Recess Time is a communal lunch series by The Theatre Practice, which is spearheaded by Ang Xiao Ting (far left). Photo: The Theatre Practice

Recess Time is a recently launched lunch series held at The Theatre Practice’s Tuckshop on most Fridays, which aims to foster a sense of community through food. As the longest-standing professional bilingual theatre company in Singapore, Practice has been staging plays and growing generations of arts makers since its establishment in 1965. But when the company moved to its current home at 54 Waterloo Street in 2016, a whole world of possibilities opened up as the team now has a new space to play with.

Hear more from Recess Time’s programmer, Ang Xiao Ting, as she tells us more about how the project came about and what the team hopes to achieve with it!

How did the idea of Recess Time come about?
I think it started from us wanting to manage Tuckshop as our own space, instead of leasing it out. We wanted to create a ‘gathering space’ of sorts, to provide physical space for our community, many of whom may need space to brainstorm about their next crazy ideas. So naturally, people gather over food, and we wanted to further the idea of Tuckshop being a ‘black box, but with food’. In our collaterals, we promote the idea of ‘creative expression on a plate’, and this is the perfect platform for anyone who wishes to showcase his/her creativity through food, which is in line with Practice’s ethos of play.

Also, as a freelancer, most of us are so used to just grabbing a chye png for functional eating, and the idea of nutritious, yet affordable, meals is somewhat difficult to achieve. So Recess Time functions on a by-donation system to attempt to address the aspect of affordability.

What do you hope to achieve with Recess Time?
To create opportunities to eat good food [laughs]? Personally, the best remedy for me is often great meal and great company. In that sense, Recess Time is a simple form of outreach. It is a service; a quick respite. It brings neighbours together, and it is a wonderful springboard for all kinds of stories to emerge. I also hope word gets out, and we get to meet new friends and make new connections with people who may not necessarily step foot into the theatre.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in hosting something like this?
Facilitating conversations. Part of the programme includes a floating writer, our “Kay Poh Queen”, who collects anecdotes that people share after having their meals. These anecdotes are kept in our Recess Time Journal, which is left on the table for future guests to read so they can get a sense of the previous Recess Times. The journal also contains notes from the chefs themselves and recipes so our guests can try out the dishes for themselves. So it’s always a challenge to gauge whether someone is just there to makan and leave, wants to talk during their meal, after their meal, etc.

Why did you choose to partner with SGfoodrescue for Recess Time, and how do you work with them?
Xin, the associate programmer, was the one who suggested it. We wanted to introduce an element of food culture specific to Singapore, and it made sense that educating the public about food wastage became an integral part of Recess Time. We send the chef to volunteer for one of SGfoodrescue’s rescue missions and the chef has to collect his/her veggies required for the meal. However, it is up to the chef to decide how much of what he/she collects features rescued veggies. When my mum signed onto do Recess Time last year, she was extremely hesitant about the rescued eggplants at first because they looked ‘old’ based on their appearance. But she was so surprised when she cut them open and saw that the quality was far better than what the exterior suggests. Think that was an ‘aha’ moment for her and ‘heng ah’ moment for me.

How do you “cast” your chefs? And do you work with them to come up with the menu or do you leave them to decide?
We want to have a balanced selection of professional chefs, and amateur chefs, like home cooks, as well as artists. We did a shoutout at the start of the year, but we are currently looking for people to host Recess Time in August. There are two slots available. Menu-wise, the chefs curate it on their own because it is intrinsically linked to their own stories. So like with chef Priscill, her menu comprises mainly of rescued veggies, which is tied in with her belief in creating simple, yet healthy comfort food, while educating people about food culture at the same time.

So far, who are the people who usually come for Recess Time? Any surprises?
We especially love it when our neighbours pop by! Because there’s limited seating, so we generally get excited when unfamiliar faces drop by. The biggest surprise recently was when actress Koh Chieng Mun came. Turns out, she is Priscill’s cousin. She was very sweet and supportive of the initiative.

Can you share any especially memorable anecdotes from Recess Time so far?
The best part of Recess Time is really the stories we’ve collected. There’s one hilarious one about how someone became a vegetarian because she had just quit her job and decided to binge watch Breaking Bad – the crunchy food was too distracting, so she lived on smoothies for a significant amount of time, and unintentionally ‘conditioned’ herself to become vegetarian.

Another story that has been chronicled in our Recess Time Journal is this: “I cook for my family based on the blood type diet! I know the doctor that introduced the diet to Singapore and it’s based on a history of blood type and what’s good for them. My family will usually just eat what I cook and I cook one favourite dish each. So it’s really five dishes per meal. My husband isn’t Chinese so MUST have curry and soy. I love soup on the other hand – very Cantonese. My five dishes usually include two meats and three vegetable dishes or/with a soup. It takes me almost three hours to cook – starting from the prep in the morning. It’s really a lot of effort but it’s worth it.”

Lastly, when will you be cooking for Recess Time, and what’s going to be on your menu?
I won’t be cooking but we’ve got a really eclectic mix of people coming to join us! Whatever it is, I promise you the food will taste great.

By Gwen Pew
Published on 5 April 2019

Recess Time will be taking place on most Fridays at the Practice Tuckshop at 54 Waterloo Street. Find out more about the programme and check the schedule of upcoming session here.

This article was published in Blueprint Issue #9.

Wonder Gelato was founded based on Karen Cheng’s deep love for ice cream. Photo: Wonder Gelato

Karen Cheng was a property agent when fate decided to intervene and make her the owner of a brand new gelateria right here on Waterloo Street. “Wonder Gelato” only opened on 18 October last year but it’s quickly become a go-to spot for ice-cream lovers. Karen makes her gelato onsite from her very own recipes, with classic flavours like Vanilla and Strawberry, to the exotic-sounding Black Hawaii, an inky-black ice cream combining coconut and charcoal.

Read on to find out how Karen stumbled into the world of gelato-making.

Why did you call your shop “Wonder Gelato”?
Aiyoh, the name – I took a very, very long time to think about it! I watched the movie Wonder on the plane to the US, and I thought ‘wonder’ sounds interesting. Even in the dictionary, ‘wonder’ means fabulous, good! A lot of things come unplanned for my business. I don’t plan anything. Everything just comes on its own!

How did you get into the gelato business then?
I was in real estate all along. It’s all because of the display case. I went to the FHA (Food & Hotel Asia) show last year on a friend’s invitation. Then, there’s this Italian guy that told me if I bought the case, I would be the first one in Singapore to own it. Because there are only two tubs in each compartment, so the flavours don’t contaminate each other. In conventional cases, all the ice cream is in one place. So I might eat strawberry and I’ll taste something else. I don’t like that. And my display case is also quite short. Good for short people like me! You can see me!

When I bought this case, I hadn’t even found a shop yet. Then after that the [case seller] told me I could store it in the warehouse. I kept it there for about four months.

How did you end up setting up shop at Waterloo Centre?
My dad’s office is at Fortune Centre, so I’ve been around the area for many years. I’m very familiar with this place. I’m a property agent, so I recced many places. But when I saw the listing for this location, I knew it was the right place. Immediately I came down and put down a deposit for it. This place caters to many different crowds. Upstairs, there are the residents. And the offices. You get SMU and NAFA students. And the hotels – sometimes we get tourists here.

Where did your love for gelato come from?
During the weekends I would drive my two younger sisters around to eat ice cream and waffles, like Creamier and Salted Caramel. We would drive around to try all the ice cream stalls.

Where did you learn to make gelato?
Carpigiani Gelato University. The university has a partnership with At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy. It was a short course. They just teach you the fundamentals of gelato-making. After that, you have to go back and formulate your own recipes.

How did you develop your gelato recipes?
I spent around six months formulating my recipes. Italians have a sweet tooth, so normal gelato has around 23% sugar. My gelato is only 17% sugar. I also had to play around with different sugars. It’s very tricky – I really had to spend a lot of time balancing the ingredients. And I like my ice cream to be thick.

Which is your favourite flavour?
Coconut. I love coconut flavours, fruity flavours. I don’t see those very often in ice cream shops; it’s always Earl Grey Lavender and all the other classic ones. So I thought, maybe I should go and learn how to make it for myself. I’ll go to the market to get fresh coconut milk. You can’t keep it overnight because it will turn sour. So when I make the gelato, I have to buy the milk in the morning and churn it immediately.

Do you think you’ll fall out of love with gelato now that it’s your business?
I still love ice cream. I still eat them – just now I just had the Mao Shan Wang Durian gelato. I won’t get sick of ice cream!

Published on 11 January 2019

Visit Wonder Gelato at 261 Waterloo Street, 01-30 Waterloo Centre, 180261, and follow its Facebook page here.

This article was published in Blueprint Issue #8.

Frank Shen founded American Taproom with his beer buddies Johnny Christensen and Winston Kwang in April 2018.

When American Taproom opened at Waterloo Centre in April 2018, it instantly became a popular addition to the craft beer scene in Singapore. Founded by Frank Shen, Johnny Christensen, and Winston Kwang, the bar boasts a huge variety of beers on tap – 32, to be exact – with new flavours constantly being introduced. From stouts to IPAs, there’s a beer for everyone.

Find out more about American Taproom from co-founder Frank.

How did the idea for American Taproom come about?
The idea came about when Johnny [Christensen] who is American, Winston [Kwang] who distributes American beers, and me who love[s] the US and started the first taproom concept in Singapore, felt that the industry needed to grow.

How did you guys know each other?
Johnny relocated to Singapore and was working for Brewerkz, where we met. So beer kinda brought us together, the same way that American Taproom wants beer to bring people together. Winston has been in the industry since the beginning, so we met through the industry.

Before establishing American Taproom, you were the bar manager of Nickeldime Drafthouse. But how did you first get into the local beer scene?
I got into the beer scene when a buddy brought me to one of the first craft beer bottles bars in Singapore, called Old Empire Gastrobar. I drank so many beers that the owners started talking to us. I was asked to help at a beer festival, and from there I fell in love and got offered a position in their distribution and restaurant.

American Taproom has the largest collection of craft beers in a bar in Singapore. How do you decide which beers to put on the board?
We want to have a diverse beer list, so we try to have as many styles as possible. We want everybody to have a suitable style of beer for them. Some brands already have a reputation. (Like us!) Some we read about, find out about the brewery, the brewer and their reputation. And some we try at tastings, of course! We love beer!

You guys also do tap takeovers, where other brands come in to literally takeover your tap(s). How does that work, and how do you decide who to work with?
Yes, we do. We talk to the distributor. We know people, and try to help whoever we can as long as the beers are good.

How do you ensure the quality of your beer, and how can someone be sure that they haven’t been given a bad beer in general?
We taste the beer very often. All our guys are trained. We store them in our cold room, which is specially for beers and set at 2 to 5 degrees. If the beer is bad, it will taste off. If the beer is bad, we take it out and send it back. If the beer has deteriorated, we take it off the tap. But so far, all is good. We also maintain the lines and facets on our own.

What if a customer isn’t very familiar with beer? Can they ask for recommendations?
Usually, we start by asking our customers their taste profile. We can start with something light or dark, followed by the style if they know – fruity, or if it’s dark, whether they want more coffee notes or chocolate etc. From there, we kinda try to figure out what they like. If they are confused, we do allow them to taste some of the beers we recommend.

What’s your favourite kind of beer?
I like sours, as they are always unexpected.

And finally, what exciting events does American Taproom have coming up in the last quarter of the year?
On 27 October we have Heretic Brewing doing a tap takeover for Halloween. We also have new menus coming in October, and we’re starting our happy hour – 15% off from 4pm to 6pm, Saturdays to Thursdays.

By Gwen Pew
Published on 28 September 2018

Visit American Taproom at Waterloo Centre, #01-23, 261 Waterloo Street, and stay up to date by following its Facebook page here.

This article was published in Blueprint Issue #7.

The Private Museum was established in 2010 as a place for art collectors to showcase their collections. Photo: The Private Museum

The Private Museum (TPM) was established in 2010. The non-profit independent arts space, which is located at 51 Waterloo Street, aims to provide “a space for art collectors to showcase their collections in a curated display, as well as an alternative platform for artists to push boundaries in the expressions of various art forms”, according to its website.

Hear more about the gallery from Aaron Teo, TPM’s museum manager.

What do you do as museum manager?
I lead a relatively small team of three to four members, and we work very closely together on programming, acquisition, budgeting, manpower management, fundraising, collection management, marketing, etc. I would say that my core focus is to ensure that all of the above are run as smoothly as possible, and ensure that the interests, vision, and reputation of TPM are properly protected and upheld.

What has been the biggest challenge as museum manager?
To find a reliable, receptive and passionate team that I can trust.

As the museum manager of The Private Museum, Aaron Teo leads a team and works on everything from programming to budgeting.

How are artworks selected to be exhibited in the museum?
Our exhibitions should be meaningful, impactful and significant in contributing towards Singapore art history. Each exhibition has different criteria as to why we collaborate with the artists/collectors/curators/arts practitioners. Most of our collaborations with artists are showcasing newly commissioned artworks. The works selected, of course, must have a certain standard in quality.

What is the most memorable exhibition you have worked on and why was it the most memorable?
All of the exhibitions that I have worked on are memorable to me in their own ways. Having said that, I do enjoy working with some particular collaborators more so than others. One example is the exhibition Optimism is Ridiculous – The Altarpieces by Natee Utarit. The show features the collected works of Natee Utarit from various collectors. The works are in the form of altarpieces found in Catholic churches, and our usually intimate white-walled arts space was transformed into a sacred eastern temple-like sanctuary (ironically). Like I said, I enjoyed the process with my collaborators (gallerist and artist) and we realised our core vision in presenting private art collections. It was a very well-received exhibition.

The Bras Basah.Bugis precinct is home to many museums and visual arts galleries. Besides TPM, which other museum or gallery in the area do you enjoy visiting?
All the major institutions such as the National Gallery Singapore, the Singapore Art Museum, the National Museum, and the Asian Civilisations Museum. Other small arts spaces include Objectifs, DECK, the Lasalle galleries, the NAFA galleries etc.

What can we look forward to from TPM in the second half of 2018?
More exciting exhibitions and our upcoming new project (Moving Image) which includes art films and video art.

By Jai Saraswathy
Published on 6 July 2018

Visit The Private Museum at 51 Waterloo Street, #02-06. Find out more on their website here.

This article was published in Blueprint Issue #6.

Japanese bakery Asanoya opened its first overseas branch on Queen Street in Singapore in 2014. The Singapore team is led by head baker, Goto Tatsuya.

When did you first start baking and do you remember what the first thing you ever baked was?
I started baking at 17 years old and the first thing I baked was the butter roll.

When did you join Asanoya, and what drew you to the company?
I joined Asanoya in 2004 and I was introduced into Asanoya by my instructor in the baking school.

What is the biggest challenge of being a baker?
The biggest challenge is to constantly think of new creations.

What is your favourite kind of bread to make, and to eat?
I like to make baguettes as it takes a lot of skills to make it correctly. I like to eat our Golden Loaf bread as it is very fluffy and rich in taste.

Goto Tatsuya joined Asanoya  in Japan in 2004, and now leads the Singapore team as head baker.

Where do you get your inspirations for new creations for Asanoya from?
I get my inspirations from eating the bread from other bakeries, and from reading magazines on bread, pastries and even other cuisines. I try to imagine and integrate the different elements together to come up with a final product.

What are the differences between Asanoya in Japan and in Singapore?
The main difference is that the customers’ preference in Japan and Singapore is very different. Japanese prefer hard bread like the baguette and campagne, while Singaporeans prefer soft bread.

Is it very different for you to work in Singapore, compared to Japan?
Due to cultural differences, the mentality of Singaporeans and Japanese is very different. There are both advantages and disadvantages of the two working cultures.

Can you tell us what a typical day at work is like for you?
I work the night shift, so my work starts at 12am and I will be busy baking and supervising the other bakers until 9am. However, sometimes I am required to attend meetings, so I may end work at 12pm or even later.

Where do you like to go for lunch around the Bras Basah area?
I like to go to the coffeeshop just opposite our Queen Street bakery as the economic rice is cheap and tasty and the lime juice sold there is very delicious too!

By Gwen Pew
Published on 3 April 2018

Visit Asanoya Boulangerie @ Queen Street at 15 Queen Street, #01-03, Singapore 188537. Find out more on their website here.

This article was published in Blueprint Issue #5.

kapok was founded in 2006 by Arnault Castel, with the first store opening in Hong Kong. The brand made its debut in Singapore at Tangs Orchard in 2013, and opened another branch at the National Design Centre in 2014.

Check out kapok’s latest collections on their website, and follow their Facebook page here. Friends of Centre 42 can also quote “kapok a pok” to get a 10% discount off selected brands at kapok at the National Design Centre.

This article was published in Blueprint Issue #4.