After opening a restaurant in Niseko, what’s next for Singaporean chef Willin Low?

Pairing the rich, fiery flavours of laksa with linguine pasta might not be surprising today but in 2005, it was entirely novel. When chef Willin Low opened Wild Rocket in the “out of the way” location of Mount Emily, his inventive plates such as 48-hour Beef Short Rib with Rendang and Achar, Mee Siam Spaghettini with White Prawns, and Prata served with tuna and caviar were experimental and exciting. It made Wild Rocket the epitome of progressive local cooking and the lawyer-turned-chef a rising star. More importantly, it sparked the beginning of the Modern Singaporean, or Mod Sin, movement — a term Low coined himself to describe the food he liked to cook and eat — that is still going strong today.

“When we started Mod Sin some people said it was a fad but almost 20 years later, it’s very much alive in fine dining restaurants, cafes and right down to hawker stalls. I’m so happy that we are taking pride in our local ingredients, flavours and dishes in new and creative ways,” said Low.

Indeed, contemporary interpretations of Singaporean food are found everywhere nowadays, including celebrated establishments like chef LG Han’s Michelin-starred Restaurant Labyrinth and Mustard Seed, a hot table that showcases Singaporean flavours with Japanese slant. “A young chef recently came up to me and said ‘Thank you for opening that door and paving the way for us’. That made me very happy.”

BEYOND BORDERS

When he closed Wild Rocket in 2018 after almost 15 years of running it, it was the end of an era for the award-winning chef and loyal patrons alike. Low decided to focus primarily on passion projects moving forward, and a majority of that revolved around spotlighting both traditional and modern Singaporean flavours abroad. In 2019, Low worked with Roxy Laksa, a legendary laksa vendor where he is a regular, to bring laksa to London with a project called “Let’s Laksa London!”. It grew to become a series that introduced the deliciously complex flavours of laksa to destinations including Paris, New York, Hong Kong and Hokkaido.

It was in Japan where his laksa project snowballed into something bigger. “My original intent in Niseko was to bring a little bit of Mod Sin overseas and serve a casual lunch of Roxy Laksa udon, Bah Chor Mee maze soba and Bah Kut Teh ramen,” said Low. Little did he know that this endeavour would eventually become Roketto Niseko, a restaurant at ski resort The Maples Niseko that serves hearty noodles and rice bowls at lunchtime then transforms into a full-on omakase operation at dinner seating 12 guests. The name ‘Roketto’ is rocket in Japanese, and as you may guess is an homage to his original restaurant, Wild Rocket.

“It took a few regulars to convince me to make them Wild Rocket’s Mod Sin Omakase dinner with local seasonal ingredients and once I started there was no turning back,” he said with a laugh. This winter season, Rokketto is serving a Laksa prawn dumpling, served with no broth and sashimi-style ebi; Bah Chor Mee, a signature dish from his Wild Rocket days; and Negitoro with glass noodles made from Hokkaido potatoes. “If there are oysters available, we also serve a mini donburi inspired by Orh Luah (oyster omelette),” said Low, who frequently changes the menu based on the local produce available.

A SECOND HOME

This new chapter sees him spending time in Niseko from December to March — his only fixed work schedule. “I want to carry on working and I think work is important to our mental well-being, but I no longer want to work the way I did in the last 20 years. I want to work on my terms. Nowadays, I get to choose who, when, and what.”

Low is revelling in his renewed formula for life and work, and is settling in nicely into the tight-knit community in Niseko. When he first visited the world-famous ski destination nicknamed the “Aspen of Asia”, he was blown away by the snow, the majestic peaks, and the stunning natural surroundings. It was the opposite of Singapore in every way but strangely Low felt right at home. “I always say there’s magic in Niseko. When I look out of a window in Singapore everything is man-made. It is beautiful but man-made. When I look out of a window in Niseko, everything I see is made by God — the mountains, trees, rivers.”

Like most transplants who have found a home in Niseko, it was the powder snow, fondly called Japow (a portmanteau of Japanese powder), that first reeled him in. He describes the opportunity to snowboard on the fluffy, airy, dry powder as “addictive”, but ultimately, it’s the people that made him decide to make it a second home. “I have found a community here: A small Japanese church that feeds my soul, the members of whom are my family here in Japan. I always say it’s the snow that drew me to Niseko but it’s my Japanese family that kept me here.”

His life in Niseko is worlds apart from his existence in Singapore. On an ordinary day, he wakes up at 7.30am and the first task on the agenda is to shovel snow to get the car out of the house. He is usually at the restaurant at 10am in preparation for lunch service, closes at 2pm to prepare for the next day and that night’s omakase, then begins dinner service at 6pm.

If there’s a snow dump, the schedule shifts slightly earlier. He wakes up extra early to head to the slopes and snowboards for a few hours then goes straight into the ski-in, ski-out resort where Roketto is located. After service, he heads home at around 10pm, makes supper, watches a bit of Netflix and is normally in bed by 12.30am.

“I love that my life in Japan is completely different from my life in Singapore, I mean that’s the point of living overseas right? My philosophy is to never miss Singapore when I’m in Japan and to never miss Japan when I’m in Singapore. Why waste time doing that? I would rather fully appreciate each country when I am there.”

SLOWLY BUT SURELY

And though Low calls this phase of life “semi-retirement”, it doesn't mean he stops innovating. He is just more discerning with regards to what he devotes his time and passion to.

Outside the four months in Hokkaido, the rest of the year brings him all over the globe to travel for leisure as well as do meaningful collaborations. He only accepts initiatives that strongly resonate with him, have a clear purpose and of course those that he deems fun.In 2023, he worked with Yaegaki, a 350-year-old sake brewery, to create the first sake made to specially pair with Singaporean cuisine. He also recently collaborated with Maker’s Mark on a limited-edition bourbon that represents Singapore; the bottle will launch this year.

What will surely excite his fans the most, however, is a return to Singapore with what he says might be his last restaurant: A still unnamed small venue likely in the Newton or Novena area offering Mod Sin hand-made pasta.

So, while Low’s culinary adventures are continuing with the same bravura he is known for, his perspective on work and life in general has evolved. “Nothing on this earth lasts forever, so just because we have survived or thrived thus far doesn’t mean it should be taken for granted. During the pandemic, I told myself there’s a chance everything I have built over 20 years might be lost. The moment I accepted that truth I was at peace.