Two chefs leading the charge to bring heritage foods into the 21st century—in the hopes of preserving these culinary treasures—share with us one of their favourite creations
After shutting his eponymous restaurant in Singapore last February and returning to his birthplace Taiwan, feted chef André Chiang has been busy nurturing young talents and building new concepts across Asia. His latest, Sichuan Moon, which opened at the Wynn Palace Macau in March, aims to put Sichuan cuisine on the global map. Ingeniously reinterpreted for today, the menu spotlights the complexity of the cuisine via a provocative menu of elevated dishes. It’s headed by former Restaurant André chef Zor Tan, who achieved much success at both Raw in Taipei and Restaurant André.
The aim of reimagining traditional cuisine for a new generation of diners is easy enough to understand and appreciate, but the task is anything but easy. The dishes need to be creative without being gimmicky. One of the biggest challenges, shares Chiang, lies in the fact that everyone thinks they know Sichuan cuisine. "So, whatever you do, the flavours have to make sense."
Also based in Taiwan, Singapore’s Jimmy Lim of JL Studio—this year’s recipient of the prestigious Miele One To Watch Award at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants—is finding huge success in championing his take on modern Singaporean cuisine, but using ingredients sourced from surrounding farms in the Taichung area. It’s a cuisine, he explains, that is inspired by flavours of his childhood, one that reflects his upbringing and cultural influences.
“My aim is to create dishes that are modern and more elegant adaptations (of familiar dishes and flavours) but still very Singaporean," Lim tells us. "Every dish has a different inspiration, a unique perspective."