All language subtitles for Food.Affair.with.Mark.Wiens.S01E01.1080p.WEB.h264-KOGi

[bus passing by]

[upbeat music]
[Audio Engineer] Speed.

[PA] Episode one,
prologue, take one.

[AD] And action, Mark!
[music stops]

Hey everyone, hope you're having
an amazing day. It's Mark Wiens.

I'm in Singapore
and today for lunch

I'm going to
a restaurant right here.

It's called
A.M. Vegetarian Food.

So, one of the
foundations of how I

really learnt and
developed to enjoy food

from all over the world

is that I grew up
with my parents

who are missionaries
and we travelled

and we lived in a number
of different countries.

And so I was born in
the United States

but since my mom
was Chinese

we grew up eating
a lot of Chinese food.

And my mom is
originally from Hawaii

where there's a melting
pot of Asian cultures.

So I loved eating
Chinese food

I loved eating
Japanese food

Korean food,
Hawaiian food.

When I was about
four and a half years old

we moved to our
first country

outside of the
United States

and that was France.

That was another thing
that really influenced me

is being able to
travel with my family

when I was growing up

having exposure to

a variety of different
cultures and their foods.

I love the
flavor of foods.

I love how food also just
brings people together.

And I love the happiness
[Mark laughing]

that food brings.

Delicious.

And so, I have so
many memories of

gathering with friends or
family around delicious food

and they're just
positive memories.

And then on top of that,
as I continued to travel

I noticed that

every single culture
around the world

has some sort
of special food

food that they
find comfort in.

And so, food is

something that is
really close to

so many of our hearts.

And that's why I think

I enjoy sharing
food with others

why I enjoy
making videos about food

and just the people
that appreciate it.

It's been a lot of fun
and this is really good.

[Mark's sister laughing]

I think we got it all.
[both laughing]

[Mark] I'm a vlogger
who travels the world

in pursuit of
delicious food

and I've always been
fascinated by Singapore.

Here, the obsession
with food is real.

I'm exploring the extremes
of this food paradise

that marries cultures and
cuisines like no other.

From searching
for soulful street food

to exploring the heights
of fine dining.

It's a love
affair with food

and I'm ready to eat!

[music fades]

[upbeat music]
The last time I was in Singapore

was about six years ago
so I'm excited to be back

and I remember
eating a lot of street food

or what they call hawker food

and that's still a huge part
of the food scene.

But the one thing
that's really taken off

is the fine dining.

[steak grilling]

Singapore has some of
the highest rated restaurants

in the world.
But back in the '90s

fine dining was
pretty much non-existent.

I'm here to meet
Chef Justin Quek

who, along with a few friends

started Singapore's
first independent

fine dining restaurant in 1994.

He's kind of like the godfather

and I'm curious to know
how he did it.

[music fades]

[Justin] Actually,
those days in Singapore

there were
a few French restaurants

but they do classical cooking.

- Rich and creamy.
- Yeah.

But I tweaked it.
80% French, 20% Asian.

- Ah. Okay.
- Using less cream and butter

and top quality ingredients.

So when Asians tried it,
they said

"Wow, that is
really something new."

And they loved it!

Justin describes his food
as French-Asian fine dining.

A blend of French techniques

with the delicate flavors
of Asian cuisine.

Wow, Chef Justin,
beautiful place here.

I love the decor.
[music stops]

Love these plates.

Thank you, Mark. And today
I'd like to share with you

two of my signature dishes

- Great.
- that have formed my philosophy

from day one until now.

[calm music]
This is my mushroom cappuccino

which I created
when I opened my restaurant

- in the '90s.
- Oh, wow.

It's wild mushroom broth,
with a touch of milk

cream and butter, that's it.
And I froth it up.

It's served with
a little praline toast

hazelnut paste,
with some sea salt

and roasted hazelnut.

Oh man, I love
that frothiness on top.

Oh, wow.
It's fluffy, it's foamy.

It's like a condensed
mushroom umami

that's just coming through
so nicely.

And it contains
no chicken stock.

Just wild mushrooms and water.

Oh, man.

And now, have a bite of

the praline toast.

[Mark chewing]

And you drink the soup again.

Yeah, you've got that hazelnut
like, salty sweetness.

- Absolutely.
- And flakiness.

Not too rich, not too heavy.

- Indeed.
- My god, it's delicious.

We're off to a wonderful start.

Thank you.

So this is my chef's platter.
[music fades]

Prepared according to season
and also our specialty.

[Mark] Wow.

[African music]
What you have here is

a ceviche of
Kagoshima hamachi

with ginger flower
[scissors cutting]

microgreens and crispy parmesan.

[Mark] You can really smell

something bright and citrusy.

[Mark chewing]

That hamachi
just melts in your mouth.

[Justin smiling]
Fantastic.

[Justin] Next is the
smoked mackerel parfait

with royal
Oscietra caviar.

It's about balance.

The savoriness from the caviar

the silkiness from the parfait.

It just melts
in the mouth.

Oh man, you can
feel the creaminess.

- It's very light, right?
- Yeah.

- Not heavy at all.
- Yeah...

- Lighter than it looks.
- Your lip... got gold.

[Justin laughing]

Oh, gold. I had gold on my lip!
[both laughing]

All right,
I'll go for another bite.

They really complement
each other.

Thank you.

[spoon stirring]

[Justin]
The third dish is har gow

but it's not your
usual har gow .

Instead of prawns,
we put in scallop, uni

coupled with
yuzu lobster emulsion

white asparagus
and ikura roe.

Did you say
the uni is within...

It's inside the har gow.

We have to
dehydrate the uni

to make it more like a paste.

From there, we mix it
into the har gow.

- Not easy to do, but we did it.
- Yeah.

This especially
has meaning for me

because when I was growing up
I used to love eating dim sum.

And one of the things I always
had to order is har gow

and har gow
is a shrimp dumpling

steamed.

And so, this is
Chef Justin's version.

[Mark chewing]

OK, that's the bite right there.

So delicate
so balanced.

Oh, that foam, the uni.

Oh, I love it.
And then lastly?

[Justin] The French oyster
trés trés grande.

That means very big, extra sized

because the Chinese
like big oysters.

So what we do
is just lightly poach it.

Poaching oysters is a skill.

If you overcook the oyster

it will be rubbery.
[spoon stirring]

We serve it
with some royal chives

and superior soya sauce.

And not forgetting
the crispy vegetables.

A very Cantonese style
but using French oysters.

[Mark] Wow.

[Mark chewing]

Yeah.

Oh man, the soy sauce.

It works together, right?

Everything kind of just...
absorbs

that beautiful soy sauce.

I cannot let this soy sauce
and the soup mixture go to waste

so I'm gonna... shot this.

So good.

Everything has
a different flavor to it.

A different texture,
a different flavor

and they all go together,
like, in a harmony

when you're eating them
altogether.

Everything is
so thoughtfully combined

thoughtfully placed.

[music stops]

I have to ask you

how did you start your career?

Were you interested in
European or French cuisine

from when you were growing up?

My career as a chef

[calm music]
came by accident.

My mom is a fruit seller.

After my time in army

I thought, "Hey, I wanna
go travel the world."

So, my friend said,
"Why don't you go sailing?"

So I went to be a steward.

A steward, so I made the rooms
and cleaned the floor.

So this was, like,
a cruise ship?

- It's more of a merchant ship.
- OK, all right.

After I sailed for three months

the cook got hepatitis B
so I was

- pushed up to be a cook.
- [Mark] Oh, cool.

[Justin] When I was in
the French kitchen

I told myself that I'm gonna
learn French cuisine.

I spent every
single cent I had.

I went to France
for training with no pay.

You eat only
leftover food.

So, being Singaporean and
being an Asian boy

they looked down on us.

"You don't speak my language?
Forget it."

"You can pick salad and
chop herbs."

The first French word
I learnt in the kitchen

is nettoyage.
It means washing.

But for me,
it was never a problem.

I'm the first one in the kitchen

and the last to go home.

Until one day
they gave me a stove and said

"Justin, today
you'll take over this stove."

The rest is history.

I loved it because
this training I got

was something money cannot buy.

The language, the culture

the cuisine,
and the philosophy.

The four things I learnt
when I was in France.

[Mark] Justin was a pioneer
who paved the way

for Singapore's
fine dining scene.

[funk music]

One that's continued to
evolve over the decades

and now boasts
a respected industry.

It's home to the most
Michelin-starred restaurants

in Southeast Asia.

And sitting at the top
of that list is Zén

with its coveted
three stars.

Started by renowned
Swedish Chef

Born Frantzén.

Zén offers an immersive

three-story dining
experience.

[music stops]
[door shaking]

It's locked.

[bird singing]
[water flowing]

[door shaking]

Have you ever been
to a restaurant

where the door is locked?

It really feels like a home.

I'm going to
try ringing the bell.

[doorbell ringing]

[door opening]

- Hello, sir.
- Hello.

- Well, come in.
- Thank you very much.

- How are you today?
- Great!

Great. Welcome to Zén!

- Thank you so much.
- We will start you off here.

I kept you the
window seat.

- Awesome.
- Just have a seat over here.

Thank you.

Entering the restaurant

feels so homely immediately.

Like you're entering into
a friend's home.

This is our arakor.

It's a very classic
Swedish dish.

Mostly we do it
like a potato rosti

but this is a potato roll

we fill it with sour cream

then top it off
with vendace roe.

So it's a delicacy from
the northern part of Sweden

and then some pickled red onion.

I recommend two bites.

That's a good tip.
[music fades]

Wow.

It is great to know
to eat it in two bites.

Otherwise, I probably
would have one-bited it.

[calm music]
Look at the detail.

Look at those little
tiny micro herbs

on the top there.

[Mark biting]

[Mark chewing]

There are so many flavors
that just keep on coming.

A hint of acidity

like a creamy factor,
a crunchy factor.

[Mark chewing]

Wow. That's so delicate.

So refined,
so much detail.

That's delicious.

[joyful music]

[Mark] The dining experience
here has different parts.

You start off
with some canapés

then you move on
to this counter

where you're introduced
to all the ingredients

that are used
in your meal.

We'll start you off
with scallops.

They come from the Isle of Mull.

They're hand dived.

- Big kudos to the divers.
- They're huge!

They actually picked them
up in the super cold waters.

They develop a lot of glucose

which is what makes them sweet.

We're also eating
a signature dish of ours

which is the onion soup.

So, this is just
the holy trinity of onion

- liquorice and almonds.
- [Mark] Wow.

For the main course,
we're having lamb.

So, this is a milk-fed lamb
from the French Pyrenees

aged inhouse for about ten days.

- Oh. I can't wait to try it.
- I hope you're hungry.

Yes!
[music stops]

Right this way!
[jazz music]

[Mark] Now, I'm heading
to the next floor

for the main courses.

I'm really looking
forward to seeing

what they do
with those ingredients.

The man behind it all is

Executive Chef
Tristin Farmer.

All right, we're gonna
start you off with

our first course,
a crudo serving.

Something bright,
something fresh.

So you've seen the scallops.

Obviously
they're shucked to order.

We're dressing that with
Amalfi lemon kosho

some radishes,
some myoga ginger

and we're infusing it

with truffle dashi.
[joyful music]

[Mark] Oh man,
the radish perfectly layered

over those scallops,
which are thinly sliced.

So many details to this dish.

I can't wait to try this.

[Mark chewing]

That has to be
the silkiest, smoothest

scallop that
I've ever had.

[Mark] This, to me, really
is a harmony of both

Nordic and Japanese
flavors and techniques.

The quality of
the ingredients

and the freshness

it's really shining
in this dish.

I never want
that scallop to end.

[music stops]

Chef Tristin, how would you
describe the food here?

Is it more Japanese or Nordic?
[chill music]

You could almost say it's like

a take on a
Nordic kaiseki.

Nordic-inspired using
a lot of Japanese techniques

and especially for us
based in Singapore

we're very produce-driven.

We're so lucky because we've got
the best of both worlds here.

We can get
the best produce from Europe

and also from Japan
and it's coming to us daily.

Wow. And I like how

every ingredient is there
for a reason.

It's all about the ingredients.

We don't wanna
put things on the plate

that's not necessary.

We're trying to let
the ingredient speak for itself.

It's a lot of depth

and a lot of complexity
to it as well.

So, are you ready
for the next course?

We got one of
our signature servings here.

This is a guests' favorite,
the onion soup.

Made from the Roscoff onions
and then to finish...

liquorice powder
and also some liquorice cream.

[Mark] You can already
tell that there are so many

different textures in here.

You wanna make sure to
scoop all the way to the bottom

because there's more
components to it

on the bottom.

[Mark sniffing]

[Mark chewing]

[Mark giggling]

Oh, wow!

That is so much
more than you expect.

[Mark] The crunch of the
almonds, the creaminess

almost has a buttery, oniony
feeling to it on your tongue

and then the foam just kind of
coats your entire mouth.

The liquorice!

The liquorice comes
as the final taste that you get

just subtly there.

Incredibly tasty
all the way to the last drip.

Wow. That was
unbelievable.

[liquid pouring]

All right.
[music stops] [tray putting]

So, the idea
with the lamb.

[Latin music]
[lamb grilling]

You want to get a lot of
barbecue flavor into it

without overcooking it.

So, we call it
HIIT-cardio style cooking.

It's on the fire for, like,
30 seconds

on really intense heat

then we let it rest
for five minutes.

And we continue that
for about 45 minutes

until we bring the lamb
right up to temperature.

Perfect, there we go. Thank you.

Stand by sauce.
Lots of nice oil inside.

[Tristin] We then have cooked
egg yolk emulsion

and also the morels
and also some wild asparagus

and then roses, grilled hard
over the open fire

and then a lighter style
lamb sauce to finish off.

- Thank you, Chef.
- All right. You're welcome.

That is beautiful.
[joyful music]

You can see that crispy
lamb skin that Chef mentioned

was blasted with fire.

[Mark laughing]

Oh, wow!
So tender.

So juicy
with that skin

that has that intensity
of smokiness.

That technique of
grilling it and letting it rest

not only cooks it to perfection
but it seals in those juices.

This has kind of, like,
earthy elements to it

natural flavors.

Oh yeah, come,
take a look at this.

You can see the morel,
stuffed on the inside.

[Mark chewing]

[Mark laughing]

That has such a meatiness to it

and it's so silky.

Wow. OK, more lamb.

I'm gonna mop it up
with my piece of lamb.

[music stops]

You can tell that everything
has been so well thought out.

What does it take

to achieve this level,
this standard?

The details matter,
they really do.

We are almost obsessed
over details

because
we are looking at it, like

"How does the guest
see the experience?"

And then just
build it with herbs.

[Tristin]
It takes a lot of people

to put this together every day.

It sounds very cliché

but it's true you're nothing
without the team.

Yeah, please don't overcook it,
all right?

Perfect.
You're doing a great job.

And what I always say
to all the guys here is

whether it's polishing a glass
or cooking the lamb

if you're not scoring
a nine out of ten or above

you know we need to do it again.
And we just focus that way

and everything else
naturally falls into place.

I love that philosophy.

Now it's time
to relax a little bit.

We're gonna invite you up
[upbeat music]

for a few more desserts.

So, by this point

guests would have had
14 courses or so.

I love how you start to
feel more and more comfortable

throughout your meal, especially
with the amazing service.

It's been
a fantastic experience.

No, it's my pleasure.

Singapore has a very competitive

especially, fine dining scene.

How do you stay
at the top of your game?

First thing I noticed
when we came to Singapore

is actually
there's a massive spectrum.

A lot of different
price points from

hawker stands to
fine dining restaurants.

Restaurants that have really
good food, really good service

they do well,
they're super busy.

And we use
the best luxury products

from Europe, from Japan.

We're a team of 42
for 25 guests per service.

We want to just give each guest
the best experience

and you're happy when you leave.
That's all we need to do.

And have you always been
into cooking?

So, I wanted to be a chef
since I was young.

I left school
when I was 16

and I knew straight away
when I was leaving

that I wanted to cook.

It was always a passion
up to a point

that I get very addicted
to my job

and I think it's the best job
in the world.

But maybe, actually,
yours is the best

because you just get
to eat food, right?

Yes.
[Mark laughing]

Well, I think
we can hang out well together.

As long as I'm cooking, right?

- You'll cook and I'll eat.
- Yeah, of course.

[Mark] The experience
here was unforgettable.

The moment I entered
the door it was as if

I walked into
the lunch party of my life.

The food, the
warm hospitality

the thought and detail
put into everything.

Thank you very much for coming.

[Mark] I left with a
very full stomach

as I said goodbye to
my new friends.

Thank you...
[music fades]

- Good night.
- Thank you...

- Bye-bye.
- Thank you...

[upbeat music]

[Mark] Like Tristin said

there's a wide spectrum
of food options

here in Singapore

from hawker to
fine dining.

What's remarkable is
how the best of both

worlds is equally revered.

So, I wanted to know

where a top fine dining
chef like Tristin

goes for his
hawker food fix.

[both laughing
and talking]

We're at the famous
Adam Road Food Center

home to plenty
of local fare.

But one stall
with an unmissable line

clearly stands out...

Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak.

Nasi lemak has a special
place in Singaporean hearts.

It's a well-loved Malay
dish of fluffy coconut rice

sambal, a kind
of chili sauce

and various garnishes.

It's found
in most hawker centers

and cost around
$3 and up.

Abdul Malik
inherited the business

from his father
and turned it into

a successful chain of
50 outlets.

This remains his
original flagship stall

and the lines
haven't subsided

despite the expansion.
[music fades]

Hi, guys. Come.

- Oh, wow.
- Yes, Malik.

- Nasi lemak.
- Here it is!

The Royal Rumble.
[joyful music]

We call it the
Royal Rumble

because we've got
everything here.

And of course,
the star is the rice.

We put pandan

[lemongrass hitting]

lemongrass

and we use basmati rice.
[rice pouring]

[coconut milk pouring]
We stir it

and cook with
coconut water

in the rice.

And of course,
the chili, the sambal.

We call it the Red Gold.

We cook with
the best ingredients

for four hours.

All right, Tristin,
let's dig in.

I've gotta try this rice first.

This rice is so fragrant.

The texture of that rice

it almost just crumbles
in your mouth

but you have that amazing flavor
of the coconut

and the pandan.

And then, with the sambal

it has a little bit of
spice to it.

It's a little bit sweet

but it's such
a harmony of flavor.

Just the right amount of heat.

That's why I call it
the Red Gold.

Yeah, I can see why.

We have a secret
ingredient inside.

Seafood from Japan

cooked by my principal, my mom.

- Wow.
- You'd better say it's nice.

Nice!
[Tristin laughing]

Can we have the recipe?

- No.
- No?

[both laughing]
[music stops]

So then, the chicken.
[upbeat music]

We marinate the chicken
for one whole day.

Dip inside the batter

and we fry it.
[chicken frying]

The peanuts
come from India

and the ikan bilis
from Vietnam.

What type of fish is
the ikan bilis?

- It's anchovies. Yeah.
- OK.

The fish is a fresh fish.

We marinate it with turmeric

and we get it really fried
[fish frying]

so you can even eat the head.

Then the potato cutlet.

We mashed it, coat it in egg
[fork whipping]

and then we just fry it.
[potato frying]

The otak is mackerel fish
with a bit of spice.

- What spices?
- Huh?

What spices
inside the otak?

Secret ingredients inside.

- OK.
- I cannot tell a chef.

All right,
we're moving on.

I guess I gotta go straight in
for that fried chicken.

And again, nothing
can go un-sambal-ed .

The sambal is actually
an amazing texture.

It's very smooth,
almost like a spreadable jam.

It's like a chili jam.

The crispiness of that...

It's oily and juicy
all the way to the bone.

OK, maybe the egg next.

With the sambal
and some of that rice.

Oh, the egg is, like,
so silky smooth

all the way through
to the center.

You barely even feel
the starchiness of the yolk.

The egg is amazing.

And then, the fried fish.

[Mark biting]

Crispy all the
way through.

You can eat
the whole face.

[music stops]

[joyful music]
[Mark] For me, nasi lemak

is really
one of those dishes that...

it's really a sum of
all the parts

combined on your plate.

All the different ingredients

all the different items
are important

but that sambal is
really something special.

Using quality ingredients
has that been

something
you've always been pushing for?

Like what my dad always told me
the customer is always the boss.

So, let the boss eat
quality food.

Everything is the best quality.

[Tristin] This is the secret
to anything, right?

Regardless of the cuisine

it has to start
with good ingredients.

You don't have good ingredients,
it's not the same product.

Correct.
That's part of the reason

a lot of people come here.

And people come here
for the atmosphere

the hawker culture
that we have here.

So we need to keep

the culture of hawkers
going in Singapore.

I'll tell you, the best food...

sorry, is not in restaurants

the best food in Singapore
is at the hawker centers.

- This is the heart and soul
- [Malik] Yes.

- of Singapore.
- Yep.

Yeah.
[music stops]

I mean, it's amazing
that you have 50 outlets now.

What continues to drive you?

Seriously,
I am not the kind of person

who likes to cook.

I wanted to
become a pilot.

I honestly wanted to
become a pilot.

- Yeah?
- But my dad, he said

"If you pilot the aeroplane"

"who's going to pilot the shop?"

So actually,
quite a few years ago now

I had the honor
to eat here which I loved.

And also,
it was a privilege back then

when I met your father.
[emotional music]

My dad is a very special guy
in my heart as well.

Two weeks before he passed away

he told me this

"Malik, make a promise with me."

"Promise me
you'll expand the business."

"Second promise,
please take care of"

"your siblings and your mom."

So I was like... you know

I...

I didn't know what to...

I didn't know what to say.

So I told him,
"OK, fine. I promise."

And yet, I didn't know
what I was supposed to do.

So I went out. I sat
down outside the lift

and I...

I sat down there and I cried.

After he passed away,
a few months later

I'm so lucky

my partner,
who is our regular customer

came down and
talked to me.

He said, "Do you want to
open ten outlets in ten years?"

We managed to open, in six years

- 50 outlets today.
- Wow.

That is, like, wow.

Thank you for sharing your story

and for carrying on
the legacy of your father.

I'm just glad that
we can really celebrate

your family
and your father

through his nasi lemak.

Some customers come down here
because of him.

Because
they remember him to be...

Sorry, man.
[Malik laughing]

No problem, man.

He started something special

- and look at it now.
- [Mark] Yeah.

Think of how proud he would be
to see the queue. All right?

Maybe he'd give me the recipe.

[all laughing]

[music stops]

[joyful music]

A sweet ending
to an amazing experience.

It's called bandung which is a
[ice stirring]

Malay drink
that includes condensed milk

and rose syrup.

I really had an amazing time

meeting all the chefs

and something
that's really stood out to me

is the dedication to using
high quality ingredients

and the passion that
they put in.

It's just incredible that
in Singapore

you can go to an extremely
high-end fine dining restaurant

but then you can also come to

a humble, laid-back
hawker stall.

And I think it's that energy,
when you're here

it makes you wanna
just keep eating.

If you're a foodie,
if you love to eat

Singapore has something
to offer everyone.

[upbeat music]

[music stops]