My Must-Eats…with chef Audra Morrice

My Must-Eats is a HungryGoWhere series featuring Singapore’s public figures and their favourite food haunts. This week, chef Audra Morrice is in the limelight.

If you love MasterChef and all things culinary, Audra Morrice is no stranger to you.

She first burst onto our television screens as a finalist on MasterChef Australia in 2012, before appearing on subsequent editions of MasterChef Asia and MasterChef Singapore as a judge and host.

Born and raised in Singapore, Audra has made a name for herself internationally for her fusion Asian flavours, some of which draw on her Chinese-Indian heritage.

She is also an established author, television personality and business owner, with two cookbooks under her belt — My Kitchen Your Table and Cook & Feast.

NGL, her responses to our questions make my tummy rumble. Having travelled all over the world, Audra has much to say about what multicultural and produce-driven cuisine has to offer us.

Be sure to catch her when Season 4 of MasterChef Singapore goes on air from August 9 on Channel 5.

1. What dish reminds you of your childhood — and where did you get it? 

There are quite a few, from lor mai gai (steamed glutinous rice with chicken) to lek tau suan (mung bean dessert) with you char kway (deep fried dough). I used to have lor mai gai at my primary school canteen when Mom didn’t pack me a luncheon meat sandwich, which was few and far between — she was pretty organised with our school lunches!

We’d always either get tau suan and you char kway on weekends from the market, along with the sesame sugared butterfly bun, or an array of kuehs.

I was one of those lucky kids whose mother loved food, too. She cooked well and always knew what to buy!

2. What’s your go-to eatery in Singapore? Why? 

To be honest, Mum and I cook a lot at home when I visit. We know what we like and usually it’s a vegetable dish loaded with fresh chillies and garlic, sometimes ikan bilis (dried anchovies) or salted fish.

I’m a big fan of bean sprouts, okra (lady’s fingers), eggplant, mushroom, nai bai, kang kong, tofu, and so on, so the variety of vegetables we cook is endless.

If I were to head out, my current two favourites would be: Candlenut, for incredibly refined authentic Peranakan cuisine, and Madras New Woodlands restaurant on Upper Dickson Road in Little India for Indian vegetarian.

My other favourite cuisine is nasi padang. A great place for lunch is Rumah Makan Minang on Kandahar Street.

3. When you travel, what’s one Singapore dish you always miss? 

Actually, anything that has chillies in it. I love my chillies! But mostly, I crave nyonya kueh. I do make some in Sydney, but rather infrequently, as you often have to make a decent amount. And since I am generally the only one in my family who eats it, I don’t bother.

That said, I do have a great recipe for a small gao teng kueh (nine-layered rainbow kueh), which is perfect for one to two people. Check it out on my Instagram page.

4. What dish or cuisine do you want to try, but have not? 

I have travelled quite extensively. But on my bucket list: To travel around India and explore ALL their cuisine. India is such a huge country and differs dramatically from north to south, east to west. I’ve always loved how cuisine changes based on their climate and proximity to neighbouring cultures, which dictates what grows, how people eat and the various influences. 

My first trip to India was last year, but just to Chennai. Ironically, I was taken by some friends to a Rajasthani vegetarian restaurant and it blew my mind how a dozen vegetarian dishes could all taste so different — and all equally delicious. 

5. What’s the last thing you ate that impressed you — and where did you have it?

Hmm…. In May, I was in Japan doing the Kumano Kodo trek.

The best food (I tried) was at a minshuku in a small village called Chikatsuyu. They’ve been running their minshuku (bed and breakfast) for the past 30 years. 

The mum was the cook and the dad the admin guy, while the son and his wife were the most beautiful and helpful hosts. They facilitated check-ins and the serving of food. I’m sure among the four of them, the running of the place was a massive shared responsibility.

Dinner was exquisite — simple, yet cooked with such care and precision, which is one of the things I love about Japanese cuisine. 

Ingredients grown locally are widely used. They grew their own rice, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, Myoga (a ginger flower with a milder flavour compared to Singapore varieties), and so on. 

Alongside the beautiful array of vegetables and everything else grown on their farm — which by the way are not as commonly served in restaurants right across the larger city — the local river trout and sashimi of tuna, snapper and hirame (flounder) were so fresh and delicious. I was in heaven.

For more ideas on local eats, check out the latest F&B openings in town. 

Candlenut is on the GrabFood delivery service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. It  can also be found on GrabFood Dine-in.

Alternatively, book a ride to Audra Morrice’s favourite restaurants.