Taiwanese chef André Chiang, renowned for his avant-garde French cuisine at the now-closed Restaurant André, has taken on a new role as Raffles Hotel Singapore’s latest writer-in-residence. Known for hosting literary greats like Rudyard Kipling and Joseph Conrad, the iconic hotel continues its tradition of nurturing creativity through its writer-in-residence programme, now in its fourth edition. Chiang is the first chef to be selected and joins a list of past residents that includes travel writer Pico Iyer, poet Madeleine Lee, and author Vicki Virtue.
During his two-week immersive stay in the hotel’s Palm Court wing, Chiang created Fragments of Time, a 200-page reflection on heritage, light, and tradition. The book, which is available at Raffles Boutique and online, is his second English-language publication following Octaphilosophy (2016). Far from a cookbook or memoir, Fragments of Time is a poetic exploration of the sensory and cultural richness of Singapore, capturing Chiang’s meditative experiences in the hotel and his deep appreciation for its history.
Chiang’s daily routine included a self-imposed retreat with identical meals and walks, allowing him to fully absorb the nuances of the hotel’s architecture, light, and atmosphere. A recurring motif in the book is light, which he describes as the welcoming soul of Raffles. Culinary history plays a key role as well, with nostalgic mentions of vintage dishes such as Consommé Westminster and turtle soup, symbolising colonial-era grandeur and changing tastes.
Chiang distils Raffles into four cultural pillars: wok hei for Chinese influence, terroir for European, mélange for Southeast Asian fusion, and spices for Indian heritage. He advocates for evolving tradition, focusing on preserving concepts rather than static dishes. The book features 26 “fragments” – dressings, spice blends, and purées like a green curry sorbet or lotus seed spread – designed to inspire readers to reinterpret and apply them personally.
His literary project coincides with his return to Singapore as the head of a new restaurant at Raffles, marking a full-circle moment. For Chiang, Raffles is more than a hotel – it’s a mosaic of enduring beauty. As he puts it, it’s like a celestial feather, a sign that beauty exists and can exist again.
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