The fourth and final installment of Raffles Hotel’s Regional Hawker Showcase will close on Oct 8, bringing to an end a four-part celebration of food from around the region.
This final chapter is helmed by chef Jeffry Sie, who has brought his signature dish of gudeg to Raffles Courtyard. The Indonesian hawker’s stall in Bandung has received Makansutra’s World Street Food Award, a programme that recognises “the best street food masters and top advocates of comfort street food excellence around the world”.
Those familiar with Singapore’s culinary scene would be familiar with Makansutra, the venture founded by K F Seetoh. Over the years, Makansutra has grown from a television show to a full-blown F&B operation, while maintaining a focus on highlighting food from Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Sie tells us that he learned his gudeg recipe from his parents, who hail from Yogyakarta. The dish is made from unripe jackfruit, giving it a distinctive bite; palm sugar, coconut milk and a number of spices turn the fruit into a stew quite similar to rendang. Here at Raffles Courtyard, he presents a traditional interpretation of the dish, with jasmine rice, a braised egg, fried chicken, tofu and a beef-skin curry known as krecek.
Though unassuming in such a large plate, the jackfruit surprisingly holds its own, with the strong aromas of lemongrass and coriander seeds coming through to full effect. The meat analog enthusiasts may have hijacked the fruit in recent years with recipes to emulate pulled pork and who-knows-what-else, but Sie proves that there’s no beating the traditional stuff; his gudeg is fork-tender, with just enough bite to feel unctuous.
We also love the braised egg, which is sweet and tender despite the long cooking time; we almost wish we had a recipe so we could recreate this texture at home. The chicken, too, stands out for its rich fragrance — it’s braised before getting a turn in the fryer, so it gets the best of both worlds with both flavour and crispness.
See also: Sky-high oriental flavours
Sie’s gudeg is available at Raffles Courtyard for $28++. Portions are generous, and a pair of small eaters might get away with sharing a single serving. A pair of selected cocktails is also available as an add-on with each order at $20++.
Raffles Courtyard
328 North Bridge Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 6412 1816
Email: singapore@raffles.com
Opening hours: Daily, 2pm – 10.30pm
