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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Mod-Sin 2.0 – restaurants for the modern Singaporean
SINGAPORE – Waves of flavours and food brands from abroad wash on Singapore shores every day. People now talk about hotpot rather than steamboat. Speciality coffee goes head to head with kopi. Mala has infiltrated every corner of the food scene. Some chefs have been working to remind diners of the flavours of Singapore, going beyond takes on this or that local dish for occasions like National Day. A new crop of restaurants is putting Singapore flavours front and centre. Seeking to take Mod-Sin cuisine to a new level are Belimbing by chef Marcus Leow; Choon Hoy Parlor by chef Dylan Ong, with a new menu after relocating from Beach Road; and Gilmore & Damian D'Silva by chef Damian D'Silva, slated to open at the National Gallery Singapore in mid-October. It was Singaporean chef Willin Low who coined the term Mod-Sin 20 years ago when he opened his restaurant, Wild Rocket, at Mount Emily. He used it to describe his food, rooted in familiar flavours but done in ways to pique the interest of modern Singaporean diners. So, the flavours of laksa feature in a pesto tossed with spaghetti; thinly sliced cuttlefish takes the place of kway teow in his char kway teow; and thin strips of pork belly are marinated with prawn paste before being deep-fried for his take on har cheong kai. The 53-year-old chef, who now runs pasta restaurant Pastaro at Chancery Court and Roketto in Niseko, Hokkaido, says: 'People were describing our food as modern European, which it wasn't; and fusion, which is a term I abhor. That's because from the 1990s, some chefs in the West were labelling their cuisine as fusion when they threw in random Asian ingredients that didn't work. 'I remember Mod Oz was used for culturally diverse modern Australian cuisine and I thought that was a great idea for what we were doing for Singapore cuisine. I thought it was appropriate because I think of myself as a modern Singaporean, and the food is a reflection of my identity.' He 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'. 'It's about retaining the spirit of the dish while redefining its process, form or even ingredients,' he says. 'A Singaporean couple, who lived in Hong Kong for many years, came to Wild Rocket for dinner. After the meal, the husband said that none of the dishes looked like Singaporean food, but when they ate it, they knew they were home. That, to me, is what good Mod-Sin should be.' He cites the food at Mustard Seed in Serangoon Garden as a good example of what Mod-Sin cuisine is. The restaurant, run by chefs Gan Ming Kiat, Wu Shin Yin and Desmond Shen, serves multi-course meals built around Singapore flavours, executed with Japanese and other techniques. 'At times, someone will try to coin a different term to describe the same thing,' chef Low says. 'As long as we are all trying to celebrate Singapore flavours in a good way, that – to me – is the evolution of Mod-Sin. It's here to stay.' Here are three restaurants that understand the assignment. Reimagining familiar flavours: Belimbing Where: 269A Beach Road Open: Noon to 3.30pm (Thursdays to Sundays), 6 to 10.30pm (Wednesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays and Tuesdays Info: Call 8869-7243 or go to Belimbing's Braised Angus Oxtail, one of its hot starters. PHOTO: BELIMBING Can rojak be rojak if it has seared kailan stems, frizzled kailan leaves, Japanese firefly squid and pickled strawberries? Yes, in the hands of chef Marcus Leow. The 33-year-old, who worked at The Naked Finn, Magic Square, Whitegrass and Iggy's, is taking creative licence with familiar flavours. He says: 'Mod-Sin is about retaining a lot of the flavours and ingredients that make us Singapore, but finding new ways to take the flavour in a different direction. The food evokes something Singaporean, but tastes different as well.' Belimbing serves four-course set meals at dinner time featuring dishes such as Wok-fried Nasi Ulam and Seared Red Grouper. PHOTO: BELIMBING Inspired by rojak, the sweet, sour, salty and spicy salad, he created Grilled Firefly Squid. The dish looks nothing like rojak, usually a melange of vegetables and fruit tossed with shrimp paste. But take a forkful, and the haegor caramel, made with slow-cooked prawn shells and belacan; the shaved frozen ginger flower; and the sprinkling of powdered dried cuttlefish on top registers in the brain as rojak, but much more inten se. Similarly, the Clam Custard, featuring tuatua clams from New Zealand, is meant to evoke the steamed egg the chef, and many Singaporeans, grew up eating. He peps it up with assam pedas flavours and white pepper. His 45-seat restaurant, part of The Lo & Behold Group , opened on April 15 and has been packed since. It serves a four-course menu priced at $88 for dinner, and a two-course lunch priced at $58. There is a small a la carte selection available for lunch too. Chef Marcus Leow takes creative licence with familiar flavours at Belimbing. PHOTO: BELIMBING Ingredients he uses for the current menu include pink guava, housemade cincalok or fermented krill, and herbs such as sawtooth coriander, ulam raja and laksa leaves. The chef, whose parents are Peranakan, is eyeing buah keluak, that bitter Indonesian nut; century eggs; and the humble bayam or sharp spinach as ingredients for new dishes. He wants to use them in unexpected ways. 'I think it's important to be innovative,' he says. 'All the restaurants I've worked in were big on innovation. I try to do that as well. Hopefully, guests can see that we are doing something different, but rooted in something very Singaporean.' The 90-10 rule: Choon Hoy Parlor Where: 01-84A, Arcade @ Capitol Singapore, 15 Stamford Road Open: 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30 to 9.30pm daily Info: Call 6266-0061 or go to Choon Hoy Parlor's Oriental Charcuterie Board. PHOTO: CHOON HOY PARLOR Fans of Choon Hoy Parlor, chef Dylan Ong's Singapore soul food restaurant, will know that he has moved it from Beach Road to Capitol Singapore. Along with the move comes a menu revamp – about half the offerings are new. He is digging his heels in when it comes to offering the flavour of Singapore. The new location, right smack in the middle of the culture and civic district and thick with tourists, offers him a chance to showcase the city's soul food. Among the new offerings are Mocha Prime Pork Rib ($25.90), Chye Ber ($16.90) and Oriental Charcuterie Board ($25.90) – takes on familiar dishes, but with a twist. The pork rib is his version of the popular zi char dish of coffee pork ribs. He cooks prime rib sous vide for 16 hours in a sauce made with coffee from local supplier Coffee Hock, infused with dark Valrhona chocolate, then grills it. The pork rib is served with a sabayon made with white coffee, inspired by Vietnam's egg coffee, with crushed pistachios and cacao nibs sprinkled on top. 'We wanted to make the coffee stand out even more,' he says. The pork rib is Chef Dylan's version of the popular zi char dish of coffee pork ribs. PHOTO: CHOON HOY PARLOR His Chye Ber is an almost forgotten dish in Singapore, although it is popular in Malaysia – cuts of meat cooked with mustard greens, tamarind and tomato. The charcuterie board pays homage to the rich tradition of cured meats in Asia, with strips of waxed duck, duck liver sausage and pork lup cheong. These are served with decidedly local accompaniments – housemade achar, housemade labneh with furu or preserved beancurd worked into it, braised peanuts and strips of crisp tempeh and slices of youtiao. The 38-year-old says: 'We make sure that 90 per cent of the flavours are true, and then the remaining 10 per cent is the X factor, touches you won't find elsewhere. 'I ask myself how I can connect with my diners. It's to preserve the character of the dish. The last 10 per cent should not destroy the dish. In our first year in Beach Road, we tried to tinker with the recipes. But I realised, why try to bring in a foreign flavour? Why not add layers of complexity without doing that?' Choon Hoy Parlor has moved from Beach Road to Capitol Singapore. PHOTOS: CHOON HOY PARLOR He has more plans. In about three months, he wants to start a Kway Png Club, or chicken rice club, on weekends. The chicken is likely to be from France, and diners can order the set meal on weekends with regular chicken rice or chicken rice balls, and either poached chicken or chicken steamboat with a platter of raw chicken they poach themselves at the table. In the new year, it will be his take on Teochew porridge, a weekend set with traditional pickles and dishes that have all but disappeared – fish steamed in seawater, tiny clams marinated and served raw, and whitebait omelette. What drives him is the thought of Singapore losing its identity. Choon Hoy Parlor chef-owner Dylan Ong wants to start a Kway Png Club, or chicken rice club, on weekends in about three months. PHOTO: CHOON HOY PARLOR The father of three children aged four to eight says: 'We have so many things coming through, we mix this and that to the point where we forget who we are. I don't want my kids to think that mala is a Singapore flavour. 'Singaporeans take for granted a lot of our culture. We think hawkers will always be there. But one day, the auntie and uncle will be gone. No Singaporean wants to work in restaurants, what more hawker centres. Then whoever cooks the food, we have to accept that flavour.' What's old is new again: Gilmore & Damian D'Silva Where: 01-02/03 National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew's Road Open: In mid-October For decades, chef Damian D'Silva has been a champion of heritage food, turning out in his restaurants Eurasian, Peranakan, Chinese, Indian and Malay dishes. The 68-year-old was born to a Eurasian father and Eurasian-Peranakan mother, and learnt cooking techniques from both sides of the family, and especially from his paternal grandfather, Mr Gilmore D'Silva. Born to a Eurasian father and Eurasian-Peranakan mother, chef Damian D'Silva learnt cooking techniques from both sides of the family, and especially from his paternal grandfather, Mr Gilmore D'Silva. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH The name of his new restaurant, a 70-to-80-seater, pays homage to his grandfather. The National Gallery Singapore location is especially meaningful because from 1939 to 1969, the late Mr D'Silva was caretaker of the Supreme Court, which is what the building used to house. The home cooking, and roaming around Singapore eating with his grandfather, gave chef D'Silva a firm grounding in Singapore flavours. For the restaurant, he is digging deep into the past, resurrecting 200-year-old recipes. He knows that Singapore – and taste buds – have changed since that time. 'If the flavours are too overwhelming and strong, 20 per cent of diners will accept it, but 80 per cent won't,' he says. 'Balance is important.' The restaurant's menu will be made up of 70 per cent Eurasian dishes and 30 per cent Chinese ones, he says. Some dishes include sayur beremi or purslane and prawns cooked with rempah titek, a spice paste of chilli, shallots, candlenuts and belacan; prawn stock and coconut milk. He is getting the sayur beremi from his long-time Geylang Serai supplier. He says: 'If you don't know how to cook it, it will be bitter.' Another is threadfin fish head and pig brain braised with vegetables. It was served at weddings because of the symbolism – the brain to beget smart children and the fish head to spawn many kids. 'You won't see the brain,' he promises. 'When diners have a spoonful of the sauce, they'll be blown away.' So far, so vintage. The Mod-Sin part of it comes with the plating and accompaniments to the se and other dishes. He is developing several kerabu or salads that can be eaten on their own or paired seamlessly with the dishes. One of these is tomato stuffed with a housemade, ricotta-like cheese, and topped with sesame oil and lemon basil. He says that progress is good, especially when chefs are able to help diners understand the original taste of the dish. 'I've been doing the same thing for so long,' he says of the new direction. 'I want to surprise diners. They'll be able to taste the difference between the old Damian and the new Damian.' Tan Hsueh Yun is senior food correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers all aspects of the food and beverage scene in Singapore. Check out ST's Food Guide for the latest foodie recommendations in Singapore.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
BookTalk: National runner Shanti Pereira reads as part of her morning routine
Who: Shanti Pereira, 28, Singaporean track-and-field athlete who is a two-time Olympian, an Asian Games 200m champion, a two-time Asian Championship winner and a four-time SEA Games medallist. She is also the fastest South-east Asian woman in the 100m and 200m events. She competed in the Gumi Asian Athletics Championships 2025 in May, finishing second in the 100m and 200m events, and fifth in the women's 4x100m relay final. She is training for the World Athletics Championships in September. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AsiaOne
2 hours ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
Eye care giant Alcon keeps 'lens' on the future with expanded manufacturing and logistics facility in Tuas, Singapore News
Eye care-device giant Alcon officially opened its expanded state-of-the art manufacturing and logistics facility in Tuas Biomedical Park on Friday (June 27) morning. This brings Alcon's investments in Singapore to more than US$600 million (S$765 million) since it began operations in Singapore back in 2005. The completed Tuas facility is one of the Swiss-American firm's largest high-tech manufacturing sites with Industry 4.0 capabilities, advanced automation and smart manufacturing systems to meet the increasing global demand for its contact lenses. Amid a growing middle class and rising demand for quality healthcare, the Asia-Pacific region continues to be the fastest-growing market for medical technology, with its market value projected to reach nearly S$300 billion by 2030. This puts the region second only to the US as a source of demand for medical technology (Medtech). "Singapore is home to some of the world's best-in-class Medtech manufacturing palnts. The sector has been growing steadily, with a manufacturing output of S$19.4 billion in 2023. This marks a $5.2 billion increase over the past decade," said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling at the opening ceremony of Alcon's expanded facility. Beyond strengthening innovation and supply chain resilience within Singapore's MedTech ecosystem, Alcon's investment is also expected to benefit Singaporean workers and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore. Muhammad Haiqal Bin Sapuan, an associate supervisor at Alcon made the switch from the oil and gas industry, through the Career Conversion Programme (CCP), in 2022 to have more time with his family. A year and a half into his role as a senior technician, he was nominated by his peers to step up as an associate supervisor. [[nid:707984]] "That recognition gave me confidence. I started off as an interim, and it was tough at first, but the team's support made the difference," said Haiqal. To date, nearly 180 Singaporean workers have benefitted from the CCP to become Alcon associates. Alcon's new facility is expected to create new job opportunities in production operations, quality control and supply chain management. It is also expected to strengthen innovation and supply chain resilience within Singapore's Medtech ecosystem through initiatives such as the Partnership for Capability Transformation, which partners local SMEs to buiild capabilities from precision moulding to packaging, helping them to scale and compete globally. [[nid:715407]] editor@
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
The Straits Times Weekly Bestsellers June 28
(From left) The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei, Elevate Your Assets, Elevate Your Wealth by Kelvin Fong and National Geographic Kids Almanac 2026 by National Geographic Kids. PHOTOS: WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON, BOOK BAR, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS Fiction: Singaporean writer Jemimah Wei's debut novel is titled The Original Daughter. PHOTO: WEIDENFELD & NICOLSON 1. (1) The Passengers On The Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa; translated by Allison Markin Powell 2. (2) Strange Houses by Uketsu; translated by Jim Rion 3. (3) The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei 4. (4) Strange Pictures by Uketsu; translated by Jim Rion 5. (-) Tiger Girls by Felicia Low-Jimenez; illustrated by Claire Low 6. (5) The Wizard's Bakery by Gu Byeong-mo; translated by Jamie Chang 7. (-) To The Moon by Jang Ryujin; translated by Sean Lin Halbert 8. (-) I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman 9. (-) Maybe This Is Love: A Novel by Maria Mahat 10. (-) Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Non-fiction: Elevate Your Assets, Elevate Your Wealth by Kelvin Fong. PHOTO: BOOK BAR 1. (1) Elevate Your Assets, Elevate Your Wealth by Kelvin Fong 2. (2) Why Palestine? Reflections From Singapore by Walid Jumblatt Abdullah 3. (3) A Different Kind Of Power by Jacinda Ardern 4. (4) How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle by Ray Dalio 5. (10) Atomic Habits by James Clear 6. (6) The Psychology Of Money by Morgan Housel 7. (-) The Self-Esteem Class by Yoon Hong Gyun; translated by Jamie Chang 8. (-) The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga 9. (-) The 48 Laws Of Power by Robert Greene 10. (-) Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves by Lio Mangubat Children's: National Geographic Kids Almanac 2026 by National Geographic Kids. PHOTO: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS 1. (1) National Geographic Kids Almanac 2026 by National Geographic Kids 2. (-) Never Thought I'd End Up Here by Ann Liang 3. (-) Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins 4. (-) I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang 5. (3) The World's Worst Superheroes by David Walliams 6. (-) Caraval by Stephanie Garber 7. (-) Powerless by Lauren Roberts 8. (-) The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright 9. (-) Book Of Dragons by NBCUniversal and DreamWorks 10. (-) The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes This is The Straits Times' compilation of bestseller lists from Kinokuniya, Epigram, Wardah Books, Book Bar and bookstores. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Singaporean born food critic and TV personality Chua Lam dies at 83
Multi-talented Chua Lam was a writer, film producer, food connoisseur and TV programme host. Photo: Chua Lam/Facebook Renowned food critic and columnist Chua Lam, best known as one of the Four Great Talents of Hong Kong, has died at the age of 83. His death was announced on his Facebook and Weibo pages on June 27 afternoon. 'Our beloved Mr Chua Lam passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones, at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital on June 25, ' said the announcement in Chinese. 'In accordance with Mr Chua's wishes, no ceremony was held to avoid troubling his friends and relatives, and his body has been cremated.' The Singaporean born media personality was the brother of Chua Liang, former principal of Nanyang Girls' High School, and former Singapore TV drama producer Chua Swan, who died in March at age 78. Chua Lam was in the news in 2023 after he fell and suffered a hip fracture while rushing to help his wife when she fell. His spouse, former film producer Cheung King Man, died later at age 84. He went for an operation and had to use a wheelchair after he was discharged. He was in Singapore in September 2023 to attend the opening of Chua Lam's Charity Calligraphy Exhibition held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. In late April, there were rumours that he was in poor health and had been admitted to the intensive care unit in hospital. His assistant told the Hong Kong media then that he suffered a small ailment and was on the road to recovery. Chua also took to social media on April 29, thanking everyone for their concern, and said he was not critically ill. Multi-talented Chua was a writer, film producer, food connoisseur and TV programme host. He was celebrated as one of the Four Great Talents of Hong Kong, who were known for their years of friendship and who all left their mark in their respective fields. The other three members were lyricist and songwriter James Wong, who died in 2004 at age 63; martial arts novelist Louis Cha, who died in 2018 at age 94; and science-fiction novelist Ni Kuang, who died in 2022 at age 87. Chua published his first article in newspaper Nanyang Siang Pau at the age of 14. He moved to Japan to study, majoring in film, when he was about 18. He then travelled to places such as New York, Seoul, Paris and Taipei before settling in Hong Kong at the age of 22 in 1963. He became a production manager at movie studio Shaw Brothers and moved to Golden Harvest more than 10 years later. He produced several movies including City Hunter (1993), Thunderbolt (1995) and Mr Nice Guy (1997), which starred Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan. Besides his film career, Chua was also actively involved in writing and hosting TV programmes. He was known as a food lover and food critic, whose food columns in newspapers proved popular with many readers. He has published more than 200 books on topics such as travel, personalities, food, humour and his philosophy of life. Chua caused a stir in 1989 when he co-hosted The Celebrity Talk Show with Wong and Ni Kuang. They smoked and drank on the set while grilling stars such as Chan, the late Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia and Cherie Chung on their private lives and their views on sex. Chua ventured into the food industry in the 1990s, opening restaurants and launching food products. He also hosted several food programmes such as Market Trotter (2007) and Chua's Choice (2008). – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
