Chef Damian D’Silva brings his grandfather Gilmore’s handwritten recipes to life by fusing Portuguese, Dutch, British, and local Asian influences. His menu showcases flavourful spicy dishes, including devil’s curry, stews, and the Eurasian buttery staple, sugee cake
As a child, Chef Damian D’Silva spent cherished moments with his grandad, Gilmore, affectionately known as “pop,” at the Supreme Court, where he served as the first and only custodian. Young Damian not only observed his grandad cooking but also discovered scraps of paper filled with Eurasian recipes that pop had jotted down with vague measurements. These notes underscore the delicate nature of culinary knowledge and emphasise the importance of preserving it.
Over the years, Damian experimented with these recipes, refining the measurements until he gained the confidence to open Gilmore & Damian D’Silva, a restaurant dedicated to Eurasian flavours, located where it all began at the National Gallery.
The menu at Gilmore & Damian D’Silva predominantly features heirloom Eurasian recipes, some dating back over 200 years, alongside Chinese dishes inspired by Grandad’s home cooking. Each dish is designed for sharing, reflecting the warmth and communal spirit of Gilmore’s table, where family, friends, and guests of all backgrounds gathered over food.
When Grandad asked the 11-year-old Damian why he wished to learn recipes that had taken a lifetime to master, young Damian confidently replied, “So I can still enjoy the food you cook when you’re not around.” Throughout his professional journey, Chef Damian has made it his mission to preserve Singapore’s heritage cuisines, particularly the Eurasian flavours that risk fading from memory.
Each dish he creates tells a story of family, migration, and Singapore’s early days. Through his cooking, he honours his family’s legacy and embodies the timeless spirit of home, heritage, and community. Every plate reflects warm hospitality and thoughtful generosity, celebrating the joy of sharing at the table.
Traditionally, Eurasians in Singapore have enjoyed authentic food at their relatives’ homes. At Gilmore & Damian D’Silva, guests can savour dishes such as Debal, Pesce Assa, Ambiler Kacang, and Cowdang. Yes, you read that correctly.
Cowdang is an old, nearly forgotten dish, often misinterpreted because of its muddy appearance. Traditionally rooted in Kristang culinary heritage, earlier recipes featured seafood, reflecting the community’s coastal diet. Cowdang combines a medley of strong flavoured ingredients such as Bombay onions and shallots with a blended paste of ginger flower, ginger, garlic, and green chilies, along with prawns, delivering a robust flavour that is not for the faint-hearted. Its strong taste received mixed reviews at a recent media tasting.
Kristang is a creole language and culture that developed from the interactions between Portuguese colonisers and local Malay communities, particularly around Malacca and later Singapore. It incorporates mainly Portuguese vocabulary with Malay grammatical structures and has long been part of a distinct Eurasian community in the region.
Another dish that tantalises the unaccustomed palate is Debal, or Devil’s Curry. True to its name, the dish features a paste rich in chilies. Traditionally, Debal is served on Boxing Day with leftovers such as turkey, pork, and chicken. For added flavour, a tin of cocktail sausages is included, which Damian happily embraces. This vinegar-based sauce pairs perfectly with rice or the local version of a baguette, known as the French loaf.
Damian’s aim is to continue ‘pop’s legacy; from table settings to service, the restaurant excels in service that Gilmore D’Silva instilled in his grandchildren. The atmosphere reflects the gentlemanly way of hosting that defines the dining experience in a Eurasian household.
