I love otak-otak. For me, it will always be one of the first morsels of food that I had the juvenile pleasure of tasting in Singapore, and one that thoroughly enlightened me for the years to come. Otak-otak is simply put, a grilled or steamed fish paste with blended spices, typically grilled while wrapped in banana leaves, which results in a distinctively smooth and delicious mousse-like street food. One might be surprised to find out that the term “otak” is used to refer to “brains” in Indonesian and Malay, due to the resemblance Indonesian otak-otak bears to brains. Of course, this is due to the natural white colouration the grilled/steamed product possesses without the addition of chilli, turmeric or curry powder, which would essentially be the Malaysian/Singaporean variant of the humble dish. One of the more popular producers of this traditional favourite in the glimmering heart of Singapore is none other than Lee Wee & Brothers, who recently opened up a small but exciting kiosk aptly named O’TAH in the very-much trending hotspot that is now the single most talked about destination for locals and travellers alike. That’s right, O’TAH is located amongst the crowd-drawing shops and restaurants in the brand new hub that is Jewel Changi Airport. Expect to find modernised presentations of the old-school otak-otak through O’TAH’s The Coconut Collection, featuring four distinctive preparations of the childhood favourite, with Cream Cheese & Corn, Pink Salmon, Scallop and lastly, Green Petai & Anchovy Otah ($26.40 for a box of 12). One can find other creative dishes on their menu such as Ben’s Burger ($11.90), essentially a classic hamburger but replacing the patty component with a mouth-watering mackerel fish otah patty.