. Their numbers are dwindling. In January 2024, there were just 11 of them still in action. Thankfully, this treat is easy enough to recreate at home. Ice-cream supplier Chip Guan Heng ( ), which supplies those street vendors, sells 1-litre blocks of Magnolia Hawker Pack ice cream at $5.50, Traditional Rainbow Bread at $2.50 a loaf and wafers at $1.90 for 70 pieces. 7. Kacang puteh Kacang puteh from Singapore's last kacang puteh seller Amirthaalangaram Moorthy. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Traditionally served in paper cones, the sight of kacang puteh – white nuts in Malay – brings back fond memories of street vendors who used to be commonplace outside cinemas. The last of them is Mr Amirthaalangaram Moorthy, who moved his Peace Centre pushcart to Toa Payoh Bus Interchange in 2023. Back then, many flocked to his stall as netizens reminisced the loss of such vendors and rallied support for him. He remains a key fixture there, still selling paper cones of green peas, roasted peanuts, murukku and chickpeas. Brands such as Camel and Tong Garden continue to produce the popular snacks, albeit in fancier packaging, alongside other nuts such as pecans and pistachios. Tong Garden's nod to the kacang puteh seller is at its Jewel Changi Airport store and the FairPrice Finest outlet at Clarke Quay, where customers can pick their favourite snack mix. You can also hire a kacang puteh 'live station' – a move by some event companies to offer a nutty taste of nostalgia. 8. Katong laksa Laksa from 328 Katong Laksa. PHOTO: ST FILE Rich and complex, laksa has had quite a history in Singapore. Fights have broken out over this dish of thick rice noodles in a spicy broth enriched with coconut milk, with finely sliced laksa leaves lending a distinctive sharp, citrusy fragrance. It was Mr Ng Juat Swee who came up with Katong laksa, the version associated with Singapore, in the 1940s. He came here from Fujian, China, married a Peranakan woman and got tips from her family on how to make laksa. He tinkered with it on his own and started selling it on the streets , carrying the fixings for the dish on a pole on his shoulder . In the 1950s, he and his brother sold it on a tricycle in Katong where they lived. Eventually, they opened stalls in the area, and the dish came to be known as Katong laksa. Copycats started proliferating, and in 1999, a Katong Laksa war broke out, with four stalls in the East Coast Road area claiming to sell the original version. The battles have subsided, but the fervour for the dish has not. Today, Janggut Laksa at Roxy Square, 328 Katong Laksa in East Coast Road, Katong Laksa (George's) in Changi Road and Sungei Road Laksa in Jalan Berseh are among those that dish it out. Meanwhile, the flavours have been appropriated for everything from cookies and potato chips to cup noodles and hotpot broth. 9. Kaya toast, eggs and kopi or teh Kaya toast, coffee and eggs from Heap Seng Leong at North Bridge Road. PHOTO: ST FILE There is nothing more Singaporean than waking up to a breakfast of kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and local-style kopi or teh. Besides familiar chains such as Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Toast Box, Fun Toast and Killiney Kopitiam, there are also old-school institutions which are still serving up the breakfast favourites. These include Heap Seng Leong in North Bridge Road, established in 1974, and Chin Mee Chin Confectionery in Katong, which marks its centennial celebration with exclusive merchandise and a new menu which includes kaya french toast ($6). The love for kaya toast has spawned several eateries that keep the heritage alive in modern ways. These include Bao Er Cafe, Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe, Coffee Break and SuuKee Coffee. At Australia's Gelato Messina in Club Street, one of its Singapore-exclusive flavours is Kaya Toast gelato (from $7.50 a scoop) with dehydrated toast and kaya jam. On its own, kaya has meandered into toppings and fillings for pizza, pastries and desserts, while kopi is one of the flavours for FairPrice Group's new SG60-exclusive potato chips. 10. Kueh Selection of kuehs from Kueh By Kak Wan in Tampines. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO This fairly broad term is used to describe a wide range of well-loved sweet or savoury snacks and desserts in South-east Asia. In the sweet department, there are Nonya kueh like the colourful layered kueh lapis, kueh salat, bingka ubi and ondeh ondeh. The savoury ones include Teochew rice-filled png kueh, chive dumplings (ku chye kueh) and radish-stuffed soon kueh. Other local favourites include min jiang kueh (peanut pancake), ang ku kueh, kueh tutu and putu piring. The latter two are traditional steamed rice flour cakes with distinctive differences. The Chinese kueh tutu, with its characteristic flower pattern, is usually filled with ground peanuts or grated coconut. Of Malay origin, the putu piring is filled with gula melaka and eaten with grated coconut. Netflix's Street Food: Asia (2019) series showcased Haig Road Putu Piring, a popular chain that started in the 1930s as a roadside stall. The iconic colours and patterns of some of these kueh have also served as design inspiration for clothing and accessories for Singapore souvenirs. 11. Local desserts Chow Zan Dessert's (clockwise from top left) White Chendol, Mango Sago With Mango Pop And Coconut Ice Cream and Eight Treasure Cheng Tng. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Fancy desserts may come and go, but Singapore's classic desserts of ice kacang, ice jelly with fruit cocktail, cheng tng, orh nee (yam paste) and tau suan (mung bean dessert) never go out of style. The likes of Malaysia's chendol and Hong Kong's mango sago and milk pudding are also perennial favourites on dessert menus here. Perhaps it is another yearning for nostalgia, but Chinese-style desserts have had a renaissance in recent years, with popular brands hitting the sweet spot. They include Yat Ka Yan Desserts & Snacks, Chow Zan Dessert, Duke Dessert and Yuen Yeung, which join older establishments such as Ah Chew Desserts and Mei Heong Yuen Dessert. As part of its SG60 menu (till Aug 31), Korean restaurant Gu:um has launched a Red & White Bingsu ($18), a nod to the ice kacang with watermelon and hongcho (a type of fermented pomegranate vinegar) sorbet, watermelon lime granita, yogurt cream and pomelo chunks. Gu:um's Red & White Bingsu for SG60. PHOTO: GU:UM 12. Mod-Sin Cuisine In 2005, chef Willin Low coined the term Mod-Sin Cuisine to describe the Modern Singaporean food he was serving in his newly opened restaurant, Wild Rocket at Mount Emily. The 53-year-old says Mod-Sin is a celebration of traditional Singaporean flavours, adding that the idea is not to replace the original dish but to 'enjoy its spirit innovatively'. For him, that meant laksa flavours in a pesto tossed with spaghetti, thinly sliced cuttlefish used as 'noodles' in char kway teow, and thin slices of pork belly marinated with prawn paste for his take on har cheong kai. It started a movement – chefs started riffing on Singaporean flavours in their cooking. They include Han Liguang, 39, of one-Michelin-starred Labyrinth; Gan Ming Kiat, 35, of Mustard Seed; Dylan Ong, 38, of Choon Hoy Parlor at Capitol Singapore; and Marcus Leow, 33, of Belimbing in Beach Road. Singaporean chefs have also taken Mod-Sin overseas. They are Jimmy Lim, 43, of three-Michelin-starred JL Studio in Taichung, Taiwan; and Barry Quek, 37, of one-Michelin-starred Whey in Hong Kong. Two decades after the term was coined, Mod-Sin is still going strong. 13. Nasi lemak The Coconut Club's ayam goreng berempah nasi lemak spread. PHOTO: THE COCONUT CLUB Another treasured rice staple in Singapore's food culture is nasi lemak – also in the spotlight for the recent surge of contemporary iterations. Brands like The Coconut Club and Dickson Nasi Lemak have been credited for elevating the traditional dish with premium ingredients in a modern setting. Then there was McDonald's Singapore's highly successful nasi lemak burger – which sold out in two weeks when it was launched in 2017 and always causes a frenzy whenever it returns. This gave rise to several interpretations of nasi lemak – from a cake version to Japanese-style handrolls to sweet-savoury ice cream. Over at the Muslim-owned Malayan Settlement, its nasi lemak risotto is a fusion spin on the dish, made with lemongrass, pandan and coconut cream. Also upping the ante is the Crave Nasi Lemak chain, which marks its 10th anniversary with a new concept store at Marina Bay Link Mall. Opened in May, it offers a wider menu and a satay and sambal seafood grilling station. Others, such as Kitchenman Nasi Lemak in Kallang and hawker stall The Kumpong Boys in Ang Mo Kio, showcase Malaysian-style nasi lemak – usually served with a spiced fried chicken leg. 14. Rojak Rojak from Brothers Rojak. The Chinese version of the salad is tossed in a sweet and tangy prawn paste dressing. PHOTO: ST FILE This salad may have its roots in Indonesia, but the dish as Singaporeans know it today is a delicious blend of pineapples, jicama, youtiao, tau pok and cucumber tossed in a sweet, tangy and pungent prawn paste dressing. This is the Chinese version, which can include add-ons of century egg and dried cuttlefish. Indian rojak, on the other hand, is a completely different dish of fried goodies, including prawn and dough fritters, potatoes and beancurd. It comes with a chilli dip thickened with potatoes. Like with many traditional dishes, chefs have taken a stab at taking rojak to another level. Rojak from Abdhus Salam Rojak. Indian rojak comes with a chilli dip thickened with potatoes. PHOTO: ST FILE At modern-Singaporean restaurant Belimbing in Beach Road, its Chinese rojak-inspired grilled firefly squid appetiser features a prawn paste caramel slow-cooked with Argentinean prawn shells and rounded off with champagne-pickled strawberries. Over at Choon Hoy Parlor in Capitol Singapore, its creative spin reimagines rojak sauce as a zesty sorbet. 15. Roti prata It can be a snack or a meal. Appropriate for breakfast, lunch, teatime, dinner and supper. Roti prata, with that hard-to-achieve crisp-but-also-chewy texture, is good any time. Roti prata from Mr & Mrs Mohgan in Joo Chiat. PHOTO: ST FILE The flatbread comes not from Malaysia, which calls its thinner and crispier version roti canai, but from India, in the 19th century during British rule. The flatbread is served with chicken, fish or mutton curry. Enterprising prata-makers have ensnared new generations of fans with prata stuffed with cheese, chocolate, Nutella, bananas, mushrooms and all manner of other fillings. Aside from a plain prata, diners can order coin prata, which is smaller, thicker and crispier; tissue prata, very thin prata served like an inverted cone; plaster prata, with an egg cracked and cooked on top of it; and prata banjir, cut up prata drenched in curry. Thasevi in Jalan Kayu made such a name for itself that the area became known for the mushrooming of roti prata joints. It is still going strong and is open round the clock. Other famous names include Springleaf Prata Place, with nine outlets, Casuarina Curry in the Upper Thomson area, Mr & Mrs Mohgan's Super Crispy Prata in Joo Chiat Road, The Roti Prata House in Upper Thomson Road and Sin Ming Roti Prata in Sin Ming Road. 16. Salted egg Salted egg yolk croissants from the now-defunct Antoinette patisserie. PHOTO: ST FILE The humble salted egg has evolved into so much more than just a lone ingredient to go with Teochew porridge or, in the case of its yolk, used in mooncakes and rice dumplings ( bak zhang). In 2008, The Straits Times wrote about salted egg yolk dishes being 'all the rage', highlighting savoury restaurant dishes such as salted egg prawn and crab. Seven years later, another article tracked the trend of salted egg yolk plunging into the sweet realm, as an ingredient incorporated into cookies, cocktails and cakes. To further feed the obsession, ST also did two taste tests – salted egg croissants in 2016 and salted egg chips and fish skin in 2018. Clearly, the flavour is far beyond a passing fad, as tourists still stock up on Irvins and The Golden Duck's salted egg snacks on their visits here, while locals lap up zi char dishes coated in the luscious savoury sauce. 17. Singapore buns BreadTalk's Sweet Potato Bun. PHOTO: BREADTALK In HDB neighbourhoods and malls swanky and modest, bakeries abound selling soft buns filled with everything from kaya to otah. They tell the story of bread in Singapore. In his 2024 book Tales From The Yeast Indies, Christopher Tan writes about Hainanese immigrants who started arriving in Singapore from the late 1800s. They worked in bakeries, restaurants, hotels and bars, learning to bake and cook like people in the West. Some of those bakers went on to start their own businesses. Two famous ones are the now-defunct Katong Bakery & Confectionery, located in a distinctive red house in East Coast Road; and Chin Mee Chin, which is still in business, just up the road. Both opened in 1925, serving cakes, cream puffs and buns. Chin Mee Chin Confectionery's new Kaya French Toast. PHOTO: CHIN MEE CHIN CONFECTIONERY Buns filled with luncheon meat or curried potatoes have been a breakfast staple for generations of Singaporeans. With the opening of Japanese department store Yaohan at Plaza Singapura in 1974, people here were introduced to Japanese-style bread at its bakery Banderole. Long queues formed for its an pan, soft buns filled with red bean paste. The texture of the bread was different from what local bakeries sold. As Tan puts it: 'Japanese breads were lighter, finer and shinily glazed with kawaii panache.' Today, the buns found in bakeries all over the island are something of a hybrid – soft Japanese-style bread, very Singaporean fillings. Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery in Serangoon Garden Market serves nostalgia in every bun, while bakery chains such as BreadTalk, Swee Heng, Bakery Cuisine and DJ Bakery, among others, are found in every corner of Singapore. 18. Singapore chocolate Mr. Bucket's Hot Chocolate. PHOTO: MR BUCKET CHOCOLATERIE Singapore may not be your typical chocolate-producing country, but that has not stopped home-grown brands from trying. Leading the way is dessert chef Janice Wong, who has proven that it is possible for Singapore to produce chocolate made from beans grown, harvested and ground locally. Chocolatier Janice Wong with her cacao pods from cacao trees cultivated in Singapore at her studio at Supertree Observatory on Aug 30, 2024. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Other prominent brands such as Fossa Chocolate, Mr Bucket Chocolaterie and AnjaliChocolat champion made-in-Singapore chocolates that carry local flavours. These include kaya toast, Nanyang kopi and salted egg cereal. Mr Bucket Chocolaterie showcases its offerings to travellers at its third travel boutique at Changi Airport Terminal 1. It also launched a new menu on May 1 at its Dempsey flagship featuring cacao in unexpected forms. These include cacao tea somen ($14) and a beef burger with chocolate sauce ($22). 19. Singapore Sling Raffles Hotel's Singapore Sling. PHOTO: RAFFLES HOTEL In 1915, when Mr Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender at the Raffles Hotel, created the Singapore Sling, he had good reason to make it a pretty pink. At the time, it was not proper for women to be seen drinking alcoholic beverages. That is why the cocktail, with gin, cherry liqueur, lemon and pineapple juices, Cointreau, Benedictine liqueur and Angostura bitters, looks like fruit punch. Mr Ngiam guarded the recipe fiercely, locking it in a safe. Over the years, however, the recipe has evolved. To celebrate the 100th birthday of the cocktail in 2015, the hotel made it with Raffles 1915 Gin, crafted by British spirits company Sipsmith. Its co-founder, Mr Sam Galsworthy, is a descendant of Sir Stamford Raffles, who founded modern Singapore and after whom the hotel is named. In 2018, when the hotel reopened after restoration work, the cocktail, served at its Long Bar, got an update and became less sweet. Today, the hotel serves about 1,000 The Original Singapore Sling cocktails a day, at $41 a pop. Since January 2025 , it has been using Brass Lion's Distillery's Singapura Gin, which is made here. Other ingredients include Benedictine liqueur, Luxardo Cherry Sangue Morlacco, Ferrand Dry Curacao, Raffles Signature Grenadine, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice and Spice Plantation bitters. 20. Traditional Chinese pastries Tong Heng, famed for its iconic diamond-shaped egg tarts, marks its 90th anniversary this year. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO While Western-style pastries may be on-trend, it is traditional local bakes that hold on to a part of Singapore's food legacy. Heritage brands such as Thye Moh Chan, established in 1943, still offer Teochew baked goods like tau sar piah, traditional granny's cake and peanut square. Another institution, Tong Heng – famed for its iconic diamond-shaped egg tarts – marks its 90th anniversary in 2025. It also sells pastries filled with green bean, red bean or lotus paste. It is one of the few traditional businesses that still sells old-school wedding pastries (xi bing), along with the likes of Gin Thye, The Pine Garden and 603 Tau Sar Piah.
