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The Independent
18-06-2025
- The Independent
How Singapore forged a world-class food scene over 60 years – from hawker markets to Michelin stars
It's a hot sticky evening in Singapore, and I'm halfway through ordering a serving of nasi goreng at the Maxwell Food Centre when my stomach lurches. Not with hunger, but with the realisation that I've neglected to secure my favourite table by placing the obligatory calling card in its centre – a practice known as choping. Head to any hawker centre – the satay-scented, Unesco-listed food halls where locals queue alongside tourists to feast on delicacies such as chicken fried rice served by Michelin-listed vendors - and you'll notice packets of tissues on empty tables. No, this isn't litter (this is super-clean Singapore, after all), but a polite way of showing other customers that a table has been taken. As a keen choper myself, I've loved watching the ritual's evolution – when in Singapore, I now often see customers substitute a packet of tissues with an iPhone or a laptop (not something I'd recommend doing in many other cities). Further proof of both the practice's cultural significance and the diversity of Singapore's food scene can be found at Labyrinth, a Michelin-starred restaurant which put Singaporean cuisine on the map when it opened in 2014. Founder and head chef LG Han's inspiration is the dishes he ate as a child (my favourite aspect of the decor is his grandmother's pots and pans, arranged artfully on the walls) and the hawker centres he'd hang out in. One of his tasting menu courses, Memories of Newton Food Centre, is served on a circular wooden board designed to resemble hawker centre tables, complete with printed guidance relating to the correct disposal of plates and cutlery. And I'm fairly sure Labyrinth is the only Michelin-starred restaurant I've been to that swaps serviettes for a packet of tissues – in this case, a Labyrinth-branded pack which pays homage to choping. Some 60 years after Singapore was founded, the country's food scene has diversified and evolved – a transformation led partly by chefs such as LG Han and Malcolm Lee, the head chef and owner of Candlenut, the world's first Michelin-starred restaurant specialising in Peranakan cuisine, which is a delicious fusion of Chinese, Malay and Indonesian influences. Yes, Singaporeans still love feasting on black cod miso at the Four Seasons Singapore's Nobu restaurant or upgrading their Insta at Odette, a Michelin-starred restaurant at the National Gallery Singapore, but there's a growing appetite for homegrown ingredients as well as homegrown heroes. Partial to a sugar fix? Head over to Holland Village's 2am Dessert Bar, founded by Singaporean pastry chef Janice Wong. My personal highlights include the matcha basque cheesecake, made with yuzu calamansi gel and black sesame, and shades of green, which comprises a pistachio sponge, pandan ice cream and coconut foam. Every dessert has a wine or cocktail pairing suggestion, which is how I discovered hibiscus gin (more specifically, the 2am Dessert Bar's rosella cocktail) goes exceptionally well with tiramisu. There's also a huge passion for innovation in Singapore. My go-to ice cream spot in Singapore is a concession of Udders, founded by Singaporeans David and Peck Lin, who wanted to create a brand which championed local flavours. And while their French vanilla ice cream ranks as one of my favourites, my first choice will always be the Kueh Salat ice cream, inspired by the glutinous rice desserts beloved by Singaporeans. Last time I stopped by, I bit the bullet and tried their legendary Mao Shan Wang flavour, made with durians with such an infamously pungent odour that the ice cream needs to be stored in its very own freezer. Somehow the durian's notes of caramel and almond (which I've been assured exist, but which I've never been able to detect until now) seem more pronounced. Dare I say it, enjoyable. I've since discovered it pairs rather well with the durian beer produced by Singaporean craft brewers 1925 Brewing Co (which smells strongly of durian but tastes delicious and also goes especially well with nasi lemak). My top tip for Singapore-bound foodies? Don't make the mistake of thinking you need to venture off the beaten path to experience local flavours. If the durian afternoon tea served by the Goodwood Park Hotel near Orchard Road is a step too far for a deep dive into local flavours, consider heading over to the Pan Pacific Singapore, famous for afternoon teas which honour local delicacies. Highlights of their current afternoon tea, served in the beautiful Pacific Emporium, include a Singapore chilli crab bun, a salted egg yolk yam puff and coconut bandung (a condensed milk-based drink). And for definitive proof of Singapore's evolution? It's got to be Geylang, a former red light district which is now home to Singapore's Malay community. Known for the durian sellers who flog their famously stinky wares from street stalls in the shadow of peeling art deco buildings from the 1930s, it's become one of my favourite foodie spots. At its heart is the Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre. Explore Singapore's largest wet market first thing, when locals come here to haggle over still-twitching fish plucked from the South China Sea hours earlier, before heading upstairs to the food court – try the pisang goreng (banana fritters) or asam pedas (a spicy seafood stew). Suddenly, Nobu's black cod miso looks rather plain. British Airways flies direct to Singapore. Flight time is around 13 hours 15 minutes. Where to stay Rooms at the YOTEL Singapore Orchard Road, on the heart of Orchard Road, come with spectacular city views courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows, and there's a gorgeous rooftop pool, too.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michelin-starred Labyrinth's LG Han becomes first Singapore chef on South Korea reality show ‘Chef & My Fridge' (VIDEO)
SINGAPORE, May 12 — Singapore's culinary scene just scored a spicy milestone on South Korean TV. For the first time ever, the hit reality cooking show Chef & My Fridge featured a Singaporean chef — none other than LG Han of Michelin-starred Restaurant Labyrinth — in a special '50 Best' episode aired on May 11. The concept? Chefs must whip up a dish using ingredients found in a celebrity's fridge. Representing 'Team Asia' alongside Japan's Yusuke Takada (La Cime) and Hong Kong's Antimo Maria Merone (Estro), Han faced off against 'Team Korea', which included seasoned TV personalities Son Jeong-won, Kwong Seong-jun (aka Napoli Mafia), and Choi Hyun-seok — Han's chosen rival and longtime friend. 'He's the chef who has been on the show the longest and has the highest win rate,' Han said of Choi in an interview with Channel News Asia (CNA). 'When they asked me, 'Can you win against Choi? Why did you pick the oldest chef?' I said, 'He's a legend, and I would love to try to defeat the legend.'' The fridge he raided belonged to none other than Kim Jae-joong, former member of K-pop juggernaut TVXQ. 'My fridge had a lot of Korean ingredients: ssamjang, perilla leaves, gochujang, squid,' Han shared. 'Kim Jae-joong likes really spicy food, like, make you sweat kind of spicy.' The episode also revolved around the K-pop star's new makgeolli brand. 'So, we had to create a dish suited for makgeolli,' Han explained. Han's answer? A bold, Singapore-meets-Seoul take on chilli crab — reimagined with Korean pantry staples. He swapped mantou for grilled rice cakes boiled in makgeolli, added heat with Korean 'death sauce', and used ssamjang in place of garlic and shallots. He also made a side of julienned pear wrapped in kimchi. 'I've been to South Korea quite often and tasted ssamjang, so I kind of knew it should work... but I'd never put those things together, so it was really just pure instinct,' he was quoted as saying. 'Towards the end, my hands were shaking because I was running out of time.' Though known for his innovative approach at Labyrinth, Han opted for something traditional. 'I didn't want to do a modern, Labyrinth-style dish... I wanted to do something that could showcase Singapore's traditional foods to the world.' Shooting took 13 hours, and language proved another hurdle. 'I had an earpiece with 'live' translation,' he said. Asked what he took away from the experience, Han quipped, 'That I still have it in me to cook a delicious Singaporean dish in 15 minutes.' Han and Choi will reunite in Singapore for a two-night collab at Labyrinth on July 13 and 14, serving their Chef & My Fridge creations and other dishes, paired with makgeolli. Watch Labyrinth's socials for booking updates. The episode drops on Netflix on June 20.
Malay Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Michelin-starred Labyrinth's LG Han becomes first Singapore chef on South Korea reality show ‘Chef & My Fridge' (VIDEO)
SINGAPORE, May 12 — Singapore's culinary scene just scored a spicy milestone on South Korean TV. For the first time ever, the hit reality cooking show Chef & My Fridge featured a Singaporean chef — none other than LG Han of Michelin-starred Restaurant Labyrinth — in a special '50 Best' episode aired on May 11. The concept? Chefs must whip up a dish using ingredients found in a celebrity's fridge. Representing 'Team Asia' alongside Japan's Yusuke Takada (La Cime) and Hong Kong's Antimo Maria Merone (Estro), Han faced off against 'Team Korea', which included seasoned TV personalities Son Jeong-won, Kwong Seong-jun (aka Napoli Mafia), and Choi Hyun-seok — Han's chosen rival and longtime friend. 'He's the chef who has been on the show the longest and has the highest win rate,' Han said of Choi in an interview with Channel News Asia (CNA). 'When they asked me, 'Can you win against Choi? Why did you pick the oldest chef?' I said, 'He's a legend, and I would love to try to defeat the legend.'' The fridge he raided belonged to none other than Kim Jae-joong, former member of K-pop juggernaut TVXQ. 'My fridge had a lot of Korean ingredients: ssamjang, perilla leaves, gochujang, squid,' Han shared. 'Kim Jae-joong likes really spicy food, like, make you sweat kind of spicy.' The episode also revolved around the K-pop star's new makgeolli brand. 'So, we had to create a dish suited for makgeolli,' Han explained. Han's answer? A bold, Singapore-meets-Seoul take on chilli crab — reimagined with Korean pantry staples. He swapped mantou for grilled rice cakes boiled in makgeolli, added heat with Korean 'death sauce', and used ssamjang in place of garlic and shallots. He also made a side of julienned pear wrapped in kimchi. 'I've been to South Korea quite often and tasted ssamjang, so I kind of knew it should work... but I'd never put those things together, so it was really just pure instinct,' he was quoted as saying. 'Towards the end, my hands were shaking because I was running out of time.' Though known for his innovative approach at Labyrinth, Han opted for something traditional. 'I didn't want to do a modern, Labyrinth-style dish... I wanted to do something that could showcase Singapore's traditional foods to the world.' Shooting took 13 hours, and language proved another hurdle. 'I had an earpiece with 'live' translation,' he said. Asked what he took away from the experience, Han quipped, 'That I still have it in me to cook a delicious Singaporean dish in 15 minutes.' Han and Choi will reunite in Singapore for a two-night collab at Labyrinth on July 13 and 14, serving their Chef & My Fridge creations and other dishes, paired with makgeolli. Watch Labyrinth's socials for booking updates. The episode drops on Netflix on June 20.
