What’s Algerian food? Maremyst at Golden Mile Food Centre enlightens Singaporeans
What is Algerian food? As something we don’t encounter frequently (or at all) in local contexts, we were very intrigued when Maremyst popped up on our social media feed.
The Muslim-owned Maremyst is located in Golden Mile Food Centre, sitting smack dab in the little enclave of Muslim food stalls in the basement.
But it stands out from the rest of its compatriots with its offerings — an array of dishes we’ve not really seen anywhere else in Singapore.
The man behind Maremyst is 34 year-old Yahiaoui Yaacob, an Algerian-turned-Singapore-PR, who moved here six years ago to be with his wife, who is Singaporean.
He tells us his favourite local dishes are hawker favourites, such as char kway teow and Hokkien mee — it seems fitting that someone who appreciates our hawker culture has become a hawker himself!
What is Algerian food?
The Maremyst chef-owner has spent many years working in restaurant kitchens, listing establishments such as Spize and Cedele on his CV — so you can naturally expect solid, technically sound cooking.
When we asked him to describe Algerian food to someone who has no idea about Algeria, the answer was quite enlightening.
Due to its geographical location in North Africa, you might think of big, punchy flavours with spices running riot.
But Yaacob described it quite differently: “Algeria is actually quite big, and it differs from city to city. There is a mix of everything, African flavours, mixed with French, Italian, and Spanish.”
Why so many European influences? Algeria has more than a century of heritage as a pivotal French colony. Fun fact: Talismanic French footballer Zinedine Zidane has Algerian heritage.
This deep entanglement with European powers means echoes of European cuisine were naturally weaved into local cooking.
As a whole, Algerian cuisine is Mediterranean in roots, so the most common ingredients are typically olive oil and lemon — and the Algerian native says the thing that best represents it is probably cous-cous!
Funnily enough, many customers come to Maremyst to try Algerian food for the first time, and cautiously approach the food, sometimes even remarking: “We don’t know how to eat your food.”
Yaacob jokingly says he will tell them: “It’s just chicken rice! Spoon, fork, you eat!”
And generally, many local customers are pleasantly surprised when they dig into Maremyst’s offerings.
Yaacob recalls: “A lot of them like it. They say the flavours are very balanced.”
“I am very happy they like it. Because there is no Algerian food in Singapore, so it is a risk for me,” he adds.
He also says that customer interaction is also one of the aspects he has enjoyed the most in his few months running Maremyst, besides the freedom he gets from running his own show.
Maremyst’s ricebowls
If you are reading this to see if Algerian food would be too exotic for you — you can rest assured that it is very accessible and delicious!
While Maremyst started out with more hot items, Yaacob has since scaled the menu down to two rice bowls: Chermoula chicken (S$8) and Algerian chtitha lhem (a type of stew with either mutton or beef, S$8).
Depending on his bandwidth, Yaacob might also serve a cheesy chicken mash potato bowl (S$8) on weekends, too
Each component is marvelously executed, with the chicken being exceedingly juicy, while the olive oil gravy and velvety chermoula layer over it with clean-tasting earthy depth and crisp aromatics.
On top of that, the baked carrots are tender with a meat-like snappiness, while Maremyst’s blend of harissa chilli bestows a lick of heat and a sneaky whiff of smokiness.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Algerian chtitha lhem — the hero protein at Maremyst that’s best suited to those with a preference for bigger flavours.
This dish is available with either mutton or beef, but availability depends on the day itself — on our visit, only mutton was available.
We have no prior experience having Algerian fare, but we can attest to the superb texture, where the flesh is firm but tender, while scores of silky fats make each bite that much more enjoyable.
The controlled gameyness — we enjoy lamb with a touch of game, without it being odious — is nicely bolstered by the sauce’s spice profile and richness, which, in turn, also mixes nicely with the rice.
And if you want something more familiar, Maremyst also serves a very classic tiramisu (from S$5).
For the price, you really won’t have any complaints. Yaacob says he follows the most punctilious recipe that is approved by the Italian government itself.
There is a good breath of coffee fragrance, while the mascarpone cream is nice and fluffy — a very solid rendition.
After two visits, we can say for sure that Maremyst might be one of our favourite stalls at Golden Mile Food Centre now, which is also one of our top picks for the most underrated hawker centre in Singapore.
It is not just the novelty of Algerian food, either. We think the quality of food here easily trumps that of many cafes and restaurants out there, and the rice bowls are deceptively filling — and all at a mighty reasonable price of S$8.
This was a hosted tasting.
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the Cuppage Plaza ultimate food guide and the viral retro Western food restaurant in Katong!
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Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
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