It smells like bananas and coconut milk. The lunch party broke into a cacophony of oohs and aahs when the plates of dessert hit the tables. It was as pretty as a picture. The dish is the chef’s take on pengat pisang – sliced bananas poached in coconut cream and milk. The flavours were good but more texture would have been welcomed, then it dawned on us that perhaps that was intentional.
You see, the special menu to be served this Saturday as well as on the 28th to 30th November, was designed with a special person in mind: Isabelle Lim, 24. Born with Nager Syndrome, a rare medical condition that affects her hearing and speech, Lim was tube-fed for most of her first seven years. Liquids was a staple in her diet.
The special menu is a collaboration between Lim and SPRMRKT Kitchen and Bar’s chef and co-owner Joseph Yeo, who cut his teeth at local fine dining establishments Les Amis and Waku Ghin. It is the second instalment to the restaurant’s Dining with a Conscience initiative and a part of a series of fund-raising dinners where net proceeds along with the full pledges and silent auctions will be donated to Lim’s beneficiary, the TODAY Enable Fund.
You see, the special menu to be served this Saturday as well as on the 28th to 30th November, was designed with a special person in mind: Isabelle Lim, 24. Born with Nager Syndrome, a rare medical condition that affects her hearing and speech, Lim was tube-fed for most of her first seven years. Liquids was a staple in her diet.
The special menu is a collaboration between Lim and SPRMRKT Kitchen and Bar’s chef and co-owner Joseph Yeo, who cut his teeth at local fine dining establishments Les Amis and Waku Ghin. It is the second instalment to the restaurant’s Dining with a Conscience initiative and a part of a series of fund-raising dinners where net proceeds along with the full pledges and silent auctions will be donated to Lim’s beneficiary, the TODAY Enable Fund.
Black Bean Beef Horfun Lagsana, one of the six dinner courses served at SPRMRKT Kitchen and Bar at $188++ for 25th & 28th to 30th November.
“It wasn’t easy conceptualising this menu with the team,” Yeo admits over lunch. “It was hard to find the balance between showcasing Isabelle’s journey without coming across too gimmicky but we pushed on because this was a menu that was bigger than us, it’s about Isabelle and her story.” The result was a tasty menu that would’ve held its own even without Lim’s narrative tying the dishes together.
And taking place this Friday is a charity cook-off at Fullerton Hotel’s Town Restaurant. For one of the participating chefs, Executive Chef of The Fullerton Hotels Singapore, Michael Gremer, cooking for a cause is something he feels strongly for. “As a chef, I derive great joy from cooking and feeding guests," he explained. "To be able to go beyond that and make an impact on the less fortunate with something I am passionate about is truly a privilege."
The cook-off will be done a la Masterchef’s mystery-box style and diners will get to vote for their favourite dish that will accompany the festive spread of house-made charcuterie, seafood and carved roasted meats. Part of the proceeds will go to the President’s Challenge, which supports the underprivileged.
And taking place this Friday is a charity cook-off at Fullerton Hotel’s Town Restaurant. For one of the participating chefs, Executive Chef of The Fullerton Hotels Singapore, Michael Gremer, cooking for a cause is something he feels strongly for. “As a chef, I derive great joy from cooking and feeding guests," he explained. "To be able to go beyond that and make an impact on the less fortunate with something I am passionate about is truly a privilege."
The cook-off will be done a la Masterchef’s mystery-box style and diners will get to vote for their favourite dish that will accompany the festive spread of house-made charcuterie, seafood and carved roasted meats. Part of the proceeds will go to the President’s Challenge, which supports the underprivileged.
And back for its third edition of Chefs for a Cause this December is a fund-raising campaign by Project Happy Feet, where 12 chefs come together in hopes of raising funds for the Special Education Financial Assistant Scheme (SPED FAS).
At $50 a regular ticket or $300 for VIP access, diners can get a taste of the food prepared by notable chefs such as Daniel Sia, Group Culinary Director of The Lo and Behold Group and Forest Leong, one half of the culinary team behind Forest at Equarius hotel – both of whom are alumnus of the cause and have been participating since its inception.
At $50 a regular ticket or $300 for VIP access, diners can get a taste of the food prepared by notable chefs such as Daniel Sia, Group Culinary Director of The Lo and Behold Group and Forest Leong, one half of the culinary team behind Forest at Equarius hotel – both of whom are alumnus of the cause and have been participating since its inception.
“It’s always been a delight to be a part of Chef For A Cause," Leong enthused. The chef specialising in contemporary Thai and Chinese cuisines has seen the fundraising campaign through its three instalments. The draw of participating for three consecutive years is the opportunity to work with various chefs, she shares with us, as well as the opportunity to give back to the society.
The Line-Up of Chefs Cooking for a Cause (from left to right): chef Yen Koh, chef Robin Ho, chef Christopher Tan, chef Anderson Ho, chef Philip Lee, chef Forest Leong, chef Ho Chan Fei, chef Jimmy Chok, chef Pan Kok Keong, chef Daniel Tay.
For chef Daniel Sia, it was the latter. Sia's support goes back to 2009 when he was first approached by chef Jimmy Chok to participate. "It was an immediate yes," he said. "We have so much to be grateful for in so many ways. Being able to give back to the community to those who don't have enough is a blessing." Sia along with Leong and ten other chefs will be cooking some of their signature dishes at Novotel Singapore on Stevens Hotel come 10 December 2017. Diners may purchase their tickets here. All proceeds will go to the SPED FAS.
