MIDDLE EASTERN MELTING POT

New eateries are putting their own spin on the cuisine, while established players keep pace with updated menus

- Cherie Lok

In August, cult-favourite restaurant Artichoke traded its shakshouka for slabs of pizza, closing the curtain on 15 years of unapologetically inauthentic Middle Eastern cooking.

But elsewhere on the island, the feast continues. New restaurants such as Leila and Wewa have popped up, putting their own spin on food from that region, while more established players like Fat Prince and Aniba keep pace with refreshed menus and spruced-up spaces.

Like Artichoke, that former self proclaimed “least Middle Eastern Middle Eastern restaurant” beloved for wacky inventions such as its Green Harissa Prawns, these restaurants wear tradition lightly.

Instead of honing in on a specific country, they sample voraciously, drawing from a multitude of cultures.

Aniba, a restaurant in Boat Quay, is the product of a rich tapestry of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences, in the words of its Arab-Muslim head chef Anas Shami, 34. Aniba’s identity, he argues, is not his, but something more flexible.

“We celebrate the interconnectedness of the region’s cuisines, recognising how trade routes and shared ingredients have created beautiful overlaps in flavour profiles.”

He sums up his cooking thus: Mediterranean Arab cuisine with European flair and Asian flavours - a way for his team to honour the past while embracing their present location.

The result is dishes such as Aniba’s Fiiiish Kebab ($54++), seasoned with Middle Eastern spices, wrapped around a lemongrass branch and served on handmade Moroccan couscous with a housemade tomato curry sauce.

To chef Shami, this recipe embodies the soul of the restaurant.

“It marries the tradition of kebab and couscous with the fresh aroma of lemongrass and subtle curry notes, showcasing the natural connection between Middle Eastern and Asian influences,” he says.