Meet the restaurateur creating plant-based versions of Singaporean food

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Meet the restaurateur creating plant-based versions of Singaporean food

Vegan craven rice or fried kway teow, anyone? Yuan Oeij, chairman of The Prive Group, is slowly simply surely expanding his restaurants' repertoire of meatless meals. And soon in that location will be takeaway options too.

08 Apr 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 09 Jul 2022 06:35AM)

It sure looks like a fancy plate of chicken rice. The meat, rice and condiments are neatly plated on separate dishes and arranged artfully on a tray. I inhale the tantalising scent of sesame oil, ginger and chilli and bite into a piece of chicken, savouring its tender, chewy texture. The fluffy chocolate-brown rice has a nutty flavor that pairs nicely with the chicken and condiments. The light broth is a great palate cleanser.

If I didn't know any amend, I would have thought I was tucking into a plate of real chicken rice. Instead, this is the vegan version of craven rice at Prive, which substitutes craven with Heura, a plant-based culling that has a fibrous construction mimicking the mouthfeel of chomping into meat. Still, the resemblance to the real thing is remarkable but more essentially, the nutrient is delicious and I polish off the entire serving.

Indeed, the casual dining hangout which has in recent years garnered acclamation for its fantabulous (real) chicken rice now has an authentic plant-based "chicken" rice on its carte du jour too.

One of Prive's outlets at Wheelock Place. (Photo: Prive)

Information technology is the brainchild of Yuan Oeij, chairman of The Prive Grouping, whose range of F&B establishments include Prive cafes islandwide, seafood-axial Bayswater Kitchen and gimmicky Chinese restaurant Empress. (In calorie-free of the government's latest "Excursion Billow" directives, the Group is in the midst of setting upwardly their takeaway/delivery menu for Prive, while Bayswater Kitchen and Empress are closed until May).

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"Veganism is more of a philosophy of reducing fauna suffering and not exploiting animals. The reason I became vegan is because I did not want to be a part of this, at least in my personal lifestyle choices." – Yuan Oeij

In a mode, the growing plant-based menu at Prive and Empress is a reflection of Oeij's personal journey to veganism. "I used to pride myself on being able to tell restaurants I consume annihilation, the more adventurous the better – bring on the intestines and testicles! I was not ane of the fussy ones," quipped Oeij.

Those with longer memories might remember Oeij as the chef-possessor of Brown Sugar bistro from the mid-noughties too every bit the nightlife maestro behind the Stereolab and Mink nightclubs at Pan Pacific hotel. In his earlier days, he would travel the world to wine and dine at top restaurants where he sampled the finest and most exotic nutrient that chefs could dream upwardly.

Oeij at Prive Tiong Bahru on March 18, 2020. (Photo: Alvin Teo)

Just in 2018, the restaurateur began gradually transitioning to a vegan diet, in part due to the influence of his wife, who had started to swallow less meat. Over the course of two years, he removed meat, dairy, chicken, eggs and finally seafood from his diet to get fully vegan past mid-2019.

As a health and fitness aficionado and brute lover, Oeij had long been enlightened of the benefits of eating less meat as well equally the suffering acquired past the animal farming manufacture. However, the self-professed food lover previously only made "half-hearted attempts at reducing meat consumption".

In contempo years, visits to animal farms where he interacted with immature animals marked for slaughter and as well delightful take chances encounters with wild animals, such equally the free-ranging red junglefowl at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, convinced him to commit fully to veganism.

Dragon's Jiff Fried Kway Teow with Impossible Meat Balls. (Photo: Empress) "I used to pride myself on being able to tell restaurants I eat annihilation, the more adventurous the improve – bring on the intestines and testicles! I was not 1 of the fussy ones." – Yuan Oeij "Veganism is more of a philosophy of reducing animal suffering and not exploiting animals. The reason I became vegan is because I did not want to be a part of this, at least in my personal lifestyle choices," he said.

Then, cravings for specific Singaporean dishes similar chicken rice and beef hor fun kicked in. It was not the meat that he missed, Oeij said, but rather the flavours of these dishes. "Craven rice, lamb biryani, bak kut teh – these were some of my top favourites because of my babyhood memories of eating them. So I started to brand plant-based versions of these dishes," he said.

This is why besides commonly seen items like Impossible burger or meatball spaghetti, diners will also notice meatless interpretations of local nutrient at Prive and Empress. These include fried kway teow with Impossible meatballs, Impossible gyoza and laksa with found-based seafood. He is the first to acknowledge that these dishes are non a perfect substitute for the originals, but says they at least provide diners with a guilt-free taste of cornball favourites.

"My aim is to brand dishes that are better for the world and are more than appealing to everyone, including vegans and non-vegans. I want people to exist curious virtually the dishes on the carte and guild them and discover that they are expert alternatives," he said.

Despite his strong convictions, his eateries will continue to offering both meat and meat-less options for the foreseeable future. The savvy businessman in him acknowledges that the market still views vegan food establishments every bit a niche offering.

"Chicken rice, lamb biryani, bak kut teh – these were some of my elevation favourites because of my childhood memories of eating them. And so I started to make plant-based versions of these dishes." – Yuan Oeij

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Simply beingness spread-out also gives more diners a hazard to enjoy found-based options. "Considering we have customers of all dietary preferences, we are able to do better by exposing them to vegan options and be a identify where vegans and non-vegans tin dine together," he said.

Of class, there are critics who say that plant-based meat alternatives are unhealthy too. To which Oeij countered, "Don't encounter them as health food, they are notwithstanding candy. But they serve a huge purpose and go far easier for people to transit towards eating more responsibly. I would also argue that animal products are damaging to your health and meat alternatives are certainly meliorate for the environment."

Up next, manufacturers like Australia-based Fable are already creating alternatives fabricated with natural ingredients, like shiitake mushrooms, he noted.

He is too gradually introducing more good for you whole-foods based vegan dishes to his restaurants.

For example, a recent menu improver at Prive, Papa'south Plant Poly peptide Burger is made with chickpeas, blackness beans and lentils. Another dish, Tracy'due south Favourite Salad, which is named after his wife, was created when the couple visited their Gem Changi Airport outlet later on a trip and had it whipped upwardly based on ingredients bachelor in the kitchen. This whopper-sized salad comprises over 20 superfood ingredients, including kale, smashed avocado, quinoa and goji berries.

The slogan on Oeij's T-shirt says information technology all. (Photograph: Alvin Teo) "I don't want to just be well-nigh the animals or environment, but to be a socially conscious company." – Yuan Oeij Beyond a empathetic card, Oeij is also serious most sharing values of kindness and pity to the community. "I don't want to just be near the animals or environment, just to be a socially conscious visitor," he said. He recently implemented an initiative to hire ex-offenders and is hoping to aggrandize this plan.

Additionally, inspired by a practice he experienced at a restaurant in Los Angeles, he kickstarted a #randomactsofkindness project at Prive, where staff are encouraged to pay it forrard by showing kindness to those in need. They have since assisted lost tourists, an injured cyclist and a homeless person, even spurring on other diners to contribute in their ain ways. The visitor volition likewise be going out of pocket to ensure their staff's needs are taken care of during this difficult fourth dimension.

These actions have resonated with the community, which in turn have shored upwardly business, particularly in these difficult COVID-19 times when many businesses are experiencing a reduced demand.

"Even though nosotros don't articulate it, people are starting to see us equally making a stand and this is a huge draw," he said. "In doing all this, I also need to ensure that it makes sense for the business organisation and it is rewarding that I am able to fulfil this vision and help individuals and order."

Meet the restaurateur creating plant-based versions of Singaporean food

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