From the avocado craze to countless new brunch menus, 2017 gave us a tonne of food trends.
Here, some of Singapore’s forward-thinking chefs share what they think you should be eating (both sweet and savoury) in 2018.
On food trends
“My prediction is that food trends will be similar to last year’s, with the surge of Japanese confectionery brands entering Singapore – from cheese to ice cream, bakeries and mochi – also bean-to-bar chocolate in SG.”
On cool, new ingredients to use
“Our very own bean-to-bar chocolate is made with cocoa beans from Ecuador, Santo Domingo and Madagascar. It’s 72-percent dark chocolate with fruity aromatics.”
On food trends
“Local-inspired foods will continue to be a running theme next year. There is a huge interest in localised and sustainable produce amongst younger growers. The best ingredients used to be imported from Europe, Japan, and Australia, but now with more local growers and producers bringing a fresh attitude to the local markets, things will definitely change.”
On dessert trends
“In line with the ongoing local theme in food trends, there will be a stronger Asian influence in classic European desserts.”
On cool, new ingredients to use
“More local produce and Asian ingredients being used to create dishes. And also the use of plant-based proteins such as cauliflower, avocado and mushrooms.”
On food trends
“Trends come and go, but chocolate is forever!”
On cool, new ingredients to use
“Awfully Chocolate is working on a new range of gifting chocolates – and will be rolling out more in 2018. We like working with local ingredients, so I went to Chinatown before the Chinese New Year to visit some traditional dried goods stores and picked up some really unique finds. I can’t wait to taste the results!”
On dining out
I’d like to say a small word for all the hawkers in Singapore, who are my food heroes. They serve up the best food in the country in the most unforgiving circumstances, but most will give it up with no one to take over. The amount they bring home cannot justify what they put into it. I could argue we should pay $15 for an incredible wanton mee because that’s what I’d have to pay for an ok pasta somewhere, but I know I can’t win that one. So I hope that whenever it rains, we will think of the hawkers (especially in the open air hawker centres such as Lagoon Hawker Centre at the East Coast park) whose takings fell by 40 percent during the recent heavy monsoon and support them. We are so spoiled for choice in Singapore, so when you cant think of where to eat on a wet day, help out a hawker. They are there from dawn to dusk in rain or shine, they deserve our support!
On food trends
“Technology will change the way chefs cook and the way we eat. I foresee more changes in cooking methods with the help of advanced technology and the continuous rise of fusion cooking.”
On dessert trends
“I think the use of honey vinegar will be popular next year. This will add an interesting acidity to the dessert.”
On cool, new ingredients to use
“First, we had collagen-based soups then, of course, there was the salted-egg craze. Rather then new ingredients, I think that restaurants will be more focused on food presentation, on top of ensuring food quality. After all, the cameras eat first now.”
On food trends
“Gut-friendly foods that are fermented, pickled or preserved are finally reaching the mainstream everywhere. I’ve loved eating kimchi since I was young, and fermented or pickled food are featured largely on our menu because they can also provide extra zest or umami to any dish. I predict there will be more plant-based proteins, too, such as tofu, tempeh and quinoa, because more people are opting for vegetable-forward dishes, having tasted how good they can be.”
On cool, new ingredients to use
“I have been exploring the usage of various dried Chinese mushrooms like blaze mushrooms and willow tree mushrooms, which offer a lot of umami. From my recent trip to Spain, I was introduced to an interesting Spanish ingredient, Kokotxa, which is the gelatinous gland on the throat/chin/jowls of a fish (usually cod or hake), and would like to find creative ways to incorporate this into my dishes. I love to work with different kinds of lesser known grains. Recently, I have taken an interest in sorghum, a starchy, gluten-free whole grain. We have included puffed sorghum in some of our dishes in 2017 and they were very well received. As a huge fan of vegetables, I am looking forward to working with more local greens, introducing and incorporating them in interesting ways.”
On dining out
“People may want to dine in from time to time because of the convenience of food delivery these days; but it is still not the same as getting dressed, meeting friends outside and enjoying the whole atmosphere and vibes of a restaurant. Moreover, you can really spend more quality time catching up when you are being served, rather than interrupting conversations to get the food and drinks out or refilled, so there will still be a lot who would prefer to dine out. Having said that, I also work as a private chef, so people get to have Morsels’ food served in the comfort of their homes with their friends.”
On food trends
“I believe that local flavours will continue to rise in 2018, together with superfoods such as goji berries and chia seeds as many people want to lead healthier lifestyles.”
On dessert trends
“Local-flavoured sweet treats such as chicken rice cupcake or even soon kueh ice cream and rojak waffles would be seen around more in 2018.”
On cool, new ingredients to use
“It would definitely be superfoods such as black garlic. These ingredients are going to be incorporated into desserts and mains.”
On food trends
“I would like to see traditional English pub food or old gastropub concepts making a comeback. I think it was a bit short-lived and only extended itself within England. I would like to see more high-end gastropubs opening, with more artisanal beers and a focus on refined dining within a pub atmosphere.”
On dessert trends
“I feel that there will be a massive comeback with classic desserts. I know places like Laduree has brought classic desserts back a while ago. However, I think there will be more to the trend of going back to the classics, from old-school baking techniques to old-school French patisserie-style cakes. With the new generation of young pastry chefs who are coming through, they have created some amazing cafe-style and plated desserts that you can buy for takeaway, made with extremely intricate techniques and featuring cool concepts behind them. I think the young generation of pastry chefs are going to make a big entrance to the culinary scene in 2018.”
On cool, new ingredients to use
“An ingredient that we have been playing with a lot at the moment is aromatase flowers. Aromatase flowers are flowers that have really strong flavours. When I say flowers, I mean ground flowers – the kind that can be added to baking items, like bread and doughs. The ingredient that we are experimenting with at the moment is white truffle flower. It is made from pure white truffle with a beautiful aromatising flavour. I think that’s definitely something new and cool for 2018.”
“The ‘coolest, new ingredient’ I have discovered is an amazing ‘cool, old ingredient’ – the fruit of the Binjai tree, which gave its name to Binjai Park. There are two trees in the Binjai Park enclave, and I was introduced to this native Singapore fruit, which has been on the endangered species list by N Parks. There are only over 50 growing in the wild in Singapore. The tree fruits once every three to five years, and I was fortunate to be the recipient of the bountiful fruits of one of the trees in late December. This fruit, which looks like a giant USA potato, grows on the tree like a mango and belongs to the mango family. It is aromatic and tastes like a cross between a mango and a soursop, but with a pungent perfume.
Old time Peranakan aunties make it into a lovely raw sambal with sliced chillies, dark soya sauce and a little bit of sugar, delicious when eaten with fried fish! Fortunately, the fruit freezes well and we served it as a special Epicurean treasure at our dinner on April 7, 2018 as part of the Asian Masters dinner series. As a chef, all and any ‘cool, new ingredients’ that I am excited about are the ‘cool, old ingredients’ that come from the treasure house of nature’s offerings. My own personal ‘cool, old ingredients’ are the fruits and vegetables that have existed and been used in Singapore cooking but which have somehow fallen by the wayside or are not familiar to most people. The culinary world has been inspired and excited in recent years by “cool old ingredients” like quinoa and heirloom tomatoes. We are all excited about ingredients that science and the GMO trend has not touched.”
On food trends
“I am constantly exploring new and innovative ways to present dishes to diners. I would also love to introduce diners to creative ways to maximise the use of different parts of an ingredient.”
On dessert trends
“Desserts packaged in those really nice takeout boxes – they are super Instagram-worthy and fun to eat from. Since it’s takeaway, it will also be great for those who are always on-the-go.”
On cool, new ingredients to use
“Charcoal Powder. There are so many ways to incorporate it into cooking, plus there are added health benefits to boot. Can I also mention how cool the colour is?”
By Sofia Kim, Female, January 3, 2018
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