Celebrated Singaporean Chef Damian D’Silva, known for his commitment to heritage cuisine, has launched Gilmore & Damian D’Silva at the prestigious National Gallery Singapore, positioning the new 68-seat venue as a crucial platform to elevate rare Eurasian and heirloom Chinese dishes. This opening marks a significant moment for Singapore’s culinary landscape, providing a high-profile home for Eurasian gastronomy, which often remains obscured outside the community. Located in the museum’s former Supreme Court Wing, the restaurant not only showcases D’Silva’s deep culinary understanding but also serves as a profoundly personal tribute to his late grandfather, Gilmore D’Silva, who previously served as the custodian of the historical landmark.
Preserving Singapore’s Eurasian Heritage in Gastronomy
Singapore’s diverse dining scene has seen Eurasian fare largely confined to a few specialized establishments, some of which face imminent uncertainty. The temporary closure of Doris’ Devilishly Delicious Curry and the impending conclusion of Quentin’s lease at the Eurasian Heritage Gallery highlight the precarity surrounding this cuisine’s visibility. Gilmore & Damian D’Silva arrives precisely when the public stage for authentic Eurasian cooking requires rejuvenation.
Chef D’Silva, a familiar face from his judging role on MasterChef Singapore and his involvement with Rempapa (which is also slated to reopen at the National Gallery), utilizes this new venture to share the genesis of his culinary passion. The personal resonance is palpable within the restaurant’s historical surroundings; Gilmore D’Silva served as the Supreme Court’s sole custodian for two decades, even cooking meals for some of the resident judges. It was within those walls that a young Damian, aged 11, began assimilating his grandfather’s recipes.
The restaurant’s interior reflects this history, blending stately glamour with a welcoming ambiance. Shelves display antique silverware inherited from the D’Silva family, while walls feature vintage black-and-white family photographs.
A Menu Rooted in Shared Family History
The menu at Gilmore & Damian D’Silva features communal sharing plates heavily weighted toward heirloom Eurasian recipes, supplemented by Chinese dishes inspired by the chef’s memories of his grandfather’s home cooking.
Highly recommended is the Christmas Debal ($48), a festive variation of the traditional Eurasian devil’s curry. This vibrant, intensely flavored stew features a rich rempah base—a spice paste made with fried chilies, aged ginger, and shallots—into which “leftover” Christmas elements like cocktail sausages and roast pork are incorporated. Served alongside bright achar (pickled vegetables) for acidity and crunchy baguettes for soaking up the gravy, the dish exemplifies Eurasian festive tradition.
Another unique offering is Cowdang ($22), an almost 200-year-old delicacy comprising seafood cooked in coconut milk and spices. While its name might raise eyebrows, its flavor profile—featuring a chunky paste and succulent ang kar prawns—is described as unique in Singapore, bearing only a faint, passing similarity to South Indian rasam in flavor notes.
Other distinctive Eurasian dishes include Sey Bah ($36), a Kristang-style kway chap featuring braised pork belly and offal; Baca Assam ($32), a rich braised beef cheek; and the celebratory Bostador ($42), which presents grilled king tiger prawns topped with a luscious sambal hijau paste. Lesser-known family favorites like Ambiler Kachang ($18), stir-fried long beans with salted fish, also grace the menu.
The kitchen also showcases perfected home-cooked Chinese dishes inherited from ‘Pop,’ such as the Pesce Assa ($26), a twist on the Nyonya sambal fish with added texture and spice from finely sliced calamansi, and a generously stuffed Teochew ngoh hiang wrapped in caul fat.
For dessert, the traditional Eurasian finale, Sugee Cake ($18), is offered with chantilly cream instead of the frequently cloying marzipan buttercream. Diners nostalgic for D’Silva’s other establishment can also find Rempapa’s highly sought-after heritage kuehs available in sets of six ($12) or twelve ($24).
By launching Gilmore & Damian D’Silva, Chef D’Silva seeks to do more than honor his family; he is making a concerted, public effort to bring Eurasian culinary traditions—which have long resided primarily within family recipe books—to the forefront of Singapore’s gastronomic culture. The restaurant is open daily from 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM at 1 St Andrew’s Rd, National Gallery Singapore, #01-02/03.