Nocturnal
The camera flash went off by mistake. It was a small, clumsy decision, but in the narrow, slightly smoky space of Kazu Sumiyaki, it felt much larger than it was. A few heads turned. The…
I started coming to Cuppage Plaza for the light. The building is old, a little worn at the edges, with narrow staircases and corridors that smell faintly of charcoal and sake by early evening. But…
I reached Chomp Chomp Food Centre at 20 Kensington Park Road, Serangoon Gardens, Singapore on a Tuesday evening around 7pm, just as the place was beginning to thicken with supper energy. The tables were filling…
I visited Lau Pa Sat Satay Street on a Tuesday around 7pm, just as Boon Tat Street was changing its identity from a busy traffic route in Singapore’s CBD to a lively alfresco dining venue.…
When we talk about izakayas in Singapore, we often reduce them to simple after work drinks spots. We picture loud rooms where tired professionals go to drink cold beer and eat cheap bar snacks. But…
A chef stands behind a trough of white-hot binchotan charcoal. He holds a fan in one hand and carefully turns a row of wooden chicken skewers with the other. He does not rush. He waits…
When I first started photographing food in Singapore, I had a very narrow view of what Japanese dining looked like. I walked right past the smoky, loud, narrow storefronts of local izakayas. I thought they…
I clearly remember my first time bringing a professional camera into Shukuu Izakaya & Sake Bar on Stanley Street. I walked in with a rigid plan to photograph their famous mentaiko rosti. I spent a…
I have spent the last three years carrying my camera through the smoky, cramped corridors of the acclaimed “best izakaya” Singapore has. I’ve tried all of these spots, spending countless nights waiting for the perfect…
When I first landed in Singapore, I thought I knew what to expect: futuristic skylines, spotless streets, and, of course, amazing food. I did end up seeing all those things but what truly blew me…