Scandinavian Christina Rasmussen and Singaporean Sasha Wijidessa, couple and co-founders of the restaurant and bar Fura in Singapore, uses ingredients that make sense for the planet’s present and future climate.
Think insects, hemp seed coffee, corn and banana. Such ingredients, abundant in their availability, are used to create sustainable food and drinks at Fura. They even have an ‘Ugly Delicious menu’ with showcases how otherwise overlooked and ‘ugly’ vegetables can be used.
It all started in Denmark, when Sasha moved to Copenhagen to become head bartender at Operation Dagger, and Christina was a chef and forager at the famous restaurant Noma. From there, the duo opened a pop-up bar, serving cocktails and plant-based food. But now they’re taking it to the next level. In Singapore.
“I’ve been to so many countries, yet I think Singapore’s bar scene is very special. You can get a real sense of community here, and that’s just something very important to me. And it’s rare in this industry. When opening Fura, the amount of help we got every single day from the whole industry is insane,” Sasha said in an interview with Epicure Asia.
There’s something for everyone – truly
Sasha then explained how hospitality comes first, which is why they make sure to offer something for everybody – the insects and bugs are simply an option one can add, if keen. And they have many known classic drinks on the menu, to give the costumer a sense of comfort. As for the experimental food – its’s about creating comfortable textures, Christina added.
“We want to have options for people who are a bit more adventurous and for those who aren’t,” she said.
“The problem with a lot of plant-based proteins is the texture. I think people have this connection with texture. That’s our goal – to create textures that are approachable. For example, the dukkha I serve is crunchy and kind of salty, smoky and savoury – so I just add that to the salad (using greens from a local hydroponic farm). I think it’s about changing your mind and your brain, and how you think.”
You can find Fura at 74 Amoy Street in Singapore – and you can read the full interview with the co-founders from Epicure Asia here.
