It’s been a sweet homecoming for Singaporean chef Akmal Anuar, who has opened his first restaurant in his home country — 12 years after packing his bags for Dubai in search of greener pastures.
The 41-year-old, who is based in Dubai, runs his F&B consultancy firm, which comprises six restaurants in the United Arab Emirates and New York City, including international grill restaurant 11 Woodfire in Dubai. It managed to retain a Michelin star for the second time this year. Prior to his move to Dubai, Akmal had worked in top restaurants in Singapore — he was the head chef at Iggy’s in the 2000s, and had stints at Les Amis and Saint Pierre.
His latest concept is his most personal one yet — he will open Harummanis, a contemporary Asian restaurant in Sultan Gate in Kampong Glam that will showcase his innovative take on the flavours of Malay cuisine. The 40-seat shophouse restaurant shares the same name with his family’s nasi padang stall, which has been running in Teck Whye for more than 30 years. The stall is currently run by his younger brother and sister, who will also be involved in the operations of the restaurant.
At Harummanis restaurant, diners can expect Akmal’s bold interpretation of Malay cuisine, which is based on his perspectives, travels and experiences of growing up in Singapore and his rich experience of cooking cuisines from Japanese to modern European. He points out that he will not be doing elevated versions of classic Malay dishes such as nasi lemak or rendang. Instead, the dishes will feature “twists and nuances of my roots” and produce and spices from Southeast Asia. He sums up: “It will be a smart casual place for serious foodies.”
Dishes from the a la carte menu include Hirame Kobujime (white flat fish sandwiched with layers of kelp) served with asam gelugur ponzu, kacang botol (winged beans) and limau purek (Kaffir lime) for a refreshing finish.
