THE TRUE FLAVORS OF HOME
Locally and sustainably sourced ingredients are the main stars at One Michelin-starred restaurant Labyrinth
The appreciation for fine wine and food is an important aspect in the DBS Insignia experience. This year alone, cardmembers were treated to a number of unforgettable food-centric events, particularly at the signature DBS Insignia Private Dining collection series, where Michelin-starred chefs were flown into Singapore, sharing their culinary masterpieces to a select few. But beyond exclusivity and exquisite flavors, one of the hallmarks of an excellent meal lies in the ingredients. In addition to hot commodity items like truffles, caviar, and fresh air-flown seafood, locally and sustainably sourced ingredients hold their own as well. Today, an ingredient’s provenance and how it was acquired is as important as rarity and the accompanying price tag.
In Singapore, one restaurant that’s on every foodie’s lips is Labyrinth – a One Michelin-starred restaurant that puts Singapore flavors and ingredients on a pedestal. One could say that the restaurant is Chef-Owner Han Li Guang’s personal love letter to the little red dot, what with familiar names on the menu, as well as equally familiar flavors on the palate. What is even more surprising is the fact that 80% of the ingredients Chef Han uses are locally sourced – definitely unexpected, especially since Singapore is known to import more than 90% of its food.
Have Produce, Will Create
At Labyrinth, the Singaporecentric menu aims to debunk the misconception that the country lacks worthwhile produce. Instead of going the easy route of engaging
an expert supplier, where anything and everything is available, Chef Han and his team’s approach is a little more unconventional, beginning with a hard-earned understanding of what is farmed and what is naturally indigenous to Singapore. With an understanding of what the animals are fed, native habitats, and best harvest practices, the knowledge gained from this is applied to the menu. What results is more than just a beautiful dish on a plate: It is ultimately an enterprise of natural pride, where the food is unique, better tasting, and fresher too, because of the easy accessibility.
Long Live Local
When dining at Labyrinth, expect a thoughtfully created menu that boasts homegrown meats, seafood, vegetables, and artisanal products. These come from a roster of carefully sourced small-scale local suppliers, which include Hay’s Dairy Farm, Toh Thye San Farm, Farm Delight, Kwong Who Hing sauce factory, Chinatown Market, and Stingless Honey Bee Farm. With these suppliers on board, Labyrinth presents “produce-focused” cuisine that begins with a particular ingredient. For example, the stingless bee honey was the impetus for a rojak dish, which acts as a building block that forms an unforgettable version of the local salad. Other standouts on the menu include the Heartland Waffle with local duck liver pâté and goji berry jam, Ah Hua Kelong Lala Clams atop fried wonton skin with XO sambal sauce, Nippon Koi Farm Silver Perch reinterpreted in a bak kut teh style, and Uncle William’s Quail with satay espuma, muah chee, and pearl onion. With this approach adopted by both the restaurant and Chef Han, what results is a web of sustainability, where farmers, chefs, and various food professionals come together and gather their resources, knowledge, and skillsets to help one another. Awareness for what is locally and readily available in Singapore is raised too, resulting in the strengthening of the community, as well as deeper understanding and appreciation from the diners.