Original subtitles

[Mark] I'm a vlogger [joyful 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]

[joyful music] Singapore is a tiny

modern city state

that never stops innovating.

And so I'm really excited

to meet some local chefs

who are challenging the status quo

by blending traditional methods

with modern creativity.

- Hello, Mark! - Hey, Chef Willin!

[Mark] Chef Willin Low is the father

of modern Singaporean cuisine

or Mod-Sin for short.

I'm here at his restaurant, Relish

where local classics

are reinterpreted with a modern flair.

I've tried local hawker food before

but this will be

something new to me. [music stops]

[Willin] It all started when

[joyful music] I was a student in the UK.

I was missing home

and I wanted to cook Singaporean food

but I could never find all the ingredients I wanted.

So I had to mix and match different things.

For example, I was missing bak chor mee.

Bak chor mee is this local spicy egg noodle

with minced pork dish

which is really, really good.

And I couldn't get the noodles I wanted

so I had to buy pasta instead.

And whatever that I cooked

never looked like Singaporean food

but when I ate it, it always reminded me of home.

You can taste that same flavor

that brought back the memories.

Yeah, so when I opened my restaurant

I decided to do the same thing.

And everyone was asking

"What sort of cuisine is this?"

And I said, "It's modern Singaporean

because that's who I am."

And I wanted to take food

that my ancestors were cooking in Singapore

but sort of turn it on its head

so it's completely different

because we were not restricted

by what they were restricted by.

I'd like you to try this

and I hope you'll be able to tell me

which local dish it's inspired by.

If you don't get it right, I'm going to be really offended.

The pressure! [Willin laughing][Mark sniffing]

It smells delicious.

You smell a little bit of chili oil, shrimp...

and some herbs.

[Mark chewing]

- Laksa? - Yeah!

- Voilà! - Oh, OK.

When I've typically had laksa

there's a lot more liquid to it

usually with noodles as well.

You can feel [Mark slurping]

that same kind of flavor.

The coconut milk, that blend of spices

that have been pounded into a paste

to create that foundation of flavor.

It's all there.

So I learned how to make laksa

from a very famous hawker, and we decided

why should it be restricted by noodles?

And I used the paste [paste stir-frying]

and made a risotto.

And the pesto, that's made from Vietnamese mint

which is also known as laksa leaf in Singapore.

The herbaceous thing that cuts through

the spice and the fat of the rice.

And it's very characteristic of laksa in Singapore

because we almost never use this herb

except for in laksa.

The scallop is amazing.

It just melts in your mouth. [scallop frying] [fire burning]

So this really is Mod-Sin cuisine.

The familiar flavor

but a total transformation of ingredients.

[music stops]

When you started offering Mod-Sin cuisine

how did that go over with local Singaporeans?

Did they receive it well? [uplifting music]

When we first opened, we were really worried.

Singaporeans might say

"I can buy a bowl of laksa for $5

why would I pay $25 for it here?"

But the locals who came

they all loved the Mod-Sin flavors.

It's been 17 years

so it's been very encouraging.

Now I understand you have a dish

called hae mee panna cotta.

Can you explain a little bit about that?

Right, so when we first printed our menu

I decided to use the local ingredients' names

because if you go to a French restaurant

you'll see ingredients written in French

so why can't we use Singaporean terms?

[music stops]

So this is the hae mee panna cotta.

Hae mee means

prawn noodles, literally. [joyful music]

It's a noodle dish with a very rich stock

made from roasted prawn heads and pork ribs.

And you know panna cotta is always a dessert

so we want to challenge

what everybody thinks a dessert is.

So we made a panna cotta

with lots of prawn heads

and of course, there's some glass noodles.

The prawn itself is served sashimi style

and the front legs of the prawns [prawn legs frying]

are deep fried to a crisp.

We always say if you're allergic to prawns

this will definitely kill you

but you'll be happy before you die. [Mark laughing]

I'll come back to you later.

I'm gonna scoop right into that panna cotta first.

That's like, straight up custardy shrimp head butter.

[Willin laughing] That's right.

The textures, the sweetness

that hint of bitterness.

It's really like a condensed flavor of that shrimp.

[Mark biting and chewing]

It's so light and fluffy

and the entire thing is just crispy all the way through.

This definitely reminds me of eating prawn mee

at a hawker center

but it's more shrimpy, intense

and the texture is totally modified.

- Awesome. - Thank you.

I've been asked if I'm trying to replace local food

and that's not what I intend to do

because I think it's great as it is.

What I try to do here is to celebrate

the flavors that I love so much.

So there's one more dish I want you to try

and I'm quite certain you will be able to guess

where the inspiration is from.

So this one is a little bit more recognizable.

I think so. You'd better get this one right!

Meat on a skewer. [both laughing]

- Yeah. - It looks great.

The tender meat [blowtorch burning]

the sweet peanuty sauce

and that pineapple relish on top.

- [Willin] Yup. - [Mark] Oh, man. Satay!

Satay , yes, of course. [both laughing]

The quality of that meat...

What type of meat is it?

- Iberico pork. - Wow!

We use the secreto.

So, satay is originally from Indonesia

but what happened was, in Singapore [meat grilling]

the Hainanese took it and they used pork

which is not done in Indonesia.

How did you come up with this idea?

Well, I love my pork satay and as always

I want to intensify the flavors.

We are able to use

a better quality meat [meat grilling]

again, something that my ancestors couldn't do

because they had no access to Spanish pork.

And why can't we do it now?

And I just love how that meat has this mix of meaty fattiness

that makes it juicy and moist and smoky.

And then, all of the sweetness

coming together with that acidity.

So much going in your mouth at one time.

- [Mark] It's so tasty. - [Willin] Thank you.

That was a delicious meal

and I love how you have preserved

the Singaporean tastes [music stops]

while being very creative

- in your dishes. - Thank you.

Generally speaking [relaxing music]

when you mention Japanese food or Korean food

people have a pretty good idea

about what you're talking about.

Do you think people know what Singaporean food is?

We are such a small country.

Most times people don't even know

where Singapore is

much less what our food is.

But we do see more

Singaporean restaurants

around the world now

and I think we're just at the cusp of it

you know, things are just gonna change.

My dream is to put

a laksa stall around the world.

Like in every major city

you'll be able to eat laksa.

That would be fantastic. [music stops]

[classical music]

[Mark] Singapore and its dining scene

have evolved very quickly

and in this urban metropolis

two women are challenging

food norms by focusing on

a more thoughtful approach

to dining.

With their restaurant Kausmo

long-time friends Lisa and Chew serve a menu

featuring seafood from small farming communities

and locally grown produce. [music stops]

[raining]

I wouldn't typically associate agriculture with Singapore.

Land is scarce here in Singapore

which is why we have to make the best of what we have.

[Mark] We're here at Pocket Greens

[relaxing music] a local urban farm

where Lisa and Chew source some of their ingredients.

This farm here is on a rooftop [raining]

with all these housing estates around you.

And it's raining again, as usual.

- Yeah... - That's Singapore for you.

Welcome to Singapore.

No problem at all.

What are some of the common herbs and flowers

I guess, that you use in your cooking?

Yes, we use a lot of edible herbs and flowers in Kausmo

one being amaranth.

This is a plant that is native to our tropical climate.

It grows effortlessly in this heat

and requires really little resources

like water, as well.

- Great. - They are really nice

when just tempura-fried

or as salad greens, or just lightly torched.

So, what we try to convey to our guests in Kausmo

is that plants like these should be appreciated too.

[music fades]

Hey, the sun is out!

- Yeah. - It's perfect.

The weather here in Singapore can just

- change so drastically. - Yes.

I mean, this just goes to show

that Singapore is such a...

I mean, it's a hot and humid climate.

How does that affect what can be grown

locally in Singapore?

So as you can smell, there's...

- Do you pick up a scent? - [Mark sniffing] Oh, yeah!

It's actually coming from

this garlic flower. [calm music]

We use a lot of garlic in Southeast Asia

but garlic flower, in particular

has a lot of texture and flavor.

You can just try it raw.

[Mark chewing]

How do you like it?

Oh wow... it's, like, sweet

but then immediately

- you know it's garlic. - Yes.

It doesn't look like garlic that you're used to

but you can taste that pungency of the garlic coming out.

- It's very savory. - Yeah.

With some sweetness.

And some spiciness at the end.

- Yeah... - It's a long finish.

Kind of lingers on your tongue.

That's right. So the ones grown in our hot and humid climate

are a lot punchier.

You get the spice notes, you get full-on garlic.

This is another herb that we use.

It reminds you of Earl Grey, does it not?

That's exactly!

That's because it is bergamot

and Earl Grey is made with bergamot oil.

- Try it. - Sure.

It almost has a medicinal taste to it. Tingles your tongue

- a little bit as well. - Yes.

It's great. I love it. [music stops]

So, Mark, we heard that you really like spicy food.

Oh, yeah. Spice is life. [relaxing music]

Then you must try this.

Let me grab a leaf for you.

This is wasabi mustard.

It's really spicy for some of us

but I think it should be all right for you.

[Mark chewing]

Is it spicy for you?

Oh, yeah. It makes you tear a little bit.

Great.

Getting a little emotional, Mark?

- Oh, yes. - Is it spicy enough for you?

It's wonderful and so crisp.

I mean, it makes a huge difference

how we picked it immediately into your mouth.

The vibrancy shines. The freshness.

So, for edible herbs and flowers

they have so much flavor and textures

but this is lost through transportation.

So, if we were to have them air-flown in from overseas

not only do they add to food miles

our produce doesn't reach us at its optimal.

But it can be so, if we source locally.

For chefs like us, it's the connection

to the plants, to our food source

and to the food producers.

So yeah, we're really excited for you

to try the dishes we have in Kausmo

utilizing these herbs

and edible flowers [scissors cutting]

- that we have harvested. - [Mark] Thank you.

[uplifting music]

Welcome to Kausmo.

We're gonna create two dishes for you today.

This dish will be

a cold heirloom tomato appetizer.

As you can recognize

this is the bergamot leaves

that we harvested from the farm. [scissors cutting]

I can smell that aroma coming out of the leaves already.

They're so fresh. [blender running]

This is a quick way to make herbaceous oil.

As it blends, all the chlorophyll comes out.

[food frying]

[Mark] So when you add heat to it

that forces the oils out of the leaves?

Yes. It's a quick way

to push more flavor out too. [food stir-frying]

To extract all of the oils

how about you squeeze...

- the remaining.... - Oh yeah, sure!

Oh yeah, you can see that oil coming out.

And that aroma is amazing.

It smells like an Earl Grey tea party.

The oil is ready now.

So I'm just going to fry the amaranth for some crunch

and to bring out the nutty sweetness in them.

[food frying]

You get crunch from the light dusting of the flour

but at the same time, you still get

the textures of the amaranth stem.

- It's a very quick fry. - Yeah.

And then, we're gonna salt them.

Next, I'm gonna slice these gorgeous heirloom tomatoes.

The fleshy and bulky part of the dish.

And then, I'm gonna add a smoky ponzu oil.

So, this dish sits on a purée of potato.

The bravas sauce adds a little bit of spice.

And then, we have the oil.

The aroma will add great depth to the dish.

The champagne vinegar jelly adds some acidity.

Beautiful.

And the last bit would be the amaranth buds.

- And there you go. - Wow, thank you.

It's a really simple dish

but it brings out a lot of flavor

from the different components.

- So good. - So good, right?

- And then... - So juicy, so sweet.

[Mark] That bergamot oil has this almost a citrusy-ness to it

and then you've got the crispiness of the amaranth

and you can actually feel the little seeds.

- It's the little buds, right? - Yeah.

And I like how those tomatoes just shine.

There's something really special

- about these heirloom tomatoes - Oh, yeah?

They're actually aesthetically filtered.

Aesthetically filtered?

So, we actually get them from importers

and the reason why they're called aesthetically filtered

is really because they are filtered

based on aesthetic reasons

or have already fallen off the vines

so they can no longer be packaged

and sold as tomatoes on vine.

Which is a shame

because they're perfectly good produce

as you have tasted.

Oh yeah, I can sit here snacking on this whole bowl.

Yeah.

So, Mark, are you ready for your next dish?

Yes.

This is Teochew inspired

because Teochew is actually my Chinese dialect.

We take a lot of inspiration from the seasonings they use

which is mainly fish sauce.

So this is a locally farmed mangrove jack

which we will be dressing with

a mixture of fish sauce [liquid spraying]

and Shaoxing wine.

[fish frying]

Mangrove jack has sort of like a fatty texture of barramundi

but with the flakiness of a snapper.

So, as you can see, the skin is golden brown.

Nice.

We're just gonna finish it off on the other side.

So, meanwhile, I'm heating up the pumpkin purée

which is made out of kabocha pumpkins

that are aesthetically filtered

and we blend it with a mixture of salt and butter.

Butter makes everything better.

Oh, yeah.

I'm gonna just lightly season it with Maldon sea salt.

Then we have a sauce made out of the fish bones.

So, we roasted it, added some butter

some white wine and pepper

just to give it more oomph to the dish as well.

[Mark] OK.

These are the flowers that you harvested.

Oh, yeah, I remember those.

They're really strong but this dish

because of the fish sauce

and the intensity of the bones

it is quite robust.

It really lends a nice touch of savoriness to this dish.

I'm gonna take a little bit of everything

in a single bite

especially that purée, the gravy

and those garlic flowers on top.

[Mark chewing]

You can kind of feel the fumes

of the garlic flowers

but they're more gentle

than the actual bulbs of garlic.

Yeah.

It has so much meaning

tasting those garlic flowers

and then being able to see how

you guys creatively used them in this dish.

Really good. Incredible flavor.

The fish very nicely flakes in your mouth

but then at the same time

it has like a very rich mouthfeel.

Right. And it's also very firm and quite meaty.

- Yeah. - I can taste a little bit...

just that spray of fish sauce.

And so that's really a Teochew touch.

So, while our dishes look visually European

seasonings wise

it's still very much inspired by our roots.

And what would be one of your favorite Teochew dishes?

One of many favorites would be bak kut teh.

I'm not Teochew but I love bak kut teh.

[Mark] Bak kut teh

literally translates to meat bone tea.

Succulent pork bones simmered

in a soothing, peppery broth. [broth pouring]

There's actually no tea in there

but it refers to

the strong Chinese tea [tea pouring]

that it's usually served with.

[music stops]

Oh my gosh. I can't wait for lunch.

- I'm so hungry. - Yeah.

This is the type of place I love in Singapore.

I'm here with Lisa and Chew

at Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh [joyful music]

which has been serving this same dish

for over 30 years.

It's located in one of Singapore's

oldest residential estates, Tiong Bahru.

The neighborhood is a harmonious blend

of old and new

where trendy eateries sit alongside age-old gems.

[music stops]

- Wow! - Good food!

[relaxing music]

What a spread. Nice.

- Thank you. - Thank you so much.

- [Mark] Oh, nice. - Thank you.

[Mark] Side dishes keep on coming.

Yes.

But this is the main event here?

This is the bak kut teh?

Wow.

- [Mandarin] Thank you, Uncle. - Thank you.

- Smells good! - Smells very good.

Oh, what a spread!

So many different dishes, little plates

the main bak kut teh

and I love this environment, this atmosphere.

To me, this is the part of Singaporean culture

that just never gets old.

I could sit here all day long

just hanging out on the side of the street.

Yeah, that's what we want to do as well.

It's beautiful.

Oh, yes. This looks great.

Yeah, the ribs look really huge

and there's a good layering of fat and meat.

Yeah, those are huge!

There's so much meat on those ribs.

- Yeah. - Dig in!

OK. I cannot wait to try that soup.

Everyone's going in for the soup first.

Yes.

- It has a kick but... - I love it.

it's very well-balanced.

- Is that white pepper in there? - Yes.

So, the white pepper just comes in like...

it's healing, it tastes healing.

It has a little bit of that thickness

- to it as well. - Yes.

It's not watery.

It's like thick and hardy and rich, that's for sure.

- That's delicious. - Isn't it amazing

that it's just cooked with [knife chopping]

pork, garlic, water and white pepper?

- Simple combination. - Exactly!

But time-tested.

OK, I can't wait to [music stops]

go in on that bone.

[upbeat music]

Wow, look at the amount of meat

on that bone.

OK, here we go.

What's the verdict?

It's moist, it's juicy.

It's so good.

OK, I got the fat on that bite.

Oh, yeah.

It juices... it juices into your mouth.

[Mark] The closer you get to the bone

the more flavor there is.

That's the best part of the entire pork rib.

The condensed flavor of the pork

is all attached to that bone.

OK, I'm going in for the noodles.

Typically, I've eaten bak kut teh with rice

I don't think I've ever had it with noodles.

So is it typically available at bak kut teh shops?

Most bak kut teh stalls in Singapore, yes.

OK.

[music stops]

This is called mee sua.

[funny music] It goes really well with the soup.

Is that in the same broth as the bak kut teh?

It's the same one. [broth pouring]

The noodles just completely absorb with that broth.

Oh, that flavor.

Salted preserved vegetables

go really well with the savory broth.

It's like a bright pop of acidity as well, right?

So these peanuts have been braised or boiled?

So they mainly have been braised

in some soy mixture

maybe a little bit of the soup as well.

Yeah, they just take on such a creamy texture.

[music stops]

I've noticed that both of you

are quite enthusiastic about bak kut teh.

What's the significance

of bak kut t for you? [joyful music]

I think it's just something that we eat growing up.

It's part of the food culture here in Singapore.

I used to go with my grandparents.

I'd go with my family.

And it's really nice that it's a sharing style

so it brings people together.

Yeah, you sit around a round table.

It's social.

- You can share the sides. - It's a friendly environment.

- I'm gonna try the... - Kidneys.

- Oh, yeah. - It's a very thick cut.

- Super chunky. - Yeah, it's thick, yeah.

[Lisa and Chew laughing]

You can see that kind of, like, jigglyness.

- The texture's amazing. - Wow.

- It's very well cooked. - Yes.

But it's not even fully cooked on the inside.

You see that they leave it a little bit rare

to be able to ensure that it remains juicy.

And it has this little bit of a crispness to it

as soon as you bite down.

It doesn't have this iron-y

starchy texture like liver.

It's much more snappy.

[Mandarin] Would you like me to top-up your soup?

Yes, thank you.

So, this is commonly seen at bak kut teh places.

You get a free flow amount of soup

but yet, the soup doesn't get cold. [music stops]

This is Judy.

- She's the owner of this place. - Hi. How are you?

- Nice to meet you... - Thank you...

Please have a seat.

Please join us.

- Can I make you some tea? - Yes, please.

She's gonna make the tea for us [joyful music]

that we will have with the bak kut teh.

You have to drink tea along with bak kut teh.

That's why it's called meat bone tea (bak kut teh).

So that's to kind of warm up the...

teacups and the teapot.

So that you get a hot vessel for your hot tea.

Is this Chinese tea?

Yes, Chinese tea. Called Bu Zhi Xiang.

This was blended by local tea merchants

specifically to pair with bak kut teh.

- Have some tea. - Thank you.

Thank you.

You must have tea when you eat bak kut teh.

It adds a different dimension to it.

It really switches up the whole experience.

Yeah, and I can immediately...

with that hot tea

it kind of breaks the richness

of the bak kut teh

and that broth. [broth pouring]

- The soup is spectacular. - Thank you.

It has such depth of flavor.

How did you make it?

You need really good quality pepper.

Sarawak pepper is ideal.

It's more aromatic.

We have to roast the pepper.

We don't use it as is.

That's so much work! [knife chopping]

The pork must also be fresh.

We cut the pork ribs ourselves [knife chopping]

and we use the spine to make the soup.

They bring in the pork in whole slabs

and then they butcher it themselves.

If you are able to ensure that

the cuts are made correctly [knife chopping]

not a lot of sediments and blood would get into the soup

so it gets clearer, it gets more focused.

[music stops]

Judy, how long have you been running this place?

I've been working here for more than 30 years.

[emotional music] My parents used to

sell bak kut teh to the coolies.

Back then, it was just a bowl of rice

some pork ribs

and the tea was free of charge.

Over time, the dish evolved into

the bak kut teh you see today.

I still make the side dishes

that my parents used to make.

And I'm the youngest staff around here.

My employees are all in their seventies and eighties.

I'm 66 this year.

You don't look 66!

I've worked here all my life.

It's a lot of hard work.

As I look around

I can see so many happy faces.

People that are just fully enjoying the food

and it's just delicious.

So, Judy, you should be proud.

I do what I can.

I cook from the heart.

I want my customers to enjoy the food.

That's what I aim for.

To live each day happily.

Happiness is the key to life.

Happiness is the key to life. [music stops]

Well, I'm gonna move back to my bak kut teh.

[uplifting music]

- He's going for it! - I'm going for it.

[Mark slurping]

That's how you get the full effect of the pepper.

When you take a big gulp

it goes all the way to the back of your throat.

You feel that heat of the pepper.

Oh, yeah.

That's happiness in a bowl.

[Mark] Old Tiong Bahru Bak Kut Teh

is a perfect example of old Singapore

in a world modernizing at lightning speed.

[music fades]

For my nightcap

I'm at Analogue [upbeat music]

which is a future-forward vegan joint

that's trying to create

a more sustainable dining experience.

And if you look around this place

the countertop here is 3D printed

from recycled plastic bottles

and some of the tables are made from mycelium

a type of fungi.

I ordered a cocktail which is called Spaceman

made from Kyoho grapes [cocktail pouring]

gin and peanut butter.

And the cookie on the top is an eggless meringue

which was inspired from freeze-dried ice cream

that astronauts eat in space.

And if you look at this cup

you can even see it's a straight-up moonscape.

There's even craters in the cup.

Oh yeah, it's a little bit like

drinking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

This is a really nice ending to this experience.

Something that I noticed

the common parallel between the people that we've met

is their resourcefulness.

Judy with bak kut teh.

It was common to use bones to boil

and really stretch

and make the flavor last as long as possible.

Chef Willin, missing the flavors of home

and so he had to make do with things that he could find

but, in the end, created a new type of cuisine.

And then, there's Lisa and Chew

who, in their quest to find

a more sustainable approach to dining

utilized local ingredients and produce

that would normally be discarded.

While it was great to meet a new generation

of Singaporean chefs pushing boundaries

and looking towards the future

it's nice to know you can still fall back

on comforting flavors of the past.

[Mark exhaling] [music stops]

[upbeat music]

[music stops]