Arguments about whether laksa or nasi lemak are from SG or M’sia only make Chef Damian D’Silva laugh

SINGAPORE: At a time when the world is so deeply divided and even petty debates can be fought to the death in online spaces, it certainly is refreshing to hear that one prominent chef simply laughs about arguments around whether certain foods come from Malaysia or Singapore.

Chef Damian D’Silva, a MasterChef judge, is best known for Rempapa restaurant, where he promotes “Singaporean heritage cuisine”. Last year, he won the Artisan & Authenticity Award 2024 from La Liste, a French ranking and restaurant guide.

The distinguished chef was the subject of a South China Morning Post article earlier this week, where he said that whether laksa, among other food, comes from Singapore or Malaysia does not matter.

When he hears people say things like “Malaysian bak kut teh, Singapore bak kut teh or Malaysian chicken rice,” he laughs.

“I say, guys, it’s the same thing. What was Singapore before Singapore was Singapore? It was part of Malaysia, you know, and we embraced it. In my time, when you spoke about Malaysia, it wasn’t a different country. It’s very sad, what has happened – that we draw a line,” SCMP quotes him as saying.

He added that the city-state’s heritage cuisine contains all the ethnicities present in Singapore over the past two centuries, beginning with the Malays, followed by the Chinese, the Indians, and then the West.

Many commenters on the SCMP piece agreed with the chef.

Mr D’Silva’s culinary life started early, with his Peranakan grandmother on his mum’s side and his Eurasian grandfather on his dad’s side including him in kitchen duties by the time he was seven or eight years old.

“It was, ‘Damian, peel the onions’, ‘Damian, tumbuk (pound) the rempah (spice paste)’, or ‘Damian, giling (grind) the rempah’,” he said. And while he did not value it at the time, he later realized the importance of learning all those skills.

Last month, the chef was given a Special Recognition Award at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2024. The award is given to those who’ve made significant contributions to tourism through “creativity, innovation, best practices, or remarkable achievements.”

On Rempapa’s Instagram page, it says that it has always been his dream to “etch Singapore’s culinary legacy into the global consciousness.” /TISG

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