A passion for food

The city state is home to a range of restaurants from Michelin-starred eateries to Bib Gourmand-listed street food. 
Behind the mouth-watering dishes are the inspiring stories of chefs and food entrepreneurs. Among the stars are Douglas Ng, 26, who set up his fishball noodle shop at a Hawker Centre in 2014 and two years later earned a place in the Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide. The handmade fishballs are visibly chunkier and denser than commercially produced variants, as they are made with 100 per cent yellowtail meat, with no flour added.
Douglas’ grandmother’s handmade fishballs ignited his passion for spreading the fishball story, to share what real fishballs should taste like. And he chose to open his “Fishball Story” in a food centre because he wants to protect the hawker culture, which he says is now dying.
The owner of Michelin-starred restaurant chef Kang’s on Little’s India’s Mackenzie Road, Ang Song Kang battled cancer and weathered bankruptcy before his true passion for Chinese food and his responsibility to his family motivated him to open Chef Kang’s in 2015 which won its first Michelin star two years after that. 
Initially, his shop had only four tables, which gave him the opportunity to come out and talk to each customer to gain their feedback, which he used to develop and improve his menu and dishes. Another Singaporean chef Haikal Johari made his name working as executive chef of Water Library Hospitality Group. 
He was responsible for creating new menus for some new outlets in the group. In fact, chef Haikal has extensive international experience working in a variety of prestigious restaurants, many of which are Michelin-starred restaurants. He had also received many awards attesting to his gastronomic excellence.
When a motorbike accident in 2015 left him paralysed from the shoulders down, he had to go back to Singapore for treatment. However, his love and passion for food is the biggest motivation for going into work daily while regularly attending physiotherapy sessions. 
Asia’s renowned pastry chef Janice Wong is the founder and owner of 2am:dessertbar. Her passion in culinary art is the driving force that helps her push through the boundaries of dessert making. Graduated with a pastry diploma in 2006, the native Singaporean has learned from some of the world’s best chefs.
In 2011, she fashioned amazing edible art installations that completely transformed the studio space, with edible items as her only tools. She has since been commissioned by galleries, restaurants and clients both locally and overseas to craft interactive art for various occasions.