The Story of Roti John

The more I walk around streets in Singapore, the more stories I find out about local food and it's origins. Ever heard of Roti John before ? I bet you haven't ! Neither celebrity chefs like Jamie Olivier or Gordon Ramsey ever heard anything like this sort of famous dish called Roti John. The dish itself is not high tech and if you follow the recipe it's actually easy to make. Roti John is a melting dish between Asian flavor and western looking baguette slices.

Let's put it this way, it resembles more a South East Asian Sandwich or Burger.. Well, according to local legend, sometime in the 1960s an Englishman asked a Malay hawker in Sembawang for a hamburger.

Because hamburgers were not available, as a substitute, the ingenious hawker spread minced mutton and onions between slices of French loaf and fried the concoction in egg. The name for the dish is also attributed to this anonymous hawker, who was overheard saying to the customer, “Silakan makan roti, John”, which literally translates as “Please eat this bread, John”, but can also be understood as “Please eat this dish, John’s bread”.

Although roti john is often classified as Malay cuisine, partly because it is usually offered by Malay stalls, its origins, ingredients and taste meld together the diverse flavours of the English, Malay and Indian communities. The dish is sometimes considered as being of Indian origin possibly because Shukor, the hawker who popularised it, was of Indian ancestry. 

In the 1970s, Shukor set up stall at the Taman Serasi hawker centre near the Botanic Gardens serving Eurasians and Caucasians, many of whom frequented the nearby Tanglin Club. Shukor obtained the recipe for roti john from a fellow hawker in Geylang and began offering the dish at his stall in 1976. Shukor’s recipe for the dish contains up to 30 eggs beaten with onions, minced mutton and sambal (minced chilli). Some of the mixture is slathered onto sliced halves of a local bread loaf similar to the French baguette, then pan-fried on a hot griddle. So popular was the dish that Shukor sold up to 800 loaves on weekends and over 100 plates a day at his Taman Serasi stall.

Shukor’s innovation is considered the original roti john by some and his eatery remains the benchmark for the dish. After his death, his wife, Khadijah bt Mohd Salleh, continued running the stall. The stall, Shukor Makanan Istimewa, originally located at Number 9 Taman Serasi Food Centre, made the hawker centre synonymous with roti john. When the hawker centre underwent changes in 2001, the stall moved to the Serangoon Garden Market where roti john is still sold by Shukor's daughter Noriani Shukor.

Today, roti john is served throughout the Malay Peninsula, with variations in Malacca and Penang that use toppings of sardines or ikan bilis (anchovies) rather than meat.

The Dish itself…

Sometimes called Singapore's version of the burger, roti john is made using a local bread loaf similar to the French baguette, but shorter in length and with rounded ends and a softer texture. Good roti john is considered to be crispy on the outside, while the meat and egg mixture remains soft and the onions crunchy. It is usually served in bite-sized slices with green chilies, tomato sauce and sweet chilli sauce on the side. Variations on this dish use chicken, beef or sardines instead of mutton. More recent innovations include adding melted cheese and mushrooms to the topping. The Malaccan version of this dish uses longer bread with a topping mainly of sardines and ikan bilis with onions, eggs and chili.

Here are some top spots to find delicious Roti John in Singapore:

1. Golden Mile Food CentreStall: Syed Roti John
Known for its generous portions and unique sauces, Syed Roti John is a well-loved stall at Golden Mile Food Centre. Address: 505 Beach Rd, #B1-53 Golden Mile Food Centre, Singapore 199583

2. Hajah Maimunah RestaurantThis popular spot serves Malay and Indonesian dishes, including an excellent Roti John that’s a bit more premium in quality.
Address: 11 Jalan Pisang, Singapore 199078

3. Adam Road Food CentreStall: Victory Roti John
Adam Road Food Centre has long been a go-to place for late-night snacks, and Victory Roti John here is well-known for its flavorful and saucy take on the dish.
Address: 2 Adam Rd, Singapore 289876

4. Bedok Corner Food CentreStall: Ramly Burger Roti John
A bit different in style, Ramly Burger Roti John offers a Malaysian-inspired twist with flavorful spices and unique seasoning.
Address: 1 Bedok Rd, Singapore 469572

5. Old Airport Road Food CentreStall: Roti John King
Known for a variety of Roti John options, Roti John King serves crispy and satisfying Roti Johns in different styles.
Address: 51 Old Airport Rd, Singapore 390051

Each location has its own flavor profile, so trying a few will give you a taste of different variations Singapore has to offer!

Tortilla de Patata - Simply the Best

Well certainly what defines a great dish is your own taste to start with, and your own palate, and if you like that type of dishes, you know? Ingredient may be the most important part of a dish for me. To start with the simplest and greatest of all times is Spanish cuisine. The Spanish Tortilla is a great dish that can be prepared any time and the ingredients can be easily found anywhere on earth! Tortilla is a super dish for old and young! When I get back from work and don't know what to cook, the first thing that pops in my mind is the Spanish tortilla. It's so easy to make and can be prepared for less than ten bucks. It's a real bargain which saves you costs but also time in preparing the exquisite dish for your loved ones. I consider this the basic recipe for Spanish Tortilla and aim to show you that with this Tortilla recipe the making of this Spanish quiche or savory pie's really not difficult at all! You will find this easy Tortilla recipe - which contains only eggs, potato, onion, salt and pepper on the counter of just about every Spanish tapas bar, often accompanied by one or more variations on the recipe.

For this Tortilla recipe for the classic Spanish eggs and potato quiche you will need the following ingredients.

1 Pound Potato, in thin slices;
1 Onion, medium size, in thin slices;
4 Eggs;
dash Milk
5 or 6 tablespoons Olive Oil (for baking of the potato and onion);
1 tablespoon Olive Oil (for baking of the Tortilla);
1/4 teaspoon Salt (or to taste);
fair dash Black Pepper, preferably freshly ground;

The above quantities of Potato, Onion and Egg should be enough to make a nice Spanish Tortilla, of which you can cut eight or twelve beautiful slices.

Spanish Tortilla Preparation

Preparation of a Spanish Tortilla is really a lot easier than it would seem:

• Heat the Olive Oil in a Saucepan and softly sautee the Potato, Onion, Salt and Pepper for like fifteen minutes until the Potatoes are just done; Keep stirring the mix regularly, you want the Potato and Onion to look golden, not burned;

• Leave the Onion and Potato mix to cool until luke warm; Putting the mix in a colander on top of a bowl is an efficient way to get rid of the excess oil;

• Stir the Milk through the Eggs, add a pinch of Salt and freshly ground Pepper, and stir thoroughly;

• Add the Onion and Potato mix to the Eggs, stir softly until you are sure that all potato particles are covered on all sides, and leave to rest for a minute or so;

• Heat the tablespoon of Olive Oil in an 8 inch (20cm) diameter frying pan or skillet;

• Slide the Egg and Potato mix into the frying pan; Use the backside of a fork or spoon to push any pieces of Potato protruding from the mix back down, making sure everything is covered in egg;

• Bake the Tortilla for like a minute on medium heat, then switch heat to low; Depending on how far you let the Onion and Potato mix cool down, it may take anywhere in between 10 to 20 minutes for the Egg at the top to get done; You may use a lid on the pan to retain the heat;

• As soon as the Egg at the top of the Tortilla sets, slide a large flat plate on top of the frying pan and turn the Tortilla around on the plate; Slide the Tortilla upside down back into the frying pan:

• Few minutes later it's done!