All language subtitles for Food-002

[Mark] I'm a vlogger
[upbeat music]

who travels the world

in pursuit of
delicious food

and I've always been
fascinated by Singapore.

Here, the obsession
with food is real.

I'm exploring
the extremes

of this food paradise

that marries cultures and
cuisines like no other.

From searching
for soulful street food

to exploring the
heights of fine dining

it's a love affair
with food

and I'm ready to eat.

[music fades]

[upbeat music]

[Mark] I moved around
a lot as a child.

My parents
are missionaries

and my mom is
of Chinese ancestry.

And so I had
the privilege

to eat a lot of Chinese
food when I was growing up.

[cake frying]

The one thing that I've
noticed [knife chopping]

is that no matter where
you travel in the world

although the styles
may vary

you'll always find
Chinese food.

Singapore is home to a
large Chinese population

and has some of the best
Chinese food in the world.

And so, I'm excited to see
what it has to offer.

[music stops]

[joyful music]

I'm here at Spring Court
[doorbell ringing]

Singapore's oldest family-run
Chinese restaurant.

- Hi...
- Hey, Annette!

- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you too.

[Mark] My dining buddy
is Annette Tan

a prolific food writer

who wrote a book about
Singapore's Chinatown.

All right,
so thank you, Annette

for bringing me to
this restaurant.

My pleasure.
I wanted to bring you here

because the menu is
very reflective [fire burning]

of what Chinese food
in Singapore [water boiling]

in the early days
used to be like.

Singapore's first
Chinese community

were mainly laborers
[projector clicking]

and you had people from
Guangzhou [projector clicking]

which is Cantonese

Hokkien from Fujian
[projector clicking]

Teochew, Hakka

Hainanese.
[projector clicking]

The Chinese laborers

also worked alongside
[projector clicking]

Indian and Malay workers

so that sort of
influenced the flavors

that resulted
in their dishes as well.

So you may find
that the dishes are richer

because of the influence
[oil boiling]

of chilies and spices.
[fire burning]

And the food is fantastic

so I'm very excited
to show it to you.

Oh yeah.
I'm looking forward to it.

And this is Madam Soon.

- Hello.
- Have a seat, Madam Soon.

So she has been
[music stops]

in charge of this restaurant...

For how many years now,
Madam Soon?

43 years.

[Mark] Wow.
[joyful music]

[Annette] The restaurant
has been around since 1929

and she took over it
from her late father-in-law

and she's been running it since.

Oh, right.

[Annette] Spring Court
is literally older than

Singapore's independence.

And so some of the dishes
that we're gonna be trying

are original recipes

dating back from 1929

that haven't been changed?

[Madam Soon] No, never changed.

[Mark] Wow!
[music fades]

Oh, that's beautiful.

[Mark] This first dish is
an original

Spring Court recipe

[joyful music] that marries
the ultra-crispy skin

of roasted chicken

with the succulent texture
of hand mashed prawns.

The preparation
behind this dish

is actually quite complex

even for a trained chef.

First, you need to
completely

and delicately
debone the chicken.

It's then evenly coated
with a prawn paste filling.

[oil boiling]
The chicken is then

gently fried in a wok
[chicken frying]

and carefully cooked
to perfection.

Yes. Yeah, this piece is nice.

[Mark] OK, now
that I picked it up

I can see the prawn paste.

[Mark biting]

[Mark chewing]

- [Madam Soon] Nice?
- It's incredible.

[Mark] You know
you're eating chicken

but at the same time

there's this totally
different element

where you taste that prawn.

That kind of
bounciness of the prawn

and then you get the crispy skin
on top of that.

What else do we have?

[Madam Soon]
The next dish is

the yam ring.
[music stops]

This dish is very popular
at wedding banquets.

[food stir-frying]
[Annette] This was, for its time

a very luxurious dish.

You know, you have the yam

you have the seafood

you have the vegetables
and the stir-fry.

So it was quite a grand thing
[traditional Chinese music]

at wedding banquets
and special occasions.

[Mark]
The yam ring also has

quite a complicated
cooking process.

The yams are ground up
into a fine dough

and molded into a ring.

[yam frying] Using a similar
method as the chicken

it's shallow fried
in a wok

and routinely
basted with hot oil

to get that beautiful
golden brown finish.

The outside crust is left
exceptionally crispy

while the yam is tender

light and fluffy
on the inside.

The dish is then finished

with a medley of stir-fried
seafood and vegetables.

[Mark] Is there a strategy
to eating this?

[both laughing]

You try to take
more than everyone else.

Yes!
[all laughing]

Essentially, this is
a very classic Singaporean dish

and it was invented
in the early '60s.

So this is something that
many Singaporeans grew up on.

And the other thing
we used to do as children

this is the best part.

It's the snack
that you eat at the end of it

because it's really crispy
rice vermicelli.

- Yeah.
- Kind of crispy-fried.

- [Annette] Dig in.
- [Mark] Thank you.

Let me get some of
that crispy yam.

[Mark chewing]

Oh, this is just comforting.

The yam is quite sticky

but then you've got
that crispy friedness to it.

The texture of that yam ring

tastes a lot like taro.

Actually, it is taro.

We call taro "yam" here
for some reason.

But, yes, it's taro.

I love it.
[music stops]

So this obviously needs
no introduction.

This is the famous

Singapore chili crab.
[joyful music]

When you think about
the food of Singapore

this is one of
the most iconic dishes.

Yup.
[food stir-frying]

[Mark]
Invented in Singapore

this sweet, spicy
and savory dish

was created by
a Teochew chef

who wanted to do crabs
a little differently.

Many restaurants serve
this popular dish

but the secret to
Spring Court's chili crab

is the type of
sambal chili

they use in the sauce.

Tomato sauce,
soup stock and fresh crab

are then added and
left to simmer.

Once the crabs are cooked

an egg slurry
is drizzled on top

and the dish
is ready to be served.

- Look at that.
- Look at that nugget!

- Oh, perfect.
- A perfect piece.

[Mark] I just want to
maximize the flavor

onto my crab.

Scoop it.

Oh, that's beautiful.

Chili crab.

[Mark sucking and chewing]

Oh, wow!

Oh, that's extraordinary.

The sweet silkiness of that crab

and then the sauce,
it's a little bit spicy.

It's a little bit sweet.
[sauce boiling]

It has that little bit
of tomatoey taste to it.

Oh, it's really good.
[Annette laughing]

Oh, man.

[Mark] All the food
that we've tried here

has been fantastic.

Is this typical of Chinese food
that you'll find in Singapore?

The more contemporary
restaurants today

are more specific
[music stops]

to their dialect group.

So you get Cantonese food
cooked by Hong Kong chefs

which has become a lot
more popular [calm music]

in the last couple of decades.

You have Teochew restaurants
run by Teochew chefs, and so on.

So this sort of
very Singaporean Chinese food

which is
an amalgamation of

the various influences from
all the different dialects...

that's quite special.

Which is why Spring Court,
for instance, is a treasure

because you don't get
this kind of food

at restaurants anymore.

[lid placing]
[music stops]

[Mark]
My next stop lies within

Singapore's
Marina Bay area.

[upbeat music] Modern,
luxurious, stylish.

While Spring Court's
mission

is to preserve
authentic Chinese recipes

Peach Blossoms
is a Cantonese restaurant

that pushes the boundaries of
traditional Chinese cooking.

[fire burning]

[Edward]
Everyone, stop for a while.

We'll have
a five-minute briefing.

Let's discuss tonight's menu.

First up, the suckling pig.

Hong, you have to make sure
that it's crispy.

Next, for the dessert

make sure you have
the lids on properly, Man.

You know our customers

might take photos
and post them online.

Next up is
the deep-fried marble goby.

We ordered two
1.6kg marble gobies.

Is the fish here, Loy?

It is? OK, that's all.
Thanks, guys.

[Mark] Executive Chinese
Chef Edward Chong

is breathing new life

into Singapore's
fine dining scene.

He's invited me
into his kitchen today

for a closer look
at the action.

Hi Mark, thank you for coming.
[music stops]

Very happy to be here

and I've also brought
my friend John.

- Hi, Chef.
- Hello, hi.

He's gonna help with some of
the Mandarin translation.

Today, I'll be teaching you
how we prepare

our signature dish,
the cigar roll.

For our ingredients,
we have foie gras

breadcrumbs
mixed with charcoal powder.

We also have snow crab meat

and prawn mousse
with a little bit of truffle.

And this is the "cigar" skin.

It's actually
made from the recipe

for Peking duck pancakes

but we added cocoa
and coffee powder to this

to give it
a more cigar-like look.

So all the ingredients
are in already

so we're gonna roll it up now.

- All right. Cool.
- OK.

- [Edward] Let's start.
- [John] Roll.

You want it tight.
[joyful music]

That's correct...

Wrap it, squeeze it in.

Wow, you're doing well.

[Mark laughing]

[roll frying]

Chef Edward really
has to control that heat.

Make sure
they're not cooking too fast

not cooking too slow

but the perfect temperature

for optimal golden crispifying.
[roll frying]

When it's almost done

it will get lighter
and float up.

Oh yeah, it's really beginning
to look like a cigar.

[Edward laughing]

All right.

So squeeze a little bit
of the mayonnaise on top.

- OK!
- OK.

So the mayonnaise is
just kind of like an adhesive

so all that
breadcrumb ash sticks.

I'm gonna set it here

on the ashtray.
[music stops]

Ready to be smoked.

[all laughing]
[upbeat music]

[Mark] After all of that
anticipation in the kitchen

we're finally in the dining room

I can't wait to start eating.

Man, this presentation
is just so good.

It looks like a cigar.

There's ash at the tip

[Mark sniffing]

but it smells
way better than a cigar.

[Mark biting and chewing]

Oh, man.

Oh, that is delicious.

The creamy stringiness
of that crab

and then you've got
this incredible butteriness

maybe from that foie gras

that's just melted
into the center.

All wrapped up
in this Peking duck wrapper

which feels so delicate
and so light and so crispy. Wow.

- Delicious.
- Thank you.

[Mark] OK, I'm gonna
go for the dip.

[Mark biting and chewing]

When you taste that sauce

you immediately think
Peking duck.

It's really interesting.

The sweetness of
the Peking duck sauce

gives you memories of
Peking duck [duck frying]

but at the same time

the richness of the shrimp
and the crab

and the foie gras

gives it a different touch.

So I think this is really modern
Chinese cuisine at its finest.

Chef Edward, that was
a magical beginning

to this meal.
[music fades]

How did you get started
cooking this way?

I had never thought
I'd become a chef.

I mean, I couldn't even cook.

Back in Malaysia
when I was younger

I didn't like studying
[upbeat music]

and I was very mischievous.

My parents were worried
that I would be led astray

so they sent me here
to Singapore.

I had an uncle
who was a chef over here.

He got me a job
in a hotel kitchen.

I stayed and worked.

And here I am now,
19 years later

the executive chef
of a restaurant.

I wanted to let
more people know that

Chinese food
can be very different

from what it used to be.

It can be interesting

have beautiful plating

and taste good

while retaining
its authenticity.

[music stops]

Now, let me introduce
the next dish.

Marble goby fillet with
crispy scales

in homemade organic
pineapple sauce.

[fire burning]

[Edward]
The sauce for this dish

is inspired by
a dish from a restaurant

my parents brought me to
when I was a kid.

[sauce stirring]

After becoming an executive chef

I went back to that restaurant
[fire burning]

and asked the chef
for the recipe.

I came back to my kitchen

added different elements
to the recipe

and came up with this sauce.

[fish frying]

For my choice of fish,
I used marble goby

which is often used
in Chinese cuisine.

It's a freshwater fish.

We douse the unscaled fish
in hot oil

to give it its crispiness.

[joyful music]

I'm gonna part it.

That's crispy!

[Mark biting]

[Mark laughing and chewing]

Oh, wow!

That's unbelievable.

It just melts in your mouth.

But then the skin is
so, like, cracker crispy

and then followed by

this tart Southeast Asian
flavored sauce

that has pineapple

and a little bit of chili in it.

The marble goby is a river fish

but it's incredibly
clean tasting.

A lot of river fish
or freshwater fish

tend to have
a bit of a muddier taste to it.

This one is just so clean

so pure
[Mark biting and chewing]

you'd think it was
an ocean fish.

It all comes together.

That is extraordinary.

- That's delicious.
- Thank you.

[Mark] I love it.

[Edward] The flower
used in this dish

is called ulam raja.

It has a distinct mango flavor

which complements
this dish perfectly.

[Mark chewing]
Wow.

Yeah, it does.

Like a green mango,
specifically.

- [Edward] Yes.
- An unripe mango.

Wow, yeah.

Like, unmistakable.

Chef, I'm really curious to know

what were your early days
in the kitchen like?

There was this incident
[music stops]

that had a profound
effect on me.

It happened on
one of our busy nights.

[pan cleaning]

[knife chopping]

[blowtorch burning]

[food stir-frying]

[Edward] I remember
I had a tray laden with food

that was going into the oven.

When I took the tray
out of the oven

I accidentally dropped it
on the floor.

[drum music]

I got burnt

and my hands
were covered in blisters.

A part of me was thinking

maybe my senior colleagues would
come over and make sure I'm OK.

"Don't worry.
Why don't you take a break?

Dip your hands in ice water

or put some ointment
on those burns."

But what happened was
the complete opposite.

They came over and told me
"If you can't take the heat

stay out of the kitchen.
[music stops]

[fire burning]

[Edward] I don't think
you're cut out to be a chef.

[calm music]

You don't have
the talent for it.

If I were you,
I would quit this job."

I remember
that night very clearly.

I was the last
to leave the kitchen.

After I had
everything cleaned up

I went into the chiller
and closed the door.

I stayed in there...

I don't know why

but I just started crying.

I think I was in there for,
like, 20 minutes

but I didn't feel cold at all.

I was just crying in there.

What kept you going?

Why didn't you quit?

Because of what
my senior colleague said.

"You're not cut out
to be a chef."

What he said

impelled me to hang in there

and made me
adamant about not quitting.

So I told myself I'd stay
and learn for one more month.

[music fades]
Strangely enough

in that one month

I started getting
the hang of things.

Slowly but surely,
I got better at my tasks.

My senior colleagues and
the chefs who used to scold me

took me under their wings.

So, in the 19 years
that I have worked as a chef

whenever I encounter
any difficulties

and feel like giving up
or when I'm under immense stress

I will think back on that night.

How crushed I felt then and
how I got to where I am today

because I persevered
and did not give up.

[upbeat jazz music]

This is crab roe

and this is fresh
Sri Lankan crab claw.

These are vinegar pearls.

So Chef actually said
to take the claw

and set it aside first.

He really wants you
to be able to taste

the flavor in that soup.

And there should be some noodles

on the bottom here too.
Some of the mung bean noodles.

So you can see the,
kind of transparent noodles

on the bottom.

You can see the strands of crab.

And then, another pro move

is to take a few of
these vinegar pearls

and add them to the...

to the top there.

The roe provides
this hint of bitterness

that immediately turns
to sweetness in your mouth.

[Mark biting and chewing]

Yeah, and as Chef
explained this claw

he said he kind of coated it
in a prawn paste

to give it more of a bouncy...

kind of a spongy texture to it.

So if you look at
the inside there

you can see
the layers of texture.

From the stringiness
of that sweet crab

to that kind of smooth, bouncy
texture of the prawn paste.

I might do the pour move...

and then take it to the mouth

before it all slides off.

[Mark biting and chewing]

That's how you get
the full crab experience.

And then,
with that kind of accent

like, these little bubbles

these little pearls
that just kind of release...

They're like...

They just kind of release
that acidity

to break the richness.

It's subtle but you notice it.

- This is really delicious.
- Thank you.

This entire meal
has been fantastic.

[music fades]

[emotional music]

[Edward] Our clientele
is getting younger.

Nowadays, we see
people in their twenties

eating at
Michelin-starred restaurants

and fine dining establishments.

So my team and I have to

constantly change and innovate.

As Singapore's
fine dining scene grew

Chinese cuisine started
losing its shine and prestige.

This is why we want
[knife chopping]

to revolutionize Chinese cuisine
[food stir-frying]

and show young diners that

Chinese food can also be fun.
[fire burning]

It, too, can look good

taste great

make use of
interesting ingredients

and be different.
[liquid pouring]

But all our innovation aside

my greatest wish is that

the customers
who dined at our restaurant

get to experience
authentic Chinese cuisine

and the soul of Chinese cuisine.

[Mark] In many ways,
Chef Edward's personality

has defined
his cooking style.

He's a rebel
turned success story

who went through the
school of hard knocks.

And with age

came the maturity
and sophistication

to elevate his food
to the next level.

Although he's always
searching for new ways

to improve his menu

Chef Edward tells me that
[music stops]

he still takes great
inspiration [upbeat music]

from his memories
of soulful street food.

And when it comes to
Singaporean hawker fare

there's no dish
he enjoys more

than a plate of
Hainanese chicken rice.

[music stops]

[knife chopping]

[knife chopping]

[upbeat music]
This is

a very famous chicken rice shop
in Singapore.

- OK.
- I think you will like it.

Yes.

[Mark] Hainanese
Delicacy Chicken Rice

has been in business
for over 40 years.

[chicken dropping into pot]

They serve what some
people say [water pouring]

is the most
tender chicken

and best chili sauce in the
country. [sauce pouring]

[Mark sniffing]
[music stops]

Oh, that smells so good.
It's so aromatic.

You can smell the garlic
and the chicken broth in there.

And then, I noticed
that you ordered

the poached chicken

and the roasted chicken.

Yes.

I'm gonna go straight
for that poached chicken.

As you can see, I'm gonna...

get a little bit of that juice
from the bottom there.

It does look really
moist and juicy.

[Mark] All right.

OK, here we go.

All the components on a spoon.

[jazz music]

That chicken

has this perfect
bouncy texture to it.

So juicy.

And then with the sauce,
with the ginger

with that chili in there

the fragrance of the garlic

and the chicken fat
in that rice...

it's well-oiled
and just has delicious flavor.

OK, I'm gonna try
the roasted chicken next.

[Edward] Maybe you can try
the dark sauce also.

[Mark] OK,
I'll do a little... drizzle.

- Yes.
- All right.

Nice, right?

Yeah, that drizzle of
dark soy sauce

has a little bit
of a sweetness to it.

- Adds another dimension.
- Yes.

[Mark] And the actual meat
of the chicken

has a totally different texture

than the poached chicken.

It's more stringy.

You can feel
the fibers of the chicken

in the roasted chicken

whereas with the poached chicken

it's more soft and
silky in texture.

Which one do you like better,
Chef Edward?

I prefer the roasted.
How about you?

It's a tough choice but I think

I like the poached chicken

because it has
this amazing texture

and I love the way the...

the skin just
literally kind of, like

unwraps from the chicken meat.

[music stops]
Hi, guys.

Is the food OK? All's OK?

Oh yeah,
the chicken rice is amazing.

Please join us. Have a seat.

Yeah... join us, please.

[upbeat music] Jared is

part of the
family business.

His uncle owns the stall

and he's been
working here

for the past three years.

How did you prepare
the roasted chicken?

There's a hint of smokiness.

For the roasted chicken

we will dip it in herbal
ingredients the night before.

That's where all the flavors
[chicken frying]

get absorbed into the chicken.

Then we'll deep fry it.

So it'll have a nice,
crispy skin on the outside

and the moisture is
still intact. [knife chopping]

For the poached chicken

we add fresh ingredients

like ginger, garlic, pandan leaf
[ginger dropping]

and lemongrass into a big pot.

We'll poach it in the pot
for about an hour

then we transfer it out
into an ice bucket

and let it rest for
15 to 20 minutes.

[Mark] So that's also
how the skin

just pulls away
from the meat so effortlessly.

[music stops]
[lid opening]

[Mark] Who was it that started
Hainanese Delicacy?

[Jared] My grandfather
and my granduncle

started this chicken rice shop.

They actually made a tweak.

They made the rice
less greasy, less oily

but yet having
the same flavorful rice

you'll find in most places.

It's less sinful
eating our chicken rice.

[Mark and Jared laughing]

But I was noticing that

the rice is really, really good.
[uplifting music]

That's one of my highlights
of the whole meal.

It's the rice
because it's so fragrant

it's so aromatic.

Even when you set that down

on our table
when it first arrived

that's the first thing
I could smell.

And I noticed that there's
so many articles on the walls

and you've received
so many awards.

Yeah, so this is
all through word of mouth.

We don't spend on
advertising much.

Not only do you serve
really delicious chicken rice

but I think a place like this

would bring back
so many memories

for people that have eaten here
throughout their childhood.

[Jared] This place has been
around for 40 years.

There are multi-generational
families that come here to dine.

We have grandfathers
bringing their sons

and the sons bringing
their grandsons over

to have a meal here.

[knife chopping]

[Edward] Did your grandparents
come from Hainan?

[Jared] Correct.

The Hainanese were the last
to arrive in Singapore.

And the better jobs
were all taken

by the bigger dialect groups...

the Teochew and Hokkien people.

So the Hainanese were left
with F&B businesses

and that's where
he picked up cooking

as his interest when he started.

That is how
we started this shop.

How old were you

when you first started
helping out here?

I was 22

after I finished my education.
[music fades]

I was asked by my uncle
to work here part-time

just to kill a bit of time
during the holidays.

After that,
I actually found myself

having a passion for
food as well.

[calm music]
From then on

I started to learn the ropes.

From cooking the chicken,
cooking the rice

to now, I'm learning
how to chop the chicken.

- OK.
- Good, good.

Hopefully, I can learn
everything, and then...

serve more generations to come.

[Jared laughing]

[plastic bag opening]

A lot of people your age

would just keep climbing
the corporate ladder

but you've chosen
a different path.

What made you decide to do this?

The passion for cooking
started growing

when I was working here

and then the satisfaction
of the customers

when they finish their plates...

- Empty plates, you know.
- Yeah.

I don't need to be
in the corporate world

to get the same kind of reward.

For me, I would like
to carry on this legacy

that was passed down from
my grandfather and granduncle.

[Mark] The Hainanese
only make up

around 7% of
the Chinese population

here in Singapore.

But like Jared's family

they've made a huge impact
with their cuisine.

[music fades]

[calm music]

After all that eating

there's nothing better
than relaxing with some tea.

And so I'm at Tea Chapter

which is one of the oldest
and most traditional teahouses

in Singapore's Chinatown.

[uplifting music]

[Mark drinking]

[Mark exhaling]

That's a perfect way to cap off
this entire experience

which has really been
rewarding for me

to learn about the history
of Chinese in Singapore

which have made
such an influence

on Singaporean food.

Thinking back on my experiences

Spring Court and
Hainanese Delicacy

where they actually created

a style of Chinese
Singaporean cuisine.

And it has not lost its appeal
over generations.

And then, Chef Edward
with Peach Blossoms

where he is elevating
Chinese fine dining.

One of the things
I love to do most in life

is try food from places
that I visit

the local food.

And yet, at the same time,
there comes a point

when I need to eat Chinese food.

So no matter where I travel

every now and then

I have to seek out
a Chinese restaurant.

And if what I experienced

is an indication of the future
of Chinese cuisine in Singapore

we have a lot
to look forward to.

[music fades]

[upbeat music]

[music stops]