Chef Damian D’Silva

Celebrating its first anniversary this year, Folklore continues to warm the hearts and stomachs of diners, and share Singapore’s heritage food tales by introducing more family recipes from Chef Damian D’Silva.

Chef Damian serves up dishes close to his  heart – precious  family  recipes  passed  down for generations;  some  of which  are adapted from neighbours and family  friends.   Each is cooked ‘the  old way’:  from scratch without shortcuts or compromise, and with lots of soul.

The new menu introduces diners to a wider repertoire of heritage dishes from the Peranakan,  Eurasian, Malay  and Chinese kitchens. The arduous preparation  of ingredients has made a rarity of many of these dishes. At Folklore, Chef Damian insists on using age-old, time intensive techniques to yield deep and soulful flavours.

Prawn Sambal  with  Petai

Introducing  Prawn Sambal  with  Petai,  a family  recipe  of fragrant and piquant sambal cooked with prawns and royal beans.  This is Chef Damian’s all-time favourite recipe passed down by  his  grandmother,  who  used  to make it regularly for the family, as Petai was highly regarded for its nutritional values. The pungent petai is cooked with Peranakan spice paste – rempah, and fresh prawns, this flavourful dish pairs perfectly with steamed rice.

 

Sotong Masak Sambal Belado

Sotong Masak Sambal Belado, a recipe close to Aunty Zainab’s heart – a dear family friend from Indonesia.   The dish features fresh squid cooked in fiery sambal made with tomatoes, chilies, lime and lemon basil leaves.  Belado is a spicy, flavourful and nuanced chili paste.  It is made  from  freshly  grounded chili slow-cooked  for long hours  till  they are beautifully caramelised into a rich, luscious and intense chilli paste.  Tomatoes are then slow-cooked into the paste, and squids are added before serving for a quick wok-fry. The sweetness from the squid makes the overall dish irresistible.

 

Ikan Assam Surani

Ikan Assam Surani is a dish of baby threadfin cooked in a mild sweet and sour gravy of a grounded paste of turmeric, shrimp paste, shallots, garlic and chilies.  The meticulous slicing of garlic, shallots, and chilies to specific sizes has been taken over by machines in modern times,  thus  hardly  prepared the traditional  way  by  Peranakans  of today. Chef Damian insists on continuing this practice.

Ambiler Kacang with  Belly Pork

Ambiler Kacang with  Belly Pork – a Eurasian dish with Malay  influences, ambiler means whetting the appetite in Kristang. This mouthwatering mildly-spiced paste is made from  a myriad of spices usually used in Eurasian curries. Tamarind liquid is added to lift the overall flavour with a tangy note, making it moreish.

 

Opor Ayam

Opor Ayam  is a rich and flavourful hearty dish originated from Indonesia.   The poultry is cooked  with  a non-spicy  blend of wet spices,  together with  ground cumin and coriander, and enriched with coconut milk before served.

Sayur Lodeh

An all-time favourite, Sayur Lodeh – classic vegetable Malay dish cooked in a blend of wet spices with young jackfruit, beancurd, tempeh and seasonal sukun.  Sukun, or breadfruit, is a tropical fruit grown  in South Asia and Oceania islands.   The seedless fruit, rare to find in today’s local market, complements the timeless dish with a creamy and savoury palate.

Chef Damian is re-introducing some of his well-received dishes that were showcased in the past celebratory menus.   Debal or ‘Curry Devil’ – the Eurasian spicy stew made from pork ribs, ham and bacon bones, cooked long hours over  the stove  with  rempah, mustard  and vinegar.  And,  Curry  Capitang,  a Eurasian  dish  of chicken  cooked  in a sweltering  paste of dried chilies, shallots, lemongrass, galanghal, shrimp paste, garlic and lime juice.

Bakwan Kepiting or crab meat balls soup

Diners can also look forward to the soulful Bakwan Kepiting or crab meat balls soup, where fresh crab meat is mixed with minced pork and prawn, rolled into the shape of coins, then cooked in prawn and pork stock.

 

Itek Teem

Itek Teem, an appetising duck broth brewed to perfection with salted vegetables, ginger, garlic, sour plum and tomatoes.

 

Peranakan  Chap Chye

The  refreshed  menu also  features  some  mainstays  such  as  Peranakan  Chap Chye,  a particularly tasty dish of the Chef’s Peranakan grandmother, made with  pork and prawn stock, and braised  until the medley  of ingredients  has  fully  absorbed  all the flavours  of cooking.

 

Sambal  Buah Keluak

Sambal  Buah Keluak  Fried Rice, a laborious  dish  where  the pulp of the buah keluak nut is extracted by hand one at a time,  with  the sambal and minced pork taking two h ours to co ok. The flavoursome paste is then  wok-fried with rice and 4 angled beans before being topped with a fried egg.

Singgang

Singgang, a long-lost Eurasian dish of wolf herring, is meticulously de-boned and cooked in a non-spicy paste.

 

A  champion  to preserve  the  local  culinary tradition  and inspire  the next generation  to embrace and care about Singapore heritage food, Chef Damian hopes the rejuvenated menu brings  forth heartwarming food memories  and the basic  joy of enjoying  food with  loved ones.

Folklore

Destination Singapore Beach Road

700 Beach Road, Level 2

Singapore 199598

T. +65 6679 2900 / +65 9021 9700

Email:               reserve@folklore.sg

Instagram:        @folkloresg

Facebook:              folkloresg

 

Opening hours

Monday–Sunday: Lunch: 12.00 pm – 2.30 pm (Last order 2.15 pm) Dinner: 6.00 pm – 9.30 pm (Last order 9.15 pm)

 

Seating Capacity:

Inside seating:     80 seats

Outside seating: 20 seats