INDIAN FLAVOURS GO BOLD IN SINGAPORE

There's a wave of modern Indian flavours in Singapore, with Sleek restaurants and cutting-edge bars pushing the envelope

- Smitha Menon

I had never given it a second thought until I read an explanation about the origins of Singapore's name. According to legend, the English moniker of the island country comes from the Malay "Singhapura", which in turn is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit term for Lion City.

India's ties with Singapore date back to the Chola dynasty. Centuries later, British colonial rule brought the two colonies closer, with the exchange of goods, services, soldiers and labourers to fill the empire's coffers. Today, desi flavours are sprinkled across Singaporean cuisine and kept alive thanks to Little Indiafrom the ubiquitous street food roti prata, a less flaky but dense and satisfying distant cousin of the Malabar parotta, to fish head curry, a hybrid dish of the Indian and Chinese communities.

Over the past few years, though, India's flavours and kitchen techniques have ventured beyond traditional notions and Little India's boundaries. There's a wave of modern Indian flavours, with sleek, innovative restaurants and cutting-edge bars pushing the envelope.

A NEW CULINARY DIRECTION