The Bold faced Names
If my oracles are to be believed, any list of ‘Hosts with the Most’ must include Dr. Kenneth The an and JooHeng–whocanpresumably cook, have a beautiful home, and an impressive wine collection. The said list must also include Adrian and Susan P eh, founders of Ads an Law, who are said to be as gracious as they are thoughtful. And although Elsa Van Der Nest is a culinary professional who caters events and conducts masterclasses, she is a hostess nonpareil whose inventiveness is matched by her actual food skills. Kitchen skills and knowledge of old family recipes help hosts get on the list, and for this I must mention E mil Teo. Doubt less there are many others whose hosting prowess are kept away from social media but whose ways with food and people are laudable. On top of the‘ Top Influence rs’ list is Veronica Phua, a gourmet who apparently dine sat the best establishments, and whose Ins tag ram posts (32.4k followers) are veritable restaurant reviews that people take seriously. “She pays for her meals,” an oracle told me, which instantly separates her from those who get paidtodothesame. “Can you include food critics and reviewers who write for other publications,” another oracle
inquired. “They will probably not want to be interviewed though .” Just the same, JamieEe, Wong Ah Yoke, and David Yip, professional food critics/reviewers made the ‘Top Reviewers/Critics’ list. Meanwhile, Bryan Koh, author of Milkier Pigs and Violet Gold, and Christopher Tan, author of The Way of The Ku eh, made ‘Top Food Writers’ list. Chef Rishi Naleendra of Cloudstreet, Chef Han LiGuang of Restaurant Labyrinth, and Chef Colin Bu chan of 1880 were suggested as‘ Top Chefs’ alongside long-time favorite Chef Julien Royer of Odette. I was briefly the ‘Hawker Stalker’ for a food magazine, now defunct, and I know that a ‘Top Hawkers’ list will be subject to severe knocking –everyone has a strong opinion on the matter. But the one name that was mentioned with respect and fondness was Ah Pui, the Sat ay Man. A long time ago, I was visiting friends in Ti ong Ba hruwh en Ah Pui passed by, and my host lowered a small wicker basket with some coins from the window. When she pulled it up, it was filled with Ah Pui’s Chinese “pork with fat” satay and a plastic bag of pineapple dipping sauce. It was a singular sensation. If one is inclined to cook at home, the ‘Top Purveyors’ to consider are Cu lin a and The Pr ovid ore. Depending on the type of cooking one plans to do, T oh Thy eS an and Ah Huake long should be good sources of ingredients. I have to include Pasir R is Produce Market because it’ s one I know very well. Like the ‘Top Hawker’, the ‘Top Food Street’ list elicited many questions; however, these four names emerged int he end: Amoy and TelokAy er streets, Keong Saik Road, and Dempsey Hill. East Coast and Kat ong roads were also on the list, but were later declared as ‘evergreens’ as opposed to ‘happening’. The merrygo-round turns.