My Perfect Weekend with chef Inderpal Singh

Who: Inderpal Singh is the winner of the fourth season of MasterChef Singapore (2023), a Mediacorp reality cooking competition based on the original British show MasterChef (1990 to present).

The 36-year-old former accountant was a home-based F&B business owner for 2½  years, when he sold six-course meals that included butter chicken and chapati.

After MasterChef Singapore, he worked at Australian-style wood-fired restaurant Burnt Ends for around six months as its chef de partie.

The Singaporean opened his restaurant, Meh’r by Inderpal, in January. The rooftop eatery in South Bridge Road serves modern interpretations of South-east Asian fare.

On Saturday evenings until Aug 9, Meh’r is offering a SG60 Free-Flow Satay Buffet for $58 a person. Against a backdrop of the National Day Parade fireworks, the 90-minute buffet features a selection of all-you-can-eat skewers alongside a la carte dishes and drinks. Meh’r is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

The chef is married to Ms Sandhya Kaur, 34, who works in tech. The couple have a three-year-old daughter.

“On Sunday mornings, we typically get ready and then head to the temple for some prayers, before visiting either my parents or in-laws to have teh tarik and unwind. A cup of tea usually takes me away and allows me to disconnect from the world. I love eating home-cooked food at my in-laws’ place, with ayam penyet being my guilty pleasure. 

I spend time with my wife too. Despite seeing each other daily, it is usually a rush, so the weekends give us some time to reconnect.

I also have tea with people I love or have not connected with in a while. I also love watching, rewatching and reading everything about the Star Wars film franchise (1977 to present).

On Mondays, I send my wife to work and daughter to school in the morning before having some time to myself. I usually head to Johor Bahru to get a massage, do some shopping or indulge in delicious food.

I also love the zoo, and it has been my go-to spot since I was a kid. When I was young, my mum started the tradition of taking me there on special occasions like my birthday. Now that I am older, this has translated to me taking my daughter there monthly.”