Original subtitles

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

in pursuit of delicious food

and I've always been fascinated by Singapore.

Here, the obsession with food is real.

I'm exploring the extremes of this food paradise

that marries cultures and cuisines like no other.

From searching for soulful street food

to exploring the heights of fine dining.

It's a love affair with food and I'm ready to eat.

[music fades]

[upbeat music]

Some of the best meals of my life

have been in South Asia.

Freshly made hoppers on the streets of Sri Lanka.

Bone marrow biryani in Pakistan

and I still dream about the amazing curries

I had in Kerala, India.

Wow.

I love Indian food.

I went to an international school

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

I immediately fell in love

with the spices and vibrant flavors.

I remember during lunch I was always excited

to peek into my friends' lunchboxes.

We would exchange home-cooked meals

and Indian food just always stood out to me.

I've been chasing those delicious flavors

all my life.

South Asians have deep roots in Singapore

and an even richer food history.

Recipes, traditions and businesses

have been passed down over generations.

I'm starting my journey in Little India

to eat at one of the oldest Indian vegetarian restaurants

in Singapore.

[music stops]

This is Komala Vilas [joyful music]

a place where time stands still.

Started by Raja's grandfather in 1947

the historic eatery was passed down to his dad

and now, Raja has taken over the reins.

Untouched by Singapore's aggressive renovations

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

It's amazing to think that

your grandfather started this restaurant

before Singapore's independence.

Yeah. We've been around for 75 years.

There were very few restaurants back then.

We were known for traditional Indian vegetarian food

so we want to keep up with the traditions

and since my grandfather's day he always would say

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

[music stops]

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

The d is made with rice flour [Indian music]

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

We put it over the hot plate, roll it up

and it's served with these side dishes.

[Mark] The dosa is just perfectly golden

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

This is sambar, this is one of the main gravies

you get for dosa.

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

[Mark] That crispiness...

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

[Raja] The onion chutney is just

onions and tomatoes ground up.

[Mark chewing]

Oh, that one is amazing.

You taste the tartness of the tomato

and just that aroma

of the onions and that purée.

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

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

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

The p curry is sour from the tamarind

and you really taste the curry leaves in there.

And it has a bit of spice that kicks in.

[Raja] So we change our vegetables every day.

Today we've got cabbage poriyal

pumpkin kootu and lady's finger peratal.

Peratal is the spicier one.

Oh, that okra is amazing.

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

It has a nice crunch to it.

[Raja] We always use fresh vegetables.

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

In a day, we will make the same item

like, once or twice.

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

You're cooking smaller portions

to deliver fresher food to customers.

[music stops]

[Mark] Oh, that's huge.

[Raja] This is called a bhatura.

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

It's made from maida flour.

It's a refined wheat flour.

So we make it into a dough

together with yogurt and oil [bread frying]

we flatten it and then we fry it in oil.

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

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

OK, I'm gonna tear in.

Crispy on the outside so hot on the inside.

[Raja] So bhatura is usually served with chickpea gravy

we call it chana masala

and the base ingredient is onions.

Oh, that's happiness.

Oh, the chana masala

it's one of my favorite types of beans.

The blend of spices in there all of that masala.

That bhatura which has an amazing texture.

You can feel the gooey-ness on the inside

and yet the outside is so crispy and so light.

That combination is just outstanding. [music stops]

And there's one more thing.

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

lime and green chili.

[Mark chewing]

[upbeat music] [Mark laughing]

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

Oh, the dishes just keeps on coming.

[Raja] So this is mini idli sambar.

The idlis are made from urad dal

which is black split beans and rice.

We make it into a batter and let it ferment.

We put it in a mold and we steam it.

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

[Mark] Soaked in that sambar.

[music stops]

[joyful guitar music]

Oh, they're just so fluffy and spongy.

They just absorb the flavor of that sambar.

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

[Raja] And it's served with onion chutney

and coconut chutney.

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

Oh yeah, the tomato onion chutney, the sambar

and then just absorbed into that spongy idli.

On to that coconut.

An amazing dish, I really enjoyed it.

You're really carrying on [music stops]

the legacy of your grandfather here

as the third generation.

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

So it's a huge responsibility

and it's a responsibility that I want to take

and continue with the legacy.

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

[Raja] So I always wanted to open

[relaxing music] an Indian vegetarian restaurant

with a modern take.

My sister and I, we opened up

a bit more modern-themed concept store.

It's called Fennel.

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

do things a little bit different?

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

So I can pretty much be very, very creative

with what we do and what we offer.

We do have the staples there

but with a bit of a twist.

I can't change the traditions here

but we wanted to attract the younger crowd.

And even anyone who thinks vegetarian food

is not as good as non-vegetarian

but I can prove them wrong.

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

but then, I do also

love your idea of starting a new place

to be able to modernize [music fades]

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

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

Thank you.

[upbeat music]

And my next stop is an exciting

fine dining restaurant

and I can't quite put a finger

on the type of food they serve here.

It's helmed by chef-owner Rishi Naleendra

the first ever Sri Lankan born chef

to receive a Michelin star.

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

Welcome to Cloudstreet.

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

- Beautiful place. - Thank you very much.

[music fades]

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

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

Why don't I actually make a couple of dishes

and let you decide how you feel about it?

[Mark] Great.

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

It's pearl oyster meat [jazz music]

very lightly charred.

It's still quite raw

and served with a bit of tsuyu sauce

apples and daikon

and we finish it with a yuzu kosho sorbet.

[Mark] It's extremely refreshing.

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

an Asian taste to it.

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

a little bit Japanese

because of the yuzu, the citrus sorbet.

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

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

[Rishi] It's a big oyster

but we use only the adductor muscle

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

We get it from up North Australia

from Darwin, actually.

Most of the time, people come here

thinking it might be a Sri Lankan meal

or it has a lot of Sri Lankan influence

but it's not. [music fades]

Growing up in Sri Lanka [calm music]

I used to love eating Western food.

Having a burger or having a pizza

was way more exciting for me

than eating Sri Lankan food

and my dad was obsessed with food and eating.

He had a very sensitive palate

but my mom was always the cook.

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

both of your parents?

I think so.

I was always excited to try something different

that didn't have so much chili in it

and was always curious.

That did open me up to this industry

especially with what we do here at Cloudstreet.

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

I wanted to be a really good chef

before your heritage or where you come from.

So it's really, like, unrestrictive.

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

and you can cook anything you want.

So there's a bit of all that influence

that you get throughout the meal

when you come and dine here.

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

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

All right. [instrumental music]

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

it's a roasted turbot

with a Kerala style ishtu.

Ishtu, actually, it stands for stew.

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

Oh, and the curry leaves go in.

- Ginger, green chili. - Oh, man.

That aroma [food frying] of frying curry leaves

just will never get old.

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

than roasting heavy spices.

And now, we just add the onions.

We can add our cauliflower

and you can see how simple it is.

It's not complicated

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

Fish stock.

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

add the coconut milk [coconut milk pouring]

and you just bring it to a boil.

Once the vegetables are soft we just put everything together

and make it into a really smooth sauce.

[music stops]

[calm music] [Rishi] Turbot

this is one of the most European Mediterranean things

that you can actually get.

This comes from Brittany, France.

This dish is a mix of both East and West.

So, Mark, for a change

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

- OK. - Are you OK with that?

Yes.

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

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

Perfect, yup! [fish frying]

Now you just put two fingers and hold it.

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

We have a nice little sear on the bottom there.

[Rishi] Get a little bit of the butter.

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

Now you just baste that fish.

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

- Yep, it's ready. - Wow.

You still have the butter.

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

and then you baste a little bit in butter

and turn it around.

[fish frying]

[Mark] Looks amazingly fatty.

Ready to go.

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

So, it's your time to shine.

We have the finished ishtu

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

[Rishi] The next thing, fillet first.

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

And now just feel free.

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

[Mark] This is my first time

to ever plate a dish like this.

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

And now you can finish with the smoked chicken fat.

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

[music stops]

[Rishi] Here you go, Mark. Roasted turbot

with curry leaf butter. [relaxing music]

Underneath, it's the Kerala style ishtu

made with chicken tail and tomatoes

and finished with a little bit of smoked chicken fat.

[Mark] That fish...

it just melts in your mouth

and you do immediately taste those curry leaves

taking it back to that South Asian flavor

that's so distinct.

I definitely got a chicken tail in that bite

but I'm extremely excited to try that fin

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

That fin is unbelievable.

Just fat that just completely liquefies

like straight fish oil in your mouth.

Chef Rishi. Can I get a refill, please?

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

You can taste that South Asian influence

but at the same time, the mouthfeel was

- more of a Western dish. - Yeah.

That's how we've structured

the textures and the cooking of the fish.

And it looks like

- a very Western sort of dish. - Yeah.

And then you've been taken to

a completely different landscape

from what you actually saw on the plate.

So I hope we achieved that goal with you.

Yes. [music stops]

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

It's made with celtuce

and I have a little bit more extra celtuce juice.

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

which will bring a very nice, sweet note.

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

This is something definitely out of the ordinary.

It's kind of hard when you go down there

it feels frozen on the bottom.

Wow. Look at those different layers.

Celtuce, or celery lettuce

has this kind of herbal taste to it

and yet it's contrasted by just enough sweetness

and just enough acidity to bring it all together.

[Rishi] We use the stem of the celtuce

we juice it and we turn that into a sorbet.

There's a little bit of confit celtuce inside

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

and with a little bit of coriander leaves.

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

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

That's... [music stops]

a dessert like I've never had before.

Chef Rishi, this was a great ending.

Thank you very much. [chill music]

[Mark] So, along with Cloudstreet

you also have a Sri Lankan restaurant now.

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

some of my heritage and culture to Singapore.

And bring some of the dishes that I love

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

And I'm a very proud Sri Lankan

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

So how did your parents feel about your cooking?

They haven't eaten at Kotuwa.

When they come to Singapore

one of my dad's favorite things to eat

is fish head curry.

He loves eating local food

because it's very different from

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

I love fish head curry myself.

You can't leave Singapore

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

[upbeat music] Fish head curry

is a uniquely Singaporean dish

that's a hybrid of Indian and Chinese cuisines.

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

who wanted to cater to Chinese customers.

As fish head is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine

pairing it with Indian curry made it a hit.

Samy's Curry has been serving

authentic South Indian food

for the past 50 years

and their fish head curry is legendary.

As soon as you take those steps up through the forest

to get to this restaurant

the anticipation is almost unbearable.

And when you're inside [music stops]

it's almost a canteen style dining hall

with the fans rattling. [relaxing music]

Founded by Mr. Veerasamy in the early sixties

the restaurant is a family business

now run by his son and granddaughter Jyothi.

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

I cannot come to Singapore without eating here.

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

And as a Sri Lankan, you'd think

you know how a curry should taste

but it's just so different to me.

It's such a Singaporean thing to eat.

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

- Oh, hello. - Hello.

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

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

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

[Mark] Thank you very much.

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

Oh, wow.

- Go for it, Mark. - Thank you.

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

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

A really good amount of flesh.

It tastes different when you use your hands.

Because you can feel the texture of the food

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

[Rishi] A hundred percent.

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

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

[Mark] That is totally right.

When that flavor hits your tongue

that curry sauce is so flavorful

it can be considered a beverage.

You can literally drink it.

And then when that sauce

is kind of coating every grain of that rice?

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

And I love how the fish meat itself

just absorbs that flavor.

That fish head was made to swim in curry.

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

That eggplant is so creamy

you taste the mustard seed and the curry leaves

just melt on your tongue.

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

We don't need to fight for the eyes.

No.

Oh, the eyeball is amazing.

Like an oyster or something.

Just a different flavor to it.

It's just a truly magical experience.

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

you might be able to do here

drink straight from the spoon.

[Rishi] Go for it.

That's so tasty.

Oh, wow.

Oh, that's one of the most satisfying bites

I've ever had in my life.

The flavor just keeps on building and just...

that sauce just coats every single taste bud of yours.

Taste buds you didn't even know you had.

Oh, that's extraordinary.

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

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

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

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

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

[music stops]

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

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

- Hello, how are you? - Hello.

- Hello. - Hi, how was everything?

- Absolutely amazing. - Amazing.

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

Sure.

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

Yeah, we absolutely love your fish head curry.

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

[Indian music]

[Jyothi] We start frying the spices

the onion, the garlic the tomatoes [food frying]

and the vegetables.

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

So we make the sauce first

and then we'll add in the fish.

[music stops]

Fish head is actually not part of South Indian cuisine.

We created the fish head curry [music continues]

to satisfy the Chinese or Peranakan customer base

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

Was it first created here by your granddad

or it started way before?

It started way before that

but we were one of the first few restaurants

to actually get it going.

My grandfather experimented with a lot of ingredients and spices

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

and there's one secret ingredient

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

The recipe itself is about 50 years old.

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

And I really hope it stays that way.

Yeah, people have been coming to Samy's

for generations.

Along with the insanely delicious food

it holds so much sentimental value for people.

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

but it was a massive no from our customers.

We went around, we asked them

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

It's not just a concrete building.

This place has a soul to it.

There's this charm here

that's almost impossible to explain in words.

You can only understand it

- once you've been here. - Yeah.

What made you join the family business?

This restaurant has been part of my life.

As I was growing up

this was like a second home to me.

But when I was 19

because my father's health wasn't very good

I had to take over immediately.

I mean, I did grow up with it

but I wasn't prepared for

the actual being a boss, handling staff

and handling the restaurant all alone.

So I had to actually learn from my staff

and I think some of them

were really proud and they were saying

I wish your grandfather was around to see you.

- To see you, yeah. - Yeah.

My father doesn't compliment me

but he goes to other people and say it.

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

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

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

I had my dad eat at my restaurant

and he told my mom the restaurant

itself is a lot more impressive than his food.

It's very rare to get a compliment.

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

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

And until his last days

it was something that he remembered.

I mean, Chef Rishi and I

we've been smiling from the moment

we stepped into this restaurant.

It's just pure happiness.

Thank you so much, thank you. Thank you.

[music stops]

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

even in the cocktail scene

and I'm super excited about this bar.

It's called The Elephant Room.

[upbeat music]

All of their ingredients are freshly sourced

from the local Little India

and their spirits are imported from India.

I ordered the cocktail Asura which is lime leaves

curry leaves and pandan infused into the alcohol

and then served with curry foam on the top.

[Mark slurping]

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

I probably have a curry foam mustache.

Oh, you taste the pineapple juice in there.

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

It really tastes like [cocktail pouring]

a creamy, coconut milk foam.

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

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

because of the complexity of ingredients [food frying]

and the generally spicy flavors.

And I love spicy.

I personally have a lot more experience

with traditional South Asian cuisine

so it was cool to meet some chefs

who are putting their own twist on familiar ingredients

but at the same time still having

access to traditional dishes

that can be enjoyed by generations to come.

[music stops]

[upbeat music]

[music stops]