this dish has been living rent-free in my mind ever since I first tasted it three years ago at a Korean restaurant in Tanjong Pagar. raw and lightly cured seafood has always been among my greatest culinary pleasures—whether it’s sushi, sashimi, ceviche, kinilaw, Thai raw shrimp in fish sauce, fish carpaccio or poke.

when I finally found the time to develop my own Ganjang Gejang recipe, I was genuinely thrilled to revisit that unforgettable experience: the rich, creamy sweetness of raw crab flesh and luscious crab roe, enveloped in a deeply savoury soy marinade. after several rounds of testing and refinement, I arrived at a recipe that truly satisfied what I had been craving.

one aspect I refused to compromise on was the quality and freshness of the crabs. Since this dish is never exposed to high temperatures, using live crabs is, in my opinion, essential. with crabs that have already died, there’s simply no way of knowing how long they’ve been sitting before reaching the market. as they won’t be cooked, the risk of bacterial growth and foodborne illness is considerably higher if the crabs are no longer at their freshest.

live flower crabs can be surprisingly difficult to source in Singapore, with live mud crabs being far more common. we managed to find ours at Auntie Crabs at West Coast Market. if that’s a little out of the way, The Ocean Mart in Geylang also stocks live flower crabs every Tuesday and Saturday.

as for the soy marinade, I spent a fair amount of time fine-tuning the balance until it was exactly how I wanted it—a harmonious combination of savoury depth, gentle sweetness and a subtle kick of chilli. just as important as the marinade itself is the curing time. I found that allowing the crabs to marinate for 48 to 60 hours produced the ideal result: enough time for the flavours to fully permeate the crab meat while preserving its delicate sweetness and avoiding excessive salinity.

get the ingredients of this recipe here!
light soy sauce, korean rice syrup, dried kelp (dashima), mushroom seasoning, seaweed sheets, shortgrain rice

if you’re looking to try making other crab recipes, check them out here!:

our recent feature on a neighbourhood Malay hawker stall in eastern Singapore offered a rewarding opportunity to uncover the stories, traditions, and culinary heritage behind one of the community’s most beloved food establishments.

instantly recognisable for her warm smile and welcoming personality, Mdm Aishah is the owner of Dapur Aishah in Bedok, where she serves a wide selection of Singaporean-Malay favourites, including Nasi Lemak, Rendang, Mee Rebus, Mee Soto, and her signature Nasi Rawon.

having migrated from Madiun, East Java, to Singapore in the 1990s, Mdm Aishah shared her inspiring journey from working as a hawker assistant to eventually establishing her own business, driven by her unwavering passion for cooking and sharing her own heritage through food.

in a generous gesture, she also offered to teach us her recipe for Rawon, a celebrated beef soup originating from her hometown. the dish is distinguished by its use of buah keluak, a fermented black nut that lends Rawon its characteristic dark colour and rich, earthy flavour. Mdm Aishah explained, however, that her version reflects the Singaporean-Malay adaptation of the dish and differs from the traditional preparation found in East Java.

one notable distinction is the addition of curry powder, which introduces greater depth and complexity to the spice profile. tn contrast, the original Javanese recipe typically relies on a simpler blend of coriander and cumin.

the accompaniments also reflect local adaptations. In East Java, Rawon is traditionally served with sambal, salted egg, and mung bean sprouts. By comparison, the Singaporean-style Nasi Rawon is accompanied by a more generous spread that includes cuttlefish sambal, bergedil, serunding (coconut floss), fried tempeh, and crispy fried cow lung (paru), creating a heartier and distinctly local interpretation of this cherished classic.

@nomies.cothrough her undying passion for cooking & dedication to serve the community, I guess Mdm Aishah alr 'ra-WON' in life 🥰🍛 link in bio for this delicious rawon recipe!🔥 #nasirawon #rawon #sgfoodie #fyp #recipe

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check out these other recipes from our contributors! :

our kitchen studio was recently graced by a friend who is also an iconic name in the Singapore DRAG performance scene. 26-year old Nish (drag name: Nishilia Aishwarya Bernard of House of Mutiara) started his freelance career as a drag queen only 3 years ago but has already cast a wide following through his performances in several drag spaces & events, with his recent gigs at TUCKSHOP, a notable nightlife spot of local drag artistes.

this Pride Month (and PinkDot), we wanted to celebrate Nish’s achievements, as well as other drag queens who have contributed to the vibrant queer nightlife scene in Singapore while pushing boundaries & building spaces for the marginalised.

below are Nish’s words, describing his memories of his grandma’s chicken curry, following the recipe.

“my late Patti’s (grandmother in Tamil) chicken curry, to me, is special and no one does it like her. my mom is Malaysian, so my family would often visit my mom’s side of the family, more so when we were younger, so I spent a good portion of my childhood in Malaysia. a distinct and unforgettable memory of my childhood was entering Patti’s Malaysian home & getting a whiff go her chicken curry. every time we visited, the dining table became the first stop for us.”

“it’s a shame I never got fluent in Tamil because there was always a language barrier between me and my late Patti. despite it, she never failed to express her love for us in her own ways.”

“my mother still keeps a written recipe of Patti’s chicken curry but she often adjusts the dish to suit my father’s taste preferences. since Patti’s passing, nobody has made chicken curry quite like my Patti. I hope the taste and smell of this curry bring good memories and love into your life, just like it has to mine.”

“thank you Patti, for everything.”

@nomies.cook fr tho what drag name would you give Azfar?? 🤔💃🏻 #drag #lgbt #curry

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looking for other South Asian dishes at home? try our other recipes as well!:

TikTok has been raging with this VIRAL potato spuds dish, by night market stall Ministry of Spud, featuring a topping of rich & gooey Mac and Cheese, drizzled with ‘Bang Bang’ sauce. as foodies ourselves, we wanted to see what all the hype was about, and whether we could create this famous dish at home!

this decadent & indulgent street dish, while simple in its elements, turned out to be the PERFECT combination of guilty CARB ON CARB overload with a mixture of creaminess, sweetness, minimal chilli spice, cheesiness, saltiness & glorious umami! while the OG ‘MAC & CHEESE WITH BANG BANG SAUCE’ is a lot simpler, we threw in our own tweaks to elevate the dish by adding some touches.

firstly, we decided that the OG Bang Bang Sauce (which is simply a chilli-mayo mixture) lacked depth & complexity. this is when we added in ketchup for slight tartness & jamminess & honey for a sweeter & rounded flavour.

while the Ministry of Spud’s Mac & Cheese is characterised by its simplicity, without any mix-ins (unless you add additional topping of choice eg. chicken satay), we wanted ours to be more substantial and therefore the addition of HALAL chicken luncheon meat for added protein & shredded seaweed for a kick of umami!

if you haven’t tried this banger of a pasar malam dish, we suggest you visit Ministry of Spud & if you can spare some time, to make it your own, try making this recipe & tell us in the comments how it turns out for you!

@nomies.cobefore you tell me i tell you... 🤫🧀🥔 you can find the recipe on our substack! #fyp #bangbangsauce #macandcheese #sgtiktok #food thanks @Ministry Of Spud 🥔👑 for inspiring this

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try making these OTHER pasta dishes too!:

this one’s a kitchen project I’ve been waiting to try out in a VERY long time… especially since watching KwokSpots’ recipe video on Youtube, to which this recipe is accredited to. another push for me to make Peking Duck at home was the fact that HALAL-certified Peking Duck is hard to come by in restaurants in Singapore & I really wanted my family to be able to try it.

my process of acquiring the ingredients for this was easier than I expected. if you’re in Singapore & looking for duck which has gone through halal slaughter, supermarkets like Sheng Siong carry PERAK DUCK imported from Malaysia, sold as a whole bird.

the only challenge was to source for the right apparatus to accomplish the feat, particularly meat hooks (to hang the bird during the drying process), a bicycle pump (for separating the skin form meat & fat for optimal crispiness) & cake tester which I used to sew the cavity to contain marinade while the duck roasts.

with a bit of time (2 days to be exact), patience and a large enough oven, you too can achieve Peking-style duck at home. While it might not be up to par with the top restaurant ones, it would DEFINITELY be the talking point at dinner parties if done right.

@nomies.copls don't come for me if your fridge smells like duck for a whole week 😛 #duck #chinesefood

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our recent experience of volunteering at The Buddhist Union @ Jalan Senyum, Singapore was a fruitful one. we got to learn so much, from formulating vegetarian versions of local Malay dishes to planning meals for a larger crowd.

on that day, Aunty Geraldine, a Peranakan mother who volunteers as a head chef at the temple invited us over to the temple kitchen to assist with the tasks of preparing food for 70 people, including congregants, monks, nuns & volunteers. as part of kitchen team, we got to learn Geraldine’s recipes for the vegetarian dishes she often serves at the temple.

we were amazed to learn how Geraldine was able to tweak recipes for the Malay dishes that she made, to not include any forms of meat and seafood and also onion & garlic. take for example, her delicious Sambal Goreng which we ended up serving with Nasi Lemak.

this recipe shows Aunty’s resourcefulness & creative thinking, using the base of serunding for the Sambal Goreng for a toasty flavour and substantial body. we were also collectively inspired by her team’s spirit of volunteerism and community service by selflessly coming together to make food the temple.

check out our other vegetarian recipes to try out this Vesak Day weekend!:

food is a necessity for survival, but more than that, we often subconsciously tie the flavours we love to a specific place, a cherished memory, or a loved one. a single bite can evoke some kind of feeling, ranging from fond nostalgia to bittersweet tears.

in this episode of What Are You Cooking Today, we met Fitri—a chef and home-based business owner. while he taught us this recipe, he shared his fond memory of Asam Pedas, a signature dish his late mother used to cook for the family.

however, life took an unexpected turn 3 years ago with Fitri’s diagnosis of kidney failure, which required him to make significant changes to his lifestyle and diet. this meant finding creative alternatives for the hearty, comfort dishes he once loved. this time round, he’s showing us how to recreate those nostalgic flavours with a dialysis-friendly Asam Pedas recipe provided by The National Kidney Foundation (NKF).

while his story touches on some heavy and sombre moments, Fitri maintains an incredibly positive outlook on life. adjusting to dialysis was a hurdle at first, but today, it is fully integrated into his routine. he’s still able to chase his passions eg: playing sports, working as a professional chef and even participating in competitions!

watch the full video below to hear more about Fitri’s journey:

@nomies.cothis asam pedas said “let’s take care of ur health AND ur soul”  link in bio for the recipe! If you are at risk, go for regular kidney screening so any issues can be detected early and managed appropriately. Find out more at bit.ly/saveourkidneys-ogs @nkf.singapore #assampedas #assam #healthy #fyp

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important note: the recipe below is designed to be dialysis-friendly, with a limited selection of vegetables and served with white rice, as dialysis patients need to moderate their potassium and phosphorus intake, which can be higher in certain vegetables and wholegrains. for those who are not on dialysis but would still like to enjoy this dish, you may incorporate more vegetables and/or pair the dish with brown rice. find out more here: NKF

if you are looking for more inspirations, check these link below:

when I tell you this might be the best chicken rice I’ve ever had, I am seriously not exaggerating! To this day, my colleagues and I are still raving about it in the office.

that very first bite had me “wow-ing” out loud, but I also felt a little bit sad mostly because I realised I’d never find anything this good elsewhere in Singapore! we were incredibly well-fed at Chef Kenneth’s home, but I left with more than just a full belly; I left with his secret recipe in my hands! (hehe)

so, with Chef Kenneth’s permission (a huge thank you, Kenneth!), you get to try this legendary chicken rice at home! the only catch? you’ll have to make it yourself... but trust me, it’s low effort and highly rewarding. worth every single minute.

before we dive into the recipe, you might be wondering: who is Chef Kenneth, and why is his recipe the gold standard? well, Kenneth has over 20 years of culinary experience in world-renowned restaurants like Saint Pierre and Les Amis, and he is currently the Head Chef of Bistro Du Vin. but beyond the fancy resume, he is a massive fan of chicken rice. he simply lives for it!

so combining his professional chef techniques with his personal passion, he has constantly experimented and refined this recipe until it reached absolute perfection. he’s done all the hard work and testing so that you can enjoy the best version possible!

the most shocking part of his process? the cooking method. instead of constantly attending to the chicken while its cooking, he has a better way. he brings the water to a rolling boil, turns off the heat, and places the uncooked chicken inside. he lets the residual heat do all the work!

this gentle poaching method retains all the internal moisture, ensuring the meat never overcooks or turns dry. once the timer is up, he plunges the chicken into an ice bath to stop the cooking immediately. this “shocks” the skin, making it tight, succulent, and incredibly silky. the result? Super juicy chicken that left us absolutely gobsmacked. can’t wait for you to try it out yourself!

a little bit more about his story in the video below:

@nomies.coqueue up for 1 hr for chicken rice 🙅🏼‍♀️ learn kenneth’s chicken rice 🙆🏼‍♀️ this story’s not just about chicken rice. it’s a story about how drug abuse affected Kenneth and his loved ones. because drug abuse affects not just the abuser but also the others around them. @cnb.drugfreesg #chickenrice #recipe #chicken #fyp

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if you are looking for more inspirations, check these links below:

@nomies.coso you're telling me i have to wait till im 60 to find my soulmate ...😢😢😢 link in bio for recipe! #sgfoodie #empanadas #fyp #sgfood

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if you're Singaporean or Malaysian, you might be used to the traditional fried curry puffs enjoyed as a teatime snack, loaded with potatoes, chicken and sometimes boiled egg.

for overland travellers Nora and Susie who explore the most remote parts of the world, they find a piece of home through finding for curry puff adjacents in the countries they travel to.

one of their favourite ‘currypuff-like’ snacks that they discovered and have a lasting memory of is Beef Empanadas during their trip around Argentina. their memory was having these by a roadside stall with a warm beef filling which was lightly spiced. we recreated this element of their memory with our version of the country’s empanadas, paired with a tangy chimichurri sauce for dipping.

want to try making a similar beef pastry? here’s a Chinese Beef Roti recipe!:

@nomies.cosgreans on holiday day 1: look for interesting local food sgreans on holiday day 3: eh I craving for Chicken Rice alr 🤔😮‍💨🇸🇬 #lioncity #fyp #sg #crab #recipesoftiktok

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get ingredient for this recipe here! : galangal , candlenuts

having a crabby day? check out these other crab recipes!:

it’s been a while since I last learnt something from my nai nai. the previous time, she walk me through the painstaking process of making ngoh hiang, so this time I requested for something slightly simpler, but still uniquely hers.

recently, she discovered that miso paste works as a substitute for tau cheo (fermented yellow soybeans), which she now finds a little too salty for her liking. Since miso has a similar flavour profile, I was honestly quite impressed by her creativity and willingness to adapt. It may not be “authentic” in the traditional sense, but it’s authentically hers.

she still keeps some classic ingredients in the dish, like kim cham (dried lily buds), tau kee (dried beancurd strips), and glass noodles. beyond that, she mentions that it’s flexible, you can add your favourite vegetables, though staples like cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots are usually included.

I had so much fun spending time with my grandma in the kitchen, getting a glimpse of all the behind-the-scenes moments that go into the meals she cooks for us. It was also a gentle reminder that she’s growing older, and not to take these moments for granted, but to spend more time with her, especially in the kitchen!

if you have any other (nai nai) recipes that you are curious about, do drop them down in the comments below!

@nomies.coremember nai nai says "water is.... ✨PRECIOUS!!✨" if you don’t want nai nai to CHECK on you, remember to save water not just at home but at work and EVERYWHERE!! small habits make a big difference. Visit go.gov.sg/makeeverydropcount-n today and pledge your part to save water. #MakeEveryDropCount

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get ingredient for this recipe here!: kim cham , fried tau kee

if you are looking for more traditional recipes, check out the following:

ASAM PEDAS is undeniably the MOST quintessential homecooked dishes within the Malay world, especially in Singapore, most of the Malay Peninsula the Riau Archipelago & mainland Sumatra. it reflects the coastal geography of the region due to use of saltwater fish (except for the other variations of the dish which use beef or chicken).

as the name suggests, it showcases a flavour combination of ‘asam’ (sour) and ‘pedas’ (spicy).

in different households, asam pedas is prepared differently withe recipes varying from family to family & according to region and availability of ingredients. however, these TWO base ingredients are non-negotiable; CHILLI (dry or fresh or combination of both) & ‘ASAM’ or SOURING AGENTS (tamarind or types of dried garcinia).

the recipe below is one inspired by our recent visit to Restaurant Fiz, where we learned to cook Chef Haffizul Hashim’s version of the dish. while most home recipes tend to be simpler, Chef Haffizul’s takes it a step further through the additional preparation of a sour fish stock a.k.a. kuah pindang which forms the base for this ELEGANT and REFINED Asam Pedas.

@nomies.cogo fine dining eat fancy french cuisine ❌ go fine dining eat ASAM PEDAS ✅🤔 as part of @malayheritage’s Selera Warisan series, let's witness how chefs like @hafizzul.hmy & @azfarrocious brilliantly keep Malay heritage alive through food.  comment 'asam pedas' & we'll even send the recipe over!   curious about Malay culture? come explore Malay Heritage Centre's reopening: https://www.malayheritage.gov.sg/ #sg #sgfoodie #fyp #food

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get ingredient for this recipe here!: red snapper , barramundi , grouper , threadfin , asam gelugor (dried garcinia) , galangal , dried chillies , candlenuts , tamarind pulp (asam jawa) , fish sauce

craving for other delicious Malay recipes? check out these 👇🏼

@nomies.coI guess Chef Suria takes the assignment of 'homemade' VERY seriously with her sambal goreng ✨ As part of @malayheritage’s Selera Warisan series, let's witness how chefs brilliantly keep Malay heritage alive through food. Curious about Malay culture? Come explore Malay Heritage Centre's reopening: https://www.malayheritage.gov.sg/ #MHCYouSoon #MalayHeritageCentre #SeleraWarisan

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get ingredients from this recipe here! : soybeans , tempeh starter culture (ragi tempeh) , tamarind pulp (asam jawa) , gula Melaka (or brown sugar)

looking for other recipes to us your tempeh in? check out these other Nusantara dishes!:

recently, we reconnected with friends from Eminami to recreate a specialty dish from their menu - one which also holds a special significance to the husband-and-wife restaurateur team who owns the halal Vietnamese restaurant business.

for those who follow our social media channels closely, you might remember Eminami from two of our previous videos with them, one where Emina shared her recipe for Banh Xeo, the first menu item she started with in her home-based food business in Singapore. 3 years ago, she also walked us through with cooking the same Duck Curry recipe - albeit we didn’t share the recipe for it at that time!

while Chef Emina’s EXACT Duck Curry recipe is a closely guarded recipe, our in-house chef Azfar formed a version of the Duck Curry recipe according to his memory of learning from Chef Emina!

this amazing Vietnamese Duck Curry a.k.a. Cà Ri Vit is a specialty of Hoi An and its surrounding region in Central Vietnam where duck is a common feature in the cuisine. while it may look like a typical Singaporean/Malaysian style poultry curry at first sight, the Cà Ri Vit is quite distinct in which coconut water is used. the ingredient not only gives a balanced sweetness to the dish but also acts as a natural tenderiser to break down the duck meat.

as compared to South Asian / Southeast Asian style curries, Cà Ri Vit is also milder in heat and noticeably richer and creamier form the coconut milk.

@nomies.coactually getting a wife isnt hard you just need to be loyal, dedicated, hardworking and good with google translate 🥰 #vietnamesefood #halalfood #duck @Eminami Official ✅️

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check out our other UNIQUE recipes here:

we were so inspired by our friend The Pantry Boy, with a recipe he shared with a year ago, of Braised Duck Rice (鸭饭) he learnt from a hawker stall owner. we decided to try it out and GOODNESS ME it turned out to be one of the best things we got to put into our mouths.

the aromatic and rich duck, laced with spice and balanced sweetness of rock sugar, alongside an umami yam rice, studded with salty dried shrimp… it was an iftar meal we couldn’t forget!

with some determination & effort, we hope you get to try making some at home too!

@nomies.cohais the things I do to myself while fasting 😮‍💨 thanks @thepantryboy your braised duck recipe damn shiokkk <3 #duck #ramadan #halal #halalfood

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adapted from The Pantry Boy’s Duck Rice Recipe

try making other Halal versions of Chinese dishes such as these:

while the more popular versions of asam pedas involved fish, here’s a version of this CLASSIC Malay homey stew using beefy, tender oxtail!

@nomies.codid our Asam Pedas pass the swimmers’ standards? watch till the end to find out! we cooked a hearty Oxtail Asam Pedas for Yip Pin Xiu, Danielle Moi and Wong Zhi Wei using @Yeossg Malaysia Spicy Tamarind Paste. sour, spicy, the kind that makes you go back for another spoon.  #asampedas #fyp #sgfoodie #sgtiktok #food

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get ingredient for this recipe here!: Yeo’s Malaysia Spicy Tamarind Paste

got more time to spare to make Asam Pedas from scratch? check out this recipe!:

guess we kinda broke the code for preparing a SEEMINGLY difficult Malay dish, thanks to a little help!

on a recent cooking session with national Kitefoil athlete Max Maeder, we cooked up a hearty dish of nasi ulam (rice tossed in local herbs) & a delicious, coconut Ayam Percik, using Yeo’s Malaysia Spicy Flamegrilled Marinade. needless to say, the meal surprised our tastebuds - the rich, smoky and coconutty Ayam Percik was complimented with the herbaceous and fresh nasi ulam and made for a meal Chef Azfar and Max both couldn’t forget!

this is the PERFECT dish to impress your guests with, especially when you don't have a whole day to spare making the percik rempah (spice paste) from scratch!

@nomies.cofr having Max Maeder do a Baywatch run in front of me was NOT on my 2026 bingo card but here we are. we made juicy Ayam Percik for Max using @Yeossg Malaysia Spicy Flame Grilled Marinade so we didn’t have to start from scratch. still hits. comment “recipe” and we’ll show you how to make it! #fyp #halal #sgfoodie

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get the ingredient or this recipe here!: Yeo’s Malaysia Spicy Flame-Grilled Marinade

looking to try cooking more traditional Malay dishes at home? check these out!:

sometimes all you can afford to do is a QUICK recipe for times when you just don’t want to go through too much of a hassle with complicated recipe or stand behind a stove for a whole hour, making curry from scratch. luckily, with the convenience of YEO’s products, you can prepare a HEARTY bowl of noodles for you and a loved on, in NO TIME at all!

@nomies.coEliza at 52: 🔥🤸‍♀🥇 Ting: understood the assignment. meanwhile me climbing stairs: 😮‍💨💀🧎‍♂️ we made Curry Noodles for the aerial athletes using @yeossg Chicken Curry with Potatoes + Cintan Non-Fried Noodles. comfort food, but make it fuel. link in bio for the recipe! Happy International Women’s Day to all women! #sgfoodie #currymee #fyp #sgtiktok

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get ingredient for this recipe here!: Yeo's Chicken Curry with Potatoes

looking for other hearty noodle recipes to prepare this Ramadan? try these!

HAPPY YEAR OF THE HORSE, FELLOW nOmies!!

well we’re probably a bit too a late with this recipe, since most of y’all have been through reunion dinners well before Chinese New Year day. however, we thought it was right for us to still share with you how we managed to pull off making a GIGANTIC Yu Sheng for our office of 60 people! needless to say

, this was one our proudest moments as a team, pulling together our culinary, artistic and filmography talent together to accomplish a big feat!

now if you are planning to do more more Yu Sheng in the days after the Lunar New Year day, try this recipe out! (of course, we’ve scale the recipe down to a reflect a more realistic dinner situation).

on another occasion, the orange-dill gravlax is worth making, to be eaten on its own or on a bagel/toast lathered with crème fraîche!

@nomies.cowishing everyone a year of abundance (年年有余) and a surplus of good food! gong xi fa cai, dear nOmies! 🧧🍊🍊🐴 #happychinesenewyear #cny #huat #yearofthehorse #gongxifacai

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get the ingredient for this recipe here!: plum sauce , five spice powder , mushroom seasoning

wanna try cooking something on your CNY holidays? how about making these?:

I’m not sure exactly how the stars aligned, but I recently had the rare opportunity to briefly dive into the intricate world of the Chinese Cheongsam.

If you’re new here, you might be wondering why a food publication is pivoting to fashion. But hear me out: this is part of our series, What Do You Want To Eat?, where food is our universal language of exchange. In return for a Cheongsam, I promised Master Li a taste of her hometown in Nanning, Guangxi: a bowl of Lao You Fen (老友粉), aka “Old Friend Noodles.”

Master Li has been working tirelessly since she was nine years old, starting as an apprentice to her mother. Back then, sewing buttons and sleeves wasn’t a hobby or a passion, it was a means of survival to ensure there was food on the table. Even after decades of running her own business, she shares that holidays are a luxury she can’t afford to take. Unlike seasonal trends, the Cheongsam is a perennial classic, meaning she works nearly 365 days a year to ensure her customers aren’t left waiting. Hearing her story, I felt a deep sense of awe. It’s no wonder skilled seamstresses are becoming a rarity in Singapore; the level of dedication required is remarkable. This bowl of noodles was no longer just a request, I wanted to make it a memorable one, to celebrate her retirement, and the long-overdue taste of home.

I’ll be honest—I was nervous. I had never tasted, let alone cooked, Lao You Fen before. To prepare, I compiled Master Li’s description of the dish and spent hours scouring recipes online to understand its soul. It’s a dish defined by its “funk”—an unapologetic punch of fermented black beans and pungent pickled bamboo that results in a broth that is sour, spicy, and incredibly refreshing.

Her verdict? A resounding “taste of home.” While she noted that the noodles weren’t quite the right kind, as it was a near-impossible find in Singapore, she was delighted to find her favourite pickled bamboo in the mix. Seeing her face light up made every minute of research worth it!

I don’t think I’ll ever see this dish the same way again, especially after learning its history. Legend has it that the recipe was first created by a tea master for a loyal customer—an “old friend”—who had fallen ill. The master whipped up these spicy, sour noodles in hopes of a quick recovery. It’s a dish born out of care, and after sharing a bowl with Master Li, I can see why it’s still mending hearts today.

@nomies.coif i bought this 1.6k cheongsam, would i be more huat this year...? 🤔🤭 wishing Master Li a happy and restful retirement! 🥳 #cheongsam #food #recipe #fypsg

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if you are looking for more soup that will heal the soul, here are some of our other recipes!