Asia Tonight - Mon 14 Jul 2025
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Independent Singapore
15 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Locals list cheese, truffle, matcha, mentaiko anything as the most overhyped foods in Singapore
Photo: Freepik (for illustration purposes only). SINGAPORE: When a local Reddit user wanted to know what others feel are the most overhyped foods among Singaporeans, for both local and overseas cuisine, others on the platform were very willing to share their thoughts. U/GoldenRuler2021, who penned the post on r/askSingapore on Thursday (July 17), started the ball rolling by saying that cheese is 'way overhyped' in Singapore. 'People go crazy over cheese fries, cheese tarts, cheese pulls, everything cheese,' they wrote, adding that they've tried many cheeses, even 'atas' kinds such as brie and camembert, but found them to be only 'meh.' 'Sometimes sour, sometimes plasticky, and when it melts and stretches, it feels like it's pulling something inside me. No joy at all,' they added. Also, although they acknowledged that cheese has some health benefits, since it contains protein and calcium, it's just not something they would crave, like others seem to do. They also find tacos and burritos to be only 'okay, not bad,' even the ones they tried in Mexico. 'Honestly, I'd prefer prata or chapati. Just feels more satisfying and flavourful to me,' the post author wrote, asking others if there is a food that everyone else loves but they find simply overhyped. Some Reddit users said they don't get the hype behind the truffle craze. 'Anything 'truffle' is just an excuse to charge you extra for a few cents worth of truffle oil,' one opined, while another wrote, 'Most places don't use real truffles as they are too expensive to get. For most of the time, they use 'truffle oil' that has no truffle infusion. It's artificial flavouring.' 'Truffle anything and matcha most things have become oversaturated and really quite poor in quality,' agreed another. 'Overhyped would be churros during Covid or the raclette cheese pasta or cheese wheel pasta,' wrote a commenter. Another person who's tired of the cheese overhype wrote that 'cheese fries, cheese pulls, nacho cheese, are really just flavoured oils and fats.' 'Truffle anything and mentaiko, both don't taste really good to me, idk why, just very meh,' contributed another commenter. 'Mentaiko. There was one period when almost every food had mentaiko on it, bread, rice, noodles… although the flavours don't match,' another agreed. One brought up mala hot pot, which they characterised as 'cheap junk food in China but sold more expensive than zhi char here.' 'Mala. What's the point of food if the spices numb and burn away your sense of taste?' another asked. When one wrote they found McDonald's Chilli Crab Burger to be overhyped, others agreed, saying they found it overpriced. Others said that they found salted egg on 'everything' to be tiresome. One wrote that food cooked with salted egg yolk sauce or flavouring is 'underrated.' /TISG Read also: Filet-O-Fish burger with 'cheese 1/3 of 1 pc' sparks shrinkflation complaints among Singaporeans () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Independent Singapore
15 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Iron rice bowl but in boiling water? S'porean ‘miserable' in gov't job wants to know if anyone else can relate
SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user who vented about the miseries of working in their particular government job wanted to know if anyone else out there is experiencing the same thing. In a post on r/askSingapore on Thursday (July 17), u/bigDolphin1357, wondered if they're just unlucky in their job. Part of the problem is that most of the people at work are in their 50s, and the few young ones 'backstab each other because we're each other's only competition.' Adding to the misery is rampant gossip 'because there's too little work, and people have to fight for it,' and the post author claimed they are busy but openly play games on their phones. 'Information is prized and used as social currency, or if it's yours, it's weaponised against you. As a result, I don't have a single friend here, and I trust no one in my department,' they added. The post author's salary is also substantially smaller than their friends working in the private sector, and they asked why they're working for such little pay, 'when everything goes to scholars?' They'd like to quit their job but can't afford it. One popular comment on the post described the post author's job as an 'Iron bowl but on boiling water.' 'Iron rice bowl' refers to work that has guaranteed security, which is often public sector or government jobs with secure and stable income. The phrase comes from a Chinese idiom, 'tie fan wan' ( 铁饭碗 ), referring to a now-abolished system of lifetime work in China. 'I have worked in three different gov't agencies, and every single agency has really burned me out mentally and physically. If you are pushing for promotion, then you should avoid the rat race. If you wish to have higher earnings, then you should leave as soon as possible. The reason is that your portfolio may not be as attractive compared to those who are already in the private sector. It is your call. I also wish I could shake a leg, but I see more people resigning due to the workload. Iron bowl but on boiling water,' the commenter wrote. Others also expressed they were surprised that the post author had written that there's not enough work to keep people busy at the post author's work, since most government employees they know experience the opposite and are overworked. 'What agency is that? Over at my place, we're worked to the bone,' a commenter noted. 'It sounds like a localised issue. I assure you, there are other parts of the gov't where the work is overflowing,' another added. Others offered the post author advice. 'There are no friends at the workplace because everyone has a conflict of interest. I think you can consider an internal transfer or continue job hunting in private. Meanwhile, continue to upskill yourself,' one advised them. 'Why don't you just jump to another government sector like you said? Private sector may not necessarily be better btw… It could be even more competitive, and you can easily be retrenched, and office politics is everywhere, no matter where you go, so you won't be able to avoid that,' another wrote. 'Ask for a transfer out, but be prepared to be overworked elsewhere; I never had a lack of work to do while in civil service,' said a Reddit user. One who had a similar experience and could relate to the post author wrote that the young people they used to work with, 'those in their mid to late twenties, like you said, are very susceptible to politics and still kinda childish. They have trouble regulating their emotions to stay professional. IMO, millennials kinda hit the sweet spot, like those from their 30s onwards, because they have some work experience and are not too traditional-minded like the boomer generation. Best to identify your tribe and stick with them. But maaan, I feel you, I too wish I could be like my cousins or friends in a corporate or NGO setting aligned with their passions and having a better work-life balance. All the best, man, comes down to luck at this point!' /TISG Read also: No longer an iron rice bowl? Is public service losing its appeal to the new generation?
Independent Singapore
15 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
‘He told me his wife is a relative': Woman says her 60 y/o coworker overshares and makes work awkward
SINGAPORE: One woman says her 60-year-old coworker has been turning the office into a very uncomfortable place, thanks to his complete lack of boundaries and oversharing habits. Sharing her experience on Reddit's 'AskSingapore' forum on Thursday (July 17), she said the man is far too enthusiastic for her liking and seems oblivious to what's appropriate in a professional setting. He has repeatedly asked her out for coffee during office hours, even though she has turned him down every single time. He also won't stop rambling about his personal life, including the rather unsettling detail that 'his wife is actually a relative.' 'Like why would I need to know that??' she said. To make things worse, he once asked her to drive him to Johor Bahru (JB) and regularly sends her meme stickers that have nothing to do with work. He has also asked personal questions like 'whether she has a boyfriend or how much she weighs.' At one point, he even mocked her for 'supposedly never having been kissed or hugged.' See also Ivy League dreams: A path to prestige and prosperity 'I never actually answered his invasive questions, and he just jumped to his own conclusions. All this happens when it's just the two of us in the office,' she wrote. 'Most of the time, I just listen and react politely, and now I'm questioning if my reactions gave him the impression that I enjoy these conversations. This does not feel normal or appropriate to me. I don't think our relationship needs to go beyond professional boundaries,' she added. To distance herself, she said she started acting colder toward him in hopes that he would get the hint. However, her coworker ended up confronting her and claimed that 'she was angry at him for no reason.' 'This is awkward and exhausting because the office is usually just the two of us while the others are out,' she said. She added that she has always tried to carry herself with decency. Even though she is still relatively new to the workforce, she believed that staying kind and keeping clear boundaries would be enough to stay out of trouble, but she did not expect that some people could be so 'shameless in ways that aren't always obvious.' 'I've been trying to find excuses to leave the office whenever I can. Luckily, I'll only be here for less than a month more,' she wrote. 'What he's doing is already considered inappropriate.' Under her post, one commenter said, 'Actually, I think this constitutes as harassment already…' Another commented, 'Why he wants you to bring him to JB??? Something is sus about this already… I think just say you have a bf even if you don't.. If he still doesn't stop talking like that, collect evidence and report to HR.' A third suggested, 'If he asks too personal questions, you can just say 'sorry I'm not comfortable answering that' and say you need to finish up some work or something. What he's doing is already considered inappropriate, but I guess it's a small company and there isn't any HR.' Dealing with workplace harassment According to the Ministry of Manpower, victims of workplace harassment are advised to maintain a safe distance from individuals exhibiting inappropriate behaviour and, where possible, adopt a buddy system for safety. If the victim is often alone with the harasser, they should report the matter to a supervisor, manager, human resources, or a designated neutral party within the organisation so that appropriate action can be taken. Victims may also contact the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) for guidance or lodge a police report if necessary. Read also: Tourist says foreigners often get 'pushed around' in Singapore, asks locals, 'Is this common?' Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
