“ My late mother was a keen horticulturist, and the whole family would be involved in tending to the garden and fruit trees. Those moments are some of my fondest childhood memories.”
SIMPLE CHILDHOOD. I was born in London, and then the family moved to Singapore when I was still a toddler. I suppose what was perhaps slightly unusual for someone growing up in Singapore was that I had a relatively rural upbringing—the early years were on campus at Nanyang University (my father was a lecturer there), where it felt like we lived in the rainforest. And then we had house in Bukit Timah with durian, avocado, rambutan and coconut trees. My late mother was a keen horticulturist, and the whole family would be involved in tending to the garden and fruit trees. Those moments are some of my fondest childhood memories.
GROWING UP. I went to Joo Long (Rulang) Primary School, then The Chinese High School (Hwa Chong Institution). I studied Aeronautical Engineering and graduated with a PhD in Fluid Mechanics from the University of Cambridge. It was there that my professor really thought me how to think. It was more an exercise in the philosophy of science than engineering!
ON CULTURE AND ROOTS. My last name is a function of a colonial administrator’s attempt to spell the Hakka pronunciation of our family name (饶 rao) when my father was born. I am very much Singaporean. It’s where I grew up, it’s home. The intimacy of the local culture, the heartwarming wit and humour that can only be understood with a decent grasp of Hokkien; these are things that mean a lot to me.
Denne historien er fra April - June 2021-utgaven av WINE&DINE.
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Denne historien er fra April - June 2021-utgaven av WINE&DINE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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New Blood
The next-generation is breathing new life into the forgotten art of spice-mixing, peppering the traditional trade with renewed ideas and fresh perspectives.
Sharing Is Caring
Compared to its flagship at Serene Centre, Fat Belly Social at Boon Tat Street is a classier and bolder affair, in more than one sense.
Nutmeg's Role In Singapore's History
From tales of it being used to ward off the plague in mid-1300s Europe to one of the ingredients in dessert, we have all known, tasted, or at least heard of nutmeg. But not many know of the spice’s role in Singapore’s history.
New And Improved
The ever-profound chef-owner Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida finds more room, three to be exact, to express a Ha Ri philosophy at Hashida Singapore’s new location at Amoy Street.
Pairing Spice-Driven Cuisines With Wine
Pairing spice-driven cuisines with wine has long been a challenge but with a little imagination, it doesn’t have to be.
Let Land Grow Wild
Niew Tai-Ran has worn many hats: aeronautical engineering major, investment banker, avid surfer, and, for the last 14 years, winemaker. Discover how this Malaysia-born, Singapore-native is championing the “do-nothing farming” philosophy at his vineyard in Oregon.
The South Asian Misnomer
Incredibly diverse and varied than most know, Indian food is far more intriguing than butter chicken or thosai. Here is a crash course on the extensive cuisine from region to region, recognisable for the seemingly infinite ways of using spices.
Keepers Of The Spice Trade
From its glory days along trade routes to pantry staples all over the world, spices have become so commonplace that we’ve taken them for granted. For these three trailblazers, however, spice is their livelihood and motivation: Langit Collective working with indigenous rural farming communities in Malaysia; IDH’s Sustainable Spice Initiative; and chef Nak’s one-woman mission to share forgotten Khmer cuisine.
Sugar, Spice And Everything Nice
Like food, spices bring vibrancy and variety to alcoholic beverages. Surfacing in unexpected ways on the palate, find everything from cumin to tamarind, cloves to cardamom enriching these drinks.
Building Blocks From The Archipelago
For the smorgasbord of dishes found in Indonesian cuisine, it is a little known secret that the modest bumbu, in all its variants, is the bedrock of such flavourful fare.
