Recently, we spoke to some of Singapore’s most watched culinary experimentalists to get a sense of how fusion food has evolved here. Naturally, we had to ask who (obviously besides themselves) they thought were contributing great things to the scene and which restaurants they liked to patron in the off chance they actually had the time.

Chin Hui Wen, chief maker at Eastern Granola

Wild Rocket is one — Willin Low makes a laksa pesto that replaces aromatic Italian herb basil with fragrant local herb laksa leaves. It works so well, it’s become a “new classic”. Also Labyrinth, Morsels and Shen Tan. Hopscotch Bar nails the fusion thing for drinks, but there’s also Pidgin Kitchen, which has a Nin Jiom Old Fashioned on the menu. Chinese cough syrup might at first seem a strange addition to the cocktail. But it isn’t too different from bitters, which were also originally developed as medicine. Both ingredients are harsh and biting, and they bring balance to drinks.

Mark Richards, head chef at Nuvo

I would like to see more appreciation for chefs out there doing their own thing, who are cooking at restaurants that reflect their own sense of identity instead of concentrating on commercialising and franchising. Ryan Clift’s The Tippling Club is my favourite in Singapore.

Shen Tan, culinary director at Madam Tan Consulting

I think fusion’s extremely well represented in Singapore. We have beautiful produce cooked expertly with classically trained chefs returning to their Asian roots.
 Even fine dining modern European restaurants are infusing their cusine with some element of Asian ingredients. 
Chefs like Justin Quek (Sky on 57), Damian D’Silva (Immigrants Gastrobar), Malcolm Lee (Candlenut) and Jason Tan (Corner House) are doing great things.

Photo: Corner House

Read Now: Chefs in Singapore take back fusion food