SINGAPORE: One afternoon in May, President of the United States Barack Obama and his deputy Joe Biden decided on burgers for lunch and dropped by unannounced to Ray’s Hell Burger — an independent burger joint in Virginia.

A bevy of reporters and bystanders with cameras snapped away as Obama ordered a basic cheddar cheeseburger, medium well, with lettuce, tomatoes, spicy mustard, and no ketchup while Biden picked a Swiss cheeseburger medium well, but topped with ketchup and jalapeño peppers.

When the burgers were served, both men chomped down happily — it was a scene that was as American as American could get.

Mention “American food” and burgers, steaks and ribs will likely spring to mind. But what exactly is American cuisine? The United States is a nation of immigrants and the food that it has come to be known for reflects the culinary traditions of the people who settled there. First, it was the Europeans, then people from Latin America and Asia arrived.

Where they set up home shaped the cuisine of the area. So, Tex-Mex, or Spanish and Mexican influenced food, became a speciality of the American south-west. Where the slave trade once flourished in Louisiana, Creole cuisine, which bears hallmarks of French, Indian and African cooking, developed.

Even the most iconic of “American food”, such as hotdogs, pizza and pasta, were brought over by Europeans.

The variety offered here is a fraction of what is available in the US. Yet, compared to a decade ago, the choices have grown tremendously.

Daniel Durkin, an executive chef who came to Singapore nine years ago from Denver, Colorado, recalls the situation then being “bleak”.

“If I wanted a fast food fix to remind me of home, I only had a handful of Subways and McDonald’s outlets.

Now, there are more than 50 Subways around the island. Quiznos is here. Dunkin’ Donuts is coming back. Carl’s Jr has arrived. Starbucks and Botak Jones are literally everywhere,” said the 38-year-old.

To add to that mix, casual American diner Chili’s Grill & Bar reopened a month ago in Singapore after a 10-year absence under Granko Restaurants, which owns the franchise rights in Singapore. Having worked in Chili’s for 15 years prior to joining Granko, director of strategic development Frank Herzog said he and Granko’s CEO Greg Blakney knew demand was still strong here, based on the queries of interested Singaporeans.

Since reopening, Chili’s success has “absolutely surpassed my expectations”, said Herzog.

On the other hand, Botak Jones, which serves “authentic American food”, has come a long way since its first outlet in 2003 at Tuas. It now has 11 outlets.

Managing director Bernie Utchenik said: “I wanted to bring a higher standard of food and service to the average Singaporean. These things have been available in Singapore for a long time... but you had to have the means to go to higher-class eating establishments and pay higher prices. I wanted to take the barriers away and allow as many Singaporeans as possible to enjoy the food.”

Other American-style restaurants such as Tony Roma’s and Morton’s of Chicago, The Steakhouse, strive to offer locals a genuine American dining experience.

Morton’s general manager Zyron Schoniwitz said more locals can “differentiate an authentic experience to an inferior one” because they now travel widely and are more discerning.

“Therefore, we make it a point to offer the same experience here — from the jazz music to the food — as diners would have in Morton’s in the US,” he said.

Others have tweaked their menu slightly to suit local tastebuds. At Billy Bombers, director Jessica Soh said some dishes now have a Singaporean twist — like the addition of black pepper sauce to some burgers and its lamb shank “as Singaporeans prefer spicy items”.

On why American food has become so popular here, Sean Goh, marketing manager of Mas Millennium — which owns the Tony Roma’s franchise here — attributes it to the proliferation of American culture.

He said: “I think the popularity of American fare in Singapore is due to our exposure to American culture from TV, movies and TV commercials that we see every day.”

On the other hand, Botak Jones’ Utchenik feels it is because American food has become “world food, the same way Italian pasta has become world food”.

The reasons for its popularity are aplenty, but one thing is clear: There is no stopping the number of American chains opening in Singapore.

Seattle-based coffee joint Tully’s opened last November; hand-folded ice cream joint Marble Slab Creamery, founded in Texas, began business here last Wednesday; Dunkin’ Donuts, which has its headquarters in Massachusetts, will soon open at ION Orchard; and fast-food chain Wendy’s, founded in Ohio, will open its first two outlets in Singapore by the end of this year.

Analyst Ian Koh, 29, who studied in the US from 2001 to 2005, misses American diners such as Ruby Tuesday and The International House of Pancakes. He said: “It’s definitely good news that more American joints are coming.”

But he is cautiously optimistic: “I’ve had some good and bad renditions of American food in Singapore. Even with more American brand-name eateries setting up shop, I think it remains to be seen whether the food, service and ambience we get will mirror what is offered in the States.”

- TODAY/ yt