Paper Palate

Shiok!: Exciting Tropical Asian Flavors by Terry Tan and Christopher Tan, published by Periplus, Singapore, in 2003. Paperback, $24.95.

As befits its geographic location, Singapore is a culinary crossroads between China and Southeast Asia. Soy sauce and fish sauce, stir-fries and curries sit cheek by jowl in this country’s cooking. The ultimate fusion is Nonya cooking, which was originated by the Chinese wives of Malaysian merchants. Whatever the origin of a given dish, Singaporeans love good food; “Shiok!” is loosely translated as meaning, “Wow, delicious!” and may give a hint as to the esteem good food enjoys in this culture.

Terry and Christopher Tan are writers and food consultants. In the introduction, they say, “This collection of recipes is a personal and idiosyncratic one. It is not meant to be a definitive guide to Singaporean gastronomy…nor is it an anonymous collation of ersatz ethnic expressions packaged for easy digestion. These dishes are drawn from our lives, from the home repertoires we have cooked our way through many times over the years.” The presentation is polished, but there is an informal quality as well that is typified by comments such as this one in the headnote to the recipe for “Kari Ayam,” a curry: “Chris thinks toasted plain bagels are good with it too.”

A large part of this book’s polish comes from Edmond Ho’s photography. Almost all recipes are illustrated with big colorful photos that use closeups and artful blurring to show the dishes, yet create an artistic impression.

After a prefatory note by Australian chef David Thompson, there is an introduction that covers the different influences on Singaporean cuisine: China, Malaysia and India. Attention is also given to the authors’ Peranakan background; similar to Nonya cooking, Peranakan cooking is a fusion of Chinese and Indonesian food traditions. Once the preliminaries are out of the way, the book is organized into Sambals, Achars, Chutneys and Sauces; Entertaining Snacks; Hawker Favorites; Homestyle Dishes; Curries; Peranakan Classics; and Desserts. There is an illustrated glossary of ingredients and an index as well.

Since Singapore’s food comes from a crossroads of different Asian traditions, Shiok! reflects this diversity. There are classic Chinese-style dishes such as “Stir-Fried Beef with Kai Lan” or “Soy-braised Chicken.” Then there are curries like “Gulai Prawns and Pineapple” and “Kuah Lada” (a fish curry). The instructions are clear, though cooks without ready access to an Asian market may find themselves searching for ingredients such as candlenuts. Those interested in cooking Asian food will find this book a good introduction to Singaporean fare, but also a whirlwind tour of different types of Asian dishes and cooking methods.

Unfortunately, the book’s binding is not too durable; when I laid the book flat to cook from a recipe, the glue gave out after remaining in the same position for some time. In an odd design decision, the titles for the recipes are printed lighter than the main text, so one has to look carefully to make sure of what one is cooking. The cross-references are not infallible, either; the recipe for “Mee Goreng” (a noodle dish) refers to the recipe for “Sambal Goreng” on page 25, but that recipe is really on page 28.

These nitpicks aside, Shiok! provides a good introduction to enjoying and cooking Singaporean food.

Pros: Good introduction to Singaporean food, as well as to Asian food in general.

Cons: Flimsy binding; a few inaccurate page numbers in cross-references.

Rating: 8 out of 10.