Specialty
I used to add the rice too early. The oil would be hot, the sambal barely a minute in, and I’d tip in the cold rice because I was hungry and impatient. Every time, the same result: rice stained red but tasting of nothing much. Sharp. Raw. Flat where it should have been deep. It…
I didn’t grow up eating raw fish. For years, sashimi felt like something you learned to appreciate rather than something you loved. Cold, foreign, a little intimidating. Then one afternoon, at a quiet counter, a chef placed a single slice of chutoro in front of me and said nothing. I ate it. And I understood.…
Walking through the humid streets of Singapore at dusk, you can feel the city transforming. The tropical heat fades into neon lights, and the clinking of glasses begins to echo from narrow shophouses and towering skyscrapers. Singapore boasts a dynamic bar scene that rivals any global metropolis. From opulent destinations like to the laid back charm,…
The rice came down first. A plain bowl, warm and steaming, set in the middle of the table before anything else. Then the green curry, in a bowl wide enough for four spoons to reach at once. And within a minute the table stopped being a set of individual meals and became one shared thing,…
The tom yum arrived first, and the first spoonful hit sour and hot at once, lime and chilli chasing each other down the throat. This classic Thai dish features a spicy sauce and aromatic herbs that awaken the taste buds straight away, setting the stage with its bold flavors. Then the pineapple rice came, sweet…
Japanese cuisine has long been admired for its attention to seasonality, precision, and respect for ingredients. However, behind every piece of sashimi or carefully prepared seafood dish lies a story that begins far away from the dining table, often with fishermen, coastal communities, and generations of knowledge passed down through time. At Araya Shouten, seafood…
There are few meals as satisfying as Nasi Padang, a colourful feast where you choose from a variety of dishes to create your perfect plate. Over the years, I’ve explored Singapore’s Nasi Padang scene, especially in Kampong Glam, sampling everything from humble hawker stalls to renowned spots. This list highlights the best halal Nasi Padang…
There’s a dish I order when I want to know a kitchen quickly. Not the specialty. Not the thing the menu is proud of. I order the fried rice. Because nasi goreng has nowhere to hide. It’s rice, chilli, chicken, egg, a few crackers, some cucumber. Everyone thinks they can make it. Most people can.…
The duck arrived and made a sound before I’d even touched it. Not the plate, the skin. When my fork pressed against it, there was a small, dry crackle, the kind you feel in your fingers before you hear it. That’s when I understood I wasn’t eating a soft meal. This was something with edges.…
There’s a container of rice at the back of my fridge most weeks. Cold, a little hard, forgotten from a dinner two nights ago. Some people see that and think of waste. I see the start of something better. Because leftover rice doesn’t want to be reheated. It wants to be fried. And when it…