All language subtitles for Food.Affair.with.Mark.Wiens.S01E05.1080p.WEB.h264-KOGi

[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]

[upbeat music]

Some of
the best meals of my life

have been in South Asia.

Freshly made hoppers
on the streets of Sri Lanka.

Bone marrow biryani in Pakistan

and I still dream about
the amazing curries

I had in Kerala, India.

Wow.

I love Indian food.

I went to
an international school

and that's when I tried it
for the first time.

I immediately fell in love

with the spices and
vibrant flavors.

I remember during lunch
I was always excited

to peek
into my friends' lunchboxes.

We would exchange
home-cooked meals

and Indian food just
always stood out to me.

I've been chasing
those delicious flavors

all my life.

South Asians have
deep roots in Singapore

and an even richer food history.

Recipes, traditions
and businesses

have been passed down
over generations.

I'm starting my journey
in Little India

to eat at one of the oldest
Indian vegetarian restaurants

in Singapore.

[music stops]

This is Komala Vilas
[joyful music]

a place where time stands still.

Started by Raja's
grandfather in 1947

the historic eatery
was passed down to his dad

and now, Raja has
taken over the reins.

Untouched by Singapore's
aggressive renovations

it has managed to stay relevant
in this ultra-modern city.

It's amazing to think that

your grandfather
started this restaurant

before Singapore's independence.

Yeah. We've been
around for 75 years.

There were very few
restaurants back then.

We were known for traditional
Indian vegetarian food

so we want to keep up
with the traditions

and since my grandfather's day
he always would say

"Take care of the food.
The money will come."

[music stops]

- [Mark] Oh, wow.
- [Raja] So this is a dosa meal.

The d is made with rice flour
[Indian music]

and a bit of urad dal
which is black split beans.

We put it over
the hot plate, roll it up

and it's served
with these side dishes.

[Mark] The dosa
is just perfectly golden

and you can tell how crispy it's
gonna be. [dosa cracking]

This is sambar,
this is one of the main gravies

you get for dosa.

It is a lentil broth.
[Mark biting and chewing]

[Mark]
That crispiness...

it's like light and
paper thin at the top.

[Raja]
The onion chutney is just

onions and tomatoes ground up.

[Mark chewing]

Oh, that one is amazing.

You taste the tartness
of the tomato

and just that aroma

of the onions and that purée.

This is puli curry,
so it's a bit more sour.

And the main thing is
it's made from tamarind extract.

Oh, wow.
OK, that's my favorite so far.

The p curry
is sour from the tamarind

and you really taste
the curry leaves in there.

And it has a bit of spice
that kicks in.

[Raja] So we change
our vegetables every day.

Today we've got
cabbage poriyal

pumpkin kootu and
lady's finger peratal.

Peratal
is the spicier one.

Oh, that okra is amazing.

I think it's the fennel seed
that I taste in there.

It has a nice crunch to it.

[Raja]
We always use fresh vegetables.

We don't take any shortcuts.
[liquid pouring]

In a day, we will
make the same item

like, once or twice.

We don't make it in the morning
and keep it till night.

You're cooking smaller portions

to deliver fresher food
to customers.

[music stops]

[Mark]
Oh, that's huge.

[Raja]
This is called a bhatura.

[joyful music]
It's a huge fried soft bread.

It's made
from maida flour.

It's a refined wheat flour.

So we make it into a dough

together with yogurt and oil
[bread frying]

we flatten it
and then we fry it in oil.

[Mark] You can see it's starting
to deflate. And the steam...

Can you see that steam coming
out of it? [Mark laughing]

OK, I'm gonna tear in.

Crispy on the outside
so hot on the inside.

[Raja] So bhatura is usually
served with chickpea gravy

we call it chana masala

and the base ingredient
is onions.

Oh, that's happiness.

Oh, the chana masala

it's one of
my favorite types of beans.

The blend of spices in there
all of that masala.

That bhatura
which has an amazing texture.

You can feel the gooey-ness
on the inside

and yet the outside is
so crispy and so light.

That combination is just
outstanding. [music stops]

And there's one more thing.

[Raja] We also serve it with
a slice of onion

lime and green chili.

[Mark chewing]

[upbeat music]
[Mark laughing]

Oh, yeah. A little bit spicy,
but really refreshing.

Oh, the dishes just
keeps on coming.

[Raja] So this is
mini idli sambar.

The idlis are
made from urad dal

which is
black split beans and rice.

We make it into a batter
and let it ferment.

We put it in a mold
and we steam it.

[Mark] Bite-sized idlis.
[Raja] Yes.

[Mark]
Soaked in that sambar.

[music stops]

[joyful guitar music]

Oh, they're just so fluffy
and spongy.

They just absorb the flavor
of that sambar.

I love the coriander in there,
I love the mustard seed.

[Raja] And it's served
with onion chutney

and coconut chutney.

[Mark] I'm going to go in
for that onion chutney.

Oh yeah, the tomato
onion chutney, the sambar

and then just absorbed
into that spongy idli.

On to that coconut.

An amazing dish,
I really enjoyed it.

You're really carrying on
[music stops]

the legacy of
your grandfather here

as the third generation.

[Raja] My grandfather left
with a very good name.

So it's a huge responsibility

and it's a responsibility
that I want to take

and continue with the legacy.

But what are some of your own
personal goals or aspirations?

[Raja]
So I always wanted to open

[relaxing music]
an Indian vegetarian restaurant

with a modern take.

My sister and I, we opened up

a bit more modern-themed
concept store.

It's called Fennel.

[Mark] So that's a place
where you can

do things
a little bit different?

[Raja] Yeah. I don't
really have any rules.

So I can pretty much be
very, very creative

with what we do
and what we offer.

We do have the staples there

but with a bit of a twist.

I can't change
the traditions here

but we wanted to attract
the younger crowd.

And even anyone
who thinks vegetarian food

is not as good as non-vegetarian

but I can prove them wrong.

[Mark] I respect you so much
for keeping this the way it is

but then, I do also

love your idea
of starting a new place

to be able to modernize
[music fades]

and to be able to test new ideas
and be creative.

So I think it's really cool
what you've done.

Thank you.

[upbeat music]

And my next stop is an exciting

fine dining restaurant

and I can't
quite put a finger

on the type of food
they serve here.

It's helmed by chef-owner
Rishi Naleendra

the first ever
Sri Lankan born chef

to receive
a Michelin star.

- [Rishi] Hi, Mark.
- [Mark] Hey, Chef Rishi.

Welcome to Cloudstreet.

- Thank you very much.
- Very, very lovely to have you.

- Beautiful place.
- Thank you very much.

[music fades]

How would you describe the food
that you're serving here?

I think it's a little hard
to describe to people.

Why don't I actually make
a couple of dishes

and let you decide
how you feel about it?

[Mark]
Great.

[Rishi] So, Mark
we have the first dish.

It's pearl oyster meat
[jazz music]

very lightly charred.

It's still quite raw

and served with
a bit of tsuyu sauce

apples and daikon

and we finish it
with a yuzu kosho sorbet.

[Mark]
It's extremely refreshing.

For me, this does
have a bit of a...

an Asian taste to it.

A little bit of a...
like, a soy glaze

a little bit Japanese

because of the yuzu,
the citrus sorbet.

- Excellent, Chef Rishi.
- Thank you very much.

I'm sure that
you said it was an oyster.

[Rishi] It's a big oyster

but we use only
the adductor muscle

and that's why
it has the texture of scallops.

We get it from
up North Australia

from Darwin, actually.

Most of the time,
people come here

thinking it might be
a Sri Lankan meal

or it has a lot of
Sri Lankan influence

but it's not.
[music fades]

Growing up in Sri Lanka
[calm music]

I used to love
eating Western food.

Having a burger
or having a pizza

was way more exciting for me

than eating Sri Lankan food

and my dad was obsessed
with food and eating.

He had a very sensitive palate

but my mom was always the cook.

Would you say that
you've got a little bit of

both of your parents?

I think so.

I was always excited
to try something different

that didn't have
so much chili in it

and was always curious.

That did open me up
to this industry

especially with
what we do here at Cloudstreet.

I never wanted to be known
as a Sri Lankan chef.

I wanted to be
a really good chef

before your heritage
or where you come from.

So it's really,
like, unrestrictive.

Yeah, we have a very, very
good sense of freedom here

and you can cook
anything you want.

So there's a bit of
all that influence

that you get throughout the meal

when you come and dine here.

So, Mark, our next dish.
[music stops]

Why don't I take you to the
kitchen and we do it together?

All right.
[instrumental music]

[Rishi] So the dish
that we're gonna prepare...

it's a roasted turbot

with a Kerala style ishtu.

Ishtu, actually,
it stands for stew.

So to start the stew,
the first thing is the spices.

Oh, and the curry leaves go in.

- Ginger, green chili.
- Oh, man.

That aroma [food frying]
of frying curry leaves

just will never get old.

[Rishi] It's a lot more about
the fresh ingredients

than roasting heavy spices.

And now, we just add the onions.

We can add our cauliflower

and you can see
how simple it is.

It's not complicated

and I feel like that's why
it's so hard get it right.

Fish stock.

Now it's boiling.
All I'm gonna do is

add the coconut milk
[coconut milk pouring]

and you just bring it to a boil.

Once the vegetables are soft
we just put everything together

and make it into
a really smooth sauce.

[music stops]

[calm music]
[Rishi] Turbot

this is one of the most
European Mediterranean things

that you can actually get.

This comes
from Brittany, France.

This dish is a mix
of both East and West.

So, Mark, for a change

why don't you actually cook?
[Mark laughing]

- OK.
- Are you OK with that?

Yes.

[Rishi] When it comes to fish
we season it with salt.

[Mark] Put the fish in?
Skin side down, right?

Perfect, yup!
[fish frying]

Now you just put two fingers
and hold it.

- It's an amazing sound to hear.
- Yeah...

We have a nice little sear
on the bottom there.

[Rishi]
Get a little bit of the butter.

It's a curry leaf butter.
[butter frying]

Now you just baste that fish.

All you're gonna do is
just a quick kiss, just turn it.

- Yep, it's ready.
- Wow.

You still have the butter.

Now, all we're gonna do
is just add that fin

and then you baste
a little bit in butter

and turn it around.

[fish frying]

[Mark] Looks amazingly fatty.

Ready to go.

- [Rishi] That was pretty good.
- [Mark] Yeah, that was great!

So, it's your time to shine.

We have the
finished ishtu

which we've added the chicken
tail and tomatoes as well.

[Rishi]
The next thing, fillet first.

- [Mark] All right, yeah.
- [Rishi] Yup, perfect.

And now just feel free.

- [Mark] OK! [laughing]
- Just make it look pretty.

[Mark]
This is my first time

to ever plate a dish like this.

- These guys as well?
- [Rishi] Yeah.

And now you can finish with
the smoked chicken fat.

- [Mark] Oh, yes.
- [Rishi] That's it.

[music stops]

[Rishi] Here you go, Mark.
Roasted turbot

with curry leaf butter.
[relaxing music]

Underneath, it's the
Kerala style ishtu

made with chicken tail
and tomatoes

and finished with a little bit
of smoked chicken fat.

[Mark] That fish...

it just melts in your mouth

and you do immediately taste
those curry leaves

taking it back
to that South Asian flavor

that's so distinct.

I definitely got
a chicken tail in that bite

but I'm extremely excited
to try that fin

which Chef Rishi also mentioned
was one of his favorite parts.

That fin is unbelievable.

Just fat that just
completely liquefies

like straight fish oil
in your mouth.

Chef Rishi.
Can I get a refill, please?

- I'm glad you enjoyed it.
- Excellent.

You can taste
that South Asian influence

but at the same time,
the mouthfeel was

- more of a Western dish.
- Yeah.

That's how we've structured

the textures
and the cooking of the fish.

And it looks like

- a very Western sort of dish.
- Yeah.

And then you've been taken to

a completely different landscape

from what you actually
saw on the plate.

So I hope we achieved
that goal with you.

Yes.
[music stops]

So, Mark, we have your
dessert here. [joyful music]

It's made with celtuce

and I have a little bit
more extra celtuce juice.

Just to finish off...
we have a vanilla oil

which will bring
a very nice, sweet note.

- Enjoy.
- [Mark] Thank you, Chef.

This is something
definitely out of the ordinary.

It's kind of hard
when you go down there

it feels frozen on the bottom.

Wow.
Look at those different layers.

Celtuce, or celery lettuce

has this kind of
herbal taste to it

and yet it's contrasted
by just enough sweetness

and just enough acidity
to bring it all together.

[Rishi] We use
the stem of the celtuce

we juice it and
we turn that into a sorbet.

There's a little bit
of confit celtuce inside

and on top, you'll see
it's a green chili yogurt

and with a little bit of
coriander leaves.

[Mark] It's really not sweet
just to be sweet.

It's only sweet just to
balance the vegetal taste.

That's...
[music stops]

a dessert like
I've never had before.

Chef Rishi,
this was a great ending.

Thank you very much.
[chill music]

[Mark] So, along with
Cloudstreet

you also have
a Sri Lankan restaurant now.

[Rishi] Yes, we have Kotuwa
where I actually get to bring

some of my heritage
and culture to Singapore.

And bring some of the dishes
that I love

like the crab curry
and it's still my mom's recipe.

And I'm a very proud Sri Lankan

and I'll always be
because it's me.

So how did your parents feel
about your cooking?

They haven't eaten at Kotuwa.

When they come to Singapore

one of my dad's
favorite things to eat

is fish head curry.

He loves eating local food

because it's very different from

what you get in Sri Lanka
even the South Indian food.

I love fish head curry myself.

You can't leave Singapore

- without having fish head curry
- Yeah. [music stops]

[upbeat music]
Fish head curry

is a uniquely
Singaporean dish

that's a hybrid of Indian
and Chinese cuisines.

It was created by an Indian
chef [food stir-frying]

who wanted to cater to
Chinese customers.

As fish head is a delicacy
in Chinese cuisine

pairing it with Indian
curry made it a hit.

Samy's Curry
has been serving

authentic
South Indian food

for the past 50 years

and their fish head curry
is legendary.

As soon as you take those steps
up through the forest

to get to this restaurant

the anticipation
is almost unbearable.

And when you're inside
[music stops]

it's almost
a canteen style dining hall

with the fans rattling.
[relaxing music]

Founded by Mr. Veerasamy
in the early sixties

the restaurant
is a family business

now run by his son
and granddaughter Jyothi.

- This place is an institution.
- Oh, yeah.

I cannot come to Singapore
without eating here.

I'll never forget
the first time we ate here.

And as a Sri Lankan,
you'd think

you know how
a curry should taste

but it's just
so different to me.

It's such
a Singaporean thing to eat.

Mark, this is one of the best
feelings, right? [upbeat music]

- Oh, hello.
- Hello.

When they put
the banana leaf on the table...

[Mark] This is when
your mouth starts to water.

- Oh, it smells so good.
- [Rishi] Yup.

[Mark] Thank you very much.

- Oh, here it is.
- Here it is.

Oh, wow.

- Go for it, Mark.
- Thank you.

- Oh, yeah.
- Have a look at that.

- That's what I was looking for.
- Oh.

A really good amount of flesh.

It tastes different
when you use your hands.

Because you can
feel the texture of the food

before it hits your mouth
so that adds to the experience.

[Rishi] A hundred percent.

- Oh, wow. [laughing]
- [Rishi] It's insanely tasty.

It's not just the flavor that
it brings, it's that comfort.

[Mark]
That is totally right.

When that flavor
hits your tongue

that curry sauce is so flavorful

it can be considered a beverage.

You can literally drink it.

And then when that sauce

is kind of coating
every grain of that rice?

It's the perfect vessel
for the fish head curry.

And I love
how the fish meat itself

just absorbs that flavor.

That fish head was made
to swim in curry.

- [Rishi] It's amazing, right?
- [Mark] Amazing.

That eggplant is so creamy

you taste the mustard seed
and the curry leaves

just melt on your tongue.

[Rishi] I'm going for the eye.
We both get one.

We don't need
to fight for the eyes.

No.

Oh, the eyeball is amazing.

Like an oyster or something.

Just a different flavor to it.

It's just a truly
magical experience.

[Mark] You know what? One of
the most satisfying things

you might be able to do here

drink straight from the spoon.

[Rishi]
Go for it.

That's so tasty.

Oh, wow.

Oh, that's one of
the most satisfying bites

I've ever had in my life.

The flavor just keeps on
building and just...

that sauce just coats
every single taste bud of yours.

Taste buds
you didn't even know you had.

Oh, that's extraordinary.

[AD]
Oh, let's cut, yeah.

[Eric]
I'm gonna grab a bit of this.

- [Mark laughing]
- It looks too good. Thank you.

- It's so good.
- It's so good.

- I can't stand it.
- [crew laughing]

[music stops]

- [Mark] That was so satisfying.
- That was amazing.

This is the type of meal
you never want to end.

- Hello, how are you?
- Hello.

- Hello.
- Hi, how was everything?

- Absolutely amazing.
- Amazing.

- Thank you...
- Please have a seat.

Sure.

It's always nice to meet
who's behind it.

Yeah, we absolutely love
your fish head curry.

Could you tell us a little bit
about how it's prepared?

[Indian music]

[Jyothi]
We start frying the spices

the onion, the garlic the
tomatoes [food frying]

and the vegetables.

And then, the chili powder,
and the turmeric powder.

So we make the sauce first

and then we'll add in the fish.

[music stops]

Fish head is actually not
part of South Indian cuisine.

We created the fish head curry
[music continues]

to satisfy the Chinese
or Peranakan customer base

so it's a very Singaporean or
rather Southeast Asian cuisine.

Was it first created here
by your granddad

or it started way before?

It started way before that

but we were one of
the first few restaurants

to actually get it going.

My grandfather experimented with
a lot of ingredients and spices

so it took him quite a few years
to perfect the recipe

and there's one
secret ingredient

which gives a perfect balance
of sweet, sour and spicy.

The recipe itself
is about 50 years old.

- And it hasn't changed?
- It hasn't changed.

And I really hope
it stays that way.

Yeah, people have been
coming to Samy's

for generations.

Along with
the insanely delicious food

it holds so much
sentimental value for people.

Actually, a few years ago,
we were planning to renovate

but it was a massive no
from our customers.

We went around, we asked them

they said,
"Never change, don't change."

It's not just
a concrete building.

This place has a soul to it.

There's this charm here

that's almost impossible
to explain in words.

You can only understand it

- once you've been here.
- Yeah.

What made you join
the family business?

This restaurant has been
part of my life.

As I was growing up

this was like
a second home to me.

But when I was 19

because my father's health
wasn't very good

I had to take over immediately.

I mean, I did grow up with it

but I wasn't prepared for

the actual being a boss,
handling staff

and handling the restaurant
all alone.

So I had to actually learn
from my staff

and I think some of them

were really proud
and they were saying

I wish your grandfather
was around to see you.

- To see you, yeah.
- Yeah.

My father doesn't compliment me

but he goes to other people
and say it.

- It's always like that!
- And they come...

and tell me, "Your father
said this about you."

I'd say, "Really, he did?
He never says that to me!"

I had my dad
eat at my restaurant

and he told my mom the
restaurant

itself is a lot
more impressive than his food.

It's very rare
to get a compliment.

It's very rare. But the last
meal he had [music stops]

in Singapore with myself was at
Samy's. [emotional music]

And until his last days

it was something
that he remembered.

I mean, Chef Rishi and I

we've been smiling
from the moment

we stepped into this restaurant.

It's just pure happiness.

Thank you so much, thank you.
Thank you.

[music stops]

[Mark] There's no shortage
of South Asian influence

even in the
cocktail scene

and I'm super excited
about this bar.

It's called
The Elephant Room.

[upbeat music]

All of their ingredients
are freshly sourced

from the local
Little India

and their spirits
are imported from India.

I ordered the cocktail Asura
which is lime leaves

curry leaves and pandan
infused into the alcohol

and then served with
curry foam on the top.

[Mark slurping]

Oh, wow. Oh, that's so fun
and interesting.

I probably have
a curry foam mustache.

Oh, you taste
the pineapple juice in there.

And then, that curry foam is
amazing. [shaker tin shaking]

It really tastes like
[cocktail pouring]

a creamy, coconut milk foam.

This is a perfect way to relax
after all of that tasty food.

And for me, I've always been
a lover of South Asian food

because of the complexity
of ingredients [food frying]

and the generally spicy flavors.

And I love spicy.

I personally have
a lot more experience

with traditional
South Asian cuisine

so it was cool
to meet some chefs

who are putting their own twist
on familiar ingredients

but at the same time
still having

access to
traditional dishes

that can be enjoyed
by generations to come.

[music stops]

[upbeat music]

[music stops]