Remaking a Singaporean Treasure: Chef Jason Tan’s Interpretation of Kaya Toast
This national day, we spotlight a local chef celebrating his Singaporean heritage by bringing his favourite childhood food into the realm of fine dining.
Some of the world’s best chefs have one trait in common: the ability to dig deep into their heritage and elevate a food item into the upper echelons of gastronomy. We’ve seen it in the likes of Seoul’s chef Jungsik Yim who plates up humble Korean traditional pastes into fine dining dishes and Virgilio Martinez of Central in Lima who takes indigenous ingredients and interprets them into some truly cutting edge creations.
In Singapore, there’s chef Jason Tan of one-Michelin-starred Corner House. The Singaporean chef has a string of awards to his name. His restaurant is a vision of class and elegance – one that’s set in a colonial black and white bungalow in verdant Botanic Gardens.
Even so, he has by no means forgotten his roots, having grown up in a humble HDB household in Choa Chu Kang. “I come from a very humble family so the breakfast spread is always very similar,” he reveals. “Every day we will see white bread, wholemeal bread, one type of jam, peanut butter, some margarine and kaya on the table. I’ll always choose kaya over everything else.”
Anatomy of a dish
Indeed, it is the kaya toast that he interpreted into signature dessert. “The inspiration behind why I interpret the kaya toast as a signature dessert is because of my love for kaya. I always felt that kaya toast is very different and very French,” he explains.
Here, the local classic of coconut and pandan jam spread on crispy toasted bread finds new life as a kaya parfait sandwiched between two pieces of sable (a delicate, crumbly biscuit) and accompanied with a pineapple sorbet to balance the richness. In short, puts common local ingredients into the path of exacting French pastry-making techniques.
“I’d ike to show the world that humble ingredients like pandan leaves, coconut milk, Gula Melaka, pineapple, something very simple, very humble and can turn into exquisite dessert in a fine dining restaurant,” he explains.
A tale of taste and texture
The result? A dish that cleverly recalls the flavours and textures of the classic. The sable for instance is made with muscovado sugar that gives a slight bitter note to hint at charred bits of toast. The kaya parfait is given an additional dimension of richness by adding cream as well as gula Melaka – a palm sugar that gives the cold element a caramel-like lusciousness.
“The concept of this dessert is already in my head even before Corner House was born,” says chef Jason. “It came naturally because it gave me a lot of joy when I was young eating kaya.”
Asked whether this route to interpreting Singaporean flavours is a philosophy embedded deep into his food, and he surprisingly says no. In fact, it’s subconscious. “Most of the creations in Corner House may seem to be a little bit Singaporean but that’s not something deliberate,” he admits. “I am very proud to be a Singaporean.”
Stand a chance of winning your very own KitchenAid mini mixer by simply telling us on Facebook the 3 local ingredients that Chef Jason Tan used in this video. Don't forget to like the KitchenAid Small Domestic Appliances Singapore page and increase your chances of winning if you tag 3 friends! Contest runs until 12 August 2017.
This post is brought to you in partnership with KitchenAid
Written by
Azimin Saini
Azimin Saini was formerly Digital Features Editor of the Michelin Guide Singapore website. The massive foodie enjoys cooking in his free time and relishes the silence of hidden eateries around the city.
Commonly known as fajferica in Croatian and recognised by the Slow Food network, the Black Slavonian pig, together with the Lasasta Mangulica breed, is the main ingredient used in kulen, the finest and most renowned cured meat delicacy in the whole of Croatia.
Claypot cooking in Malaysia and Singapore is a soulful, slow-burn art, where earthy claypots cradle fragrant rice, tender meats, and rich broths, allowing flavours to meld into something deeply comforting. The gentle heat from the clay intensifies the ingredients, creating a meal that's both humble and extraordinary, steeped in tradition and warmth.
For authentic hawker food at a prime location in the heart of town, these two hawker centres can’t be beaten — and they’ve got the crowds of office workers and tourists alike to prove it.
Speed, sumptuous accommodations, and satisfying meals await at these MICHELIN restaurants and hotels with a sky-high view of the proceedings at the Formula One 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
As enticing as Singapore's savoury offerings may be, the Lion City also has some of the best and unmissable dessert options for the sweet-lover. Here are some must-try desserts when one is visiting Singapore.
This National Day season, peel back the layers behind the popular sweet-and-savoury local breakfast of kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and kopi to uncover Singapore's heritage.
From fine dining spots to luxe entertainment and ritzy hotels, the Lion City does indeed live up to its reputation from the 2018 romcom for those with the moolah to experience it.
283 locations comprise Singapore's 2024 MICHELIN Guide selection, embracing a multitude of cuisines and dining formats. Four restaurants are newly awarded One MICHELIN Star, bringing the total of MICHELIN Starred restaurants in Singapore to 51. Lastly, the second MICHELIN Green Star in Singapore is awarded this year, emphasising the commitment to sustainability of one new restaurant.
11 new establishments are awarded a Bib Gourmand recognition in the MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2024, making a total of 81 Bib Gourmand addresses in the Lion City.
Dating back to pre-independence Singapore, the sprawling landmark of the country’s Little India district offers intrepid diners a colourful mix of multiethnic hawker eats.