They may have put a hold on big-ticket purchases but are not letting up on 'little treats' like Godiva chocolates, otoro sushi or white truffles, now in season and served up at $10 a gram in upscale restaurants.

Chef-restaurateur Mervin Goh keeps up with the news on the credit crisis that is unfolding around the world. But the 36-year-old, who runs seven Japanese restaurants with two of his brothers, said that on some days, he wonders when it will hit Singapore.

Read Sandra Davie's full story in tomorrow's edition of The Sunday Times.