The Jumping Table – The Quintessential Malay Feast

It was only after I had lived a few years away from Singapore, that I truly appreciated having grown up in its famously multi-racial milieu. For one, Singapore has bred in me an ethnic tolerance and appreciation that I’ve come to take for granted; for another, it’s given me an omnivorous palate, and taught me the pleasures of indulging in as wide a range of cuisines as possible.

Whenever I get invited to a traditional celebration by a Malay or Indian friend, I see it as a special treat – especially when it involves food.

For me, nothing evokes the Malay love for family, friends and food, and a good time, like the ‘kenduri’. The Malay wedding features the quintessential -- and one of the most common – forms of kenduri. Who hasn’t encountered one in an HDB void deck; seen the ‘ma-chiks’ huddled together and busy with the food preparation; or smelled the delicious aromas wafting up to the upper floors, and heard the music and merrymaking?

Kenduri (pronounced ken-doo-ree) is Malay for ‘feast’. A kenduri is joyous, age-old, and versatile. Kenduris are organized to celebrate everything from weddings, circumcisions and birthdays, to anniversaries, ‘graduations’ from religious or silat (martial art) studies, festivals like Hari Raya, and even first-time pregnancies and the first haircut of a 40-day-old infant. Seems anything is fair excuse for a kenduri. And why not?

Kenduris bring people together in a riot of communal good spirits. Everybody chips in: grandmas to five-year-olds help in cooking, decorating, serving, and running errands, all in the spirit of ‘gotong royong’ (or cooperation). And everyone – guests and all – always has a fun time.

Missing the flavors of the kenduri spread that I grew up eating and loving, I approached one of my favorite chefs recently.

Bubbly and big-spirited Chef Arni used to run a well-known eatery with her husband -- Arni & Yusof -- at Far East Plaza on Scotts Road. The Arni & Yusof kitchen was originally helmed by Arni’s mother, from whom she learned the ropes and succeeded several years ago. I’ve been a patron of the stall for more than 12 years until they closed for good a few months ago. The feast that Arni prepared for my friends and I was replete with the traditional dishes and desserts of the kenduri, including mutton, nasi brani, chicken, pacheri, and in particular, kek kukus, a rarely seen caramelized cake.

A Wedding Kenduri

23 March 2013

Nasi Brani Dum

Kambing Masak Rempah Brani

Mutton in Brani Paste

Rendang Lembu

Beef Rendang

Ayam Masak Merah

Chicken in Chili and Tomato Paste

Sotong Masak Hitam

Squid in Black Ink

What got me hooked on Arni & Yusof in the first place -- sotong masak hitam for more than 12 years.

  

Udang Sambal

Sambal Prawn

Vegetables

Dalcha  / Pacheri  / Achar

Mixed Vegetable Curry with Lentils/Spicy Cooked Pineapple/Cucumber Pickle

Desserts

Kek Kukus / Bubur Kacang / Pisang

Steamed Caramelized Cake/Green Bean Dessert Porridge/Banana

All photos by Mark Ong

Two Good to be True

You would never have expected a place like this to harbor a food gem. Back in the 70s and 80s, the Far East Plaza on Scotts Road was one of Singapore’s ‘IT’ spots – glam, hip and happening. Remember the so-called “Far East Kids”?

Today, the center of gravity has shifted to nearby Orchard Road, and the place is pretty forlorn. It’s also suffering an ‘identity crisis’: while the basement still caters to the young and fashionable, the other floors seem devoted to the crass tourist crowds. And the 5^th level is given over to mostly mediocre food outlets. But there is one that stands out.

Yusuf & Arni’s Cafe has apparently been around since 2000, but I came to know of it only six years ago through a friend. What caught his eyes, and mine, was the Sotong Hitam – inky black and luscious. When tasted, it more than lived up to its looks…and has kept us coming back ever since!

Sotong Hitam (literally ‘Black Squid’ in Malay) is actually quite simple to prepare, needing a couple of ingredients -- onion, chilli, assam, belachan -- and of course ‘sotong’ or squid. Since the squid will be cooked in its own ink, the ingredients need to be fresh, and the cooking well controlled, or the meat might turn out tough and chewy.

In the version served at Yusuf & Arni’s, the sourness of assam is used to deftly balance the sweetness of the black ink, resulting in a gravy that’s smooth and thick and drips with the distinctive flavor of the ink.

Arni, who rules the kitchen, and Yusuf who tends to the café’s tiny dining area, believe in keeping with tradition and serving only the most authentic of home-style Malay dishes and snacks. We can stoutly vouch for that, because in our six-year patronage of their café, their cooking has yet to disappoint us in quality or heartfelt effort. Arni informs us that all her food is prepared at the shop itself, unlike others’ whose food is prepared elsewhere, or worse, provided by suppliers! Her dishes, she proudly maintains, are always fresh and piping hot.

After Sotong Hitam, our favorite was the fried chicken. This is another simple recipe that is often done brilliantly at home, yet is extremely hard to find in similarly superb form outside of home. It’s almost a cliché but good fried chicken needs to be moist and tender inside and dry and crispy outside – like the one here. Arni’s marinade also had a flavor that reminded me very much of old-style home cooking.

Nangka Lemak -- unripe jackfruit cooked in spicy coconut milk -- was another rare treat we found here. Not common even among Nasi Padang shops, I love this dish for the unique sweetness of the fruit combined with the poultry-like textures of the pulp, flesh and seeds.

In my opinion, the snacks alone make the journey to this eatery worth your while. The Goreng Pisang is one of their best sellers (it’s available from about 3pm onwards). Again, it has the flavors I remember from childhood, unlike the “updated” versions found elsewhere, and it comes loaded with crispy tiny fritters.

Arni’s kuehs are mostly from recipes given to her by family and friends. The Kueh Lopes – triangular glutinous rice cakes coated in grated coconut and bathed with Gula Melaka syrup – was another great dessert, with the right amount of bite to its rice, and accompanied by strongly flavored syrup.

As with all good food, be prepared to fork out a little bit more for the meal. The average spend per person is around S$7 inclusive of drink. But…this is part of Orchard Road, so nothing comes cheap.

Yusuf & Arni’s Café

#05-119 Far East Plaza

Scott Road, Singapore

The Islamic, a Singapore Original

Nasi Bryani comes with an option of meat: chicken, mutton or fish.

Growing up in 60s and 70s Singapore, the Islamic Restaurant was, to me, an Aladdin’s Cave redolent with the mystery and exoticism of Old Arabia; filled not with loot and precious gems, but with a sumptuous treasure no less…of the culinary kind!

Not many restaurants in Singapore (I reckon a dozen or so?) can lay claim to being a culinary institution. In my book, Islamic Restaurant is in this elite.

“The Islamic ” -- as it’s more usually referred to – was founded in 1914, making it nearly 100 years old. The man who founded it was M. Abdul Rahman, an Indian masterchef who cut his teeth working for a wealthy Arab family, the Alsagoffs. The Alsagoffs were early owners of the Raffles Hotel and famous in Singapore history for their philanthropy.

According to the story, the masterchef’s deft fusions of the Indian and Arab cuisines so tantalized his employers that he decided to strike out on his own. Thus was born the Islamic. Although it has relocated a couple of times over its history, the restaurant has always been famously housed in one of the 2-storey prewar shophouses that line North Bridge Road, across from the Sultan Mosque.

In its heyday in the 50s to 70s, the Islamic was a place to be seen. British colonials and wealthy locals dined there, and its guest list was graced with Presidents of Singapore, top judges and government officials, and regional royal families. I remember attending the lavish wedding dinners of some friends at the restaurant in the 1960s. To me, its décor and ambience counted almost as much as the food.

Tomato in Sweet Syrup

I loved the sconce lights, pewter ware, damask drapery, and framed Quranic inscriptions on the walls. It was cozy and dim; the rich fabrics and jewel-like colors became weatherworn over the years, I remember; but it only seemed to add to the atmosphere. While eating, you would sometimes hear the muezzin’s musical call at prayer times from the nearby mosque. This made dining at the Islamic magical.

But let’s talk about the food. Of this, Nasi Beryani remains the Islamic’s most famed. From the Persian word for “roasted/fried before cooking”, Beryani is a rice-based dish made with spices, rice, and meat and vegetables. And of the many types of Beryani in existence, the Islamic’s is unique, combining both Indian and Arab methods of cooking in a well-guarded secret recipe, created by the founder, M. Abdul Rahman, himself.

Mutton Samma

My personal favorites, however, include the hard-to-find Tomato in Sweet Syrup, a wonderful starter as well as a great dip for the Roti Mariam. Another must for me, since the 1960s, has been the Mutton Samma, mutton slow-cooked in thick gravy and spicy-peppery in flavor. Also superb are the Chicken Mysore (a favorite with the Sultan of Brunei, I’m told) and the Mutton Mysore. In fact, the best way to sample the Islamic’s 200-item menu is to have plain rice with two or three accompanying dishes of meat, fish or vegetables – as I often do.

Roti Mariam

Now to the Roti Mariam. A woman at Kampong Glam created this unique ‘roti’ (bread) and sold it on a pushcart. The Islamic later employed her, and included her roti on the menu. Roti Mariam is named after her, and is available at the Islamic and nowhere else. It tastes like a cross between naan and prata, and is eaten with plain sugar, milk, or curry.

Today the Islamic is into its third-generation of owners, and no longer the habitué of just the mighty and well heeled, but everybody. And, may I add, long may it live and prosper!

Islamic Restaurant


745 North Bridge Road


Singapore 198713


Tel: 65-6298 7563