First Look: Rempapa – Singapore New Heritage Cuisine in Paya Lebar

Rempapa is a new restaurant opened in Paya Lebar PLQ by celebrated chef, Damian D’Silva who formerly helmed memorable dining outlets such as Kin and Folklore. In keeping with Chef Damian’s background, the cuisine at Rempapa is multicultural. Think: flavors of the Chinese, Peranakan, Eurasian, Indian and Malay kitchens. The name Rempapa comes from two words -“Rempah” for the Malay spice paste and “Papa” which serves to honor Damian’s standing in the culinary scene.

Unlike Chef Damian’s previous ventures, Rempapa is an all-day dining concept. This means diners can come in for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner or even for drinks and enjoy a different facet of the offerings here for each meal. In total, Rempapa has over 50 dishes in its repertoire – of which many are totally new even to Chef Damian’s most loyal customers.

As previously mentioned, there are a few menus at Rempapa that correspond to different mealtimes. Breakfast is from Mondays to Fridays 10:30AM to 12PM. Brunch is on weekends and public holidays 9:30AM to 3:30PM. Lunch is served on weekdays from 12PM to 3:30PM while dinner and bar snacks are served daily from 6PM to 10:30PM. They also serve afternoon tea from 3:30PM to 6PM daily. The dishes I tried during their preview were a mix of these different mealtimes.

Chickpea Curry

The Chickpea Curry (S$18) comes with either roti or string hoppers. I wholeheartedly recommend getting the roti to go along with it. My flat bread came with a noticeably fragrant buttery flavor that seemed to be further compounded when you add bits of flavorful chickpea curry on top. The chickpeas here came wonderfully soft while still whole. This vegetarian dish is enhanced with Kashmiri chili and turmeric powder, giving it an amazing amalgamation of both Indian and Eurasian curry flavors.

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

An alternative is the Sri Lankan Chicken Curry (S$16) which comes with string hoppers. A common breakfast dish in Sri Lanka, the chicken curry here is noticeably milder. Traditional Sri Lankan curry has typically more watery kind of gravy which pairs well with string hoppers as the latter absorbs the sauce.

Stir Fried Chee Cheong Fun

Look once and you might mistaken the Stir-fried Chee Cheong Fun (S$13) for something else – perhaps something closer to a dry version of hor fun. The dish originated from one of the chefs at Rempapa called Ah Seng. Here, the chee cheong fun possesses a bouncy texture, unlike the flat type one usually sees in dimsum places. It comes with generous toppings of prawn and egg. This is a good option if you are looking for an alternative kind of carbohydrate to go along with this familiar combination of fried ingredients. This was my favorite among the breakfast items I tried.

Rempapa’s Pork Chop Rice

Rempapa’s Pork Chop Curry Rice (S$18) may look like a Japanese creation to younger folks – with the meat containing all the hallmarks of a breaded tonkatsu. Again, one needs to look deeper. The coating is actually made of crushed Hup Seng cream crackers rather than the usual breading. This creates a bit of sweetness on the skin of the pork chop. Make no mistake about it – the comparison with the katsudon was a deliberate one. Through the likes of this Pork Chop Curry Rice, Chef Damian aims to create a Singapore new heritage dish that takes inspiration from Hainanese curry rice and influences from traditional curry recipes. 

Seafood Curry Mee

There were some oohs and ahs when the Seafood Curry Mee (S$18) was served. The dish is an evolution of a Hokkien hawker dish served during the 1920s and 1930s. Many Singaporeans are familiar with chicken curry mee but not the seafood version where the rich flavors stem from seafood rather than coconut milk. There are two types of noodles here – the standard yellow noodles as well as bee hoon. I thought it was pretty good, especially the rich broth which is made from sand prawn and an abundance of dried shrimps. Chef Damian also uses his own blend of curry powder here with spices that contain subtler flavors than the typical curry.

Nasi Lemak

While Nasi Lemak (S$17) is a common dish in Singapore, do try Rempapa’s version which contains a number of nuances. For one, they use fried silver fish rather than the usual anchovies. I enjoyed this innovation as the silver fish were crispier while also avoiding the sharpness of the anchovies that tend to get trapped in between my teeth. Diners can choose to have their nasi lemak with either fish or chicken. I would recommend going with the fish option. They use the meatier Selar fish and coat it with turmeric powder and tamarind juice before pan-frying.

Baca Assam

While Rempapa’s menu runs like a compendium, it is in the dinner dishes where I think the restaurant truly shines. The Baca Assam (S$38) brings back memories of Kin and Folklore, though this tangy beef brisket does not contain the fiery spices that came to define those past restaurants. The gravy was outstanding with a sourness that one usually finds in Eurasian cuisine. The meat was also very tender. You’d want to pair this with rice (the turmeric rice is highly recommended).

Lamb Leg Rendang

The Lamb Leg Rendang (S$38) is another stunner. While beef is more often associated with the rendang, lamb has always been Chef Damian’s favorite choice of protein because of the aroma and subtle sweetness that arises after it’s cooked. 

Kedongdong Salad

A salad rarely figures as my favorite dish during a dinner but I would have to say the Kedongdong Salad (S$15) blew me away. This refreshing assortment contained a myriad of textures, from crunchy to fluffy as well as a similar variety of flavors. The salad contains a number of herbs and Chef Damian even playfully adds peanut brittle here. One can taste an explosion of sweet, sour, salty and even a hint of bitterness here. 

Kueh Platter

We ended the meal with another hallmark from Chef Damian’s past restaurants. The Kueh Platter (S$6 for 4pcs) contained a selection drawn from the dessert menu which includes favorites such as Kueh Kosui and Kueh Ku, Kueh Bengkah, Pulut Bengkah, Talam Keladi, Sago Ubi, Lapis Pulot, Rempah Udang and others available on the day.

View Rempapa’s full menu

Rempapa
2 Paya Lebar Road
Park Place Residences at PLQ
#01-01/02/03
Singapore 409053

+65 9459 1603

Opening Hours: Daily from 10:30AM t o10:30PM (opens at 9:30AM on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays)

Rempapa is scheduled to open to the public on the 10th of December 2021