100 members. Thank you.

When I was growing up, I found Singaporean cuisine intimidating. Each attempt to learn from the women in my family was exasperating because there were no exact measurements or precise explanations. Like typical Chinese, they were honest in their criticism and scant with encouragement. I wanted to spare myself the scrutiny and began learning how to cook cuisines other than my own.

Even when I became a professional cook and started gaining confidence in the kitchen, Singaporean cuisine still felt inaccessible.

When I moved to Australia in 2018, homesickness sparked a journey of learning how to cook local dishes, and experiencing firsthand how cooking food from your own heritage can connect you to home even when you're miles away.

I decided to create an online platform to embolden Singaporeans everywhere to embrace our heritage, and cheekily named it after the pseudo-Singaporean dish 'Singapore noodles' that I had encountered abroad.

Singapore Noodles ran as a free resource for all for 18 months, and I realized that, in order for it to serve people in the long run, I had to start a membership.

For a small sum each month, paying members get access to the entire library of recipes and video tutorials, so that they have the confidence to give their favourite dishes a go at home. The private community forums allow for a friendly place to ask questions. And live cook-alongs allow everyone to cook together all over the globe.

Since last September, our little community has grown to 100 members. While this number might be modest to some, I am very heartened that we have 100 people who are committed to putting local dishes on the table regularly. Sometimes I can feel despondent about the demise of home-cooking, especially the cooking of Singaporean dishes, but little milestones like this give me hope!

Thank you to everyone who has helped me make a big lofty vision a reality, and whether you're a paying member or someone who enjoys listening to the podcast, reading the newsletter, & watching me cook via Instagram Stories, thank you for being here ❤

P.S. This week on Singapore Noodles, I’d be sharing all about fried rice via the newsletter, and I’m making lobster noodles on the membership in celebration of Chinese New Year (very luxe I know, but prices for lobster are apparently at a six-year low in Victoria and I keep dreaming of the lobster noodles at the now-closed Golden Century!!) Stay tuned 🤓