There are only two kosher eating places in Singapore, but this does not mean that those who subscribe to a strict kosher diet must be deprived of local hawker delights.

While the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf café at the corner of Bras Basah Road and Waterloo Street is completely kosher (even the cakes are), it is at Awafi, located in the Jacob Ballas Centre round the corner, and next to Maghain Aboth Synagogue - the oldest synagogue in Southeast Asia - that you can also tuck into mee goreng, char kway teow and Chinese sizzling beef or chicken on a hotplate.

That’s besides Mediterranean dishes such as hummus, a dip made out of chickpeas, and falafel, a fried chickpea ball, of course.

According to restaurant manager Mr Sussi, the Singapore dishes came on the menu when Jewish visitors highlighted that they could not try out local cuisine anywhere; their religion imposes dietary rules which local food stalls at food centres and restaurants do not observe.

But all these prohibitions do not prevent the chefs at Awafi from turning out a mean sizzling beef, a palatable char kway teow or a credible mee goreng. You can opt also for vegetarian versions of the noodle dishes, or order chicken or fish on a hot plate, sweet and sour fish and even Szechuan chicken with dried chillies.

Local tastebuds may find them a little bland but they are popular enough for the kosher palate, according to Sussi.

While outsiders may find the kosher local specialities unusual, Rabbi Netanel Rivni, from the Jacob Ballas Centre where the restaurant is located, pointed out that Jews come from all over the world and would apply their kosher food principles to any cuisine.

Indeed, German chicken schnitzel and British fish and chips can be spotted on Awafi’s in-house menu.

The restaurant also provides off-site catering for Indian, Chinese, Western and Middle Eastern cuisines, and can accommodate up to 40 people in the restaurant.

There is also a shop, the Elite Kosher shop, on the second floor of the same building for those more inclined to cook their own kosher meals. One can spend time browsing through the shelves stocked with kosher fresh poultry, an array of packaged goods and yes, kosher wines and champagne.

L’chayim!

What is Kosher?

“We do not mix milk with meat, for example,” said Rabbi Netanel Rivni.

Such a combination is allowed for fish though, and this has given rise to the popular Jewish deli sandwich of lox (cured salmon), cream cheese and bagel. However, fish cannot be served together with meat.

Some of these dietary laws are derived directly from the Bible and others through rabbinic interpretations over the years.

Under the Torah, for example, cloven-hoofed, cud-chewing mammals, such as deer, sheep and goat, are kosher (or proper for use), while pig is not.

There are also rules governing seafood. For seafood or fish to be kosher, it must have fins and scales. Shellfish generally, and lobsters, shrimp, and clams, specifically are not kosher.

Furthermore, food preparation in a kosher kitchen needs to be extremely hygienic, said Rabbi Rivni.

Vegetables are inspected, then washed thoroughly so that vegetable worms and other organic matter, if any, are not inadvertently added to the dish.

The same applies for other ingredients. It is not uncommon to see a kitchen helper combing through the rice grains, for example, to ensure that it is free of weevils.

Of course local recipes can be modified to keep to kosher requirements, but it is more difficult to maintain kosher kitchens.

The rabbi said: “Kosher kitchens must maintain separate sets of utensils, pots, pans, dishes, and anything else that comes in contact with food, for different types of food.”

In addition, dishes and utensils in a kosher kitchen cannot be washed together and must be dried using separate racks or dish towels as well.

* This article was written by Ms Sylvia Tan and first published in Singapore Magazine (Oct-Dec 2010 issue).