Singaporean cuisine is diverse and imbued with cultural values.

We had a chat with Mr. Paul Liew - Director of KEK restaurant about Singapore cuisine and the Taste Obsession: Singapore campaign.

Hello Mr. Paul, could you please introduce a little bit about the Zi Char culinary culture of Singapore in general and at KEK in particular?

Mr. Paul Liew : Hello, Zi Char is a culinary term to describe Chinese-inspired dishes, in which chefs use woks to bring life to dishes in many different ways such as stir-frying, frying, braising,… even steaming. In addition, Zi char today is also combined with ingredients and cooking methods of cultures present in Singapore, contributing to the richness of the dish.

At KEK, we take Zi char and combine it with flavours and ingredients from different cultures. This is what makes Zi char dishes at KEK different. For example, sambal morning glory is one of our signature dishes. We take the traditional stir-fried morning glory and add sambal, a Malaysian spice, to create a unique flavour. Through this combination, we bring our diners a multicultural culinary experience.

Can you share more about KEK restaurant and specifically the signature dishes that have made it famous over the past 51 years?

Our restaurant is a family-run establishment that has been in operation for three generations in Singapore. My grandmother was the founder and played a key role in shaping the menu. We are third generation members. Currently, I am the restaurant manager while my younger brother Wayne is taking over the family passion for food and becoming the head chef.

The restaurant’s signature and most loved dish is the chilli crab. In Singapore, this signature dish comes in two versions: one is spicy and the other is mildly spicy with a hint of sweet and sour. The chilli crab version at KEK is a sweet and sour version. It was created by my grandmother, whom I admire and who taught me many lessons.

Giám đốc KEK: ẩm thực Singapore đa dạng và thấm đẫm giá trị văn hóa - Ảnh 1. — Chilli crab with unique flavor from KEK

This time coming to Vietnam with the campaign "Taste Obsession: Singapore", what surprises will KEK restaurant bring to diners, sir?

Certainly still our signature Zi Char delicacies. However, this is also the first time collaborating with Vietnamese chefs - Mua Craft Sake restaurant, so I am very excited to create a menu that brings the flavors of two Vietnamese and Singaporean cuisines to diners.

Bếp trưởng Wayne từ nhà hàng KEK sẽ kết hợp với bếp trưởng Trụ Lang từ nhà hàng Mùa Craft Sake — Chef Wayne from KEK restaurant will team up with Chef Tru Lang from Mua Craft Sake restaurant.

The first dish is stir-fried pork neck with salted egg. This dish is special because in Singapore, we import salted egg directly from Vietnam and it has become one of KEK’s signature dishes. Another signature dish that we are excited to introduce is fish skin salad. And did you know? We also import fish skin from Vietnam. Having the opportunity to come to Vietnam gives us direct access to the ingredients, and we had no hesitation in adding this dish to the menu.

Món gỏi da cá trong thực đơn kết hợp giữa 2 nhà hàng — Fish skin salad in the combined menu of 2 restaurants

Sir, I know that besides Zi Char, Singapore has many other types of cuisine, can you introduce them to Vietnamese tourists?

We hope to welcome Vietnamese diners to visit the island nation and enjoy the diversity of Singaporean cuisine. Among them, the popular culinary culture (Hawker) is quite popular and well-known. In addition, enjoying cuisine at brands with a long history is also often chosen and highly appreciated by tourists (Heritage brands). In addition, in Singapore there are also other types of cuisine such as luxury restaurants (Fine dining), Michelin-starred restaurants, modern Singaporean cuisine (Mod-Sin) and many more.

From this July, famous restaurants in Singapore will also join the "Taste Obsession: Singapore" campaign and bring Singapore's unique culinary flavors closer to Vietnamese people.

Chiến dịch Taste Obsession: Singapore được thực hiện nhằm giới thiệu ẩm thực Singapore đến người Việt — The Taste Obsession: Singapore campaign was launched to introduce Singaporean cuisine to Vietnamese people.

Thanks for sharing!

"Taste Obsession: Singapore" is a campaign organized by the Singapore Tourism Board and is part of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between Singapore and Vietnam in 2023. The center of the campaign is a series of collaborative events between restaurants and talented chefs from Vietnam and Singapore. Through the campaign, STB hopes to introduce Singaporean cuisine to Vietnamese people, bring the opportunity to experience the island nation's signature dishes to diners, and encourage tourists to come directly to Singapore to experience.

Don't miss out on important campaign locations and milestones: