THE SAVORY SIDE OF SINGAPORE

It was reported that by early 2024, Singapore had recorded more than 20,000 food and beverage outlets.

- NINO ANGELO COMSTI

That's a lot considering the size of the country. And that's why, when it comes to food destinations, it has always been at the top of my list, as it not only ticks the box on quantity but also on quality.

HOMEGROWN HITS

When talking about variety and diversity in the restaurant scene, there can be no better showcase than Rempapa, which champions a novel cuisine that crosses boundaries among Chinese, Peranakan, Eurasian, Indian, and Malay cooking. Chef Damian D'Silva, a national culinary treasure himself, delves into history and memory to plate dishes like Teochew-style ngoh hiang with chestnuts and yam; pesce assa, aka mackerel in spice paste wrapped in banana leaf; cowdang, a forgotten Eurasian dish dating back more than 200 years; and a Christmas debal, a stew made of roast pork and sausages.

There are 42 Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore.

So come with an empty stomach and an open mind when you visit.

Chef Damian also met us at the Tampines Round Market and Food Centre with an array of dishes — his favorites from this lesser-visited hawker hub. Our brunch menu included a hearty pork rib and prawn noodle, another with gelatinous pig’s tail from Pig’s Viscera; two kinds of carrot cake — a black one tinted with sweet sauce and the white kind — from Song Han; and, from Nasi Lemak Specialist @ Street 11, a saucy mee rebus, a Malay noodle dish thickened with sweet potatoes.