Despite her regular collaborations with top-tier culinary organisations and chefs, Shermay readily acknowledges that it is the everyday hawkers who keep the cultural heritage of our society alive. Here, she speaks to Singapore Tatler about hawker culture in Singapore and reveals her favourite local food haunts.
Shermay indulges in a scrumptious spread of hawker fare at the Malaysian Food Street at Resorts World Sentosa with chef friends and colleagues Audrey Tan (centre) and Hidayat Cosnan (left)
Food has always been a big part of Shermay Lee’s life. The Le Cordon Bleu-trained boss lady, who established culinary institute Shermay’s Cooking School in 2003, picked up cooking at the age of five from her Peranakan grandmother. The older matron also inspired her two cookbooks—the first having won two Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2003 accolades. In 2004, the investment-banker-turned-chef’s knowledge and skills in local cuisine brought her and a team of other notable chefs to the Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival at The Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, California. She has also served as a guest judge of culinary competitions and identified top talents for the World Gourmet Series Awards of Excellence both locally and regionally. Despite her regular collaborations with top-tier culinary organisations, restaurants and chefs, Shermay readily acknowledges that it is the everyday hawkers who keep the cultural heritage of our society alive.
Local street food is… more honest, exotic and varied than what restaurants offer. Plus, it’s cheap, fast and convenient.
The older generation of hawkers… are the ones carrying on our traditions and preserving our national taste memory, recipes, and culinary tools and skills. I admire them for being so specialised in just a few dishes or variations of the same, over many years. Most, if not all, also source locally, inadvertently resulting in a low carbon footprint, and provide their customers the luxury of having a meal cooked a la minute (prepared to order) and customised—for example, no cockles or less chilli—all for a few dollars. And their dishes are accessible to a wide section of our population.
I recently discovered… the Malaysian Food Street at Resorts World Sentosa. Must-tries are the char kway teow, chicken rice balls and black Hokkien mee.
Another of my local food haunts is… Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice at Balestier Road, which is near my dad’s clinic.