13 places to eat great and do good
A story by Our Better World - telling stories of good to inspire action.
“Something you do every day to exist can mean more, can do more.” — Pamela Chng, founder of Bettr Barista
Most of us eat every day, several times a day. We eat for pleasure, and we eat to stay alive. But here’s a thought: what if you could do good while you ate?
To celebrate World Food Day on Oct 16, here are several places in Singapore where you can treat yourself to delicious food and do some good in the process.
Aii
A visit to Aii's factory is a dream for anyone with a sweet tooth. All around the premises are jars of colourful candy, made and packaged to order as gifts and favours. But founder Leona Leong is quick to point out that her business isn’t just about sweets. She offers employment to the deaf, providing them a living and helping them build their confidence. “It’s about giving them the courage to dream,” she says.
What to order: Jellybeans are their big seller, but we love the look of the marshmallows
You’ll help by: Supporting the employment of marginalised groups
Online orders only, and minimum orders apply for some items. Visit their store here.
Bettr Barista
“What if every cup of coffee you drank could help make someone’s life better?”
— Pamela Chng, Bettr Barista
That’s exactly how it works at Bettr Barista, where pulling the perfect espresso is just as important as the people doing it. Set up by Pamela in 2011, Bettr Barista trains disadvantaged women in the art of coffee-making. It also provides them support, employment and job placement. These are people who love their coffee, and they make sure every cup tastes good and looks beautiful.
What to order: A latte
You’ll help by: Funding the education and training of underprivileged women
Check out their online store for gift ideas.
Bettr Barista Academy and HQ
37 Mactaggart Road
#07-03
Singapore 368083
Opening hours: 10am - 7pm
Telephone: +65 6509 0113
Bliss
Christine Low was running a social enterprise for years without knowing it. She hadn’t heard of social entrepreneurship in the early 2000s when she set Bliss up. She simply wanted to offer a job to anyone willing to work. With the exception of one or two who were let go for offences on the job, she has never turned anyone away from her four restaurants.
At the Hougang outlet, they serve up delicious surf and turf on cooked on hot stones, and bowls of perfectly cooked mussels. Coupled with the well-stocked bar and gorgeous al fresco dining area, it’s the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon.
What to order: Mussels in white wine
You’ll help by: Supporting the employment of marginalised groups
Cheng San Community Club Opening Hours: | People's Association Headquarters Opening Hours: Mon - Fri (9am to 6pm) |
Jacob Ballas Children's Garden Opening Hours: Tue-Sun (8am - 7pm) |
Breakthrough Cafe
“When you come here, whether for food or drink, you’re saying you believe in second chances.”
— Freddy Wee, Breakthrough Cafe
Freddy has a colourful past. He doesn’t hide his history with drugs or time spent in and out of rehab and prison in the 1970s. Now the Deputy Director of Breakthrough Missions, a Christian halfway house, Freddy is involved in the running of Breakthrough Cafe.
The dim sum restaurant is one of the mission’s channels to reintegrate former drug addicts into the community. And whether you’re enjoying the silky smooth rice noodles of their chee cheong fun or the sticky sauce of their braised pork ribs, you’re helping someone remake his life.
What to order: Chee Cheong Fun
You’ll help by: Reintegrating former addicts
People's Park Centre
101A Upper Cross Street
#01-02C
Singapore 058358
Telephone: +65 6533 5977
Culture Kitchen
Food is often what we gather around when we come together, whether it’s to rest, celebrate or grieve. And we connect with the people we share a meal with.
This connection is what Adrianna Tan counted on when she set up Culture Kitchen. Bringing strangers together to share the food of a culture they know little about may seem like a bold move. Even more so when the culture was South Asian and the strangers were a mix of Singaporeans, expats and migrant labourers from the Subcontinent. But the conversation was flowing, friendships were made and phone numbers swapped. That night, breaking bread together was more important than politics. Watch Culture Kitchen’s website and Twitter stream for details on their next event.
What to order: Nothing! Food’s catered and the surprise is part of the fun
You’ll help by: Developing an engaged community
Dignity Kitchen
At first glance, Dignity Kitchen looks like a normal food court. But it’s not just any other spot for a hot meal; it’s also a school for people with special needs. Set up by Koh Seng Choon and Yeo Hiok Keat in 2010, Dignity Kitchen offers training, employment and job placement to marginalised communities. Coffee is made by a very friendly deaf gent, and fish and chips are cooked to perfection by a young man with autism.
And that’s not all. Dignity Kitchen also delivers food to old folks’ homes on weekends, allowing their primary beneficiaries to pay forward the good they’ve received.
What to order: Fish and chips
You’ll help by: Supporting the skills development of adults with special needs
Block 267 Serangoon Avenue 3
#02-02
Singapore 550267
Telephone: +65 8189 7678
Eighteen Chefs
Benny Se Teo has stories to tell: the chef and entrepreneur spent a large chunk of his youth in and out of prison for heroin abuse. Happily, he’s now a far cry from the young man he was in those darker days. He’s the founder and director of Eighteen Chefs, a restaurant serving up great fusion cuisine at reasonable prices. Creations like Heart Attack Fried Rice — rice fried in butter and garlic and served with steak — and a tom yam pasta are big crowd-pleasers. Both Eighteen Chefs outlets also train and employ at-risk youth and former offenders. And everyone — from the cooks to the service staff — delivers on impeccable service.
What to order: Heart Attack Fried Rice
You’ll help by: Reintegrating former offenders and nurturing youth at risk
Cathay Cineleisure Orchard Telephone: +65 6736 3800 | Tiong Bahru Plaza Telephone: +65 6272 0961 |
Ang Mo Kio Hub Telephone: +65 6481 7625 | NEX Telephone: +65 6634 4642 |
The Cathay Telephone: +65 6733 8089 |
Food for Thought
Food for Thought wants to know its neighbours better. That’s the idea behind its Queen Street outlet’s revamp. The team realised that the mix of individuals that share the street — migrant labourers, the elderly and artists and designers — don't really know each other. They don't have many opportunities to interact. Food for Thought is trying to change that.
If you head to the cosy cafe, you’ll be spoilt for choice between the succulent burgers, fresh salads and perfectly-cooked pastas. You’ll probably also make a new friend or two.
What to order: Grilled beef cheese burger and an Earl Grey milkshake
You’ll help by: Building a community that cares
Food for Thought @ Queen Street | National Museum of Singapore Telephone: +65 6338 9887 | Singapore Botanical Gardens |
Joan Bowen Cafe
Photo by Noelle Perera
The moment you step into Joan Bowen Cafe, you learn something about its founder, Jeanne Seah. What drives her — above all — is love. It’s in the restaurant-quality plating of the delicious food. It’s in the decor on the walls. And, above all, it’s in the joy and confidence bubbling out of her team of young cooks and servers. Among them is her 21-year-old daughter, Joan.
Joan was born with special needs. Her parents set up the cafe to provide her and young people like her opportunities to learn skills and gain experience. These are important tools that'll mean employment for them as adults. Buoyed by the responsibility they’re given, the crew dish up incredibly tasty food, keep a clean and well-run kitchen and provide warm service to everyone who steps through their doors.
What to order: Chilli Crab Spaghetti and Oreo Cheesecake
You’ll help by: Nurturing young adults with special needs
Joan Bowen Cafe Telephone: +65 6281 3629 | Joan Bowen @ The Village Telephone: +65 6285 3641 |
Kerbside Gourmet
Photo by Noelle Perera
While food trucks are all the rage in the West, they’re still an uncommon sight in Singapore. So Kerby always causes a stir when he makes an appearance. The affectionately-named food truck of Kerbside Gourmet is a mobile herb garden and kitchen, sending out dishes like oven-baked chicken legs and mentaiko pasta all over Singapore. The food is delicious, and founder Ee Poh Luan ensures each dish is served with a smile. But perhaps the most special thing about Kerby is that for every meal it sells, it donates a meal to someone in need.
What to order: You never know! Check the Kerbside Gourmet Facebook page to find out where they are and what they’re serving next
You’ll help by: Feeding the hungry
Laksania
Set up by Sim Sin Sin in 2010, Laksania serves up the quintessential Singapore food that everyone has an opinion on — laksa. And though her business is centred around the employment of people with special needs, Sin Sin wants diners’ experiences to be all about the food. “If someone says they’re coming to Laksania to support the social mission, that makes me sad. I want them to come because the food is good.”
This is the deal Sin Sin makes with her patrons: come for the food, and let the doing good be a bonus. There’s plenty to choose from at Laksania’s four branches: five different types of laksa from Singapore and Malaysia, and a host of more contemporary laksa-inspired dishes. No matter what you order, you’ll be treating yourself and helping someone else.
What to order: Sarawak laksa
You’ll help by: Supporting the employment of adults with special needs
JEM Telephone:+65 6734 8908 |
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Nox
Dinner at Nox is an unusual experience. For one, you don’t get to see what you’re eating. The dine-in-the-dark concept means diners are plunged into total darkness as soon as they step from the bar into the restaurant. And they're likely to be led to their tables, seated and served by a waiter who is blind.
At Nox, says restaurant manager Anders Wennberg, “the roles are reversed and the blind become diners’ eyes”. Nox worked with the Singapore Association for the Visually Impaired to find blind servers, believing they’d be the best for the job. Chef Desmond Lee serves up smells, tastes and textures to tantalise even the most seasoned taste buds, but there’s a chance doing good will make your dinner taste even better.
What to order: It’s a predetermined menu, but if you're having a cocktail, order a Bacciferous
You’ll help by: Supporting the employment of the blind
269 Beach Road
Singapore 199546
Telephone: +65 6298 0708
Reservations only
Soul Food
Photo by Soul Food
Gerald Png is committed to giving young people with special needs an opportunity to be trained in the F&B industry. He wears his abundant compassion on his sleeve. But he’s not asking for charity. As he puts it: “We’re not asking anyone to throw us a pity party.” The team at Soul Food is committed to serving great food and a unique dining experience.
Got a party of 10 to 16? Treat yourselves to a private dinner here, where there’s nourishment for the body and the soul.
What to order: Slow-cooked beef cheeks and bread and butter pudding
You’ll help by: Supporting the employment of young adults with special needs
20 Lengkok Bahru #01-10
Singapore 159053
Telephone: +65 9823 4455
By reservation only.
We've started by listing places that serve food for good in our backyard, Singapore. But we'd like to add places that do the same in your area. So send us your suggested food places, some information and pictures, and we'll look at adding to the list.
Pictures by Jana Zilcayova unless otherwise credited
