The threads of traditions continue to be woven into new culinary creations by our partner chefs on The Culinaire’s List, an exclusive dining programme designed for DBS Insignia Cardmembers
From left: Century egg crab, kelp paste, Kaluga caviar at Imbue; ingredients of the dish created by Chef Lee Boon Seng at Imbue
Throughout the ages, cooking has been an integral part of human civilisation for over 780,000 years. From our rudimentary beginnings of spit-roasting meat over open flames, to the early days when humans started inventing new techniques such as steaming food wrapped in wet leaves over fire, our culinary journey has been one of continuous exploration and refinement.
Then came the advent of earthenware and pottery in the Neolithic period, which ushered in new dimensions to cooking and paved the way for the diverse array of culinary practices today.
Chefs worldwide are increasingly looking to the past for inspirations, drawing from centuries-old culinary traditions, ingredients, and techniques. From age-old recipes passed down through generations to seemingly-obsolete cooking methods, the culinary world is experiencing a renaissance of sorts—a revival of flavours and techniques that hark back to ancient times and natural flavours.
Embark with us on a journey through time and taste, to uncover how our partner chefs draw from the past and their fond memories to continue to shape their culinary identities.
Ingredients used at Imbue include the century egg, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty
Reviving Celebrated Centuries-Old Ingredients and Recipes
As they say, tradition is not about preserving ashes, but passing on the flame. Chef José Andrés, who holds two Michelin stars for his avant-garde tasting counter, minibar by José Andrés, in Washington, DC, attests to this.Some of the restaurants on DBS’ The Culinaire’s List have come up with clever iterations of age-old recipes.
At Imbue, Chef Lee Boon Seng is carrying on the torch for the next wave of Chinese cuisine.
One look at the menu at Imbue and you’d notice that it largely comprises traditional Chinese delicacies and elements. One of their tasting menu dishes, the Century Egg Crab with Kelp Paste and Kaluga Caviar, possesses the humble Chinese century egg, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty over 500 years ago.
Another one of their dishes, the Drunken Chicken, is a cold dish that comes with a storied and interesting history.
The traditional drunken chicken dish is found in many Chinese restaurants, with chicken marinated in Shao Xing as the highlight
There are many versions detailing the origin of Drunken Chicken, the most popular folklore being that of a wife who won the title of household head amongst two other wives because of the Drunken Chicken dish she had made.
But canonically, the dish originates from the Zhejiang province in China, as one of its main ingredients is Shao Xing wine, which is also largely produced in Zhejiang. According to ancient recipes, the chicken is soaked in the rice wine for days.
The earliest record of Shao Xing wine can be dated to 770 to 476BC, in which the aromatic and mellow notes led it to become one of the more popular ceremonial wines essential in banquets. Today, it is largely considered a cooking wine.
Chef Lee Boon Seng uses the sous-vide method for a juicy tender bite in his version of the Drunken Chicken as a canape at Imbue
“While respecting its tradition, we wanted to recreate this common dish that uses the whole chicken. To come up with something unique, we used chicken breasts that have been marinated for 24 hours and sous-vided for tenderness, while also incorporating other familiar Asian flavours,” Chef Boon Seng shares.
At Imbue: Drunken chicken, Dou ban jiang, Shao Xing wine
His reinvention consists of a flavourful house-made dou ban jiang, a type of bean sauce, which is elegantly set into a jelly atop the canape-style one-bite Drunken Chicken. Along with the unconventional additions of black sesame chips and Szechuan peppercorn, the dish pays homage to his Asian heritage, while infusing a contemporary flair that adds new layers to the flavours.
From Grandma's Kitchen
Chef Louis Han, Chef-Owner of NAE:UM
At NAE:UM, the essence of nostalgia permeates the menu. Their house-made baek kimchi, also known as white kimchi, is greatly inspired by the kimchi that Chef-Owner Louis Han’s grandmother makes at their family home.
Chef Louis’ grandmother was forced to leave her hometown in North Korea during the civil war, and she travelled to South Korea as a teenage girl to carve out her own path. Until now, she continues to make baek kimchi, which mirrors the lighter flavours of the Northern style.
Ingredients for baek kimchi at NAE:UM, inspired by Chef Louis’ grandmother’s northern style kimchi with lighter flavours
The origins of baek kimchi trace back to a time before chili was introduced in Korea, apparently in the later half of the 16th century, rendering it the “original kimchi”. Fermenting vegetables as kimchi was one of the ways to prolong the lifespan of food before the invention of refrigerators, particularly during the winter months, and remains a staple in the Korean diet today.
“There was no recipe from my grandmother; all I have is a memory of the taste,” shares Chef Louis. “My grandma cooks by ‘feel’. She would get irritated whenever I ask her for details of ingredients and measurements because to her, any cooking, including the making of the kimchi, is instinctive.”
With his grandmother and Singapore’s tropical climate in mind, he created his version of baek kimchi at NAE:UM. Preserving the legacy of his grandma’s touch allows diners to savour a taste of both history and his personal nostalgia.
Techniques of Timeless Wisdom
Another way in which chefs draw from the past is through their techniques.
One of which is cooking with charcoal, a culinary technique that has been around since ancient times. One of the stories goes that this “black gold” was discovered serendipitously, emerging after wood was burnt under oxygen-deprived conditions, which transformed it into what we now know as charcoal.
While the invention of gas, electric and induction stoves had almost deemed it obsolete, the art of cooking with coal has seen a resurgence in recent years. Today, many chefs are breathing new life into the time-honoured cooking method, bringing a primal elegance back into the kitchen.
“Our grill mainly uses charcoal, which is irreplaceable by gas and electric,” shares Chef Boon Seng.
Smoking an abalone glazed with sauce over flame at Imbue
“We are very particular about creating our sauces. An example of that can be seen in one of our dishes: abalone served with gingko nut custard, with our house-made essence of dried shiitake mushrooms and dried ham. Finished on the charcoal grill with soya sauce, brown butter and a touch of honey, the sauce drips into the charcoal and infuses the abalone with a delicate smokiness. ”
In the same vein, Chef Mano Thevar lauds the use of charcoal, which he incorporates in 90 percent of his cooking at his restaurant, Thevar.
“It yields better flavours. (There’s nothing like) the caramelisation you get over flame, and the smoky flavour that results when the meat drips into the charcoal,” he says.
Chef Mano Thevar, Chef-Owner of Thevar (Credit: Thevar)
Memories on the Plate
Italian Chef Massimo Bottura of the esteemed Osteria Francescana, acclaimed for its three Michelin stars and a Michelin green star, once famously said, “I am Massimo Bottura. I close my eyes and I want to understand where I am. Cooking is about emotion, it's about culture, it's about love, it's about memory.”
Chefs draw upon cherished memories from their lives to recreate moments that have inspired them deeply. For many, the flavours of childhood linger on in their creations.
One of the mainstays at NAE:UM is Chef-Owner Louis’ signature memilmyeon, a modern interpretation of a nostalgic dish from when he was younger.
The updated memilmyeon at NAE:UM served with scallop and baek kimchi
An ode to his mother’s Sunday noodles, a dish she used to only make on Sundays, his version is completely different, featuring buckwheat, scallop and baek kimchi. It is a variation enjoyed by global palates, yet retains elements from his past, like the freshness of the springy cold noodles in summer, and sentimental reminder of his working mother’s labour of love.
“It is one of my favourite things to make, and to eat too,” Chef Louis says. “It’s the sort of dish that is meant to be cooked for and enjoyed by loved ones.”
Over at Thevar, the South-Indian-inspired menu is an ode to Chef Mano’s heritage, with influences from his childhood in Penang.
“One of the signatures at Thevar is the Chettinad Chicken Roti, inspired by my grandmother’s Chettinad Chicken Roti, which she used to make for me,” Chef Mano shares.
“It’s a dish you can get anywhere (in Malaysia), but it’s something I really loved to eat. So this is my reinterpretation of that, and it lets me impart that nostalgia and comfort to my diners.”
Chettinad chicken roti, a re-imagined recipe based on a traditional dish, at Thevar (Credit: Thevar)
Beyond the meticulous preparation that involves slow-cooking a kampung chicken, this dish brings Chef Mano back to his roots in India. Twice a year, he heads down to Mumbai to scour for spices for his restaurant. From Kampot black pepper to cumin, which he sources from a specific farm, he makes no compromise, finding what he deems as the best.
The cultivation of such spices has a long history. The production of Kampot black pepper, also considered the “champagne of pepper”, dates back to as early as the 13th century by Chinese explorer Tchéou Ta Kouan. Today, it gets its name from the Kampot region in Cambodia, where most of the production has been in since the Sultan of Aceh burned down his pepper plantations in Indonesia between 1873 to 1874. Its distinct flavour, mildly spicy and subtly sweet, made it “by far the main colonial export crop” according to the 1930 book “Un Empire Colonial Français, l'Indochine”.
The storied history of the Kampot pepper is just one aspect to the treasured spice. Its delicate flavours are what sets it apart for Chef Mano: “These are flavours you wouldn't be able to get from other spices.”
The importance of our history
Across centuries, cooking and food has evolved, moulded by the passage of time and the indelible mark of human ingenuity. Chefs are not merely cooks; they are storytellers, weaving narratives of tradition and innovation on the plates before us, drawing from traditions and passing them on to the generations after. Every dish, every flavour, carries with it a piece of our shared human experience.As Ethiopian-born Swedish-American celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson once said, “Food is a reflection of who we are and where we come from. It is a way to connect with our past, celebrate our present, and shape our future.”
Especially for DBS Insignia cardholders, The Culinaire’s List is a celebration of Singapore’s vibrant culinary scene through our partnership with both Michelin-starred restaurants and hidden gems. Be updated on Singapore’s fine dining scene through our monthly editorial series, The Culinary Canvas, where we bring you the narratives of each chef, their dishes, their inspiration for a finer appreciation of their culinary creations.
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