We’re Missing Singapore Food Because Of Crazy Rich Asians
We’re rewatching “Crazy Rich Asians” and going gaga all over again for it. But this time, we zoom in to the Singaporean food culture that it celebrated, from Michelin-starred street fare to the over-the-top wedding feasts.
Since we’re not yet traveling anytime soon, the next best thing we can do to see the world is through movies and series. And because Kevin Kwan has been in the news recently for his new novel, Sex and Vanity, we’ve been tempted to rewatch the movie that propelled him to fame: Crazy Rich Asians. If, like us, you’ve rewatched this movie recently, we’re sure you’re not just craving to go back sightseeing in Singapore—you also want to eat. A lot.
Asian countries in general have this unique bond with food. And Singapore’s attitude towards food is just like how Filipinos would immediately ask “Kumain ka na ba?” the moment you step into their homes. Koh Chieng Mun, who plays the role of Neenah Goh, says, “Food is very much a part of our lifestyle. Everytime you meet somebody from Singapore, we don’t say ‘How are you?’ We say, ‘Have you eaten?’”
And in part, this is one of the reasons why Singapore cuisine is very close to our hearts, too. From the more popular Hainanese Chicken and Laksa to the more sophisticated Chili Crab, we might not be aware of it, but Singapore food and culture appeals to the Filipino taste.
Crazy Rich Asians was able to portray many Asian traditions and nuances, which makes it one of the most culturally appropriate films we’ve seen come out of Hollywood in the recent years. And spending time, budget, and effort to iron out those food scenes throughout the movie was a good call by the director, Jon M. Chu. He says on Eater: “The thing that we think about, when we think about Asia, is street food. You have all walks of life, all cultures, eating with each other.”
According to the Michelin Guide, Veteran Singapore chef and food consultant, John See, headed a crazy huge food team for the movie. On site, he oversaw a team of 50 cooks, food carvers, and assistants to bring those scenes to life. He says that before the movie, they spent four months planning the dining scenes and sourcing for props.
One scene, for example: The lunch scene at Peik Lin’s House was filmed from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., just to make sure every detail is correct. And imagine the work that went to it, having ornate gold platters piled with 12 to 15 different kinds of food refilled over and over again with freshly cooked food from the cooking facility situated at least two to three miles away from the house they were shooting at. See shares: “The amount of food could feed an army of 20 to 30 people. Every time the director yelled ‘cut’ to do a retake, we had to replace the missing piece of food or reset the dishes for continuity in film production.”
This is one part why we love Crazy Rich Asians. The production and the cast showed their love for food as much as we do—and that translated to scenes that were alive and mirrored the unique food culture of Asia.
Inspired and longing for Singapore food, we’ve compiled the scenes and food from Crazy Rich Asians that make us want to eat a steaming bowl of laksa.
Crazy Rich Food
Crazy Rich Food
The over-the-top wedding banquet
The banquet scene for Colin Khoo And Araminta Lee’s wedding was the most challenging scene, according to John See. They had to prepare a super opulent East-meets-West buffet spread for 300 people, composed of 50 dishes that included suckling pigs, scallops, lobsters, macarón towers, and a gigantic seashell filled with beluga caviar.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
Meet the Nyonya Keuh
Platters of these bite-sized desserts called “nyonya keuh” could be seen during Eleanor’s bible study, the lavish party at Nick’s grandmother’s, and, the reception after Araminta and Colin’s wedding.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
All the little details are fascinating, like the onde-onde
Prominent on the nyonya keuh sets are these green glutinous rice balls rolled in coconut. Known as onde-onde, these are reminiscent of the Filipino anko.
Photo Credit: El Mundo Eats
The Armani of soups
When asked, Kevin Kwan says his favorite nyonya keuh is cheng tng, a soup-like dessert filled with different toppings like sago seeds, red dates, jelly strips, dried longan, and more. He calls it “the Armani dress of soups.”
Photo Credit: Flofoodventure
Breakfast dumplings and why family comes first
Who can forget that dumpling breakfast scene where the Young family members sit around the marble table, deftly folding pork dumplings? It’s also an iconic scene where Nick’s mother, Eleanor, shares her two cents on how family should always come first.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
The art of folding dumplings
Folding wor tip dumplings is an art form, and traditionally, it needs to have exactly 14 folds. Originally, the dumpling folding scene was not in the book. But it was a nice addition to the movie that even the director, Jon Chu, loved.
Photo Credit: https://www.thailandtatler.com/dining/violet-oon-s-crazy-rich-asians-dumpling-recipe
The iconic street food!
The Hawker food scene, which was the first stop of Rachel and Nick when they arrived in Singapore, was shot at the Newton Food Centre, a famed outdoor market filled with numerous stalls offering seafood and local specialities like satay, laksa, and chili crab.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
This mouthwatering satay
When Nick orders 20 sticks of satay at the market, this is what he was talking about: skewered beef and chicken that’s been marinated and grilled over roaring fire, served with peanut sauce.
Photo Credit: Taming of the spoon
...and the laksa
Nick also ordered two bowls of laksa, one bowl without chili. While we couldn’t imagine this steaming hot of coconut goodness without chili, we forgive him.
Photo Credit: Marions Kitchen
Singapore's national dish
Chili crab, considered one of Singapore’s national dishes, is fresh crab cooked in a thick sauce made of chili paste, fresh chilies, garlic, and ginger. They’re usually served with fried Chinese buns.
Photo Credit: Recipes are simple
The sexiest kaya toast
Kaya toast is essentially toasted bread with kaya, a coconut jam infused with pandan. According to Kevin Kwan, who is a huge lover of kaya toast: “It is the uni of jams. There’s something so rich and decadent about it, the texture and flavor. There’s a lusciousness to how smooth and yet thick it is. Uni is kind of sexual, in a way—there’s this confluence of flavors and a sensual pleasure to eating it. In a strange way, I feel the same way about kaya.”
Photo Credit: My recipes
Singapore's hawker culture
Jon Chu emphasizes how important the hawker culture is in Singapore that it is the only country where street vendors have Michelin stars.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
and Hawker Chan!
The infamous Hawker Chan that opened here in the Philippines was actually the first hawker stall in Singapore to be awarded a Michelin in 2016.
Photo Credit: What mary loves
Metro Channel recently had an exclusive one-on-one with Kevin Kwan about Sex and Vanity. If you haven’t yet, watch our interview with the bestselling author below.
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