SINGAPORE – When nature calls the next time you are at an eatery, do answer. You may find more than just a spotless toilet – maybe a zen oasis, some glitzy faux gold fixtures or even a life-size crocodile.
['PM Lawrence Wong was sworn in as Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister on May 15, and his name is now ', 'abuzz on social media', '. Meeting PM Wong would be a huge deal for any Singaporean, but one couple declined an invitation to mingle with him… for a cute reason.', 'Jovial husband-and-wife Tan Li Hin, 63, and Candy Ng, 57, have been running their shop called ', 'at Tai Seng since 1997. They are well-known in the neighbourhood for their vast array of old-school bakes, including their signature crumble pies with an apple, blueberry, pineapple or banana filling at just $2.80 a slice.', '“I sell everything, the only things not for sale here are me and my wife,” jokes Li Hin, while Candy chimes in: “We have over 40 to 50 products. Whatever that is sellable, we make it.” While the bakery is not halal-certified, the couple does not use any pork, lard or alcohol in their bakes.', '8days.sg', '.']
Podi & Poriyal, a vegetarian restaurant in Serangoon Road specialising in South Indian cuisine, emanates a certain warmth. Not the oppressive swirl of heat that rises from the road outside, but the kind that makes you want to close your eyes and sink into its embrace.
['After devoting 25 years to the aviation industry, ex-Air Force engineer Jerry Loh, 45, quit his job to pursue something entirely different — becoming a ', 'beef noodle', ' hawker.\xa0', 'He set up the ', 'Hainanese-style', ' ', '838 Beef Noodles', ' at ', 'Yishun Park Hawker Centre', ' in 2023, a year after he left his job. Prior to this, he had spent 11 years in the ', 'Singapore Armed Forces', ', and another 14 years as an aviation engineer in the private sector, where he was deployed to Brunei.\xa0', 'No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from ', '8days.sg', '.']