Southeast Asia Rising

A crop of chefs is shedding national and racial boundaries to look at Southeast Asian food as an emerging cuisine.

- KOH YUEN LIN

The beautifully rosé cut of free-range lamb - sous vide at 50 deg C for three hours and finished in a custom-built Josper oven - would not look out of place on the table at any European fine-dining restaurant. But the difference hits upon the first bite.

The grilled lamb lies on a bed of sauce, which presents an explosion of flavours: The heat of green bird's eye chilli is tempered by the velvety creaminess of coconut milk, coupled with the aroma of lemongrass, galangal, and ginger. The green rendang sauce is topped with tahi minyak - caramelised coconut curd crumbles made from slow-cooking fresh coconut milk, and kerisik - buttery grated coconut flesh that is roasted to a golden brown crisp, both lending textural interest and depth to the flavour of the dish.

This is chef Haffizul Hashim's tribute to rendang a dish that is a must-have during Malay festivities such as Hari Raya and weddings. At Restaurant Fiz, slated to open in Tanjong Pagar in June, the 41-year-old Malaysian chef-owner distils traditional techniques and classical flavours to present Southeast Asian cuisine in a new light. The end product is intriguingly novel yet unmistakably familiar to the Southeast Asian diner.

Never mind the chicken rice wars between Malaysia and Singapore, chefs like Haffizul are shedding national and racial identity to look at Southeast Asian food as a cuisine of its own. At eight-month-old Seroja at Duo Galleria, Malaysia-born chef-owner Kevin Wong, 30, draws upon diverse inspirations from disappearing traditional craft, the forgotten ways of eating, to the unique topography of certain locations - to present the flavours of the Malay Archipelago.

In March this year, Singaporean chef Law Jia-Jun, 29, started produce-driven concept, Province, at Joo Chiat, with the hopes of highlighting Southeast Asian flavours and hospitality.

CULINARY HOMECOMING