My Weekend

Ms Agnetta Lew and her husband, Mr Gabriel Lee, owners of Jonathan’s, a gluten-free cafe, enjoy eating healthy meals. PHOTO: SINGAPORE BUSINESS INCORPORATION

Ms Agnetta Lew, 25, and her 26-year-old husband, Mr Gabriel Lee, own Jonathan's, a gluten-free bakery and cafe.

The couple, who do not have children, were inspired to open the bakery-cafe by Ms Lew's brother, Jonathan, who turns 15 this year. He suffers from an intolerance towards gluten and many other foods as a result of Down syndrome.

After earning her psychology diploma from the Aventis School of Management in 2009, Ms Lew did a six-month internship, followed by a part-time stint, at pizzeria Picotin in Bukit Timah.

She then worked full-time at Sque Bistro and Bar at The Central in Eu Tong Sen Street .

The cafe at 17 Dalhousie Lane in Little India is open daily from 10am to 6pm and closed on Tuesdays.

Which restaurants and bars are on your hit list on your days off? What do you order?

Weekends are busy because the cafe is open. As Tuesday is my day off, it's like my weekend.

Gabriel and I are slightly wheat- intolerant, so we try to go to places that cater to our dietary requirements. We like Jamie's Italian at VivoCity. I usually order the pork chops and request for sauce on the side or its pasta of the day with gluten- free pasta.

We also like the cheese platter at Salt Tapas & Bar in Raffles City Shopping Centre. The platters are served with bread and lavosh, but they are willing to replace both items with fruit. We also order their paella, which is gluten-free.

How do you unwind after a long week at work?

We don't have much time for television, so if we find a good series, we usually catch up on weeks of television. Recent favourites are Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Grimm.

We also read and cook. Most of the time, I read cookbooks or magazines. The last book I read was The Fundamental Techniques Of Classic Pastry Arts by the French Culinary Institute and Judith Choate. I cook whatever I have on hand. My go-to meals are one-pot dishes such as soups, stews and curries. The last dish I cooked was a corn and pork soup with pasta.

What is the one thing you look forward to doing when you are not working?

A dinner date with Gabriel, which will usually be at East Coast Park as it is near our home.

We eat extremely healthily and normally pack from home a warm salad with quinoa and various roasted vegetables, a pasta salad or sandwich and a dessert.

If we don't go out, we usually enjoy some wine at home. Our favourites are Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Chianti.

What would you do on the last weekend of your life?

I'd like to go to an all-you-can-eat buffet and eat my fill.

What is a good weekend to you?

As Jonathan's is open on the weekends, a crowded weekend at the cafe is a good weekend.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 24, 2015, with the headline My Weekend. Subscribe