Singapura is a Southeast Asian beach bar inspired establishment located in the Gramercy neighborhood (31 East 20th St, New York, NY 10003), by Chef Salil Mehta of Wau and LAUT Union Square.
Featuring a Singaporean-inspired drink and food menu, Singapura not only offers hawker food but also dishes from the Peranakan and Eurasian communities in Singapore. Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans and is unique to Malaysia and Singapore. The Peranakans are descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia, inter-marrying with local Malays, beginning in the 15th century.
Eurasians in Singapore are of mixed European and Asian descent and their vibrant European ancestry traces to emigrants of countries that span the length and breadth of Europe, although Eurasian migrants to Singapore in the 19th century came largely from other European colonies in Asia. These included then British Malaya, in particular Malacca and Penang, India, Goa, then part of the former Portuguese India and Chittagong (today in modern-day Bangladesh), the Dutch East Indies and French Indochina.
Featured dishes include beloved Singaporean hawker and Peranakan dishes such as “Popiah” (delicately thin, crepe-like steamed spring roll stuffed with egg, Chinese sausage, dry shrimp, bean sprouts, jicama, peanuts, and served with a chilli hoisin sauce dip); and “Rojak,” a mixed fruit and vegetable salad dish of Javanese origin, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (the Singapura version is composed of green apple, mango, pineapple, jicama, chilli, galangal flower, and topped-off with fermented shrimp paste dressing).
Guests can also try a cherished, Eurasian dish, “Debal Curry,” which is also known as “Devils Curry” (Spicy Portuguese curry with spam, chicken, sausage, cabbage, carrot and potatoes); alongside old-school dishes, such as the “Hainanese Breaded Pork Chop” with a sweet and savory tomato sauce, black pepper and peas; “Sambal Sting Ray” (skate fish pan fried in a banana leaf); and “Singapore Bak Kut Teh,” (pork rib tea stew with fresh cracked white pepper, whole garlic, served with youtiao/Chinese crullers, and chili infused soy dipping sauce). Noodle enthusiasts will be glad to know as well that Mehta will be serving-up “Bak Chor Mee,” the iconic Singaporean hawker noodle dish, made with braised noodles and topped-off with ground pork, pork liver, loin, chillies and mushroom.
A centerpiece of Singapura will be the Southeast Asian tiki bar counter made from bamboo, adorned with hanging plants and signature drinks will be served in tiki goblets and panda-shaped glasses. One signature cocktail will be the “Tiki-lah,”and the name is a play on “Singlish” and “Manglish,” an English-based creole principally used in Singapore and Malaysia. It is heavily influenced by the dominant languages of the countries of Singapore, Malaysia, as well as the Malay, Chinese languages, and Tamil.
For reservations call 646-429-9986 or visit singapura.nyc