Question A

Beef Rendang

The popularity of rendang is widely spread across its original domain because of the merantau (migrating) culture of Minangkabau people. The overseas Minangkabau leave their hometown to start a career in other Indonesian cities as well as neighboring countries. They work in offices, trade textiles, start their own businesses, and some might open a Padang restaurant, a Minangkabau eating establishment that is ubiquitous in every Indonesian city. These Padang restaurants are credited for introducing and popularizing rendang and other Padang food dishes across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and even as far as Europe and United States.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

The only chicken rice found in Hainan in China, an island off the southern coast of China, is made with the Wengcheng chicken, a bony fowl with very little flesh served with rice thick with oil and accompanied by ground green chilli dip. Hainanese chefs also use pork and chicken bone stock unlike their Singaporean counterparts who avoid the pork base in their chicken rice. Thus the Hainanese Chicken Rice dish probably evolved through the Hainanese immigrants in the region and gained from local influences such as the Cantonese. The Cantonese added lime to the chilli sauce and ensured their chickens were tender and young. The Hainanese Chicken Rice dish is said to have taken root in areas like Middle Road, Purvis Street and Koek Road more than 60 years ago.

Dum Biryani

This was brought in by immigrants from India who stayed in Singapore about more than 100 years ago.

Popiah

Brought to Singapore about more than 70 years ago by the Chinese fujian immigrants who had become to Singapore in the older days.

Rojak

Like the other foods this was also brought in by Indonesian immigrants however made with a difference in the ingredients.