Why did the NYT video misrepresent Singaporean cuisine?

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The NYT video misrepresented Singaporean cuisine by treating a single “Singapore-style” chicken curry as a common Chinese New Year staple while using an outsider recipe and framing that the columnist says does not match how Singaporeans actually serve it

The video was published by The New York Times as “Singapore Chicken Curry,” but the columnist argues the outcome did not resemble chicken curry eaten in Singapore and was described by local commenters as “drain-water chicken.” The deeper issue, in the columnist’s view, is that the video presented a simplified, country-branded version of a dish and implied it was widely part of Chinese New Year home cooking, which the columnist says is not accurate for Singapore.
The video framed one national style that the columnist says does not exist
The columnist questions what “Singapore chicken curry” even means, saying Singapore has Nonya, Malay-style, Chinese-style, and Indian-style curries that vary by family and by restaurant. In that framing, there is no single, clearly defined “Singapore-style” chicken curry that can be presented as one authentic standard.
The video was presented as common Chinese New Year home food, which the columnist disputes
The video also presented chicken curry as a common part of the multicultural Chinese New Year table in Singaporean homes. The columnist disputes that claim, saying many Singapore Chinese homes do not serve chicken curry as an integral part of the New Year table, and that Singapore Indian or Malay households that celebrate Chinese New Year probably do not either.
Local commenters criticised the result and it did not resemble what people expect
The columnist describes the dish produced from the recipe as an insipid-looking stew, possibly soup, and says it did not resemble a chicken curry anyone has eaten in Singapore. Local commenters’ reactions are cited as describing the result as “drain-water chicken,” reinforcing the argument that the portrayal did not match Singaporean expectations.
The columnist links the misrepresentation to insensitive, lazy Western framing and lack of local media power
The columnist argues the misrepresentation reflects insensitivity and laziness toward Asian cultures, including the trope that “all Asians are interchangeable.” They also point to the broader pattern that global audiences learn about Singapore through Western outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and CNN, while local media outlets are not strong enough to prevent such portrayals.

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Why did the NYT video misrepresent Singaporean cuisine?

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