Rempapa CNY 2023 Feast Embraces Heritage In Year Of Rabbit

Since the start of Chef Damian D’Silva’s journey in advocating Singapore Heritage cuisine, he has made it his priority to engage, interest, and motivate the next generation of culinary talents; extending a platform for them to learn, explore, and in turn, share their culinary stories with Singaporean diners.

As part of Rempapa’s Cultural Celebration Series, Chef Damian commemorates the new lunar year with a Rempapa CNY 2023 Feast curated by his team of young chefs – Head Chef Alan Chan, Sous Chef Chit Pang, and Chef Chee Seng – at Rempapa from 9 January to 5 February 2023. Five festive dishes reflecting the fond personal memories of festive favourites of Chef Damian and his team are available to diners on an a la carte basis.

In addition to these dine-in highlights, a collaboration with Genevieve Lee from Sourbombe Artisanal Bakery also brings special festive creations for self-collection and island-wide delivery. The Rempapa Sourbombe A-bun-dance Box and other delights are available from 3 to 20 January 2023. Pre-orders open on 28 December 2022.

Heartwarming Lunar New Year Delights at Rempapa

From 9 January to 5 February 2023, enjoy well-loved festive recipes led by heartfelt narratives from Chef Damian and his team.

Hu Say ($18++) by Chef Damian  

Hu Say, the Teochew name for yu sheng, is an auspicious dish inspired by the recipe from Chef’s Peranakan grandmother. Traditionally enjoyed throughout the new year period, this refreshing yu sheng features fresh hamachi slices with kumquat and fresh cili kerinting served on a bed of shredded local lettuce, radish, Chinese celery, coriander, deep-fried preserved radish, and cucumber.

Dang Gui Prime Ribs ($22++) by Chef Chee Seng         

Chef Chee Seng reminisces about a comforting pork rib and dang gui soup prepared by a former chef he worked with to nourish the kitchen team during the busy festive period. These heart-warming well wishes are conveyed with his rendition of the dish – a flavourful stack of prime ribs glazed with dang gui sauce, garnished with fried garlic.

Homemade Golden Tofu ($26++) by Sous Chef Chit Pang      

During festivals and special occasions, Chef Chit Pang’s mother would always prepare dishes featuring her signature homemade tofu. One of the most cherished dishes is the tofu with prawn and vegetables. At Rempapa, he recreates this family favourite with house-made tofu wok-fried with a medley of lily bulb, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and prawns in a savoury sauce made from a deep and flavourful broth of chicken, pumpkin purée, dried scallops, and a galore of herbs.

Braised Pork Knuckle with Fa Choi & Dried Oysters ($68++) by Head Chef Alan Chan

The classic Hokkien dish, a childhood favourite of Chef Alan, is always prepared with love by his grandmother. A whole pork knuckle is slow-cooked till fork-tender in a braising liquid of dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and spices such as star anise. Dried oysters and dried black moss (fa choi) are added to symbolise good luck and wealth.

Steamed Red Grouper with Silky Steamed Egg (seasonal price) by Head Chef Alan Chan

Fish is a time-honoured symbol of prosperity at all festive tables. Chef Alan combines two of his favourite Cantonese dishes – steamed fish and steamed egg – in this stunning heritage gem. Fresh red grouper is briefly steamed with young ginger and coriander till par-cooked, before a soymilk egg mix is added and steamed with the fish over high heat. A savoury classic Cantonese sauce of light soy sauce, oil, crispy garlic, coriander root, and Shaoxing wine is poured over before serving.

A Celebration of Heritage Flavours with Rempapa and Sourbombe

Rempapa furthers the heritage conversation with Sourbombe Artisanal Bakery – the brainchild of Genevieve Lee (or ‘Gen’ for short), runner-up of MasterChef Singapore Season One. A blossoming mentor-mentee friendship was seeded during the filming of the reality show, where Chef Damian was one of the judges. When they met again at a recent food festival, both were eager to present a unique collaboration melding the modern bomboloni with heritage flavours.

From 3 to 20 January 2023, indulge in exclusive Lunar New Year treats conceptualised by Chef Damian and Gen.

Rempapa Sourbombe A-bun-dance Box ($32+)           

Presented in a vibrant box reflecting heritage textiles and Sourbombe’s pop of colour are three Sourbombes with heritage flavours and eight pieces of kueh – great for festive gifting and enjoyment across generations

Two Sourbombes are loaded with savoury fillings of Pang Susi and Prawn Bostador from Rempapa, and the third features Sourbombe’s sweet Mango Pomelo. Rempapa’s fillings are inspired by Chef Damian’s childhood Eurasian favourites. Pang Susi, a savoury and sweet minced meat bun, was often enjoyed during special occasions. Granddad would also prepare a generous amount of Prawn Bostador – green chilli sambal prawns – for young Damian to enjoy after school. Complementing the savoury Sourbombes is the sweet Mango Pomelo – pomelo pulp is swirled in with mango custard and mango cubes to create a dessert-like sweet Sourbombe.

The celebratory box also includes four different types of kueh (two pieces each) from Rempapa – Puteri Ayu, Sago Bandung, Talam Keladi, and Kueh Salat.

Hae Bee Hiam Cookies ($22+ per 250g tub)      

The Hae Bee Hiam Cookies are another way to relish the flavours of the classic hae bee hiam rolls. Rempapa’s house-blend of dried shrimps sambal uses top grade dried shrimps. The piquant mix of five key ingredients is cooked over low heat for an extended amount of time to coax out the deep savoury-sweetness. The robust paste complements the cookie base from Sourbombe, accentuated with aromatic curry leaf butter. These moreish cookies are perfect for festive get-togethers.

Lunar New Year Bundle ($50+)      

Gifting is made easy with a festive bundle that comprises a Rempapa Sourbombe A-bun-dance Box and a tub of Hae Bee Hiam Cookies.

Limited quantities of Heritage Sourbombes are available for walk-in purchases at Sourbombe’s outlet located at 9 Penang Road, available from 3 January 2023 onwards.

• $8+ per savoury Sourbombe (Pang Susi and Prawn Bostador)
• $5.60+ for sweet Sourbombe (Mango Pomelo)

This Lunar New Year, Rempapa continues to celebrate and champion Singapore heritage cuisine. The enriching collaborations with young culinary talents this festive season aim to bring fresh perspectives and innovation to the heritage conversation.