The year of the horse is nigh, and many eateries across Singapore would have rolled out their Chinese festive-themed menus.
At Ammakase – a high-end restaurant that blends Indian cuisine with the Japanese omakase-style of dining – executive chef Robin Vik, 39, has concocted a yusheng with Indian-inspired ingredients.
Yusheng is a festive dish comprising julienne-cut vegetables and sliced raw fish, consumed during the Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb 17 and 18 this year, and is usually served at corporate lunches or family and friends’ reunion dinners.
The dish is served communal style, on a large plate or shallow bowl, and guests will gather around the table and toss up all the ingredients together, uttering auspicious phrases at the same time. The higher the toss or “lo hei”, the higher the fortune for the new year.
Ammakase’s version retains the traditional base of carrot, radish and cabbage, with sliced salmon as the choice of seafood. For an Indian twist, cashew nuts, and papadum crackers are added, and the Chinese sweet-and-sour plum sauce is replaced with a spicy mango and tamarind reduction for a zesty burst of flavours.
The other condiments include olive oil and garam masala, lending the dish a chaat-like texture and taste profile when fully combined. This is the third time Ammakase is offering its Indian-inspired yusheng, having first served it in 2024.
Previous iterations incorporated coconut oil and a more cumin-forward garam masala with a sweeter honey tamarind sauce. “The cumin powder didn’t dissolve as quickly with the sauce, so we stuck to the basic garam masala, which is somewhat similar to the Chinese five spice powder, and it actually worked quite well,” Mr Robin explained.
At age 16, Mr Robin started working in hotel banquet services part-time, assuming various roles as waiter, steward and captain, before formalising his experience in 2010 with a SHATEC diploma in culinary arts.
He trained in French and Italian cuisine, but always enjoyed cooking Indian food at home. When the opportunity came to head Ammakase’s culinary direction in 2023, he seized it without hesitation.
“In a regular restaurant, everything is fixed. I really loved the omakase concept, where the chef decides what to cook, because I’m not a person who likes to do the same thing for the rest of my life,” Mr Robin said.
His suppliers send him surplus or unique ingredients they have on hand, around which Mr Robin designs his menu for that time period, giving him many chances to create new dishes.
A memorable creation is his very first fusion dish at Ammakase: a pani puri-inspired tart filled with tamarind-infused guacamole, pomegranate seeds and popping candy, which provided a delightful, fizzy sensation when eaten.
“From the time I started here, I think I have created over a thousand dishes,” Mr Robin said.
Ammakase’s yusheng will be available only from Feb 9 to 22, as part of its Indo-Chinese festive menu set.
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5 Feb 2026 19:02
