Feast and Form Magazine
Design, Food and People in Singapore, and a little from around the world
Design, Food and People in Singapore, and a little from around the world
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F E A S T A N D F O R M
Singapore design, people, food
wohabeing – Turtle Chairs and Sampan Bathtubs
Singapore Furniture Designers
World-Class Forms that Breathe
Norwegian Presence
Wok Work
Art Deco Cocktails
Singapore Gin
S I N G A P O R E S L I N G
FEAST AND FORM
feastandform.com
Editor
Carol Kraal
At the Long Bar, Raffles Hotel Singapore
Writer
Carol Kraal
FEAST AND FORM magazine
Published in Singapore, this
online magazine covers stories about
food, architecture and design mainly in
this city and a little from around the world
Designer
Carol Kraal
Contact
Feast And Form
Email: ckcarolkra@gmail.com
Published in Singapore annually by
Koelcall
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Cover photo: The Big Dragon by designer
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Editor's Page
Contents
Design People Food
THE BEAUTIFUL port city of my home country, Singapore, has a fascinating culture,
which has contributed to its status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design. But we
still have some way to go in reaching 'design capital' status like Paris or Berlin or
Tokyo. The journey getting there is exciting and humbling.
In this issue of FEAST AND FORM there is some focus on Norway and Norwegian
designers. I've always been fascinated by this Nordic country – drawn inexplicably
to a place I have never even set foot in. This may explain why: my brother just did a
DNA test and discovered that we have Norwegian blood. It goes way back to
medieval times when we were perhaps builders or farmers. So here, I pay homage
to my ancestors in Norway and to the country of my birth, Singapore.
5 Zaha Hadid Design Collection
9 Go Local – Singapore artisans
create Singapore things
19 Singapore Furniture Designers
23 Wohabeing – Turtle Chairs and
Sampan Bathtubs
31 CHANG Architects – Lucky
Shophouse
39 DP Architects – World-class Forms
that Breathe
47 Rebirth of Raffles – Raffles Hotel
Singapore's new look
53 Norwegian Presence – The Design
of Norway
63 Paula O'Callaghan – Singapore-based
Senior Associate at Hirsch Bedner
Associates creates beautiful ethnic
spaces
71 Sara Graav – Norwegian designer
based in Singapore loves minimalist
spaces
79 Domaas/Høgh – Young Norwegian
Talent
81 Jarrod Lim – Furniture designer
earns a working stint with Patricia
Urquiola in Milan
83 Belinda Low – The Mural Artist
87 Zichar Delights – Singapore street
food favourites
89 Wok Work – Achieve wok hei
95 Peranakan food – Culture Mix,
Spice Mix
101 North Wild Kitchen – American
Nevada Berg chronicles her farm life
and food adventures in rural Norway
107 Singapore Sling
109 Art Deco Cocktails in Art Deco
Spaces
115 Homegrown Gin – Rojak Gin,
Chendol Gin, Brass Lion Gin and
Tanglin Gin
127 Basking in Bread – Dean
Brettschneider, CEO, Baker&Cook,
talks about bread and his personal
favourites
Design, food and people are my favourite topics to write about.
Carol Kraal
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DESIGN
Focus on Singapore and Norway
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Designers
ZAHA HADID
DESIGN
When designing objects ZAHA HADID was never constrained by any given use or
spatial context during her life as architect and designer. Her Design Unit follows and
draws strength from this approach so that the collection has room to evolve without
compromising the integrity of the designs
GLASSWARE COLLECTION
“
My product designs and architecture have
always been connected; some of our earliest
projects were designs for products and
interiors. These design pieces are very
important to me and my team. They inspire our
creativity by providing an opportunity to
express our ideas through different scales and
through different media; an essential part of
our on-going design investigation.”
Zaha Hadid
1950-2016
Right: Hew Carafe £105; Hew
Tumbler set of 4 £88; Hew
Wine Glass set of 2 £80; Hew
Highball set of 4 £98
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Singapore designers
G O
L O C A L
Singapore designers create Singapore things
1
2
4
3
5
1. SINGAPORE CHICKEN RICE MUG by Chalo, Enamel, S$17.90 – This mug with it's old school design depicts
one of Singapore's favourite cuisines: chicken rice. What is Singapore without its food and hawker centres?
2. CURRY PUFF CUSHION by Nom Nom, plush soft velboa with velvet and cotton filling, $34.90 – Curry puffs
are irresistable savoury snacks of pastry filled with meat curry or sardine fillings. Each culture – Malay, Indian and
Chinese – has their own style. Buy yourself a Curry Puff Cushion to cuddle while nibbling on your snack.
3. PERANAKAN HERITAGE PENDANT by Rumenn, Ceramic, 20mm diameter, $16.90 – The Peranakans or Straits
Chinese are known for their flamboyant designs and delicious cuisine. These pendants reflect the Peranakan
motif floor tiles found in their old pre-war houses throughout Singapore.
4.KOPI DABAO BAG by wheniwasfour, PVC, $19.90 – 'Kopi da bao' means 'coffee takeaway' at local
coffeeshops in Singapore. These are served in plastic bags with a straws sticking out. Each Kopi Dabao Bag
comes with pink and green straps. Also available in a 'Teh Dabao' (tea version).
5. SHOPHOUSE COASTERS by MemoryBoards, cork, $30 pack of 6 – Shophouses are vernacular buildings in the
Singapore architectural landscape built by immigrants from the 19th century. The shophouse consists of trade
space on the lower floor and residential living above. These coasters capture the culture and design with vibrant
colours.
naiise.com
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Singapore designers
LILING, co-founder and designer of wheniwasfour
Right: Good Morning Towel design mobile case
Good morning cotton towels are ubiquitous in Singapore homes, kopitiams and other eating spots.
You'll see Liling's Singapore-themed designs and products at the wheniwasfour website, Naiise
and other retail outlets across the city.
What is the main inspiration behind your designs?
Liling: It’s actually everywhere. From my own childhood memories to memories from our parents
and sometimes customers will give me ideas as well. Many of our Wheniwasfour products evoke
childhood memories of Singapore.
How do we get more Singaporeans to be interested in local design?
Singaporeans generally are quite interested in local design when the concept is something that
they can relate to. Like, for example, fancy gem cushions – these are things they eat when they are
young. When the idea or product is related to daily life, it manages to capture Singaporeans'
attention.
What is your favourite local food after a hard day at work designing stuff?
My mum’s home cooked food! I also like bak chor mee and chicken rice.
What is your favourite way of sketching ideas?
Pencil and notebook!
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Singapore designers
FLOAT
Coffee Table – A Purposeful Optical Illusion
The Primary Studio
A coffee table designed to be an exquisite illusion for the home, it appears as a
levitating lotus pond supported by a trio of intertwining stems. Each table is
unique, containing an arrangement of lotus leaves sourced from Southeast Asia.
Behaving like a giant plano-convex lens, Float creates some surprising optical and
visual effects.
Photo credit Lavendar Chang
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Singapore designers
COCONUT BOWLS
Handmade in ceramic. Beautifully imperfect
Mud Rock is a ceramic studio based in Singapore founded by ceramics
artists, Ng Seok Har and Michelle Lim, who have been practising
ceramics professionally for over 10 years.
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Singapore culinary artisan
CHOCOLATE CRAYONS
Visual, playful and delicious
These beautiful sticks of artisan chocolate resemble pastel crayons and
make perfect gifts for designers and artists. Flavours include dulce,
passionfruit, strawberry, grape, green mango, peppermint, orange and
smoked.
Comes in Box of 8 (S$36) or 40 (&105). Includes chocolate crayons
(10g ea), silicon holders, 1 canvas, 2 pieces edible rice paper.
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Singapore designers
Constellation Collection
SINGAPORE FURNITURE DESIGNERS
Velvet, steel, brass
Nathan Yong
Nathan Yong Design
A community of creative, savvy furniture designers recognise the demand for
high-quality, eco-friendly products that relate to the popularity of smaller
interior spaces. The Big Dragon above is by Jarrod Lim Design
I strive to make beautiful objects that have meaning
and purpose, and make production sense so that it
can be enjoyed by as many people as possible to
make life better.
What are young, modern home buyers in
Singapore looking for in furniture design?
Originality with good values.
How do you sketch your ideas?
Pen and sketchbook. I am computer illiterate.
What local food do you crave after a hard day at
work?
Bak chor mee with tomato sauce.
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Singapore designers
Bruno Console
Acacia wood, brass
Yodeesa Stool
Wood, acrylic, steel valve screw
Julian Koh
Commune
Ivan Ho
Tizumuka
Our products are mainly made of wood, and
Commune was founded with the idea that
sustainability has to underpin everything we do.
Many of my creations are centred around interesting
detailing and finishes–things that evoke a "pleasant
surprise".
What are young, modern home buyers in
Singapore looking for in furniture design?
They are looking for pieces that fit comfortably within
the small living spaces typical of city life, without
compromising on function, good design and
reasonable price.
What are young, modern home buyers in
Singapore looking for in furniture design?
We tend to favour designs that are aesthetically
"cleaner" and, generally, with a lighter colour palate.
Hence Nordic designs are relatively well received by
young modern Singapore homebuyers.
How do you sketch your ideas?
I use a sketchpad and pencil before transferring these
ideas onto an iPad Pro.
How do you sketch your ideas?
A clutch pencil on recycled photocopy paper – which
I end up misplacing eventually.
What local food do you crave after a hard day at
work?
Bak chor mee with tomato sauce.
What local food do you crave after a hard day at
work?
Chicken rice.
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Singapore designers
TURTLE CHAIRS AND SAMPAN BATHTUBS
WOHA founders WONG MUN SUMM and RICHARD HASSELL create
furniture and objects inspired by Southeast Asian nature and landscapes for
their furnishings brand:
wohabeing
THE TURTLE CHAIR is part of the Bintan Collection, which takes inspiration from the island
in the Riau Archipelago with its pristine white beaches and beautiful wildlife. The Turtle
series of chairs has legs reminiscent of turtle flippers.
“
The objects around us must draw together our cultural history, our sense of
place, and our contemporary needs, in doing so, they will be authentic and possess
their own unique beauty. We design our objects with care and thought – they need
to be meaningful – and of course, delightful.”
Bintan Collection – Chairs and Tables
Inspired by Bintan Island, which lies just a boat ride away from bustling Singapore,
with its white beaches and ancient forests, the collection features two series of
objects: the Turtle series and the Crab series. The Turtle series has legs reminiscent
of turtle flippers whereas the objects of the Crab series stand on elegant, thin metal
legs. Crab Round Table with Angler Lamp (above) comes in metallic black or silver.
Oli – Lighting
Oli is named after the Sanskrit word for the “glow of a lamp”. Inspired by ancient
Hindu and Buddhist sacred geometry and architecture, the contemporary modular
lighting system in hand-blown glass and bronze provides beautiful possibilities from a
single lamp glowing in the darkness to complex assemblages floating in space.
Corak Collection – Handmade Rugs
Asia is home to a rich tradition in textiles and patterns. This Collection was inspired
by nature and designed using new geometries, such as fractals and aperiodic tiling.
While the patterns are complex to create and dif cult to calculate, the eye easily
delights in the combination of repetition and difference in these patterns. The Corak
Collection was created in collaboration with The Rug Maker.
Named Ulu, Bintan, Sampan and Diaspora, each collection has a distinct personality and
style and encompasses a different combination of objects. These collections of furniture,
rugs, lights, bathware and tableware are designed by Wong and Hassell and developed with
collaboration partners that include Luzerne, Wewood and Apaiser.
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Singapore designers
Oli
Corak Collection
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Singapore designers
Ulu Collection
The Bukit in Bali is a wild landscape of cliffs and rugged savannah landscapes. Ulu
features these geographic characters for both the indoor and outdoor furniture, as
well as lamps, which were originally designed for a WOHA project in Uluwatu, Bali,
and have been adapted for this collection.
The Diaspora Collection – Lidded Tea Cups
Right
This Collection was impassioned by the Chinese people, who, in search of their
fortune, have migrated to other regions for centuries. At Maison&Objet Paris, a
small preview of the full collection was shown in the form of the Chinese Tea Cup
and Saucer Set. The Diaspora Collection is made in collaboration with Luzerne.
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Singapore designers
Turtle 2-Seater Sofa – Body and legs: plywood; Cushions: leather
Above: Ulu Dining Chair – Frame: wood; Cushions: leather
Ulu Centric Dining Table – Table top and foot: wood
Below: Turtle Chair – Body and legs: plywood; Cushions: hand-block-printed cotton and leather
Compiled by Carol Kraal; Wong and Hassell portrait photograph by Amarinthine Photos.; styling
photographs by Periphery. All photographs courtesy of WOHA
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Singapore homes
LUCKY SHOPHOUSE
CHANG Architects captures childhood memories and contemporary elegance in a
Joo Chiat conservation shophouse for modern residential living
A 1920s BOOKSHOP in Joo Chiat is re-created into a modern home for its owners
who grew up in the neighbourhood. They remember buying books, cassettes and
chewing gum from this shop called Lucky Book Store – a typical Singapore
shophouse with shop on the ground floor and living or storage space on the upper
level.
Juxtaposing grown up sophistication and childhood nostalgia in a simple layout for
flexible usage, CHANG Architects brought back to life many of the original elements.
The tone and colour of the front facade was uncovered and preserved, likewise the
fading 'Lucky Book Store' signage on the front pillar. Old brick walls, timber rafters
and floor joists were restored and made leading statements to the space.
The generous use of timber and wood, concrete, brick and rustic stone aggregate for
the interior's finishing and furnishing along with charcoal-coloured elements bring
everything together in effective composition.
A double-volume dining space becomes the common, popular gathering space that
visually connects the ground floor and the upper level. A delightful view of the green
outdoors is framed through a pair of full-height timber sliding panels that opens out
to the central garden space with its breezes, and overlooks the new rear house
extension. This structure is made of rustic stone aggregate, which adds to the oldworld
charm of the project as well as its surrounding neighbourhood.
The project won Design of the Year 2013.
Facing page: The front facade. The multi-layered paint-coatings were carefully
removed to reveal its original tone and colour
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Singapore homes
Above: front shophouse living area. Progress through the house is always to the
side; left: view from the Reading Lounge of the Rear House
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Singapore homes
Top: view of mirrored bath room cubicles; below: kitchen dining area; facing page:
kitchen dining area in double volume space
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Singapore homes
A chat with CHANG YONG TER, founder and principal architect,
CHANG Architects
What Singapore vernacular architecture do you have a soft spot for?
The HDB (Housing & Development Board) dwelling.
While shophouses have strong appeal in terms of architectural characteristics, the HDB dwellings
speak louder to the hearts of many locals, and have shaped the way most Singaporeans live their
lives. One could find similar typologies of the shophouses and B&W bungalows in neighbouring
countries, but the HDB dwelling is particularly unique to Singapore.
What materials do you love to work with in terms of architectural design?
There is a strong affinity for materials that are raw in their natural state, as if they are – and in fact
they are – still alive and pulsating.
How do you sketch your ideas?
First in the mind, then quick pencil sketches on paper to capture its tangibility.
What Singapore food do you crave for after a hard day at work?
This would mean late night or past dinner time – any of the local ‘zi chars’ would be highly
satisfactory.
What advice would you give a young student who wants to be an award-winning architect
like you?
“
Design from your heart
and exercise your
intuitions as much as you
can. In this age
dominated by artificial
intelligence, innate human
wisdom is key."
CHANG YONG TER
Founder and principal
architect of
CHANG Architects
Never aim to be ‘an award-winning architect’. Rather, do the best that you can as a
conscientious designer, for whatever task that lands on you – regardless of size and scope.
Design from your heart and exercise your intuitions as much as you can. In this age dominated
by artificial intelligence, innate human wisdom is key.
Story by Carol Kraal. Photographs courtesy of CHANG Architects
Left: the Central Garden
space extends to the
rear where the new
single-storey house sits
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Inspiring architecture
W O R L D - C L A S S F O R M S T H A T B R E A T H E
DP ARCHITECTS'
footprint in its
award-winning
designs is the
passionate
engagement of
humanity and the
human spirit
CREATING A HUMANISTIC environment in any part of the world
that is visually appealing and spiritually uplifting requires a deep
understanding of a whole range of dynamics. DP Architects
composes these dynamics beautifully to hold dialogue with each
other – light with texture, space with volume, urban with natural
landscape, architectural form with organic form.
The numerous awards achieved every year is testament to DP
Architects' success, not only for their outstanding projects
worldwide but also for their company's work ethic of enriching the
human spirit.
CEO Angelene Chan garners many of her own awards, recently
winning the 2018 President's Design Awards Designer of the Year
(Architecture), presented by Singapore's President Halimah Yacob.
Award-Winning projects by DP Architects:
What separates a world-class project from the ordinary?
RMZ ECOWORLD IT PARK
BENGALURU, INDIA
Nestling in the Silicon Valley of India, RMZ Ecoworld IT Park (photo
right) brings together commercial, civic and amenity spaces within
a sizeable scale that spans 650,000sqm. The project required an
infrastructural design that sensitively considers the spatial
experience and human comfort.
Creating a world-class humane environment in such a large
tropical urban fabric commanded a deep understanding of terrain,
topography, climate, infrastructure, visibility, walkability and
accessibility to achieve sustainability and resourcefulness.
Key to the architecture schematics was to create buildings in
proportion to its human scale. This was achieved by ‘breaking up’
the massing into smaller surfaces and volumes. Building
orientation and strategically placed openings channel in natural
breezes from nearby open areas such as Saul Kere Lake and
Devarabisana Halli Lake, thus eliminating the need for airconditioning
in certain areas, while innovative placement of glass
and stone panels significantly reduces heat gain.
Circulating vehicles around the periphery with parking tucked
underneath the project footprint, creates greater walkability, and
richly landscaped central areas and water features. These
engaging public spaces at multiple levels from ground and midlevel
terraces to roof terrace are ideal not only for leisure and
relaxation, but also for work meetings and brainstorming sessions.
'The Bay', which lends an element of sophistication with its
convergence of social amenities such as F&B outlets and an
amphitheatre, is considered the heart of the development. Its art
gallery, a rare amenity in this part of Bengaluru, is conceived as the
soul of the development – an unexpected delight and a
confirmation of the engagement of humanity in the world of IT.
AWARDS
Third Award – Global Architecture and Design Awards (GADA)
2018
Harshan Thomson courtesy of DP Architects Pte Ltd
RMZ Ecoworld IT Park, India: Building orientation and strategically placed openings channel in natural breezes from nearby open
areas such as Saul Kere Lake and Devarabisana Halli Lake, thus eliminating the need for air-conditioning in certain areas
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Inspiring architecture
NOVOTEL AND MERCURE SINGAPORE ON STEVENS
SINGAPORE
Good architecture tells a story. DP Architects' story of Novotel and Mercure Singapore on Stevens takes
the shape and proportions of a high-end urban hospitality project that places people at the heart, as well
as within the context of the surrounding skyline and Singapore's green nature. The glass tower housing the
two hotels, floats above while the distinctive sweeping wings accommodating the guest rooms take their
form from the Chinese character (‘ren’, meaning people).
The parallels between architectural form, human form and nature's form can be seen in the organic
volumes and flowing movement of the development. The form inscribes the triangular site into three
distinctive public places: a grand drop-off to the south that inspires the hotel arrival sequence, a more
secluded hotel pool and courtyard space to the east, and a functional sports zone to the west. Each wing
of guestrooms receives an optimal distance from the remaining wings, generous aspects and an efficient
circulation core at its fulcrum.
The design concept takes the form of a series of organic glass pods which spill out from under the hotel
tower, like pebbles sprinkled over a lawn, and engage with the surrounding urban context. Creeper plants
form a floral crown to these pods, complementing the meadowed groundscape.
AWARDS
Gold – (Architecture, Mixed Use, Constructed Category) Melbourne Design Awards 2018
Gold – (Architecture, Mixed Use, International Category) – London Design Awards 2018
Silver (Architecture, Mixed Use, International Category) – New York Design Awards 2018
Best Hotel Architecture Design (Asia) – PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards 2017
Walkways and volumes curve to create flowing, organic movement between the wings of the
hotel
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Inspiring architecture
Evan Lim courtesy of DP Architects Pte Ltd
Seen from above the Novotel and Mercure Singapore on Stevens hotel building
takes on the form of the Chinese character 'ren' , meaning people
“
I find the creative process inspiring, every project that I
work on stimulates me to come up with the best design
solutions. For the Novotel Singapore and Mercure
Singapore at Stevens Road, our vision was to create an
integrated and cohesive development to add both
commercial and civic value to the urban fabric along
Stevens Road. We designed a series of organic glass pods
that provide intimate retail and dining experience, and
adopted a green-wall approach with respect to the
residential district the project is situated in."
ANGELENE CHAN
CEO of DP Architects and its Group of Companies
2018 President's Design Awards Designer of the Year
(Architecture)
Above: the grand
drop-off to the south.
The overall design and
planning created a
green respite at the
fringe of the city not
only for the hotel
guests but also for the
neighbouring
residences.
Right: the design
concept takes the
form of a series of
organic glass pods
which house the
different programmes.
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Inspiring architecture
A chat with ANGELENE CHAN
CEO, DP Architects and its Group of Companies
DP Architects is one of the most successful companies in
the world with a footprint in many countries. What is
the unifying philosophy for business and creativity that
connects each of these companies?
Angelene Chan: DP Architects was founded two years
after Singapore’s independence on a need to create
architecture of excellence that enrich the human
experience and uplift the human spirit. Our founders
believe in the power of architecture to help foster a
national identity. We have since evolved in tandem with
the country’s nation building and have worked on some of
the country’ most important public projects and notable
building. The practice is still guided by this philosophy
today.
Team work and collaboration is the cornerstone of our
practice. We believe in the collective over the individual,
that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This
belief has helped us become the largest practice in
Singapore, and among the largest in the world. The
practice of architecture is a collaborative process; so, it is
important to work as a team towards a common vision.
This applies to our people and also our partners. Crossdisciplinary
collaboration is very much part of the built
environment industry, and working with other disciplines is
an essential part of the practice of architecture.
What Singapore vernacular architecture do you have a
soft spot for?
Angelene Chan: I see architecture as a visual narrative of a
city and its identity, so they are all special because they
express different traditions, social and cultural values and
influences of different periods. They add charm and
character to our city. Vernacular architecture tells us a lot
about the changing constitution of a society.
I like the colonial-era black and white bungalows for their
high ceilings, large windows, pitched roofs and verandahs,
and how well adapted they are for the tropical climate.
Active building technologies are becoming more
sophisticated, but passive design, excellently integrated in
these bungalows, is still the key to sustainable architecture.
You can learn a lot about sustainability solutions through
vernacular architecture.
How do you add a bit of 'Singapore' to the architecture
you create worldwide – for example The Dubai Mall, the
world's largest mall?
Angelene Chan: What we, and most Singaporean firms,
bring to their overseas work is not a specific style, but the
qualities associated with Singapore – our culture of honour,
quality of design and service, appreciation of cultural
diversity and efficient delivery.
Having said that, a distinct feature of Singapore
architecture is its approach to planning. In the short
span of 50 years, Singapore has leap-frogged from
a city with a drastic shortage of housing and
infrastructure to a thriving metropolis and one of
the most desirable places to live on the planet. It is
impossible to talk about Singaporean architecture
without first recognising this. Stringent planning
and a problem-and-solution approach determined
Singapore architecture in its formative years.
Contemporary Singapore architecture is a product
of the wholehearted embrace with modernity and
urban planning.
In the case of The Dubai Mall, the first thing that we
focused on was circulation planning and
wayfinding. If one gets lost in a mall of that scale, it
would take some time to re-orientate, and the
visitor is unlikely to want to return. The Mall is now
the world’s most visited leisure and shopping
destination, and we attribute this to the successful
planning.
What materials do you love to work with in
terms of architectural design? Are you an
advocate of eco and sustainable design?
Angelene Chan: I love natural materials like
wood, stone and bamboo. Choosing materials is
an enjoyable part of the job, but what materials I
work with depends on the design, function,
climatic condition, and client’s budget.
With heightening awareness of the array of
environmental issues that are threatening the
quality of life, the responsibility of the architect as
a custodian of the built environment has become
more evident and critical. DP grew our in-house
environmentally sustainable design unit to a fullfledged
specialist firm, DP Sustainable Design,
which comprises architects, engineers and
environmental simulation experts. Our green
design supported by an evidence base of
intelligent simulations and empirical data.
In the future, the effects of environmental
deterioration will be more keenly felt than now.
When we face the depletion of resources like
clean air and water, rising sea level and
temperatures, the design principles that we
employ now will no longer apply. The criteria for
comfort will be different. Architects will have to
think like ecologists and environmentalists.
“
DP believes that sustainable
design must be integrated
into the work process and
take centre-stage at concept
stage. It is no longer an addon
service, but a principle
that must guide all designs."
ANGELENE CHAN
How do you sketch your ideas?
Angelene Chan: I sketch on mylar paper roll. When
I need to sketch something on the go, I will do it
on iPad and email to my team. I carry a small
notebook everywhere with me to jot down ideas,
things to do, talking points for my presentations,
and so forth.
You're not only a successful architect and CEO of
one of the biggest companies in the world but also
a mother. What are the most important character
elements do you instil in your children?
Angelene Chan: I instill in my children the values of
honesty and hard work, and faith in God. I also teach
them to be polite, down to earth and to care for
others.
What Singapore food do you crave for after a hard
day at work?
Angelene Chan: I don’t usually crave for a particular
food. But I try to have dinner at home with my family
every evening unless I have dinner engagements that
I cannot miss. Sharing a meal with my family helps me
to decompress after a day of meetings, emails, calls,
Story by Carol Kraal. Photographs courtesy of DP Architects Pte Ltd
design charettes and reviews.
Juliana Tan courtesy of DP Architects Pte Ltd
I do look forward to certain food on specific
occasions, like Johor Laksa during Chinese New
Year; and the same food I always have at the
restaurants I frequent, like the spaghetti vongole at
a restaurant in Changi.
What advice would you give a young student
who wants to be an award-winning architect like
you?
Angelene Chan: You have to love architecture. If
you have the passion, you will have the tenacity to
endure the long training process and the arduous
profession. Read constantly and travel often to
open your eyes, to be inspired. Dream big and work
hard. Have courage to pursue your ideas. Be
curious always. Be ready to embrace change.
*The quote from Angelene Chan on page 43 was adapted
from National Design Centre interview: https://
www.designsingapore.org/modules/design-news/inconversation-with-angelene-chan-ceo-of-dp-architects
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Singapore hotels
Rebirth of Raffles
After a three-year restoration the new RAFFLES HOTEL SINGAPORE is bathed in
the golden glow of the tropical sun
MORE THAN 400 pieces of furniture that bear the old brass crests were restored. 8000 pieces of
silver and historical china, inventoried. Paint, colour, plaster, timber, textile, motif, lighting –
design elements are coming meticulously together to tell an authentic story of Raffles Hotel
Singapore's glory and heritage within modern relevance.
Raffles Hotel Singapore went through major restoration work over three years, and reopened in
August 2019. Partners for the project include global architecture and design firm Aedas,
Singapore-based architectural restoration and research consultancy Studio Lapis, and
Champalimaud Design founded by Alexandra Champalimaud in Montreal, now based in New
York.
Opened in 1887, Raffles Hotel Singapore is one of the few remaining great 19th century hotels in
the world, and was declared a National Monument in 1987. Till today, its neo-Renaissance
architecture is preserved both inside and out, giving it a blend of luxury, history and classic
colonial design.
One of the highlights of the restored spaces in the Jubilee Ballroom, which had been a hub of
soirees, dances and social fun during the 1920s, earning a reputation as the "finest ballroom in
the East."
Light streams in from above into the Grand Lobby with its stunning chandelier. Harnessing natural light was a major
theme of the design team's efforts
Story by Carol Kraal. Photographs courtesy of Raffles Hotel Singapore
47 feastandform.com feastandform.com 48
Singapore hotels
A chat with the
designers
EVGENIYA LAZAREVA
Design Coordination and Project Management
with Aedas
JON KASTL
Partner, Champalimaud Design
What colour scheme runs through the nine
distinct suite categories of Raffles Hotel
Singapore, and why was this chosen?
How do you balance modern relevance with heritage
sensitivity in the Raffles Hotel Singapore restoration
project?
The timeless and elegant combination of dark
wood and ivory tones, pairs with tanned
leather and touches of steel blue. The new
look of Raffles suites is pared down and
subtle, a great compliment to the existing
architectural backdrop.
The new Raffles seems to be brighter and
lighter and livelier.
Considering natural light in Raffles was one of
the main priorities for the design team. Sunlit
lobby, Tiffin Room and La Dame de Pic have a
very unique light quality – you may notice a
slight golden glow due to the characteristics
of the existing heritage glazing. Designer
choices fell on finishes and fabrics that
complement and amplify this unique element.
What did you enjoy working on most during
the years of restoration design process?
My story with Raffles began in the later part of
2018. By that time a few areas of the hotel,
such as ballrooms, Raffles Arcade and the
Long Bar were already successfully
completed. Still we had a big job ahead of us
as the rest of the property was still just a raw
concrete shell. Seeing the hotel take shape
over time and finally come alive with the hotel
team moving in and bringing along the first
group of guests was the most enjoyable,
magical moment.
You've lived in Singapore for about 6 years.
What design elements of the hotel capture
Singapore's heritage so well?
New plantation shutters in the suites, woven
rattan accents at the wardrobes, palm leaf
pattern panels at Writer’s Bar are a few design
details that bring about the spirit of tropical
colonial Singapore.
“
My favourite is Tiffin Room –
abundantly decorated with a
collection of antique tiffin boxes and
traditional ceramic plates."
How did you relax and what food did you crave for after a
hard day of work during the project?
Working at Raffles we were lucky to be next door to Purvis
Street, famous for its numerous Thai eateries and some
outstanding chicken rice spots. Sharing the occasional hearty
lunch with Champalimaud, AEDAS and construction teams
was a great way to unwind and build team spirit.
What advice can you give a design student about working
on a restoration project as iconic as Raffles Hotel
Singapore that takes years to achieve?
Working on Raffles was a great honour and a big milestone in
my career. My advice to any aspiring, young designer is to
cut their teeth on heritage and refurbishment projects. This
type of work really teaches you to be resourceful and creative
where
ALEXANDRA CHAMPALIMAUD
Head of the Raffles Hotel Singapore's
restoration interior design team and founder of
Champalimaud Design on the new Jubilee
Ballroom:
“
We have included sophisticated Victorian details
whispering to the heritage of the space along
with nods to Singapore’s culture. In order to tell
the legacy story of the theatre, we added finely
curated motifs and techniques that speak to its
history, along with iconic lighting elements to
provide an added layer of luxury. Stunning
chandeliers and signature gold Venetian light
fixtures with elegant coffers, which light the
room beautifully, can be found within the space
along with custom upholstered wall panels that
speak to Singapore’s culture."
Raffles Hotel Singapore is a national monument that has
served as a landmark for many world travellers and
Singaporeans. The changes that we are bringing are both
modern but appropriate, as though they innately belong in
the building and have been there forever.
The new interiors will retain the original charm and heritage
and combine that with elements of modernity. In this sense,
the suites are designed to reminisce the past, while still being
contemporary to meet the needs of a savvy traveller in the
way they are built and function. For example, we designed
the new suites with better soundproofed windows and
improved lighting but preserved the heritage and colonial
feel of the space, such as the signature tripartite parlour,
sleeping area, bathroom layout in the rooms, and charming
elements such as the antique light switches.
When it reopens, the hotel will also have more than 100
pieces of antique furniture that would have been carefully
restored, including the Steinway grand piano, an antique
gramophone and the grandfather clock located in the Grand
Lobby.
You're not only creating a building but also an icon and a
symbol of Singapore's history. What kind of research did
you do to understand the context and come up with a
vision for the 'new' interiors?
For us, the most important element when approaching this
project was to honour and respect the culture of Singapore as
well as Raffles Hotel Singapore’s storied legacy and status as
a national monument.
In order to create design that can add value and improve the
space, we need to put ourselves in the middle of it all, to
understand not only the history behind a place, but also what
it is that people today are seeking from it.
We did our research to understand the true personality of
Singapore and what Raffles Hotel stands for in their culture.
We work closely with Raffles Hotel and our restoration
partners such as heritage consultant, Studio Lapis, a
Singapore-based architectural restoration specialist.
Ultimately, we want to bring forth the history and heritage
and tell an authentic story through design.
What Singapore food do you enjoy?
I’m a big fan of chilli crab. Whenever I’m in Singapore, I
always go to this wonderful place on the waterfront for their
crabs! I also love chicken rice – it’s definitely one of my
favourite local dishes.
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Above: Chef Anne-
Sophie Pic’s Araguani
Chocolate dessert
matches the interiors at
La Dame de Pic
restaurant, which exudes
a golden glow due to the
existing heritage glazing;
below: Courtyard Suite;
Left page from top: Tiffin
Room, Jubilee Ballroom,
Swimming Pool
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Norwegian designers
NORWEGIAN PRESENCE
Designers from Norway are making names for themselves all over the world with
work inspired by traditional and modern elements of their beautiful homeland
NORWAY HAS ALWAYS been a nation of makers and creators. Wool and
wood, stone and steel – the country is blessed with an abundance of raw
materials, while Norwegian culture has evolved in the spirit of community and
collaboration.
As a result, modern Norway is a place of design without ego, where
boundaries are pushed and possibilities explored with a shared spirit of
curiosity, in the hope of creating something beautiful, functional and lasting.
Norwegian designers and spreading their talent across the globe from
Singapore to Tokyo to Paris. They bring with them their DNA of high quality
functionalism and understated sophistication.
Story by Carol Kraal
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Norwegian architecture
UREDD REST AREA GILDESKÅL MUNICIPALITY, NORWAY
By Oslo-based landscape architecture firm
Haugen/Zohar Arkitekter + Landskapsfabrikken
THIS STUNNING MINIMALIST rest area in frosted glass and concrete nestles by the sea with views
of mountains and fjords on the Norwegian Scenic Route. You can glimpse the northern lights in
winter and the midnight sun in summer.
Photographs copyright and courtesy of Haugen/Zohar Arkitekter + Landskapsfabrikken
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Norwegian designers
Noidoi
KAPP CANDLE HOLDERS
Petter Skogstad
RIG FURNITURE
“ “
We aim to increase the longevity of objects by inspiring a sense of
personal attachment in the user."
I finish the pieces in RIG with a sand-textured matt coating
normally used for large building facades for a sculptural effect."
Noidoi was founded in 2013 by Kathrine Lønstad and Cosmin
Cioroiu, who met while studying at the Royal Danish Academy of
Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Working across a broad spectrum of
product design, there is emphasis on usability, materiality and
craftsmanship. Kapp is a series of sculptural candleholders made
from slipcast stoneware. It pays tribute to the history of their
studio's location opposite a milk factory dating back to 1800 with
the use of three colours representing different elements of milk
production.
Oslo-based product designer Petter Skogstad graduated from
Akershus University College with an MA in product design in 2010,
and has spent nine years at Anderssen&Voll as senior product
designer. Skogstad applies a practical problem-solving approach
to design, generally focused on the areas of furniture, lighting,
tableware and domestic objects, which he develops for brands
including Muuto, Hem and Established & Sons. RIG comprises only
tubing and flat discs in powder-coated steel, and is a family of
furniture objects that are not designed for any specific seating
situation but possess a strong sculptural character.
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Norwegian designers
Stine Aas
FRAME CHAIR
Vera&Kyte
REDIRECT PANELS
“ “
The backrest of Frame is shaped in a perfect semicircle,
so that when several chairs are placed in a row, they form
a pattern reminiscent of the archways and decorative
motifs of classical architecture."
Working across the fields of product, furniture, interior and graphic
design, our practice is characterised by an analytical approach, a love
of experimentation and a shared enthusiasm for exploring new
materials, methods and aesthetics ."
With an MA in spatial and furniture design from Bergen
Academy of Art and Design, Stine Aas creates products
and furniture that blend character and simplicity. They
are inspired by the everyday interactions between
people and the objects around them typically
combining the visual, the tactile and the functional in
her design. A solid stackable chair in tinted oak, Frame
has been designed to be both simple and affordable to
produce. Inspired by geometric patterns, the chair
comprises a firm body with a softer, laminated shell on
top.
Based in Bergen on Norway’s west coast, Vera&Kyte comprises Vera
Kleppe and Ashild Kyte, who established their harbourfront design
studio in 2013, soon after graduating from the Bergen Academy of
Art and Design. Redirect is a series of versatile panels that can serve
as both sound absorbers and room dividers, creating distinct zones
in contemporary workspaces. Made from lacquered steel frame
upholstered with coloured textiles, each element can be either wallmounted
or freestanding, with adjustable frames that allow them to
be adapted however the space requires.
Photographs: Lasse Fløde & Torjus
Berglid, courtesy of Norwegian
Presence and Zeteller, UK. Ane
Domaas and Kathrine Hogh
courtesy of Domaas/Hogh
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PEOPLE
Paula O'Callaghan – Ethnic Spaces
Sara Graav – Minimalist Spaces
Jarrod Lim – Furniture Designer
Ane Domaas and Kathrine Høgh – Norwegian Designers
Belinda Low – Mural Artist
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Ethnic interiors
P A U L A
O ' C A L L A G H A N
Creating Beautiful Ethnic Spaces
The Singapore-based Senior Associate at Hirsch Bedner Associates
talks about her work as one of the world's most respected hospitality
interior designers
THE WHOLE POINT of travel, even on business, is to experience the cultural soul of
the place. That begins with your hotel – its design, spaces and ambience.
While ethnic style may seem primitive to some, local traditions represent who we are
today. Architecture and interior design that use ethnic elements connect a site’s past to
the present while respecting its spirit and history.
Experienced interior designer in the hospitality sector Paula O'Callaghan, Senior
Associate at Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), transforms hotel and resort spaces into
ethnic havens by doing a lot of research, listening to locals' views, and observing their
arts and customs.
Some of the American's high-profile hotel, new-build, renovation and historic
restoration projects include the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, Marriott Copenhagen, Ritz-
Carlton Jakarta, Fairmont Peace Hotel Shanghai, and Waldorf Astoria Shanghai.
One of Paula's projects in Singapore that has rich ethnic elements is:
Jiang-Nan Chun restaurant in Four Seasons Singapore hotel
The Cantonese restaurant is inspired by the land south of the Yangtze, the longest river
in China, and the culturally rich lifestyle of the people living there. Elements such as
fishermen baskets, rich wool carpets, medical cupboards and bird figurines are placed
throughout the restaurant to reminisce the fertile region of Jiang-Nan.
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Ethnic interiors
The rich carpet by Brinton's and the fishing net ceiling fixtures
reflect China’s fertile Yangtze River and its culture while The
beautiful carved panels, could not be drawn or documented in the
traditionally design sense, as they are meant to appear like
genuine, handcrafted, “found” elements
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Ethnic interiors
Top: The beautiful carved panels, could not be drawn or documented in the traditionally
design sense, as they are meant to appear like genuine, handcrafted, “found” elements.
Above: The bespoke entrance centrepiece is made of over 600 chopstick holders, which
symbolise the relationships and day-to-day sustenance of Yangtze river life; Right: Traditional
wood carvings of medical drawers juxtapose artisanal culture and rustic livelihood
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Ethnic interiors
A chat with PAULA O'CALLAGHAN
Senior Associate
Hirsch Bedner Associates
How long was the design process for Jiang-Nan Chun restaurant at Four Seasons
Singapore – seeing that it has such rich ethnic elements?
The whole process from start to final installation was about 8 to 9 months. We had about 2
weeks to pull together the concept story and about another 2 to 3 weeks for the actual
schematic design development and re-planning, followed by a few weeks for design
documentation. Some of the details, such as the carved panels, could not be drawn or
documented traditionally, as they are meant to appear like genuine, handcrafted, “found”
elements. For these, we had to work closely with the contractor who sourced them in China.
“
Do your research and do not be afraid
to bounce ideas off of people who are
of that particular ethnicity or culture
to see what their perception of your
idea is."
PAULA O'CALLAGHAN
– on designing ethnic interiors.
Having an arts background coupled
with an architecturally-oriented
design education, Paula has the unique
capability of working in both the
decorative and technical aspects of a
project.
How do you approach ethnic and culture-rich hotel projects such as this without being
cliche, jarring and predictable?
Do your research and do not be afraid to bounce ideas off of people who are of that
particular ethnicity or culture to see what their perception of your idea is. If they tell you
something is too themed or cliche, you have to be sensitive enough to listen, learn and
amend the design. On a Siam Kempinski project in Bangkok, I constantly sought the
judgement of the Thai project manager and local furniture contractor. After they realised
that I was genuinely interested in their opinion, they openly offered their perspective. There
were many candid, fruitful discussions on what elements were uniquely Thai versus Chinese,
Indonesian, or simply generically “Asian".
As you are based in Singapore, and have been living here for some time what are your
favourite local foods?
Oh, I'm such a foodie! So the list is rather long. Here are some of my favourite local foods:
chicken rice (roasted, breast cut preferred), kway chap (ang moh style, without offal), bak kut
teh, mee siam, char kway teow, laksa (Singapore version), duck rice (dry, without sauce), char
siew rice (dry, without sauce), siew yoke (dry, Hong Kong style with hot mustard), yong tau
foo (soup with beehoon), popiah, fried beehoon, herbal chicken soup, nasi lemak, chilli crab,
chilli baby sotong (squid, the crispy kind), roti prata, sardine puff (extra spicy).
Story by Carol Kraal and Sara Graav. Photographs courtesy of Hirsch Bedner Associates. Food photograph by
Seet Ying Lai
Nasi lemak is one of
foodie Paula's
favourite Singapore
dishes
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Minimalist interiors
“
Minimalist homes
remind us about what
is most important in
our lives, making us
become more
appreciative towards
what matters and what
we already have."
SARA GRAAV
Interior Designer
NORWEGIAN
DESIGNER
A L O V E F O R
IN
C L E A N L I N E S
SINGAPORE
Interior designer
SARA GRAAV
feels that the calm minimalism of Scandinavian Design
works well for homes in hectic Singapore
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Minimalist interiors
SCANDINAVIAN AND MINIMALIST design is second nature to Norwegian interior designer
Sara Graav. All her life she has absorbed the clean forms, colours and functional beauty of
buildings and furnishings, products and textiles in her home country.
On a holiday trip to Singapore years back Sara had been fascinated with
the city's diverse architectural designs, culture and lush natural elements.
Something connected deeply so she decided to stay.
With her love and keen eye for minimalist design the young designer in her 20s feels it
works well for Singapore interiors – especially modern minimalist design with Scandinavianinspired
concepts, in which nature plays a role.
The sheer unclutteredness, lightness and simplicity of minimalism creates spaces you feel
relaxed in and want to come home to. The green landscaping around Singapore homes
adds a dimension typical of Scandinavian style where interior and exterior flow into each
other, of connecting with nature and natural materials.
Minimalism may appear simple, but it's also extremely complex; it’s about stripping
everything down to the bare essentials without sacrificing beauty and sophistication.
Top: Scandinavian Style dining room enjoys light colours, lots of wood
and natural light
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Minimalist interiors
Natural materials such as wood and stone
give a sense of purity while adding a sense
“of depth."
A chat with interior designer SARA GRAAV
about creating modern minimalist interiors in Singapore homes
Why is minimalist design such as Scandinavian in
demand in Singapore homes today?
Nowadays we tend to have a lot of things, some of
which we do not really need. We frequently seem to
be looking for new things that we believe will make
us happier, forgetting to appreciate what we already
have. Minimalist homes remind us about what is
most important in our lives, making us become more
appreciative towards what matters and what we
already have. Perhaps because the world seems to
be getting ever more complicated, people seem to
be finding that more attractive these days.
In addition, practically speaking, minimalist design
makes sense for Singapore. Because Singapore has a
high density of people, space has become limited
and residential spaces have shrunk. The minimalistic
home with its clean surfaces and emphasis on quality
helps compensate for the lack of space. A
minimalistic design helps create order, making it
easier to keep smaller spaces tidy and neat. We all
work long hours in Singapore, and minimalist
designs free up time – time that would otherwise be
spent cleaning or organising – to spend with friends
and family.
You've lived in Singapore for about 7 years now.
How do we add Singapore touches to minimalist
interiors?
Take inspiration from local history or elements from
the natural elements that are native to the tropics.
For instance, features from Peranakan design like
patterns and colours are easy to adapt and to give a
slight modern twist in a minimalist way.
Why is minimalist style connected with
Scandinavia?
Scandinavian design is all about saving cost and
being functional. Design qualities emphasise
durability, beauty, functionality, simplicity and
natural forms.
For our Nordic interiors it is important to create
relaxing, light-coloured spaces that capture as much
sunlight as possible during our long, dark winters.
Right: Add local elements with Peranakan tiles. Photo
credit: Loke Thye Kee Residences by Ministry of Design
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Minimalist interiors
“
Modern minimalism continues to
evolve, and has become very
open to different usage of
materials with a wider range of
colours and texture."
What materials, furnishings, colours and lighting
work best for minimalist interiors?
Wood, stone, concrete, metal and glass. Natural
materials such as wood and stone give a sense of purity
while adding a sense of depth. They create a
connection between the natural environment, the site
and the occupants. Concrete, metal and glass, in
contrast, help create more simplicity and openness.
They are easy to take care of and to maintain.
Modern minimalism continues to evolve, and has
become very open to different usage of materials with
a wider range of colours and textures, while neutral
colours such as white, light grey and beige are still
commonly used. These colours are simple and create a
nice contrast to materials like wood, stone and
concrete. For example, white ceilings and walls allow a
space to feel more spacious while enhancing the
movement of natural light in space.
Of course, natural lighting is an essential quality in
minimalism. Typically, large windows are used to
maximise natural light in the space and the lighter
colours like white, are used to reflect the natural light.
The type of furniture used is also important to how well
lit a space is. For example, furniture that is elevated
allows light to travel through the negative space
beneath the furnishings and to better diffuse
throughout the space.
How do you relax after a hard day at work?
Put on my comfy clothes, cook some dinner and just
relax on the couch. More generally, I practise yoga to
help myself disconnect and find a sense of inner peace.
What Singapore food do you like? What Norwegian
food do you miss?
In Singapore chicken rice is my favourite. There is a lot
of Norwegian foods that I miss like Norwegian cheese
and sausages, and especially a lamb dish called pinne
kjøtt. We have it for Christmas, and its delicious.
If a young girl tells you she wants to be an interior
designer like you what advice would you give her?
Find a good school with teachers that are professionals
in the field. When it gets tough and you face
difficulties, do not search for an easy way out by cutting
corners. Work hard and believe in yourself.
Story by Carol Kraal
Photographs: Sara Graav by Susanna Fong; Pinne kjøtt
by visitnorway
One of Sara's favourite
Singapore dishes is chicken
rice while she misses
traditional Norwegian food
like a lamb dish called
pinne kjøtt (right), usually
enjoyed during Christmas
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Norwegian designers
NORWEGIAN
DESIGNERS
IN
NORWAY
Y O U N G
T A L E N T
Design duo ANE DOMAAS and KATHRINE HØGH of Domaas/Høgh combines form
and function to reflect Norway's seasons and modest humour
THEY'RE YOUNG, creative and ambitious. Ane Domaas (above right) and Kathrine Høgh met during their
studies at Oslo Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, and Product Design and shared dreams of
creating quality, well-designed products.
Carl – Multiuse fabric
“
We create products for everyday life that reflect the distinctive
modesty and touches of humour of the Norwegian temperament."
– ANE DOMAAS and KATHRINE HØGH
Inspired by the unconventional approach of the Norwegian artist,
sculptor and Picasso collaborator Carl Nesjar, Domaas/Høgh created
Carl, a durable, multiuse fabric made from a cotton-linen blend. It
translates Nesjar’s use of sandblasting concrete to create positive and
negative surfaces into textile design.
In a rented workshop and loft in Oslo that gets hot in summer and cold in winter, they got to work creating
functional homeware with clean lines, honest forms and playful colours that reflect the modesty and humour of
the Norwegian temperament.
How do your designs capture the essence of
Norway?
Our designs reflect our surroundings and are often
inspired by nature. We enjoy using natural materials like
wood, glass, metal and ceramic. We feel that our
products tend to be a bit modest, almost shy, and are
easy to place in any environment.
Why do you think Scandinavian Style in architecture,
interior design and product design is so loved all
over the world?
We think Scandinavian Style is so loved because it's
simple – with a twist; it's easy to understand and can be
combined with other styles.
What Norwegian food do you love most after a hard
day designing things?
It's embarrassing, but almost every time after a hard
day of work, we end up eating junk food, maybe
because we're so tired and so hungry. As for local fare
it's always good to have Norwegian waffles with
brunost (brown cheese), jam and a cup of coffee!
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Singapore furniture designer
Jarrod Lim at work; Right: Patricia Urquiola's advice is not to overcrowd a design with too many focal points
J A R R O D
L I M
M y W o r k i n g S t i n t w i t h P A T R I C I A U R Q U I O L A
The Singapore-based furniture and product designer picked up invauable skills in
both design and business in Milan
PATRICIA URQUIOLA is one of the most sought-after architects and designers today.
She is known for her contemporary experimental yet simple designs with playful
colour and ethnic charm that communicate with us. The Milan-based Spanish
designer, together with WOHA, created award-winning OASIA Downtown in
Singapore.
It took Singapore-based Australian designer Jarrod Lim and his portfolio of sketches
several tries before earning a 2-year stint at Patricia's studio in Milan back in 2003.
The first month was as an intern, the rest as full-time work employee. When Jarrod
returned to Singapore after this invaluable experience he opened his own studio
Jarrod Lim Designs in Joo Chiat.
Above: Jarrod Lim's The Koi Chair is inspired by the gates and window grills of Singapore homes
I learned so much about international perspective on design; how top level
designers think and work with the best companies and how they view trends,
“materials. I learned about the entire life of a designer." – JARROD LIM
You showed Patricia Urquiola your portfolio – what do you think caught her eye?
I think what caught her eye was that I was making my own small items in ceramic at the time and
that I was quite experimental.
You stayed in Milan for 2 years. How has the city itself influenced you creatively?
Milan is a very hardworking city. It’s really a meeting point for designers and manufacturers more so
than an ‘inspirational’ location. A place where design-business occurs. The influence I gained from
Milan was more about how designers and studios operate. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of
what a designer can achieve and gave me a broader perspective on the design industry.
What food did you enjoy most in Milan?
Pizza for sure. We had some really nice pizzerias near our studio. Plus the pizza was quite cheap so
for a young designer on a very tight budget it was excellent value.
What piece of advice from Patricia Urquiola stays with you till today?
Not to overcrowd a design with too many focal points. Each design has one main story that it is
trying to explain. Whether it’s a new material or a new manufacturing method. If you have too many
stories or focal points the design is confusing and the main idea is lost.
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Singapore visual artist
THE MURAL ARTIST
BELINDA LOW sometimes balances 3 floors up on planks to create her works of art
Above: Samsui woman on a staircase in Chinatown, depicting the neighbourhood's
historical roots
Belinda Low's style is post impressionistic, expressionistic and sometimes veering
towards realism. The Singaporean artist paints all kinds of subjects and finds
faces especially intriguing as they express the most. She loves to use bold
colours and strong brushstrokes to show intense emotions,which transcend to
the viewer
“
The surface doesn’t matter
as long as I have a wall,
which is like a very large
canvas on which I can freely
express myself."
You're self taught. How did you teach yourself art and
how long did it take from learner to creator of your first
commercial piece?
I attended a 3-hour short introductory course on the basics
on light, and perpectives at a local studio. Thereafter
along the way, as I started to paint more and more. It's all
about self-discovery by trial and error and lots of practice.
Concrete, wood, plaster, brick, fabric. What is your
favourite surface to work on for a street mural and what
kind of paints do you use that does not fade?
The surface doesn’t matter as long as I have a wall, which is
like a very large canvas on which I can freely express
myself. Apart from the usual, I have also created murals on
wood, steel and aluminium walls.
I consider myself a speed painter since I have a day job,
and I set my own deadlines for finishing each mural work
since I usually work on weekends. But I do take time off if
it’s super urgent and there are time constraints and a
timeline.
I usually use acrylic which is my favourite medium as it dries
fast, especially when you see rain coming. But I work with
emulsion mainly for the background and for blocking big
subjects.
How do you sketch your ideas?
I usually just use pencil and go over it with ink and wash it
with water colour. I sketch the entire area including the
road, people, and so forth, to get a big picture of how the
wall looks like in its entirety.
What Singapore food do you crave for after a hard day
of painting?
I usually go for a big breakfast as sometimes, I don’t even
break for lunch. And at the end of the day, I try to eat
healthy with a salad or something. But yeah, carbo load
they say the day prior and also coffee to keep me mentally
awake and focused!
What advice would you give a young art student who
wants to start creating beautiful mural works like you?
Doing murals is hard work as you have to withstand the
elements like the weather, and you must not be afraid of
heights. You must be very passionate and have a Never-
Say-Die attitude. It’s extremely good for character-building
as it teaches you patience (for example when you have to
wait for the rain to stop), perseverance, tolerance and
endurance. You have to be disciplined to sustain and
maintain an exercise regimen to keep fit in order to handle
the tools, and to handle working for 8 hours non-stop on
your feet.
83 feastandform.com feastandform.com 84
FOOD
Zichar
Wok hei
Peranakan
Nevada Berg – Norwegian Food
Singapore Sling
Art Deco Cocktails
Homegrown Gin
Artisan Bread
Food and Architecture
85 feastandform.com feastandform.com 86
Singapore street food
ZICHAR DELIGHTS
Principal architect and founder of CHANG Architects Chang Yong Ter loves
a good zichar after a hard day at work. Here are a few of Singapore foodies'
favourites
ZICHAR IS A HOKKIEN TERM used to describe everyday, affordable,
homestyle Chinese dishes served on order in a casual setting. Drop by in your
shorts and flip flops or pyjamas if you like. Ubiquitous at zichar eateries are
the massive flames on stoves as clanging woks are infused with 'wok
hei' (breath of the wok) that imparts a delicious flavour and aroma of char.
Each Chinese ethnic group – Teochew, Cantonese, Sichuan, Taiwanese,
Hongkong, Hakka, Hainanese etc – has its own style of zichar food: the light
simple flavours of Teochew big on seafood (steamed groupa, cold crab); the
spicy sweet tanginess of Sichuan (ma po tofu, claypot chicken with dried
chilli); the thick gravy drenched Cantonese platters like bittergourd pork ribs.
More often than not zichar eateries serve more than one ethnic styles.
Favourite dishes include crab beehoon, hot plate tofu, hot plate venison,
prawn paste chicken wings, sambal kangkong, cereal prawns, chai poh
(preserved radish) omelette, salted egg yolk squid, steamed fish, marmite
pork ribs.
Popular zi char dishes include prawn
paste fried chicken, kangkong
sambal vegetable and Hong Kong
style fish in soy sauce
1
2
3
4
5
Two Chefs Eating Place
Kok Sen Restaurant
JB Ah Meng
Joo Heng
CHAR
116 Commonwealth Crescent
#01-129, Singapore140116
30 Keong Saik Road, Singapore
089137
534 Geylang Road Lor 30,
Singapore 389490
360 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore
427605
363 Jalan Besar Road, Singapore
208994
Opening hours: Monday
5-11.30pm; tuesday to sunday
11.30am-2.30, 5-11.30pm; Closed
every last monday of the month
Setting: A 'shack with no walls
beneath an awning' in a Housing
Development Board (HDB)
apartment block corner next to
provision shops, Chinese medicine
shop and betting shop.
Food: Cantonese style plus
others. Try the Butter Pork Ribs,
which looks as if powdery snow
has fallen onto the dish. These
snowflakes are made with butter
and condensed milk that gives a
rich sweetness.
Opening hours: 11.30am-2.30pm;
6pm-10.30pm. Closed on mondays
Setting: A shophouse in a
conservation district in Chinatown.
Keong Saik has a colourful past of
brothels, gangster hangouts and
gambling dens. You'll see
shophouses in the art deco style.
Food: Cantonese style plus others.
The Michelin Bib Gourmand 2017
winner has been around for nearly
40 years, and serves favourites such
as big prawns hor fun, claypot yong
tau fu and prawn paste chicken cut
up into crispy chunks instead of the
usual wings.
Opening hours: 5.30pm-2.30am
daily
Setting: Rustic, streetside eatery at
the corner of a pretty 1939 art
deco-looking shophouse. Geylang
comes alive when the sun goes
down with fantastic food, gangsters,
prostitutes, secret gamblers and
durian enthusiasts.
Food: Malaysian-Chinese style.
Making the inaugural Singapore
Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand 2016
list, the Malaysian owner cooks up a
storm with these delectable dishes:
white pepper crab, salted egg
prawn roll, JB San Lau mee hoon,
stirfried Cameron Highland dragon
vegetable, garlic clams and
deepfried fermented bean pork.
Opening hours: 11am-2pm;
5pm-10pm. Closed on mondays.
Setting: Quaint, no-frills setting in a
Peranakan shophouse with timber
shutter windows and neo-classical
ornamentation. The eatery has been
around for more than 40 years.
Food: Old school Cantonese style.
Tau Jeon song fish head with bean
sauce, stirfried pork liver with
ginger and spring onions, sambal
sweet potato leaves, and stirfried
tender baby squid are popular
dishes.
Opening hours: 11.30am-2.30pm;
6pm-10pm. Closed on mondays.
Setting: Casual eatery with modern
interiors in a quaint 4-storey
conservation shophouse in Jalan
Besar, owned by The Lee Clan
Association.
Food: Classic and modern
Cantonese. The highlight is the char
siew (barbecued pork) which is
tender and beautifully charred at
the right places. Other items
include braised chicken with black
garlic in claypot, and stirfried salted
egg pork rib minus the bones.
87 feastandform.com feastandform.com 88
Singapore Chinese food
WOK
WORK
It takes a chef a long time to
master the art of WOK HEI in
Chinese cooking. Can you
achieve this at home?
Mitzo's executive chef Nicky Ng shows his skill in getting wok hei to cloak his food
89 feastandform.com feastandform.com 90
'THE BREATH OF THE WOK'
or 'wok hei' in Cantonese
refers to the smoky char
nuances in both aroma and
flavour that envelops a justcooked
wokfried dish. Hor
fun (flat rice noodles with
meat and gravy), fried rice,
kang kong sambal, and
stirfried dishes MUST have
wok hei if they are to have
the stamp of approval with
foodies.
Walk past any zichar eatery or
Chinese gourmet kitchen and you'll
hear the roar of jet flames. This is
how searing hot, huge and
powerful the fire has to be for the
cook to work his wok, and to cloak
his tossing food with wok hei. It
takes seconds to achieve but it
takes years of learning and practice.
All these professional Chinese
cuisine chefs' dishes on the right
have wok hei to elevate flavour and
aroma.
Chef Eric Low of LUSH Epicurean's black beef hor fun
Masterchef
Chung Lap Fai
of Hua Ting,
Orchard Hotel
Singapore's
handrolled
sauteed lamb
fillet, Chinese
leek and aged
vinegar
Executive chef
Nicky Ng of
Mitzo's XO
fried rice with
lobster meat,
vegetables
and
mushroom
Masterchef Goh Chee Kong of Min Jiang at Dempsey's stewed noodles with
lobster
Resident
executive chef
Chai Jih Nan of
Blue Lotus' wok
fried KL style
Hokkien noodles
with crispy pork
lard
91 feastandform.com feastandform.com 92
Chef Eric Low
Culinary arts & science specialist,
founder of LUSH Epicurean
Masterchef Chung Lap Fai
Hua Ting, Orchard Hotel
Singapore
Masterchef Goh Chee Kong
Min Jiang at Dempsey
Resident executive chef
Chai Jih Nan
Blue Lotus
Executive chef Nicky Ng
Mitzo
Wok hei at home with these
cheat methods
With a string of culinary awards and medals to his
name, Chef Eric Low has cooked for royalty and
Hollywood stars. The graduate from the Culinary
Institute of America in Napa Valley and SHATEC
is boardmember of the Singapore Chefs
Association, and chef-owner of LUSH Epicurean.
HOW TO ACHIEVE WOK HEI IN COOKING?
A domestic home stove is only about 20,000
British thermal units (btu); we need at least a
100,000btu stove to achieve wok hei. This is not
allowed in many domestic kitchens because of the
danger. Wok hei is achieved when moisture
released from food ingredients tossed in a wok
over high fire, splatters with droplets of rendered
fat in the wok.
WHAT DOES WOK HEI DO TO FOOD?
Wok hei is a complex spectrum of smoke
produced from the burning fat and the
caramelising natural sugars of ingredients at the
high temperatures of cooking. It adds a smokey
dimension to the dish. It takes a lot of skill to
balance the high heat with wok movement, and
the tossing of ingredients.
WHAT TYPE OF WOK DO YOU PREFER TO USE?
I prefer carbon steel. It is light weight, non
reactive to acidic ingredients and sauces. It is also
easier to manage when it comes to wok tossing
the ingredients to produce flames.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WOK HEI DISH TO
EAT?
A simple Teochew style chye por kway teow fried
with lard, preserved radish (chye por), kailan and
seasoned with fish sauce. It's a simple dish but
relies heavily on wok hei to uplift it.
He is indeed the Master. Beginning
his career at 17 in Hong Kong,
Masterchef Chung Lap Fai's
impressive culinary journey has
spanned more than 30 years. His
Singapore stint at Hua Ting
Cantonese restaurant began in
1997, and he has since taken both
his signature Cantonese dishes
and the restaurant to outstanding
standards, winning numerous
awards and accolades.
HOW TO ACHIEVE WOK HEI IN
COOKING?
The fire must be strong and you
must be quick in your cooking.
If not, the dish will be overly
smoky. Get all your ingredients
ready by the stove.
WHAT DOES WOK HEI DO TO
FOOD?
It makes the dish aromatic and
taste better.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR
WOK?
You must clean it after every use
and protect it with a thin film of
oil.
YOUR FAVOURITE WOK HEI
DISH.
That would be then Dried Beef
Hor Fun.
Ipoh-born Chef Goh has been
working with the Min Jiang brand
since 2001. He was awarded 'One of
the Top Five Most Promising Chefs in
Asian cuisine' at the Hospitality Asia
Platinum Awards in 2007. His
interpretation of contemporary
Chinese cuisine at Min Jiang at
Dempsey takes his culinary art to
impressive levels. Wok hei is a key
element in a majority of his creations.
WHAT DOES WOK HEI DO TO
FOOD?
Wok hei is particularly important in
Chinese cuisine for the robust flavour,
texture and fragrance of the food.
HOW TO ACHIEVE WOK HEI IN
COOKING?
To achieve wok hei, the two key
things to note are – high fire and
quick, repeated toss of the food in
the wok. Approximately 20 seconds
before the food is done cooking, you
have to raise the flame temperature
to extraordinarily high levels.
Then, the food has to be tossed
about non-stop and moved about
vigorously in the wok over the strong
flame during those few seconds.
Sometimes, this is done in
combination with tossing the food in
the air by flicking the wok.
Wearing a professional chef's hat of 20
years, chef Chai has developed
award-winning experience and
technique in Chinese cuisine. He is not
one to shy away from learning new
technologies and methods, which he
incorporates into his traditional
repertoire to add a touch of modernism
and the unexpected. This exciting
interpretation of Chinese food is
evident at Blue Lotus establishments.
HOW TO ACHIEVE WOK HEI IN
COOKING?
The temperature of the wok has to be
perfect. This also depends on the
chef’s experience in controlling the
fire with just the right amount of heat
to spread evenly through the wok. In
addition to the chef’s technique, the
material of the wok matters too.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR
WOK?
Season the wok with oil. Traditionally,
chefs will always burn the bottom of
the wok to maintain it and also
achieve a better effect of wok hei.
These steps usually make the wok
thinner, so that the wok heats up fast
enough to quick fry and create the
wok hei.
YOUR FAVOURITE WOK HEI DISH.
Wok fried beef kway teow, dry
version. It looks simple, but if the wok
hei is not executed well, this dish will
not be fantastic.
During his days as deputy executive chef at
Club Chinois, chef Ng elevated modern
Chinese fine dining in Singapore to
meritorious levels. His culinary style sees him
adding various cultural nuances to the
traditional such as truffle or lemongrass to
Cantonese classics.
HOW TO ACHIEVE WOK HEI IN COOKING?
The regular use of the wok develops a layer
of hardened oil that prevents the food from
sticking to the wok. Wok hei is the intense
smoky flavour and can only be achieved
under extreme heat. The oil ensures that the
gravy does not burn, after which the
ingredients will be added into the wok.
HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR WOK?
Like all tools of the trade, woks also have a
certain lifespan. In order to maintain the
curvature of the wok, as it will eventually go
out of shape due to the heavy usage, one
needs to heat the wok at an intense heat to
invoke the malleability of the metal. This is
seen when the wok turns red with the heat of
the fire. The chef will then hit the wok with a
special wooden “hammer” of sorts to shape
it back to its original form. This is something
that I do to ensure that my wok is taken care
of.
YOUR FAVOURITE WOK HEI DISH.
My favourite wok hei dish at Mitzo is Sanpei
chicken with onion, mushroom and Thai
sweet basil, and my personal favourite wok
hei dish is beef hor fun.
1 Flambe – If you do not want the
liquor to affect the flavours of the
food, vodka is the most neutral of
spirits that leaves no flavour.
2 Mezcal – This Mexican agave spirit
has a unique, distinctive smoky
flavour. This is because the harvested
agave fruit is smoked in pits before
extraction and distillation. Add a
teaspoonful to your stirfry or flambe
with it. It is expensive like tequila but
a little goes a long way (unless you
knock back shots every night).
3 Smoked salt – Sea salt is smoked
with aromatic woods for a delicious
hint of char.
4 Liquid smoke – It is generally made
by condensing the smoke from
burning wood. Just a dash will do (1/4
teaspoon) as it is highly concentrated.
You can dilute it in stock or water
before stirfrying.
6 Lapsang Souchong tea leaves –
This Chinese tea is dried using
pinewood fire, and has a wonderful
smoky essence. You can brew the tea
and use it as stock.
7 Chef’s blow torch – Invest in one of
these handy kitchen gadgets that
throws flame onto foods for searing
char and wok hei aromas. I’ve seen
chefs blacken salmon, melt butter and
direct blow torch flames into a wok if
the stove is not that powerful.
8 Dark roast coffee – The darker the
roast the more delicious the char
flavour you will get. Dark roast coffee
includes espresso, Italian, Sumatra
Mandheling, French and Columbian.
Just a pinch of ground coffee will give
you a shot of smoke.
93 feastandform.com feastandform.com 94
Singapore Peranakan food
Culture Mix, Spice Mix
The Peranakan in Singapore and their Food
AMANDA DOES NOT UNDERSTAND a word when her
grandmother scolds her for being a lazy oaf. Nor does she
want to spend hours in the kitchen pounding spice pastes or
cooking ayam buah keluak (this one actually takes 2 days to
prep). She is the young generation of the Peranakan, a
fascinating community of mixed Chinese and Malay cultures.
Her grandmother yells at her in a creole of Chinese Hokkien,
Malay and English words. The recipes she has inherited but
shuns are windows to some of the best food in the world.
'Peranakan' means 'local born' in Malay. These are the offspring of
Chinese traders, who settled in the trading ports of Singapore,
Malacca and Penang, and who married the local girls, many of
whom are indigenous Malay. Their origins can be traced as far back
as the 15th century in Sumatra, Indonesia. Peranakan males are
called baba and the females, nonya.
Adept in business, administration and trade many Peranakan
Chinese were wealthy and held high status. In the British controlled
Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca and Penang in the 19th
century, they were influenced by the British colonialists, and were
also called the Straits Chinese. The Peranakans picked up English
and worked for these ruling officials, boosting their socio economic
status even higher.
The Peranakans in Singapore keep their Chinese surnames and
Chinese cultural practices such as ancestor worship. They eat pork
and wear baju kurong, and sarong kebaya, traditional attire of the
Malays. Their homes, many of which are in the East Coast area, are
colourful, and are highly decorated with symbolic embellishments
and neo-classical forms.
In their kitchens, the skilled women produce outstanding dishes that
have Chinese, Malay and western elements. They love their spice
pastes known as rempah – a heady blend of chilli, ginger,
lemongrass, onion, garlic and other herbs – that form the base of
many dishes. They love tea time and gossip, and create wonderful
desserts and colourful kueh (cakes and snacks) to entertain.
You can explore this interesting culture at The Peranakan Gallery at
Orchard Road. The Peranakan Museum at Armenian Street is
currently undergoing restoration until mid-2021.
Story by Carol Kraal. Respective photographs courtesy of Godmama
Restaurant & Bar, The Peranakan Gallery, The Peranakan Restaurant
and Candlenut Kitchen
FAVOURITE PERANAKAN DISHES
Ayam buah keluak – Buah keluak chicken
curry. Buah keluak (Pangium edule) fruit
comes from trees in mangrove swamps. It is
poisonous, and made edible by a
fermentation process, then soaking in water
before cooking. A hole is made in the nut
to reveal the black kernel, which we eat by
scooping it out. It has a nutty, earthy,
truffle-like taste, and a texture like mashed
chocolate. For ayam buah keluak curry
buah keluak nuts are cooked with chicken,
lemongrass, turmeric, chilli, tamarind juce,
onions and galangal, and thickened with
ground candlenuts. The curry has an
enticing black colour.
Rendang – Dry beef coconut curry.
Adopted from the Malays, this slow cooked
beef curry is made with coconut milk, dried
chilli, garlic, onion, tamarind juice, gula
melaka, turmeric leaf, galangal, lemongrass
and kerisik (toasted grated coconut
pounded to a paste).
Babi pongteh – Braised pork with
fermented soybean. Pork shoulder, trotters
or belly is braised for hours till tender, with
dark and light soy sauces, cinnamon, star
anise, gula melaka, garlic, shallots, and
fermented bean paste (taucheo).
Sotong assam pedas – Spicy tamarind
squid curry. Assam pedas means 'sour
spicy' in Malay referring to the light curry
made with tamarind juice, shallots,
lemongrass, polygonum leaves, turmeric,
chilli and pineapple. Squid and other types
of seafood make good assam pedas.
Chap chye – Mixed vegetable stew.
Cabbage, jicama, carrot, beancurd sheets,
mushroom, lily flower buds, wood ear
fungus, glass cellophane noodles, garlic,
dried prawn, pork belly and prawns stewed
in fermented soy bean chicken stock.
Kueh kueh – Assorted cakes and desserts.
Selection of dishes at Godmama Restaurant & Bar
95 feastandform.com feastandform.com 96
Singapore Peranakan food
Chef/Owner Malcolm Lee
creates Michelin Star
Peranakan food at
Candlenut Kitchen - like
this Ah Ma Kase Set
Where to Eat
Candlenut Kitchen
17A Dempsey Road, Singapore 249676
One Michelin star and the pleasant
greenery of Dempsey draw foodies as
chef/owner Malcolm Lee creates
refined traditional and modernist
Peranakan dishes. Try the assam
sotong hitam, blue swimmer crab curry,
wagyu beef rendang, ikan bakar, buah
keluak fried rice and mao shan wang
durian pengat.
Godmama Restaurant & Bar
109 North Bridge Road, Funan Mall,
#04-07, Singapore 179105
Traditional and modern Peranakan,
such as Fried Chicken Wings with
Belacan Mayo. Interesting brunch items
such as Otak Benedict.
TingKat PeraMakan
301 Upper Thomson Road, #02-44
Thomson Plaza, Singapore 574408
Authentic, homestyle Peranakan food
that is decent and inexpensive.
The Peranakan
442 Orchard Road, Level 2 Claymore
Connect, Singapore 238879
Executive chef Raymond Khoo serves
the recipes of his ancestral clan in a
lovely setting. A favourite for years.
Ivins Peranakan Restaurant
21 Binjai Park, Singapore 589827
Homestyle food in a homestyle setting.
The food comes out fast so is ideal for
busy lunches. Favourites include
rendang, babi pongteh and itek tim.
Violet Oon's Kitchen
881 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore
279893
National Kitchen by Violet Oon
#02-01 National Gallery Singapore
Singapore food personality Violet Oon
serves Peranakan favourites like buah
keluak ayam, sambal udang, babi
assam and kueh pie tee. The interiors
reflect Nonya chic with colourful tiles
and wood furnishing.
The Blue Ginger
97 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore
088518
This Michelin Bib Gourmand family-run
restaurant has been around for years
serving favourites such as ngo hiang,
babi pong tay, ikan masak assam gulai
and ayam buah keluak. Its elegant
setting in a shophouse makes it ideal
for business luncheons.
Baba Chews
86 East Coast Road, #01-01 Katong
Square, Singapore 428788
Traditional favourites in a cosy setting.
Guan Hoe Soon
40 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427764
Established in 1953, Singapore's oldest
Peranakan restaurant serves an
irresistable ayam buah keluak and other
authentic dishes.
Top: 'Tok Panjang' meaning 'Long Table',
is a Peranakan tradition that welcomes
friends and family to reunite over a spread
of festive dishes. It follows the European
tradition of long tables instead of the
Chinese preference for round tables. Left:
True blue Nonya (men are called Baba)
Godmama Restaurant & Bar co-owner with
her mother June on her left and godmother
Monica. They are wearing the traditional
sarong kebaya
97 feastandform.com feastandform.com 98
Singapore Peranakan food
A chat
with...
CHRISTINA KEILTHY, co-owner
of Godmama Restaurant & Bar
RAYMOND KHOO, owner and chef of
The Peranakan, and owner of The
Peranakan Gallery
Ayam Buah Keluak
Babi Pongteh
The restaurant is a tribute to Godma
Monica and Mama June, doyennes
of Peranakan food in your family.
Tell us more about the Peranakan
cooking culture they’ve passed on
to you.
They are my role models when it
comes to being a good host; the
graciousness and kindness of opening
our home to family, friends and
strangers (friends of friends). I carried
that culture with me when studying
and working abroad. My mom (mama
June) used to send me care packages
of dried chillies and the like to me so I
could recreate the family dinners –
think curries and Mee Siam – with my
friends.
Godma Monica won the first prize in
the Nyonya Food Competition for
her sambal jantong pisang (banana
blossom salad) and one of the
judges was the late Madam Chua
Jim Neo, mother of Singapore’s first
prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. It is
difficult to find this dish in
restaurants and in modern
Peranakan homes today?
While the sambal jantong pisang is
not difficult to make, the ingredient
isn’t commonly used and, therefore,
there isn’t a steady supply of it. Other
dishes you rarely see is the Itek Sio
(Nyonya braised duck with tamarind
and coriander) and Hati Babi Bungkus
(liver wrapped with pig caul lining). My
family would prepare them only
during Chinese New Year, partly
because it is so time consuming to
make.
How do you and fellow Peranakan
co-owner and head chef Fredric Goh
turn timeless Peranakan recipes into
contemporary interpretations.
What head chef Fredric has done is
use quintessential Nyonya dishes and
flavours and introduce them into
brunch dishes people are familiar with.
There’s the Babi Assam Baked Eggs
(our take on Spanish Baked Eggs) and
the Pulled Pork Pongteh Sunny using
the same robust stews Godmama
serves in the traditional lunch and
dinner menu. We don’t tweak the
flavours of the original dishes in any
way. Buah Keluak (black nut) is also
introduced in the Buah Keluak
Bolognese Pasta. It has got such a
unique flavour (black chocolate-like
bitterness, earthy and truffle-like).
What dishes of your Godma’s and
Mama’s do you miss the most when
you are away from home? Is there a
book of family recipes you carry
with you?
Definitely the Ayam Buah Keluak.
Getting buah keluak is impossible in
Hawaii. It doesn’t grow there and
there isn’t a demand for it. In Hong
Kong, I could still get some from
mom-and-pop Indonesian stores at
Causeway Bay.
There’s also the Kiam Chye Ark (salted
mustard greens with duck soup). Not
only was it hard to find fresh duck but
was also involved tedious preparation
work.
There is no recipe book. My mom
(Mama June) used to come over to
Hong Kong to teach the helpers how
to make Nyonya dishes from scratch.
Even Godma had to get my help
detailing the recipe for the Nyonya
Food Competition back then. I’d have
to weigh each ingredient and note
down the process for submission. All
the recipes are in their heads.
Is modernising Peranakan cuisine
and making it simpler the only way
to getting young Peranakans back
into the kitchen in this fast-paced
world?
Godmama started out as my way of
getting more people (young or old) to
appreciate Peranakan food. We’ve
made the ambience contemporary
and comfortable, making it incredibly
accessible for people from all walks of
life. I’d love for more young
Peranakans to head back into the
kitchen and continue the delicious
legacy that is Nyonya food, but I do
know we have to start slow.
What dishes should be introduced to
someone who has never tried
Peranakan food?
Start with the classics. Like our Ayam
Buah Keluak, which comes with the
actual black nuts. You are given a
teaspoon to dig out the flavourful
flesh inside the nut, put it on top of
rice, chicken and gravy and enjoy.
You’d also want to try the Babi Assam
and Babi Pongteh, with rice, of course.
And, for seafood lovers, there is the
Sotong Masak Hitam (squid cooked in
squid ink and tamarind sauce) as well
as the Ikan Gerang Assam (pan-seared
sea bass in assam). For the latter, we
switched it up by pan-searing the sea
bass for a crisp skin to add texture.
The new Peranakan Gallery of yours
centres on a beautiful Tok Panjang table
with all its finery. How does this Tok
Panjang symbolise your Peranakan
culture?
'Tok Panjang' meaning 'Long Table', is a
longstanding Peranakan tradition that
welcomes friends and family to reunite
over a spread of elaborate dishes. Popular
with weddings, birthdays and welcoming
dignitaries, it follows the European
tradition of long tables instead of the
Chinese preference for round tables.
What are some of the must-have dishes
for a Tok Panjang feast and does your
restaurant The Peranakan, serve these
items?
We have 2 versions of the ‘Tok Panjang’
served in the restaurant. A classic menu
includes BakWan Kepiting soup, Buah
Keluak, Babi Pongteh and Chap Chye,
while the heritage menu serves dishes like
Sup Tahu Titek, Sambal Pisang Jantung
(heart of the banana flower), Hati Babi
Bungkus, Itek Sioh and Nyonya Mee.
What makes a dish 'authentic
Peranakan'?
They are made with a lot of spices and not
chillies. That’s the biggest misconception
about Peranakan food. People associate it
with Malay and Indian food where most of
the dishes are spicy. However, authentic
Peranakan dishes do not use any MSG, but
lots of fresh spices and slow cooking
methods to bring out the flavours.
Did you inherit your recipes?
None of the recipes are mine. They have
been handed down over the generations.
Which is your favourite?
My favourite is Buah Keluak be it cooked
with chicken or pork ribs. I call it the Truffle
of the East and many of our American and
European guests love it too.
Is modernising Peranakan food the way
to go to sustain interest in young
Peranakans today?
There's only so much that one can
modernise such as using a blender to mix
our rempah and using gas stoves instead
of charcoal. However, Gula Melaka will
taste different without the smokiness from
using wood fire while Buah Belanda (love
letters) needs to be done using charcoal.
How do you relax after a hard day at
work?
Relaxing after work means a small meal
with homemade Sambal Belachan that has
been made using a pestle and mortar.
If a young student tells you he wants to
preserve and practise his Peranakan
heritage what advice would you give?
I would ask them to join me in the kitchen
for a day and if he/she can go through the
rigour and painstaking methods we go
through just to prepare a single dish, then
he/she can be trained.
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Norway food personality
NORTH WILD KITCHEN
NEVADA BERG creates an award-winning food blog from her rural farm in Norway,
generating millions of followers, and a newly-launched cookbook
“
Coming to Numedal, I
was taken back by the
amazing natural ingredients
growing right outside our
doorstep; from chanterelles
and wild strawberries to wild
meats and fresh-water fish.
The taste variations and
quality are some of the best I
have ever experienced..."
NEVADA BERG
Food personality and
cookbook writer
SHE'S AN AMERICAN MOUNTAIN GIRL through and through, born and raised in Utah,
USA. When the slopes and rivers of Numedal beckoned during her travels, Nevada Berg
moved to this picturesque region of rural Norway and now lives in a 17th-century farm
house with her husband and her son.
In 2016 Nevada started her food blog, North Wild Kitchen (www.northwildkitchen.com) to
chronicle her life in Norway. It's a beautiful collection of Norwegian recipes, stories, food
adventures and photographs, which she takes herself.
She brings us with her while she's foraging for mushrooms in the forests or feeding her
chickens or sampling the local brunøst (brown cheese). You can almost smell the bubbling
rømmegrøt (sour cream porridge) while she's stirring it on her stove – it's one of her
favourite traditional Norwegian dishes.
Nevada has travelled to many countries in the world and has always been fascinated by
food history and traditions. In no time, the food enthusiast became attuned to Norway's
seasons and landscapes and produce and cooking. She realised how honest Nordic food is
– it's a food of the land and of the pristine waters. The self-taught cook learned how to
make both traditional Norwegian dishes and modern versions with her own unique
touches.
North Wild Kitchen in now a successful food blog, winning Blog of the Year 2016 by Saveur
Magazine, and spawning her new cookbook of the same name in English, Norwegian and
German editions.
Facing page: Nevada Berg and her bounty of foraged
golden chanterelles from nearby forests; her traditional
mountain farm house on the slopes of Numedal,
Norway, with beautiful landscapes shared with sheep
and other farm life
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Norway food personality
RØYKT ØRRETMOUSSE – Smoked Trout Mousse. You'll find the recipes and lovely food stories about her
Norwegian farm life on her blogsite North Wild Kitchen, and in her cookbook of the same name
SKILLINGSBOLLER – Bergen Cinnamon Buns
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Norway food personality
A chat with NEVADA BERG, creator of award-winning food blog and cookbook
North Wild Kitchen
North Wild Kitchen is all about your farm life in
Numedal and the food of Norway. When did you
start your blog?
When we moved to Norway in the summer of 2015, I
knew I wanted to look further into the history behind
the dishes and discover more of the cuisine and
ingredients. Coming to Numedal, I was taken back by
the amazing natural ingredients growing right outside
our doorstep; from chanterelles and wild strawberries
to wild meats and fresh-water fish. The taste variations
and quality are some of the best I have ever
experienced, rivaling some of the biggest food
countries like Italy and France. Learning about
traditional methods, like smoking and curing, and the
nuances and flavors that come from handmade foods
was just another reason to make me fall so heavily for
Norwegian cooking. I wanted to share my experience
and the recipes with the world, so I started my blog in
January 2016.
What Norwegian produce do you like best during
the cold season, and what dishes and desserts
would be lovely to cook and eat?
During the cold season we cure our meats for the
holidays. Since the climate in Norway makes it difficult
to grow produce in the winter, foods were preserved
and cured to last through the harsh months. We
continue this tradition at home by making fenalår
(cured leg of lamb) and pinnekjøtt (cured lamb ribs)
that hang to dry for some weeks until the holidays
when we serve them.
As it begins to get colder and the snow starts falling, I
also really enjoy a bowl of lapskaus (beef stew) or wild
meat stew with lingonberries on top. Raspeballer
(potato dumplings) with boiled rutabaga and
Norwegian meatballs in brown gravy are also nice and
hearty. To finish it all off, a bowl of warm
risengrynsgrøt (rice pudding), caramel pudding, and
freshly baked boller (cardamom buns) make nice treats.
What is a food blog without beautiful food
photographs? Do you take your own photos and
what camera do you use?
I couldn’t agree more! Pictures always complete the
story for me, bringing me straight into the landscape
and the dish. Therefore, they will always be a part of
how I tell a story. I take all of my own photos using the
Olympus OM-D E-M10.
I love that you create both traditional and modern,
innovative Norwegian dishes. What traditional,
ancient recipe is most handed down from
greatgrandma in Norway?
I love the combination of traditional and modern
because food is dynamic. You see that even with
traditional recipes which have been passed down and
changed slightly to adapt to the person, environment
or time period. It’s hard to assume which recipe in
Norway has been handed down the most but aside
from baked goods in general, I would assume that
lefse, which is a type of soft flatbread, has to be on the
top of the list. Everyone has their own family recipe
that has been passed down from grandmother to
mother to daughter.
What's always in your fridge?
Butter. Most dishes in Norway call for butter. It seems
to be the ingredient I am always having to replace all
the time because I use so much of it!
And what advice can you give a novice blogger
about food writing and website design that will
attract readers the way North Wild Kitchen does so
successfully?
Be yourself and do what you do best. There are so
many blogs out there and it can be easy to fall into the
trap of copying someone else or doing things in a way
you think people are attracted to rather than just doing
what feels real to you. At the end of the day, being
genuine and authentic are key. You will be happy
producing what you love and want to and that will
come across to your audience. Find a style that suits
you – practice taking pictures for yourself to see what
your eye sees and present it in a way that is your style.
Also, find your niche, something that makes you stand
out from the rest.
Clockwise from top: Nevada Berg enjoying
the views from her mountain farm house;
making lefse, a traditional Norwegian
flatbread; winter heralds the time for curing
meats and pickling vegetables; wood plank
trout;
North Wild Kitchen cookbook is a collection
of Nevada Berg's food adventures in Norway
and her nordic-inspired recipes.
Story by Carol Kraal. Photographs courtesy of Nevada Berg and North Wild Kitchen
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Singapore drinks
SINGAPORE SLING
Home of this famous cocktail for over a 100 years, the Long Bar’s plantation-inspired decor and counter has
been restored at Raffles Hotel Singapore. Throwing peanuts on the floor as you sip on a chilled glass of
handshaken Singapore Sling is a de rigueur Singapore experience.
The Singapore Sling is a gin-based cocktail
'invented' in 1910 by Long Bar Hainanese
bartender Ngiam Tong Boon
Make one for your party
Serves 1
1oz gin
1/2oz cherry liqueur
4oz pineapple Juice
1/2oz lime juice
1/4oz Cointreau
1/4oz Benedictine
1/3oz grenadine
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish of fresh pineapple slice and a maraschino cherry
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a highball glass with ice.
Garnish and serve.
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Singapore interiors and drinks
Singapore
ART DECO COCKTAILS IN ART DECO SPACES
ATLAS Bar at Parkview Square serves drinks dedicated to personalities, events and
perspectives of the art deco age to mirror its interior. The bar is on TIME's 2018
World's Greatest Places List
THE DEVELOPERS OF Parkview Square (above) worked with design firm Hassell Studio to create interiors that
include a grand lobby and bar reminiscent of the great European lobby bars and cafes of the art deco period
of the 1920s. The dramatic brown building is Bugis was designed by American architect James Adams
together with DP Architects, and completed in 2002.
A show-stopper gin tower reaches eight metres in height and holds hundreds of gin labels from all over the
world, from various eras dating from 1910.
The Drinks
Clockwise from top left, facing page:
The ATLAS Martini – London dry gin, bianco vermouth, orange bitters, champagne vinegar
Imperial Fizz Nouveau,"the mightiest fluffy cocktail, only an imperial shake will do" – Modern French gin, rose
cordial, angelica, orange blossom, cream, citrus, soda
Summer in Paris (non-alcoholic), "without wine & without gin, the next best option" – Chardonnay grape juice,
lavender cordial, lemon, lemon berry tea soda
Tamara in a Green Bugatti, " a poster girl for a movement, an automobile for the ages" – Modern French gin,
lavender tincture, much mint, lemon, sugar
Story by Carol Kraal. Photographs courtesy of Chyau Fwu Development and ATLAS bar
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Singapore interiors and drinks
The drama of the art deco period
The ceiling murals of ATLAS Bar depict animals that represent regality while murals flanking the doorways tell
the story of Cleopatra and the Egyptian King, Tutankhamun – elements that greatly influenced art deco in the
1920s. A highlight of the space is the 8-metre-tall gin tower that houses over 100 gin labels from all over the
world.
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Singapore drinks personality
A CHAT WITH
Jesse Vida
HEAD BARTENDER
ATLAS BAR
ATLAS Bar has a spectacular Gin Tower with hundreds of gin collections from all over the
world. What gin is a personal favourite of yours, and how do you enjoy your gin?
Agreed – the gin tower is spectacular! I have much to learn about all of the options we offer. I
prefer different gins for different applications. Really into Martin Millers (UK), Beefeater (UK), and
Hepple Gin (UK) for a Martini. I love Hendricks Orbium (Scotland, UK) and Monkey 47 (Germany)
for a fresh Gimlet. When it comes to Gin & Tonic, I like some American Gins like Junipero (San
Francisco) and Dorothy Parker (New York).
“
I prefer different gins for different
applications. Really into Martin
Millers (UK), Beefeater (UK), and
Hepple Gin (UK) for a Martini.
I love Hendricks Orbium (Scotland,
UK) and Monkey 47 (Germany) for a
fresh Gimlet. When it comes to Gin
& Tonic, I like some American Gins
like Junipero (San Francisco) and
Dorothy Parker (New York)."
JESSE VIDA
– on his personal favourite gins, and
how he enjoys them
How do you sketch and design your mixology ideas?
I tend to use my laptop while working on cocktails. It’s more about finding the flavour combination,
balance, and what application to execute the drink in. We are in the digital age, and sometimes I
can’t even read my own hand writing, so this way is best for everyone involved.
You hail from cities in California, and New York City. What do you think of Singapore's drink
scene and what local food do you like so far?
I am completely in love with the food and beverage scene in Singapore. From simple and
delicious, to complex and thoughtful, all bases are covered. One of the many things that attracted
me to ATLAS and Singapore was the ambitious nature of this scene and its bars that have been
popping up out here. I’ve been eating a lot of noodle soups, dumplings, rice dishes.
What cocktail or tipple goes well with that?
I would go with a nice refreshing Gin Gimlet. It cleanses the palate and washes away the spice from
the chilli.
What advice would you give a young student who wants to be a mixologist like you?
My advice to anyone who is looking to achieve at a high level professionally, trade bartender
specifics for whatever it is that you do. Do not rush the process, and gain your experience – there
is no replacement for it. Stay humble and hardworking, and attitude is about 90% of the battle.
Know your classics and study the history of spirits and cocktails. Lastly just be a fun person to work
with, take your craft seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously, no one wants to work with
someone who acts like they’re better than their peers and guests. Bartending should be fun, let’s
all keep it that way!
Vida makes a very good Gin Tonica
to perk up your day
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Singapore drinks
HOMEGROWN
GIN
Singaporeans Jamie Koh, Simon Zhao
and Vic Ram, and expats Tim Whitefield,
Andy Hodgson, Charlie van Eeden and
Chris Box, brave the road less travelled
to create their own gin labels that are
proudly Singapore-Made
Rojak Gin and Chendol Gin (top) call to
mind Singapore's favourite food delights.
The gins are created by local distillery
Rachelle the Rabbit Meadery
Brass Lion Singapore Dry Gin by Jamie Koh
(top right) is fantastic for our local climate. It
is bright and refreshing, with a light citrus
floral note and a slight spiciness with juniper
Tanglin Orchid Gin is the first Made-in-
Singapore gin. It has a unique profile
derived from orchids, green mango and
vanilla
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Singapore drinks
B R A S S
L I O N
G I N
IN THE BRASS LION DISTILLERY at Alexandra Terrace huge
custom-made copper stills from Germany are at work. There is
an R&D lab, and a back garden, which grows many of the 22
botanicals that create an inspired Singapore character to the
Brass Lion Singapore Dry Gin – galangal, pomelo peel, torch
ginger flower, lemongrass, chrysanthemum flora and angelica.
Managing director Jamie Koh first had the idea of a Singapore
distillery producing Singapore spirits back in 2012, when she
was founder of The Chupitos Bar and The Beast Southern
Kitchen&Bourbon Bar. Alcohol was in her blood, and she new
the local bar scene, and was convinced a made-in-Singapore gin
would work.
The young Singaporean travelled to the US and then to
Germany to attend distilling courses, and knocked on doors in
search of apprenticeships at distilling companies. A master
distiller in Germany worked with her to create Brass Lion
Singapore Dry Gin. The goal was a Singapore gin for
Singapore's tropical climate, made with Singapore spices and
herbs with accent notes on citrus and juniper.
Today her fruits of labour are paying off, as her gin label is seen
at many bars across town at a time when gin is a rapidly
expanding force in the global drinks scene.
Brass Lion Distillery offers visitors tours, workshops and tasting
sessions.
“
The Singapore Dry Gin is crafted with herbs and spices that were carefully
selected to represent the cultural melting pot that is Singapore. Staying true
to the traditional method of pot still distillation, we combine classic gin
botanicals with Asian flavours."
JAMIE KOH
Managing director, Brass Lion Distillery
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Singapore drinks
A chat with JAMIE KOH
Managing director, Brass Lion Distillery
There are 3 Brass Lion gins available for sale now: What common flavour profile
gives each a unique Singapore character?
The Singapore Dry Gin – Crafted with herbs and spices that were carefully selected
to represent the cultural melting pot that is Singapore. Staying true to the
traditional method of pot still distillation, we combine classic gin botanicals with
Asian flavours such as the aromatic torch ginger flower and citrusy lemongrass to
produce a smooth, vibrant spirit that is the quintessential expression of The
Singapore Dry Gin.
Butterfly Pea Gin – A harmonious blend of classic gin botanicals and aromatic Asian
flavours. Lavender, known for its calming properties, adds a floral top note to the
gin. The gin’s deep, rich blue hue is derived from an infusion of the Butterfly Pea
flower, a staple in local Peranakan cuisine.
The Pahit Pink Gin – Known in the Malay Archipelago as Gin Pahit (or “Bitter Gin”
in Malay), this classic recipe has been updated and brought into the modern ages.
Using The Singapore Dry Gin as its base, our version is enhanced with the addition
of our very own house bitters made with 12 botanicals. Best enjoyed old school: on
the rocks with an orange twist, or simply with your favourite tonic.
What Singapore food goes well with a Brass Lion Singapore Dry Gin & Tonic?
Singaporean food generally pairs well with our Brass Lion Singapore Dry Gin &
Tonic because our cuisine is full of flavour and spices, and the Brass Lion Singapore
Dry Gin & Tonic is citrusy and refreshing, which provides a nice counterbalance.
Dishes like black pepper crab, rendang or laksa would all pair very nicely.
How do you relax after a hard day at work?
I usually end the day with just one drink.
What advice would you give a young student who wants to create homegrown
liqueur and a distillery like you have?
I would advise them to do their homework and research before embarking on the
project, as a project like this requires a significant amount of time and resources.
Brass Lion Distillery offers tours, workshops and
tasting sessions to the public
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Singapore drinks
ROJAK GIN AND CHENDOL GIN
IMAGINE THE COCKTAILS YOU COULD COME UP WITH using Singapore-made Rojak Gin and Cendol
Gin. These gins are also very good on there own as they are mellow and have intriguing flavours born of
tropical Singapore and its exciting local food. Rojak Gin and Chendol Gin are produced by local distillery
Compendium with Rachelle the Rabbit Meadery founder Simon Zhao and brand ambassador Vic Ram
teaming up together. It took them about 9 months to come up with the desired results.
Rojak Gin has elements of torch ginger, juniper and lemon peel. And instead of using a neutral grain spirit
as its base distillate it uses homemade mead (spirit made with fermented honey).
Chendol Gin calls upon the coconutty sweet iced dessert it is named after. More mellow with a creamier
feel on the tongue than Rojak Gin, the main ingredients in Cendol Gin are pandan leaves, coconut and
juniper. Here honey is swapped for gula melaka for its base in its distillate.
A CHAT WITH SIMON ZHAO AND VIC RAM
Just the name of your gins: Rojak Gin and Cendol
Gin catch the eye of many Singaporeans and
Southeast Asians with a touch of humour. How did
you come up with the idea of creating these gins
and giving them these names?
Rojak Gin: We decided the name based on the rojak
flower, torch Ginger, and the mixed culture that we
have in Singapore. Basically rojak means mixed.
Chendol Gin: Named after the favourite local dessert
as it has all the ingredients that goes into the chendol
– pandan, gula melaka, coconut.
What are the main ingredients in the respective
distillates of Rojak Gin and Cendol Gin? And what
are their character profiles?
Rojak Gin pays homage to local hawker culture. Our
flagship product is a cacophony of flavours and scents
that are at once recognisable. Distilled from
fermented artisanal honey, the silky sipping gin is
infused with three elegant botanicals – juniper berries,
lemon peel and torch ginger. Upon uncorking the
bottle, you will be greeted with a familiar Rojak aroma,
which opens the palate to enjoy a beautiful blend of
bright, fruity and layered botanicals with each sip.
Chendol Gin is the second in Compendium’s releases.
It is a recreation of the familiar local dessert and
perfectly balances both potent and subtle tastes. First
fermented and distilled from gula melaka (palm sugar),
this sweet and mellow sipping gin is then re-distilled
with three complementing botanicals – juniper berries,
pandan leaves and coconut. With a long and fragrant
finish topped with lingering pandan and coconut
notes, the Chendol Gin leaves a subtle and creamy
after-taste. Soft, vibrant and reminiscent of childhood
chendol desserts.
What cocktails work well with these gins and what
would you garnish them with?
Rojak Gin: Negroni – Rojak Gin, Campari, Rosso
Vermouth (classic); garnish with slice of orange
Memory Lane – Rojak Gin, Ice cream soda, peycaud
bitters; garnish with grass jelly
Chendol Gin: Great Jack – Chendol Gin, Jackfruit &
ginger soda, garnish with freeze dried jackfruit and
mint leaves
Mango Curry – Chendol Gin, Campari, lemon Juice,
mango & curry leaves syrup, ginger beer; garnish with
curry leaves
How do you relax after a hard day at work? And
what Singapore food do you enjoy?
Simon: After a hard day at work, we like to savour up
and coming R&D products to perfect further. Hokkien
Mee is a favourite local dish.
Vic: I like to head to a bar and enjoy my beer and a
shot of tequila. Favourite local food would be assorted
dim sum.
What advice would you give a young student who
wants to create homegrown gin and other liquor
the way you have?
Start by learning the basics, and from there let your
imagination run wild and be proud of the culture we
grow up in.
It took Rojak Gin and Chendol Gin creators Simon Zhao and Vic Ram about 9 months to get
the results and flavours they set out to achieve
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Singapore drinks
T A N G L I N G I N
A team of expats creates the first Made-in-Singapore gin that pays homage to
the city with its orchid botanicals
NESTLING IN THE LEAFY SUBURBS of Mandai you may catch
the intriguing scent of juniper and orchid wafting in the air.
Those are the botanical scents that come from the distillery of
100% Made in Singapore Tanglin Gin.
Expat founders Tim Whitefield, Andy Hodgson (both British),
Charlie van Eeden (Dutch) and Chris Box (Australian) realised
their dream and created Tanglin Gin, named after the
neighbourhood with roots as a spice growing area.
First batch Tanglin Orchid Gin is a wonderfully complex, yet
balanced and harmonious distillation that includes juniper,
unripe mango, two forms of orchid – Dendrobium Nobile Lindl
and vanilla bean, the fruit of the orchid vanilla planifolia – and
organic oranges.
The team is experimenting with new flavour profiles and
botanicals for future batches, such as Mandarin Chili.
Trained as an architect originally, founder and head distiller TIM WHITEFIELD now 'designs' Tanglin Gin's
alluring flavour profiles. He and his co-founders want to capture the cultural and culinary DNA of Singapore
featuring botanicals that are a mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian, with the obvious European juniper
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Singapore drinks
A chat with Tanglin Gin founders and creators
ANDY HODGSON, CHRIS BOX, TIM WHITEFIELD AND CHARLIE VAN EEDEN
A gin that is 100% distilled in Singapore is exciting for gin lovers all over the world.
What makes Tanglin Gin 'Singapore'?
We drew inspiration from Singapore’s history and its ties to the spice trade. When you
think about Singapore’s connection to the spice route and how many botanicals would
have passed through here on the way to London to make gin, it’s really amazing it has
taken this long for Singapore to introduce its own gin! Our mix of botanicals sets Tanglin
Gin apart from others – we call it an old world modern gin, as we’re combining
traditional gin botanicals found in the oldest recipes with new flavours which truly
represent Singapore, such as orchid.
What Singapore food goes well with a nice cold Tanglin Gin & Tonic?
A nice refreshing drink like a Tanglin & Tonic pairs well with spicy, flavourful food like
laksa, mee goreng, chilli crab, curry – the possibilities are endless in Singapore.
Tanglin Gin founders and creators, from left to right: Andy Hodgson, Tim Whitefield, Charlie van Eeden and
Chris Box
How do you relax after a hard day at work?
Sit back, breathe and put our feet up, with a Tanglin cocktail of course! Our founding
team are all naturally big fans of gin, and enjoying a Negroni or Tanglin & Tonic is a
great way to unwind at the end of the day. We all love to try new gins as well – being
knowledgeable about the category is hard work and involves a lot of tasting!
What advice would you give a young student who wants to create a homegrown
liquor like you have?
Be prepared to spend time understanding the rules and regulations involved in creating
a spirit. Be patient – it won’t happen overnight, but if you really want to make it happen,
you’ll make it happen. If you have a dream, follow it. And get in touch with our team, we
are happy to help! We got so much good advice from gin makers the world over, so
we’re happy to pass it on.
Story by Carol Kraal. Respective photographs courtesy of and copyright Brass Lion Gin
Distillery, Compendium and Tanglin Gin
“We wanted to feature botanicals that
were a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indonesian
and Indian, with the obvious European
Juniper. We initially shortlisted about 20
botanicals, narrowed it down to 15,
swapped a few in and out and finally
settled on 11. This took about 18 months,
and at last count about 90 or so tests to
get the right balance. The next flavour
profiles are coming together a bit quicker,
now that we’ve established our general
flavour and distilling guidelines."
11 selected botanicals include juniper,
unripe mango, two forms of orchid –
Dendrobium Nobile Lindl and vanilla
bean, the fruit of the orchid vanilla
planifolia – and organic oranges
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Singapore artisan bread
BASKING IN BREAD
New Zealand professional baker
DEAN BRETTSCHNEIDER
CEO of Baker & Cook, shares his thoughts about
one of the most basic and most loved food
products in human culture
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Singapore artisan bread
A chat with DEAN BRETTSCHNEIDER
CEO, Baker & Cook
LIKE THE BEST OF BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS, the
best breads are handmade and handcrafted. Is
this true?
Very true. I often say that breads are created by
design, because before we start we formulate the
recipe to give us the foundations, an internal
crumb structure and finally the texture of the crust
which resembles the outer shell.
Each handmade artisan loaf of bread is
handcrafted with a specific objective in mind.
Even the decorations and slashes on the outer
crust are there for a reason. So when you sit back
and look at your baked artisan loaf, it’s a thing of
beauty, then when you cut it open it oozes with
texture and structure that opens your eyes wide
open and then the taste should play with your
mind with the simple but yet complex flavours you
experience.
The basic function of bread is to sustain life as
food. As for form, why do different breads have
different shapes and looks?
This is because of historical and cultural reasons.
Many breads are shaped or cut (slashed with a
sharp razor blade) to create their own unique
signature not only of the bread but in many cases
of the baker who created it. Slashing your loaf is
all about creating a decorative pattern, telling the
loaf where to ‘burst or erupt’ and most of all it’s
the signature of the baker.
Many breads are shaped for religious reasons such
as Hot Cross Buns and Challah Bread. Breads are
also culturally shaped – for example, the flat
breads of the Middle East are such that they can
be torn and folded into 'spoons' to pick up
sauces, meats and many other small pieces of
food. Bread shapes are very historical but, as
times are changing, we are seeing many breads
crossing borders from one country to another to
satisfy the international hunger for baking bread
and building communities.
Just like creating a sacred space in a temple,
making bread demands knowledge, respect,
quiet, and love. Will bread collapse in the oven
without these elements?
He, he, he. No, your bread will not collapse in the
oven. BUT if you don’t give it these elements it,
for sure, will not come out the best it can be. Like
many things in life, if you are passionate then you
go the extra mile and invest in obtaining the
knowledge and then you apply it until you get it
near prefect. Of course, love, respect, knowledge
are all part of being passionate. At Baker & Cook
our tag line is ‘passion is our main ingredient’ and
we firmly believe that we put an extra measure of
passion into our recipes and service.
What is your favourite bread, and what do you
eat it with?
Now that’s a hard one. I guess my favourite is the
simple pain au levain or sourdough as many
people call it. It contains three ingredients: flour,
salt and water – you don’t have to label wild yeast
as an ingredient as it is a natural airborne
organism. I love it fresh with nice salted butter and
homemade apricot jam.
What is your favourite food in Singapore? Do
you like toast and kaya?
I must say, I do enjoy a good butter chicken curry
and soft pillowy butter naan.
I'm not a fan of industrial soft white bread that is
toasted at all, and kaya is a little too sweet for me.
However my equivalent is a good piece of pain au
levain toasted with lemon curd spread on it.
What advice do you have for someone who is
learning how to make bread?
That’s easy, you MUST come along to our basic
bread baking class. I am serious! Many people
come to our class thinking they know how to make
bread and they come up to me afterwards and
say, “thank you so much. I learnt so much and I
will not knead my dough the old way again". We
teach the ‘slap, pull, fold & rest’ method of
kneading and the results speak for themselves.
Baker & Cook is an artisan bakery and foodstore
chain founded by master global baker Dean
Brettschneider, who has more than 25 years of
experience in the world of baking. Dean is also
author of best selling baking and food books, and
celebrity TV personality.
Story by Carol Kraal. Photographs courtesy of
Dean Brettschneider and Baker & Cook
“
Many breads are shaped for religious
reasons such as Hot Cross Buns and
Challah Bread. Breads are also
culturally shaped – for example, the
flat breads of the Middle East are such
that they can be torn and folded into
'spoons' to pick up sauces, meats and
many other small pieces of food."
DEAN BRETTSCHNEIDER
Pain au levain
Challah
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Singapore architecture and food
FANCY NEIGHBOURS
Singapore may be the only country in the world where Public Housing
nestles next to star architects' creations
Block 5 Tanjong Pagar and OASIA Downtown by WOHA
THE HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (HDB) BLOCK (facing page left) with its colourful laundry
hanging out on poles, sits across the road from the vibrant red facade of OASIA Downtown, an award
winning hotel designed by WOHA with interiors by Patricia Urquiola.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) awarded OASIA the “Best Tall Building
Worldwide”, at their 16th Annual Awards 2018 ceremony in Chicago. The project won not only
because it incorporates 60 stories of green walls along the exterior but because of its significant
commitment to communal space. The tower has given over 40 percent of its volume to open air
communal terraces in the sky.
What to eat in the neighbourhood
1 Buttery croissants at Brasserie Gavroche, 66 Tras Street
2 Homestyle mee siam at Dor's Nonya Place, International Plaza,10 Anson Road
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Singapore architecture and food
Block 8 Empress Road and D'Leedon by Zaha Hadid Architects
D'LEEDON (facing page left) is a stone's throw away from Block 8 Empress Road
Housing Board flats. Typical of this type of Housing Board project sundry shops, clinics,
hawker centre and wet market nestle on the ground floor below the 3-room residential
units.
D'Leedon reflects the flora and greenery of the surrounding environment, and nearby
Botanic Gardens. The towers of d’Leedon are subdivided into ‘petals’ according to the
number of residential units per floor enabling a very large diversity of apartments.
What to eat in the neighbourhood
1 You tiao (crullers-top left) at #01-99 Empress Road Market and Food Centre, 7
Empress Road.
2 Penang char kway teow at Penang Kitchen, 1 Coronation Road.
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Singapore architecture and food
Block 16 Ghim Moh Road and The Star by Andrew Bromberg of Aedas
The Star is a mixed-use project that combines shopping, a 5000-seat concert hall and
mega-church. Sustainability is a key facet of the design, its form shaped to collect
prevailing northerly and southerly breezes and accelerate through the outdoor spaces.
Faceted glass fissures create a balanced composition of positive and negative spaces in
which pedestrians circulate and move along ramps, escalators, terraces and public
gardens.
What to eat in the neighbourhood
1 Hokkien Mee at Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee (Margaret Drive), #01-07 Ghim Moh Market &
Food Centre, 20 Ghim Moh Road
2 Freshly-made appam at Heaven's, #01-26 Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre, 20 Ghim
Moh Road
Story by Carol Kraal
Facing page: The Star nestles in the background
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Making way for the new
B Y E B Y E !
Rochor Centre
THE ICONIC ROCHOR CENTRE public housing estate with its coloured apartment blocks in
red, blue, green and yellow was demolished in June 2018. The housing estate built in the
1970s makes way for the North-South Corridor expressway, which will connect Singapore's
north region to the city centre when completed in 2026.
Photographs by Carol Kraal
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Volta Bench for Citco
JARROD LIM
X
BAREL ITALY
Echoing Hadid’s calligraphic language, Volta is defined by a single
dynamic gesture. The intertwined loop is articulated through a
smooth transition between hard-edged surfaces and soft, fluid,
lines describing the item’s function while ensuring stability to the
overall design.
Immaculately carved from a single block of granite, Volta
combines ZHD’s seamless lines with Citco’s exquisite
craftsmanship. Photograph by Jacopo Spilimbergo
THE YIN SHELVING DESIGNED BY JARROD LIM FOR BAREL
jarrodlim.com
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