The Scoop: New Italian Inspiration At La Strada, Long-lost Heritage Dishes At Folklore, Fun Plates At Le Bon Funk And More

"Folklore marks its first anniversary with an updated menu that further plumbs the time-honoured family recipes of its Peranakan-Eurasian chef Damian D’Silva. D’Silva insists on using age-old, time-consuming techniques to yield deep and soulful flavours from his food, so he takes no shortcuts in recreating traditional dishes like Ikan Assam Surani ($30), a delicate baby threadfin smothered in a sweet and sour gravy. The recipe calls for precise slicing of garlic, shallots and chillies by hand into specific, consistent sizes so the nuances of the ingredients can be drawn out when cooked. Combing local wet markets, the chef seeks out forgotten ingredients like sukun, or breadfruit, to whip up the classic Malay dish of Sayur Lodeh ($16) with young jackfruit, beancurd and tempeh in a creamy curry. Other highlights from the new menu include an Indonesian dish of Sotong Masak Sambal Belado (market price), which features fresh, sweet squid cooked in a fiery, bright sambal of tomatoes, chillies, lime and lemon basil leaves, and Prawn Sambal With Petai ($26), D’Silva’s all-time favourite recipe passed down by his grandmother." - Michelin Guide Digital-Singapore