In recent years, many chefs and home cooks have opened their own homes for private home dining. In this unique experience, you will be able to experience dining in your chef's home as they prepare mouthwatering dishes. For some, reservations stretch out over months, but they are definitely worth the wait. So here are a few private home dining places to experience!
Fatfuku
When she is not writing, she is serving up dishes for her guests. With that said, Annette Tan dedicates her life to food. Over at Fatfuku, you will find Peranakan dishes inspired by Annette’s childhood with a modern twist. At Fatfuku, you will find Annette’s unique creations, from her Bak Kwa Jam Baklava to her crispy mee siam.
FatFuku by Annette Tan pays tribute to her Chinese roots, embracing the Chinese saying that it is good fortune (福,or ‘fuku’ in Japanese) to be fat. The english term FatFuku has a literal translation of ‘fat luck’. FatFuku offers Peranakan and Eurasian dishes, entirely created by Annette.
Her inspiration for her dishes comes from her family and friends who she has met along the way. Her late mother, Diana Cheah, used to cook Nonya dishes for her family from scratch. “To me and my brothers, there was nothing my mother couldn’t, or wouldn’t, make well,” Annette mentions. She adds that her mother was an excellent baker, finding all sorts of cakes and desserts her mother made after coming home from school. While her father, Charlie Tan, taught her how to eat. Her father used to bring her to his favourite food stalls on his Vespa scooter.
As a self-taught cook and food writer, Annette is able to learn from her mother during her childhood as well as learning from professional chefs which she has worked with as a food writer. She creates clever iterations of some of Singapore’s most popular ingredients and dishes and incorporates them into her menu. Some of her dishes include her Bak Kwa Jam Baklava and her Pork Belly Buah Keluak “Biryani”.
Through her dinners, you will be able to know more about her favourite recipes, food stories and her support for other small local businesses. While she doesn’t have a favourite thing to cook, “my favourite dish to eat, though, is the crispy mee siam. It’s the only thing I haven’t gotten sick of eating since I started my private kitchen almost four years ago,” she comments. She gives a unique twist on her mee siam by creating them into small “pancakes”, topped with prawns, quail eggs and sambal. Her dishes not only contain unique and surprising twists, but they are also inspired by the diversity of everyday cuisine as well as her favourite dishes which her mother used to cook that are difficult to find outside a Peranakan home.
Annette currently works as a writer while providing many with delicious home cooked meals. “I’m still a working writer… it’s more about how I manage my time to juggle my work as a writer and a cook. I can’t say there were any challenges, to be honest. Everything happened very organically and since I only cook for a small group of people each time, it is not as demanding as say, working in a restaurant or cooking for a crowd. I was a little apprehensive about having strangers over at first, but people have been nothing but gracious since they are aware that they are dining in a home, rather than a restaurant, so no complaints there either.” she explains.
So round up 4 of your friends and family and have a delicious meal at Fatfuku! You can book a slot by contacting her at 9387 6399 or emailing Annette at [email protected]. Do note that each booking required a minimum and maximum of 5 people.
Lynnette’s Kitchen
Known by many as a Cultural Medallion winner and an acclaimed violinist, Lynnette Seah was encouraged by her friends to extend her dining circle to her friends and referrals, as stated on her website. While you may not listen to her play the violin that night, you will be able to feast on some of her self crafted Peranakan dishes.
Make sure you come prepared with an empty stomach and a big appetite, as Lynnette provides her guests with more than enough of her mouthwatering dishes.
Casa Nostra
Experience private dining at Casa Nostra like never before. Casa Nostra, also known as ‘Our Home’, provides their guests with authentic Italian flavours by Chef Antonio Miscellaneo in his cosy condo apartment. He brings his favourite childhood dishes all the way from Italy to Singapore, while focusing mainly on his pasta and pizza.
Watch him create his signature neapolitan pizza right in front of you! Before baking his pizza in his Italy-imported pizza oven, watch how he uses his fingers to gently shape the pizza and dress it with multiple toppings. His mouth watering pizza will definitely get you wanting more!
Address: 250 Tembeling Rd, Singapore 423728
Website | Menu | Facebook | Reservations
Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen
Know what you want to eat in 2 years time? If you do, book a private meal at Lucky House Cantonese Private Kitchen, as he is fully booked until June 2022!
While a footwear wholesaler by day, Sam Wong is a private kitchen cook by night. He whips up delicious home cooked meals over charcoal fire all through the night. Chef Wong is a self taught cook, having been experimenting in the kitchen since the early age of 10! His dishes include boiled soups and his signature roasted duck, with his menu varying based on what is in season that month His signature duck is one you should anticipate for – with the skin slightly charred, this dish brings out a strong smoky flavour while having tender meat.. Having a meal by Chef Wong is truly a pleasure, and definitely worth the wait!
Since April 2020, he has been uploading videos on youtube on how to cook chinese dishes from fluffy pawn omelette to steam fish!
Address: 267 Upper East Coast Rd, Singapore 466413
Ben Fatto 95
Ex-Artichoke Chef, Lee Yum Hwa, dedicated Ben Fatto to “preserving the art of pasta making, focusing on techniques of the old world whilst embracing innovation in the face of an ever changing environment”, as stated on his website. Chef Lee is constantly recreating dishes and updating his menu according to customers' feedback. His pasta’s texture and flavours accommodate the Asian palette, and filled with umami.
Due to the pandemic, bookings have been temporarily suspended. However, he still provides collection and delivery for his food! Check out his instagram for more information on when seats open!
