SINGAPORE — It is almost impossible to allude to Singapore’s thriving food and beverage scene without singing praises of its uniquely cosmopolitan proposition. That’s not to say we’ve grown jaded or, heaven forbid, immune to the celebrity chef experience.

This year has certainly had its fair share of starry eccentricities, the latest being hot-headed British chef Gordon Ramsay’s return to Singapore in September, not to have a throw down with another humble hawker, but to share news about his maiden Singapore venture — Bread Street Kitchen, which is slated to open at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) in April — and hand-pick the restaurant’s first Singaporean intern by means of an egg cook-off (yes, you read that right).

This announcement came right around the time Thai-food luminary David Thompson (of Asia’s best restaurant Nahm fame) confirmed the debut of his more casual Long Chim outpost (also at MBS), followed by news of the launch of fellow-celebrity chef David Myers’ (still-to-be-named) debut Singaporean venture in the first quarter of next year. And yes, it’s also at MBS.

But look past the glare and it is easy to appreciate a more holistic embrace of all things local — homegrown talents who continue to engage and impress with their unique culinary chutzpah. Jason Tan, the former executive chef at Sky On 57, by Singapore’s first celeb-chef Justin Quek, marked his debut in July as co-owner of his own restaurant, nestled in the historic EJH Corner House at the Botanic Gardens. Called Corner House, it features a new and seemingly apt focus on what he likes to call “gastro-botanica”, presented with a sort of modernist, artistic flair.

And then there is chef-owner Willin Low of Wild Rocket, who re-opened that stalwart mod-Sin restaurant after an eight-month-long revamp. It’s still tucked away along Mount Emily — where it has been for nine years — thanks to the landlord, who agreed to lower the rent (a rare occurrence and perhaps a first). Low has taken mod-Sin cuisine to the next level with his new eight-course omakase menu, a boldly elegant spread that validates just how far the lawyer-turned-chef has come.

But it hasn’t only been about modern adaptations. The future of Singaporean cuisine is equally dependent on the preservation of its authenticity and few are as passionately committed to deep-rooted homestyle flavours as Shermay Lee, who recently curated a menu of classics for The Clifford Pier’s Singapore Heritage Afternoon Tea. The owner of her own cooking school, she is best known for revising the seminal Mrs Lee’s Cookbook, written by her late grandmother, Lee Chin Koon (the mother of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew), for a new generation of home cooks. She also launched her eponymous brand of sauces, including the Cilicuka (red chilli vinegar hot sauce), based on her grandmother’s recipe and her innovative Bak Kwa Marinade.

The lead-up to the SG50 festivities was also paved with inspiring initiatives that championed all things made-in-Singapore. Singapore-based integrated communications agency The Ate Group, together with home-grown agencies ONG&ONG Experience Design, Tofu, Hjgher and Kult, came up with the Creatory event, which turned a weekend in August into a celebration of native ingenuity, serving up innovative food and beverage experiences from some of today’s most exciting chefs, restaurants and bars, paired with live art installations and music performances. Online store Crateful (http://www.crateful.com.sg), which debuted in October, aims to be a one-stop portal that harnesses the widest range of indigenous F&B products. It will also function as an active channel for local producers to exchange ideas.

A month later, Batch (http://www.batch.sg/) became the newest advocate to join the localicious movement. The cleverly dubbed artisanal digital farmer’s market boasts a focus that stretches beyond its carefully curated selection of more than 100 unique gourmet food and kitchen tools by artisanal food makers, chefs and local craftsmen. The whole idea, said founder and chief curator Debbie Yong, was to build a lifestyle around eating and living well. And that is built on a vested interest in the food we love. How else could a tiny island nation with no natural resources have grown into an independent food capital? Don Mendoza