Singapore’s vibrant multiculturalism is wonderful for many reasons, not the smallest of which is how it has shaped our food scene. With migrant populations from all over the world building their lives in our tiny city, our dining landscape is a delicious reflection of the various cultures that coexist side by side.
Our neighbours from the Southeast Asian region are no exception to this. Today, the Filipino embassy estimates that roughly 200,000 Filipinos live and work in Singapore. On the food front, there are a handful of small mom-and-pop restaurants studded around the island that serve up authentic but fuss-free plates of Filipino staples from adobo to sisig. This means that while we may have become somewhat familiar with these flavours, we hardly know anything about their origins or history.
If you’ve found yourself wanting to learn more about the many facets of Filipino cuisine, a new entrant will offer deep immersion into these rich culinary traditions. Founded by The Moment Group, a F&B powerhouse based in the Philippines, Hayop is a gorgeous new fine-casual Filipino restaurant on Amoy Street.
Walk through the entrance and you’ll be greeted by the smiling faces of a diverse guest profile. Between young couples enjoying date night and executives clinking glasses of Hayop’s delectable (and spicy) signature cocktails, the groups that are most fun to people-watch are large, multigenerational Filipino families digging into a kaleidoscope of dishes spread across their table. The joy and excitement they emanate are reminders that this meal might be a rare taste of home.
The food at Hayop is a nuanced reflection of the current face of Filipino cuisine—”both nostalgic and new”, as Abba Napa, co-founder of The Moment Group, describes.“With Hayop, our goal is to make Filipinos living abroad, nostalgic for the flavours of home, happy. We also hope to create a dining room that makes adventurous eaters curious to discover our cuisine and feel welcome to explore,” the restaurateur adds.
Like with many heritage cuisines, Filipino dishes are largely reliant on family recipes, and what you get at Hayop is no different. One of the restaurant’s best and most interesting dishes is the Wagyu and Watermelon Sinigang, a creative play on an immensely flavoursome traditional Filipino soup that typically uses pork or seafood. Hayop’s version—which also happens to be co-founder Eliza Antonino’s family recipe—uses melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef and includes the creative addition of watermelon, which Antonino’s mother decided to try one day while cooking for her daughter in New York City. Falling in love with the natural sweetness it lent, the fruit is now an irreplaceable component of the dish.
“The dishes here are rooted in our personal memories and the collective history of the Philippines.”
“The dishes at Hayop are rooted in both our own personal memories and the collective history of the Philippines, itself a treasure trove of centuries of foreign influence. The selection of picas, mains, vegetables, and rice—a Filipino staple—as well as desserts that come in small plates are perfect for sharing, redolent of the family-style dining affairs that are common in all Filipino households.” Napa says.
On the menu, you’ll also find other crowd favourites like Sisig, a beloved Filipino staple of finely chopped, deep-fried pork jowl and ear that Hayop serves on a sizzling hotplate, extra crispy. “It works equally well with a bowl of rice or a glass of champagne,” Napa suggests.
And it’s not just in the food where diners will find special touches that bring across the essence of Filipino culture. You’ll see it in the design—like pendant lamps which reference fishing nets used by Filipino fishermen—and the service, which is resolutely warm and intuitive, with servers taking care of every guest from the moment they step in to the very end of the night. Antonino agrees: “Filipinos are very family and service-oriented. At Hayop, we pride ourselves on our service philosophy, which is inspired by the Filipino culture of hospitality.”
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