Celebrated foodie and chef Anthony Bourdain described Singapore as one of the top culinary places in the world.
“It’s easily one of the most exciting places to eat on earth, no questions about it,” the late Bourdain said in an interview once.
During the interview with Christian Barker, writing for Journeys in Artistry, Bourdain was open about his fondness for Hainanese chicken rice and laksa. However, within the wonderland of Singaporean cuisine, choosing any single dish to recommend was difficult.
Singapore’s culinary landscape includes dishes like chili crab, or-chien oyster omelette, Singapore Hokkien mee, kuay chap, and bak chor mee, which would thrill any palate. But in Auckland, New Zealand, there isn’t a single dedicated Singaporean restaurant.
Enter Malaysian chef Sam Ng, 60, who hails from Johor Bahru (JB) - a town linked to Singapore by a causeway bridge just 1km long . He saw an opportunity to differentiate his restaurant from other Malaysian eateries by going big on offering iconic Singaporean dishes.
Ng and his wife Jennie run Treasure Kitchen, a Malaysian restaurant in Greenlane, which has already garnered two Iconic Auckland Eats awards for their Singaporean dishes of chilli crab and or-chien oyster omelette.
Here you’ll also find Singapore Hokkien mee, bak chor mee, lo mai gai, Hainanese chicken rice and on weekends, kuay chap featuring the signature broad sheet rice noodles served in a flavourful broth and a side of mixed pork offals and other toppings.
The dishes most popular with guests are the or-chien and chilli crab, Sam Ng said.
“When I lived in JB, I would go to Singapore very often, so I am very familiar with all the different Singapore dishes and hawker food,” Ng said.
“When we first opened our restaurant, many Singaporean guests told us they missed Singaporean food and challenged me to add some of their favourite dishes to our menu.
“I thought that would be a good idea because not only will we be catering to a niche market but also differentiate our restaurant from the others.”
Ng first moved to New Zealand in 2004, and started work first in the kitchens of Thai restaurants in Auckland, Rotorua and Papamoa before opening his first restaurant in 2011 - Starry Thai Restaurant in Parnell.
He decided to return to his Malaysian roots in 2016, opening Treasure Kitchen first in Henderson before moving to Otahuhu and then to its current Greenlane premises two years ago.
“I like the challenge of cooking Malaysian food because I feel there is more complexity in taste, textures and flavours as compared to Thai food,” he said.
“It struck me during my time doing Thai food that just because I am Malaysian doesn’t mean I have to stick to just cooking Malaysian cuisine.
“That is why I was open to cooking Singaporean food when the challenge was thrown to me.”
Ng said because many of those who ordered his Singaporean dishes were Singaporeans, his biggest challenge was to keep those dishes “authentic”.
“My customers know what is true Singaporean food and what is not,” he said.
Ng said it was a big decision when he and his wife decided to relocate their business from a 36-seater Otahuhu eatery to the 200+ seat restaurant in Greenlane in 2022.
Treasure Kitchen Greenlane occupies the space that was once Enjoy Inn, a popular yum cha and Cantonese-style restaurant.
Today, in terms of size, it is the largest Malaysian restaurant in Auckland and comes complete with spaces that can be cordoned off as private rooms.
“We felt there will be a demand too for a Malaysian restaurant that is big enough to host events like weddings, corporate events and big birthday celebrations,” Ng said.
Ng said they called their restaurant “Treasure Kitchen” because their kitchen was where their culinary treasures are found.
Now, he has specially trained staff who can cook most of the dishes.
“Even though most of the cooking is done by my staff, I do the quality checks to make sure the taste of the food is consistent to what it should be,” Ng said.
“I am constantly looking to design new dishes, and working on menu changes with every season.”
Treasure Kitchen Address: 530 Great South Road, Greenlane, Auckland 1051 Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
