Malay food champion hails its reinvention and elevation from hawker centre to fine-dining fare
- Khir Johari won the ‘Oscars’ of culinary literature for his book tracing the history of Malay food, and welcomes chefs’ efforts to present it in new ways
One does not often see a traditional mortar and pestle in the kitchen of a fine-dining restaurant. But there it is, taking pride of place at the newly opened Restaurant Fiz in Singapore’s buzzy Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood, where it is used to coax out the rich, earthy flavours of ingredients used in Malay cuisine.
It is the latest in a small but growing cadre of restaurants in Singapore – and the region – that are focusing on introducing the indigenous flavours, ingredients and dishes of Malay cuisine to fine-dining aficionados.
In Kuala Lumpur, there is the one-Michelin-star contemporary Malaysian restaurant Dewakan, by chef Darren Teoh, as well as Kaum, an Indonesian restaurant based in Jakarta and Bali that focuses on the indigenous cooking methods and exotic ingredients of the country’s tribal communities.
This cuisine is also gaining international recognition on a literal level. At the 2023 Gourmand World Food Culture Awards, Singaporean author Khir Johari’s book, The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels Through the Archipelago, received four accolades in the Singapore division, including best Asian cuisines cookbook, best culinary history book, best printer and best book of the year.
The best book of the year category is the awards’ highest distinction and likened to winning the Oscars: the ultimate accolade for authors who have made significant contributions to the culinary world.
