Welcome to a very special edition of Makan Kakis!
Our new Foodie Friend Mark Wiens is a globetrotter and food vlogger who has 9 million subscribers & 2 billion views on his wildly popular YouTube channel, Migrationology. Fans will be thrilled to know he was recently in Singapore for an exciting project and I got to catch up with him on his new food series with HBO Go – Food Affair with Mark Wiens. We also got to chatting about his favourite local eats, what keeps him motivated, who he’d invite to his dream dinner party and he also recommends some of the best things to try at Dempsey Road institution Samy’s Curry Restaurant.
HEAR:
- Listen/ download podcast of the full interview with Mark Wiens.
- Listen/ download podcast of Mark’s top dishes to try at Samy’s Curry Restaurant.
SEE:
Watch the interview video PLUS Denise challenges Mark to a food trivia game – SWEET, SALTY & SOUR – where every correct answer wins him a local snack prize!
TASTE:
Following Makan Kaki Mark Wiens’ recommedation, I returned to Samy’s Curry Restaurant to grab a takeaway of his Top 3 dishe to try. On the side of the dining area is a takeout counter where the practiced staff are ready to take your orders and asssemble them briskly (I wasn’t leaving without extra papadums!).
The staff scoop your orders from their long display of mouth-watering dishes and as they pack them up, you head to the cashier inside to pay up before returning to collect your takeaway.
I may have over-ordered, but it was, afterall, for a family meal! Someone else brought roti prata – plain and egg – to add to the pot-luck party, so it turned out to be a massive feast.
Besides extra papadum, fish cutlets, crispy spiced cauliflower 65, palak paneer (spinch and cottage cheese), mutton mysore and biryani (comes with free sides of cabbage curry and dry potato curry potato), I dutifully asked for Mark’s must-try Fish Head Curry, Black Squid and Masala Chicken.
Mark’s absolute favourite at Samy’s Curry is their Fish Head Curry, a spicy, tangy, savoury, meaty behemoth packed with extra veggies like lady’s finger & brinjal. This was a medium order and there was ample fish to feed 5 with leftovers for the next day (the dish tastes even better overnight!). In Mark’s words, you’ll want to drink down every drop of that delectable curry gravy!
The Masala Chicken is another good choice, with a lots of heat from chilli and spices, savouriness from the chicken meat and a slight sweetness to balance it all. They were generous with their portions of chicken legs and the thick sauce tasted even better licked off fingers after tearing into the chicken with our bare hands!
Mark’s third recommendation was the black squid, which really tasted like a uniquely Singaporean, cross-cultural amalgamation of flavours. It was piquant, packed with chillies, whole garlic cloves, curry leaf and other herbs and spices that came together beautifully with a gentle heat and a whole lot of umami. The tender squid brought a ton of buncy texture and umami.
Assembling the perfect plate for a fully satisfying curry feast from Samy’s…
Samy’s Curry Restaurant is not a local culinary stalwart for nothing. Its history spans decades from its start at Tank Road in the 1960s to its move to Dempsey in the 1970s, where it has remained ever since. It has certainly played a big part in the food memories of many, including myself, who fondly remember boisterous family feasts there. The flavours are nostalgic, the menu is varied (both Northern & Southern Indian favourites are available) and you really can’t go wrong with Mark’s Top 3 choices, especially the Fish Head Curry! Wanna learn more about its history? Watch out for the episode which features Samy’s Curry in Mark’s new series Food Affair with Mark Wiens, which debuts Friday 18th November 2022 on HBO Go!
Samy’s Curry Restaurant
Blk 25 Dempsey Road Singapore 249670
Open: 11am – 3pm (Lunch); 6pm – 10pm (Dinner); closed on Tuesdays.
Tel: +65 6472 2080
Makan Kakis on Gold 905 