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SINGAPORE: If we are what we eat, then I'm a slightly bewildered hog with a penchant for spicy feed. At least, that's what my friends tell me.
I am supposedly bewildered because the cuisine that I grew up with as a second-generation Filipino-Singaporean is more of a local adaptation than true blue Ilocano (of the Ilocos region, where my roots are).
Still, far from being muddled, incessantly torn between, say, a chorizo and a Chinese sausage, I've learned to embrace my heritage, as hotpotched as it may be.
How else would I know that sambal belacan, a condiment made with chilli (loads of it) and dried prawn paste, goes really well with nilagang baboy - a hearty Filipino dish made with various cuts of pork, potatoes, sweet vegetables and, get this, lap cheong (Chinese waxed sausages).
Okay, so the inclusion of Chinese sausages is less than a handful of generations new. But it works. It's undeniably more-ish and one of the best sweet yet savoury dishes I know.
Ordinarily, the carrots and peas already give the dish its mild sweetness. Adding lap cheong - itself a sweet and savoury ingredient - elevates this uniquely Asian pairing of flavours.
APT TO ADAPT
A truly original idea in this day and age is as rare as a humanely sourced foie gras.
Take our nasi briyani. Fans will likely direct you to the House of Briyani (742 North Bridge Road, tel: 9296 4759) or one of the many popular stalls at Tekka market for some of the best.
But most locals remain unaware of the fact that this is a homegrown version of the dum biryani, which originated in Hyderabad, India.
New to town is Zento, which gives Japanese dishes a contemporary spin with rice paper rolls and such. The owners hope to duplicate the success the business still enjoys in its hometown of Philadelphia in the US. (See review on the opposite page.)
Co-owner Dyana Sulistyawati said that this new approach offers "a beautiful twist to the traditional".
Still, aesthetically pleasing as the dishes may be, only time will tell how well an island city of Japanese food lovers - in place of certain American patrons who seem to prefer their sushi served with mayonnaise - will take to this culinary novelty.
BOLDLY BORDERLESS
Speaking of twists, an example of a uniquely Indian-Singaporean creation besides the famed Singapore-Malayalee fish head curry (which also boasts Chinese and Malay influences) is chef Devagi Sanmugam's belachan chicken wings.
A popular item at her restaurant, Spice Queen (24/26 Race Course Road, tel: 6255 2440), this local Indian variant is similar to the Macau har cheong kai (deep-fried prawn paste chicken).
"It is made by marinating the chicken with lots of garlic, ginger and, of course, belacan for four hours, and then coating it with flour before deep frying," said Devagi.
For the less clued in, another uniquely Singaporean dish is the kari debal (cleverly dubbed devil curry) - a Eurasian-Singaporean dish brimming with Portuguese and Peranakan flavours. The ingredients used range from jalapeños and Macadamia nuts to lemongrass, dried chilli and soya sauce.
And, as if inspired by a wave of public interest in Peranakan culture - thanks in part to the success of Channel 5's award-winning drama The Little Nyonya, I'm guessing - Jia Chuan Steamboat (16 Cactus Road, tel: 8113 4322) joins a group of eateries specialising in inspired local cuisine.
Its speciality? "Peranakan-Chinese tom yum steamboat," said chef Elsie Lim.
True to the perception that we see ourselves as parts of a whole rather than sharing one culture, it does seem that our colourful yet nicely-integrated culinary heritage best epitomises this uniquely Singaporean trait.
- TODAY/yb
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