How lockdown deepened our love for local eating in some of Southeast Asia’s foodie hubs. IF THE PANDEMIC has taught us anything, it’s that local is more reliable than global—and that neighborhood diners provide food for the soul. Forced out of our usual routines and shuttered out of our favorite top tables, we turned increasingly to our home communities for sustenance, and found some “hidden” gems worth holding onto long after lockdown. Here, three T+L Southeast Asia correspondents share the heroes of their cities’ indie food scenes.
Singapore
STREET EATS TO YOUR DOOR BY GR ACE MA
Floral dining at Saigon’s Padma de Fleur.
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TOR MS PRODUCE rainbows, and mine
in the midst of Singapore’s “circuit breaker” from April 7 to June 1 were not multi-colored, but arched in comfortfood finds such as fishball noodles and fried chicken. To make sense of social media’s great hunting ground, I relied on Hawkers United–Dabao 2020 (fb.com/groups/ HawkersUnited2020), a Facebook group set up by hawker Melvin Chew to help his not-so-tech-savvy brethren in marketing their businesses. It was here I found, in the CBD, Amoy Street Food Centre’s new Sandai Fishball (fb.com/sandaifishball; from S$4) stall, run by third-generation hawker Delonix Tan, who grinds up yellowtail fish meat with his father from 1 a.m. daily to create fresh, springy fish balls. There are five huge ones in a bowl of handpulled noodles tossed in vinegar and chili. Instagram brought crispy champs in Singapore’s west to my notice. Birdfolks (birdfolks. sg; two-piece set S$12.90) at NEWest shopping mall on West Coast Drive dunks its fowl in a saltwater solution before frying them for a tender, juicy finish. Its rice sets come with tasty sous-vide chicken drizzled in sauces such as teriyaki, oriental sesame and fiery chili—the last made my whole family break out in a sweat. Then there’s Ahtti (fb. com/ahttikr; 16 pieces S$34), which means “best friend” in Korean and is a 10-minute walk from Jurong East MRT Station. It cloaks its chicken in seasonings such as a sticky sweet-spicy yangnyeom sauce and a dusting of honey-butter powder. Additionally, strolls through my East Coast neighborhood led to delicious discoveries among residential enclaves. That these were a 10- to 15-minute walk away from my house made me realize how much more in my area remains to
be explored. On Swan Lake Avenue is bistro Slake (order.slake.sg; mains from S$15), whose hearty comfort foods like beef rendang and their underrated Kiap Tacos I ordered many times for friends and the extended family. Dreamshop (dreamshopsg.com; S$12-38), a takeaway and delivery point along Frankel Avenue serving gourmet hawker classics, was quickly set up by food entrepreneur Jeremy Nguee when all his luxury catering events were canceled. Secretly, I hope their pop-up—with a changing menu that has spawned buah keluak beef rice bowls and gula melaka kueh salat with a dollop of the lethally bitter Mao Shan Wang durian—will never end. In difficult times like these, the strength and generosity of community warms the heart. Foodhood (foodhood.sg) lets customers order from multiple stores within the Jalan Besar district so you can drop everything from rice bowls to cold brews into one virtual cart. The same philosophy guides artisanal chocolate label Fossa Chocolate (fossachocolate.com; kits from S$57), which has put together stay-at-home care boxes that include facial kits, tea bags and coffee from other local brands on their website. It’s an attitude we hope continues after Covid: all in one, and all for one.
From top left: Kiap Tacos from Slake; behind the scenes at Sandai Fishball; Yangnyeom chicken from Ahtti—sticky goodness.
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B Y V I N C E N T V I C H I T-VA D A K A N
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ANGKOK RESIDENTS are naturally
drawn to bustling crowds—so for many of us, it’s been a new thing to eat local and stay closer to home. During lockdown, which saw gathering spots like malls and restaurants close their doors, we not only embraced take out and home delivery, but also found a new appreciation for street-food vendors and small businesses. One suburb that really galvanized around its local foodie offerings was Khlong San on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River. Tourists here usually rush to the IconSiam mega mall, but this neighborhood is plenty rich in options that deliver a fantastic feed despite their lack of a light 36
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Bangkok
show or catchy theme song. Khao Soi Ni Kala (fb.com/khaosoykala; bowls from Bt60) in the heart of food-packed Charoen Nakorn Road serves some of the best northern-style curry noodles around, then there’s Pad Thai Narok Taek (286 Lat Ya Rd., Khlong Ton Sai; from Bt80 a plate), which rates highly with lovers of Thailand’s national dish. West of Khlong San, Talat Phlu (Soi Thoet Thai 25, Thonburi) is one of Bangkok’s most vibrant streetfood markets, with many specialties, including coconut pudding tako from Khanom Wan Talat Phlu (1129 Talat Phlu; from Bt10). Legend says that King Rama V would sail here to eat at Mee Krob Jeen Lee (326-330 Talat Phlu; from Bt120), which has been serving the same distinctive sweetsavory crispy vermicelli since the 19th century. Speaking of retro, Walden Home Café (fb.com/ waldenhomecafe; mains from Bt170) has a rusticcozy dining room that melds coffee, books and brunch—now that Bangkokians are allowed to linger over a cuppa again. Another neighborhood that stands out is Nonthaburi, where gourmet downtowners have been making a pilgrimage to Baan Rabiang Nam (baanrabiangnam.com; mains from Bt150) for years, with its soothing river views and sprawling menu that runs the gamut of Thai home cooking. Sweet Poppy (sweetpoppy.co.th; mains from Bt350) is another restaurant that forged on during
“iso” with deliverable gourmet groceries, and all the fresh notes of an authentic Australian café, smashed-avo toast and Wagyu “sanga” included. Perennial favorite Krua Apsorn (kruaapsorn.com; around Bt1,000 for two), a family-run business doing hearty wholesome Thai recipes, also has a branch here. In the city center, old-school Nang Loeng Market (Nakhon Sawan 6 Alley, Wat Sommanat, Pom Prap Sattru Phai) is an oft-overlooked haven of street food that has sustained locals through more than a century of trying times. Established in 1900, it holds such legendary stalls as Khao Gaeng Rattana, serving ready-cooked dishes served over rice. On Nakhon Sawan Road is the beautiful turn-of-the-20th-century house that hosts the art space Bangkok 1899 and Na Café (bangkok1899.org; dishes from Bt125) who collabed with Asylum Access Thailand to support refugee families with food and income. Just across the canal is Jay Fai (327 Maha Chai Rd.; 66-2/223-9384), the Michelin-starred Queen of the Wok, who stayed open for takeaway throughout lockdown, as did many other worthy vendors in the Pratu Phi area. Helping connect vendors to diners, the community-run Locall Thailand (LINE ID: @Locall.bkk) delivery service launched during lockdown to support shops unable to accept dine-
in customers, and provide income to out-of-work motorcycle-taxi drivers. Even after restrictions have lifted, the service continues to branch out, serving several Bangkok districts (including the ones above) and other cities like Saraburi and Chiang Mai. Customers can combine orders from the same area for a modest fee and merchants can avoid the hefty commissions charged by the big delivery companies. Chalk up another win for our neighborhood champions.
Clockwise from top left: Sweet Poppy’s Aussie eats; Jay Fai at the wok; Bangkok 1899; riverside dining at Baan Rabiang Nam; Na Café noodles; buah keluak beef rice bowl from Dreamshop in Singapore.
Saigon
RISE OF THE ’HOODS BY CONNLA STOKES
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HE MONSOON clouds have rolled over
Saigon but not everyone’s running for cover. “It’s our time to shine,” says chef Pablo Crespo, the Guatemalan co-owner of Captain Phook (fb.com/captainphook; mains from VND200,000), a snug and smartly designed eatery, where the kitchen faces a pair of bars (one inside, one out). Judging by the steady flows of hungry punters, Crespo’s single-page menu of cosmopolitan dishes—think: ceviche in gazpacho, tenderloin in a thick roasted chipotle sauce, fish tacos with T R AV E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M
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From top left: The compact Captain Phook; prepping at Quince; streetside imbibing at Birdy Bar.
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mango salsa—offers a dining experience that jibes with the post-lockdown times. In short, highquality, comforting eats that won’t break the bank. Located on the eclectic Pham Viet Chanh Street, just a few minutes by taxi from the heart of District 1, Captain Phook frequently serves as a starting point for some innocent bar-hopping, where it’s then on to classic cocktails at Birdy Bar (birdysaigon.com; cocktails from VND100,000), or a glass of wine at Lozzi (lozzi-wineclub.business. site; bottles from around VND500,000). Further up the street, you will also find the city’s bestrated (and best value) omakase at Kiyota (sushisake-restaurant.business.site; omakase from VND700,00), and the wonderful Kaki-Noki (fb. com/kakinokihcm; dishes from VND180,000), which creates Japanese-style pasta (the spaghetti sea urchin or spaghettini ikura), as well as scores of outdoor “beer and grill” joints, where lively locals feast through the night. The street’s vibrancy today signals a conspicuous shift away from the rather forlorn downtown area, where exorbitant rents meant a multitude of cafés and restaurants couldn’t stomach the six-week hiatus of Saigon’s lockdown. Put plainly, the neighborhoods are now where it’s at, so when tourists return to town, besides Pham Viet Chanh, they’d be well advised to circle Tan Dinh and Da Kao wards on the street map. In the former, seek out the relocated Esta Eatery (estasaigon.com; mains from VND590,000), where chef Francis Tran whips up superlative modern creations, and in the latter, you’ll find the exemplary Sushi Rei (sushirei.vn; omakase from VND3million), a branch of Tokyo’s Sushi Masuda. Also staking its claim for a singular identity
is Nguyen Thai Binh ward, which lies to the southeast of District 1. There, amongst the old Saigonese townhouses, you’ll find Kiba (fb.com/ kibasaigon; mains from VND230,000), whose chef, Pedro Goizueit, blends Spanish and Southeast Asian influences and ingredients to wonderful effect, as well as the otherworldly Padma de Fleur (padmadefleur.vn; set lunches for VND235,000), where you can sample seasonal Vietnamese dishes while sitting in an actual florist’s shop, and Quince (fb.com/quincesaigon; mains from VND650,000), arguably the city’s premier fine-diner since it moved in from Bangkok in 2018. A survey of emerging neighborhoods in Ho Chi Minh City also couldn’t overlook “Japan Town,” a skein of pedestrianized alleyways peppered with Japanese eateries that’s best explored at night. Highlights here include Sushi Kobayashi (fb.com/sushi.kobayashi.hcm; omakase from VND800,000), an outstanding eight-seat venue, Tomidaya (fb.com/noodlegk; from VND150,000 a bowl) for ramen, and Torisho (torishojapanese. wixsite.com/saigon; skewers around VND30,000 each), a “yakitori tavern” where you can watch the action outside as, fair warning, there’s more than one bawdy escort bar in the vicinity. As I said, not everyone’s running for cover this rainy season.