Ellen Chew, the Singaporean behind Singapulah restaurant in London, on raising her country’s culinary profile abroad

It’s a long way from an HDB flat on Pipit Road in Geylang to the bright lights of London’s West End, but chef and restaurateur Ellen Chew is right at home in the heart of the British capital’s Theatreland.

Her new project, Singapulah, is an ambitious attempt to educate people and change perceptions of Singapore, all while serving the dishes which have helped to define her home. The innovative dining and retail concept is supported by Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Brand Office, with promotional support from Singapore Tourism Board.

The three-floor venue that can accommodate up to 100 guests sits on Shaftesbury Avenue in Chinatown and is the latest venture from a culinary entrepreneur who has made a profound mark in the UK for the food and culture of her homeland.

Her entry back in 2008 came with the launch of her restaurant Rasa Sayang, a spot still thriving to this day thanks to a menu featuring favourites including chicken rice, nasi lemak and chilli crab.

Today they are widely recognised and appreciated by Londoners and tourists alike, but 16 years ago they were unfamiliar to many. Guests would worry that the chicken in chicken rice was undercooked, while some were horrified at having a whole fish served to the table. She even had to convince her landlord.

“I had to explain to the landlord that l’m not selling roast duck or dim sum in Chinatown but Straits Singaporean food – and I made it halal! No roast pork! It was a big risk but it worked well,” said Chew.

A PORTFOLIO OF 15 RESTAURANTS

Rasa Sayang quickly became popular, especially with students, some of whom return to this day as professionals with their own kids. Other ventures have followed since and today she employs around 300 people in 15 venues. They include the nostalgic Chinese fusion restaurant Shan Shui which is inspired by her mother’s memories of dancing in Shanghai during the 1930s. One in the luxury retail centre of Bicester Village in Oxfordshire was followed by a second at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2.

Chew’s Chinese Kitchen celebrates her mixed Singaporean and Chinese heritage, while she has two bakeries called Arome, one of which is in London’s swanky Marylebone district, launched with business partner and chef, Alix Andre.

It’s no surprise that her efforts have been recognised on multiple fronts, including in British hospitality platform Code Hospitality’s Women of the Year, praising her for building networks, sharing connections and being “a passionate advocate for the dynamic, exciting and nuanced cuisines of Southeast Asia”.

Her profile and success in waving the flag for her homeland has followed a long journey from humble beginnings. “Growing up in Singapore I was always interested in food and our diverse culture means you would always try different things.  I grew up in an HDB flat in Pipit Road in Geylang. There were old guys playing chess, there were no mobile phones then, so you’d all interact a lot more,” she explained.

Chew continued: “We had a lot of neighbours there, so with that environment you’re mostly in the kitchen, always cooking things to make them try. My mum would make rice dumplings, not just 10 for us but 200 for the neighbours. We didn’t have a lot, but we had time, making the best food for the least amount of money.”

SNAPSHOTS OF SINGAPORE

Back in London at Singapulah, elements from Chew’s childhood memories have been incorporated across the three floors which offer three different experiences.

“The ground floor is a casual kopitiam with some retail at the front. You don’t need to sit and eat; you can just buy and go. Upstairs is still Singapore but feels more elevated – you can sit down, have cocktails and escape busy and bustling Chinatown and Soho outside. Then the basement is totally different, a speakeasy entrance to a very intimate space, another dining floor but also a private area for events.”

In terms of design and feel, Chew has worked with designer Macaulay Sinclair to reflect 1970s Singapore in touches like an orange payphone and a bespoke chess board table in homage to the uncles who would play for hours, while the staircase walls have pictures and photos of Singapore through the ages.

“I want southeast Asians to walk in and be immediately transported back – then also get other people to ask questions and generate interest. There are miniature figurines which depict Singaporean chicken sellers and hairdressers and little touchpoints like celebrating Singapore artists, retailers and ceramicists like Singlapa and Supermama.”

A TASTE OF THE LION CITY

While the food aims to highlight the rich tapestry of Singaporean gastronomy, it does so in part by shining a spotlight on 13 Singaporean food manufacturers, a concept which both celebrates dishes and introduces ingredients to UK diners and shoppers.

Chew explained: “It’s a lot easier to create using authentic ingredients.  We have manufacturers such as chili fishballs from DoDo, sambal chilli from Kwong Cheong Thye, or Mao Shan Wang durian ice cream by Udders.”

But there’s no cutting corners in dishes and Chew has hired a Singaporean chef who used to run his own restaurant in Boat Quay and worked around the world. She also stresses that she’s in the kitchen with him, every day.

“Making dishes like bak chor mee, you need a proper chef!  A lot of the savoury ingredients are raw, so you need to work with them to create a dish. Also, we’re not working with any paste manufacturers, everything is made in house. The ingredients are far superior from what you can get in London.  Diners will have dishes cooked as they should be, that taste as they should taste – which also gives them a better sense of what the ingredients are capable of.”

QR codes will allow guests to learn more about the ingredients which may be unfamiliar, such as kueh pie tee cups from Red Lips, while dim sum include chilli crab bao and truffle mushroom siew mai from Sim Mui Heng.

In addition to ice creams at dessert, Nyonya sweet and savoury cakes including kueh lapis and kueh salat come from Lek Lim. And yes, durian will also make an appearance.

Even the bar programme will celebrate Singapore in curated cocktails from artisanal spirit producer The Orientalist Spirits, along with the flavours of ondeh ondeh, bandung and rojak in gins from Compendium Spirits.  Coconut water and fresh coconut from SiamCoco are blended in a signature coconut shake, while Singaporean Kopi from Robusta beans is roasted and blended by Kim Guan Guan Coffee.

While her schedule is relentless, Chew is also fortunate to get back to Singapore frequently as her mom, brother, sister and nieces are all there. She laughed when asked what is the first thing she eats when she lands.

“I think about it on the plane! I try to maximise the amount of time, the first thing I’d go for is bak chor mee as you can’t find the ingredients out of Singapore. The noodles you use are very different, it’s impossible to duplicate at home. Then of course won ton mee, chicken rice, char kway teow – and no restaurants, just hawker centres.”

Following the auspicious firecrackers and lion dances of Chinese New Year, the real work has started at Singapulah, which officially opened to the public on Feb 15.

The prime central London site is opposite the theatre showing the famed musical Les Miserables, so footfall will clearly not be a problem for Chew. But there’s no doubting that the British capital is a fiercely competitive dining landscape, with dozens of new places opening every month.

Chew is confident that what will set Singapulah apart is its authenticity in ingredients, brands, decor and, most of all, the dishes. “My dream has always been to bring a taste of Singapore to London. From 15 years ago when I was bringing ingredients back to the UK in suitcases to create dishes in the kitchen at Rasa Sayang, to working directly with these brands in 2024, this feels like a full-circle moment.”

She added that the uniquely Singapore dishes come with the story of how Singapore has changed since independence. “I just wanted to bring a slice of Singapore culture as a lot of people don’t know it – its such a small red dot! I want to show how we’ve transited from a kampong fishing village to where we are now – a place for innovation and technology. We need to shout a bit louder, educate people, so food is the talking point.  The decor, culture, retail, carrier bags, even the chope tissues! The market is right as people are looking for authenticity and new experiences – the time is right to shout.”