Tetsuya Wakuda insults Singaporeans food heritage!
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It's easier to get a table at Tetsuya's, but now you'll need your passport
Sue Bennett GOOD LIVING EDITOR
March 7, 2011
AT $310 a person plus wine, it's up there with the world's most expensive dining experiences but chef Tetsuya Wakuda has no shortage of customers at his new Singapore restaurant.
To the Sydney chef's amazement, the reservations book at Waku Ghin includes many Australians, especially from Perth, who are travelling especially to eat at the 25-seater.
Diners include the former Singapore prime minster Lee Kuan Yew and his Prime Minister son Lee Hsien Loong. Some regulars visit three or four times weekly.
They have a radically different dining experience to Wakuda's Sydney restaurant, Tetsuya's. Every savoury dish on the 10-course menu is cooked in front of the diner in one of four small dining rooms.
It took seven years to persuade Wakuda to open in Singapore.
At 743 square metres, the space was far larger than anything he wanted. More than that, Australia's most celebrated chef was happy running just one restaurant, in Sydney.
But the owners of Singapore's new $US5.7 billion casino complex Marina Bay Sands were never going to take no for an answer. Finally, he relented but on his terms. Waku Ghin seats just 25 diners with two sittings a night. "That's 50 people every day … more than enough,'' said Wakuda.
The extensive use of curved walls and small dining rooms disguises the large floorspace.
And for the man who loves kitchen equipment almost as much as the food prepared, much was designed by Wakuda.
Before opening, Wakuda visited Singapore "hundreds of times", but even he is taken aback by the locals' enthusiasm.
"Their passion for eating is incredible. It's a national sport. They just love to eat … It's obsessional almost.''
In the kitchen "Singapore is a different challenge [to Sydney]''.
"The produce is amazing. You pay for it, however; it's extremely expensive. Everything has to be imported and and while European is OK, Japanese is expensive and, as I am Japanese, people expect it. They expect Japanese seafood. They ask if it's local and if it is they say 'I don't want that'."
Like their capacity to eat, Singaporians' capacity to spend knows almost no bounds. The restaurant uses three kilograms of caviar a week.
- Sydney Herald
They ask if it's local and if it is they say 'I don't want that'."
this stupid and idiot chef is really insulting Singapore food, even if he serves the best it is shit to me and any respectable Singaporeans.
We don't need such hypocrite in Singapore.
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stuck up chef!
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typical with most Sg women....who shares the same perception...
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huh?
Do we really have to spend lots for fresh imports?
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Originally posted by sbst275:
huh?
Do we really have to spend lots for fresh imports?
I think he mean fresh from Japan only...
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Don't see how he insulted singapore food
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"Before opening, Wakuda visited Singapore "hundreds of times", but even he is taken aback by the locals' enthusiasm.
"Their passion for eating is incredible. It's a national sport. They just love to eat … It's obsessional almost.''
In the kitchen "Singapore is a different challenge [to Sydney]''.
"The produce is amazing. You pay for it, however; it's extremely expensive. Everything has to be imported and and while European is OK, Japanese is expensive and, as I am Japanese, people expect it. They expect Japanese seafood. They ask if it's local and if it is they say 'I don't want that'."
Like their capacity to eat, Singaporians' capacity to spend knows almost no bounds. The restaurant uses three kilograms of caviar a week."
- Sydney Herald
They ask if it's local and if it is they say 'I don't want that'."
this stupid and idiot chef is really insulting Singapore food, even if he serves the best it is shit to me and any respectable Singaporeans.
We don't need such hypocrite in Singapore."
Where in those lines did the Chef insult Singaporean Food ?? In fact one might say he was praising us on how we see food and dine..
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I dont see that he is insulting Singaporean local food.
He is just relaying or conveying what some customers have told him.
Some customers say they dont want local food maybe because they were searching especially for Japanese ingredients because they were expecting it from him / his restaurant.
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i think the TS is trying to create trouble where there is none..
and you see a few who don't read the article too..
what i see is a bunch of stuck up locals who do not want to eat local ingredients, even if the local ingredients are transformed to something else by a talented chef.. which is kinda sad...
oh well.. i think the TS insults the intelligence of the readers, and also disgraces his own people and his own family by trying to stir up trouble where there is none..
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I don't see the chef insulting Singapore Local Food
He is just telling feedback as it is which he received from Singaporeans who ate at his restaurant
So it's those local Singaporeans that insulted local ingredients and not the chef.
He's just the mouthpiece. Don't kill the messenger
TS should learn to discern
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3kg of caviar.
How increasing affluence will deplete the seas.
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Originally posted by SBS2601D:
3kg of caviar.
How increasing affluence will deplete the seas.
caviar is sturgeon roe.. it's freshwater and tightly controlled
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But considering how small the space is here supposedly, and we extrapoliate the demand...
*lubs chin*
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singaporeans are known to 抬举别人 贬低自己。
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Originally posted by dragg:
singaporeans are known to 抬举别人 贬低自己。
it's sad isn't it?
we have a lot but people don't appreciate it..
i guess familiarity breeds contempt
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one thing about franchises. the chef cant cook at 2 different locations at one given time right?
so those eating at the singapore restaurants are there only for the reputation right?
the food served arent prepared by the man himself isnt it?
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Originally posted by dragg:
one thing about franchises. the chef cant cook at 2 different locations at one given time right?
so those eating at the singapore restaurants are there only for the reputation right?
the food served arent prepared by the man himself isnt it?
chefs never do the cooking.. they are the "conductors" who plan and train a whole host of line cooks, and in their absence, the "conductor" position is taken up by their trusted lieutenants, the sous chef...
so no.. even when the chef is at the restaurant, it's usually not cooked by the man himself
p.s. got to say sometimes the chef does do some of the cooking but mostly the chef is the one who is doing the sourcing of the ingredients and the daily running of the restaurant
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He didnt insult Singapore food heritage leh... Anyway, he is right, if I tell you the Japanese seafood is from Singapore and Japan, which are you prepared to pay more?
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typical high-end market trick.......................
put up super high prices......................
limited anount of merchandise..........................
so the rich can feel special........................
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maybe some hawker should go to casino too.........................
$1000 char kway tiao...........................no hum some more...................
chilli will cost extra $50......................
one night only serve 10 customers........................
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Originally posted by Asromanista2001:
maybe some hawker should go to casino too.........................
$1000 char kway tiao...........................no hum some more...................
chilli will cost extra $50......................
one night only serve 10 customers........................
replace the chilli with truffles, hum with live abalone, add sea urchin, wagyu beef, kurabuta pork etc, maybe can ah
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Originally posted by Asromanista2001:
maybe some hawker should go to casino too.........................
$1000 char kway tiao...........................no hum some more...................
chilli will cost extra $50......................
one night only serve 10 customers........................
Mee siam mai hum would be more attractive. $200 a plate.
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Originally posted by Junyang700:
Mee siam mai hum would be more attractive. $200 a plate.
mee siam mai hum PM signature dish worth more than $200.
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Originally posted by the Bear:
chefs never do the cooking.. they are the "conductors" who plan and train a whole host of line cooks, and in their absence, the "conductor" position is taken up by their trusted lieutenants, the sous chef...
so no.. even when the chef is at the restaurant, it's usually not cooked by the man himself
p.s. got to say sometimes the chef does do some of the cooking but mostly the chef is the one who is doing the sourcing of the ingredients and the daily running of the restaurant
well put together..
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haha...
who is eating now?