photo: A Wok Hey Stall
Cosmopolitan Singapore serves a diverse array of food. One can be easily spoilt for choice. Hence, it comes as no surprise that a rising number of eateries, restaurants, and even hawkers are reinventing traditional favourites. However, this does not mean a total overhaul of recipes or ingredients. Sometimes, it is simply about blending new ingredients with a traditional dish. Other times, it is about merging a new flavour to give a twist to the traditional recipe.
One well-known chef in a leading restaurant created a new dish by preparing stewed coral trout with foie gras and black garlic. An additional innovation of his is the boneless quail filled with bird’s nest. Another local chef converted the traditional chicken rice into a block of mushroom based vegan rice cake.
However, not all innovations are found in fancy restaurants. One of the crowd favourites is Wok Hey – a small food stall often situated in shopping malls. Wok Hey, which literally means breath of a wok, is a new interpretation of local “Zhi Char” food (local Chinese dishes resembling home cooked meals commonly found in hawker stalls and coffee shops). The small eatery serves fried rice and ramen in a chic takeaway box. Customers can choose to top up their fried rice or noodles with a selection of vegetables. Wok Hey evokes the curiosity and interest of customers by implementing a transparent glass panel in the tiny kitchen. This allows patrons to view their meals being cooked.
Other interesting creations can be found in snack eateries which offer red bean, coconut gratings and cheese fillings in their pancakes. Increased customer interest and willingness of local chefs to experiment with new meal applications will result in a more exciting culinary scene.