logo

Election eats: Cafe OSG's ‘Makanfesto' menu and Humpback's ‘Oyster Polling Day'

Straits Times29-04-2025

SINGAPORE – With Polling Day coming up on May 3, two eateries have caught election fever and are rolling out tongue-in-cheek promotions.
The first candidate is Cafe OSG at Suntec City, which has launched a new menu called 'Wok Wisely – A Makanfesto of SG Flavour'.
It offers 11 dishes – each with its own political party-inspired name and accompanying symbol – such as The Dependable One Chicken Rice ($8.50), The Hardworking Hero Char Kuay Teow ($13.90) and The Comeback Kid Hokkien Mee ($15.90).
Cafe OSG's owner Zach Wen, 41, is no stranger to putting a creative food spin on politics.
In 2018, he dished out Harmony Nasi Lemak at OSG. This was during the Trump-Kim Summit, when United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met here.
Mr Wen says: 'With the general election upon us and a record number of parties contesting, we decided to add a little local flavour to the occasion. Thus, 'Wok Wisely' was born.
'It's a playful yet meaningful nod to the season, featuring dishes that speak to Singapore's rich culinary soul.'
Most dishes will remain on the menu, even after the hustings are over.
Over at seafood restaurant Humpback in Bukit Pasoh Road, it is marking May 3 with its 'Oyster Polling Day'.
From noon to 11pm, it will offer an 'all-day oyster happy hour' – with oysters priced at $2++ to $3++ each.
These 'star candidates', says its press statement, are flown in fresh from Hama Hama Oyster Company, a sixth-generation family-run farm on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula in the US.
Voting also takes place here – for one's favourite oyster varietal, that is.
Diners will receive a ballot-style order sheet to cast votes with hourly updates provided as results will be tallied throughout the day. At the end of the day, one oyster will emerge victorious.
Happy hour for cocktails, wine and beer is available too – from noon to 7pm – priced from $14++ a glass.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Canadian bill seeks to deny hearings to some asylum-seekers
Canadian bill seeks to deny hearings to some asylum-seekers

Straits Times

time37 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Canadian bill seeks to deny hearings to some asylum-seekers

FILE PHOTO: A group of asylum seekers claiming to be from Haiti take their luggage out of a taxi as they arrive near a checkpoint on Roxham Road near Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada April 24, 2022. Picture taken April 24, 2022. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File Photo TORONTO - A Canadian border-security bill introduced by the Liberal government earlier this week may deny some asylum-seekers a refugee hearing and make it easier for the government to revoke migrants' status. The bill comes as the government seeks to address U.S. concerns about its border security and reduce the number of migrants in the country. In addition to denying some refugee hearings and allowing the suspension, cancellation or variance of immigration documents, the bill facilitates sharing people's information and makes it easier to read people's mail, among other measures. President Donald Trump has said Canada had failed to do enough to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl into the U.S., using that as justification for some of his tariffs. This week Trump doubled the tariffs in place on steel and aluminum, prompting calls for Canada to boost retaliatory measures of its own. Late last year Canada pledged C$1.3 billion to beef up its border. As Canada reduces the number of new permanent and temporary residents, its refugee system faces a historic backlog of more than 280,000 cases. This week's bill follows through on some of those border promises as well as on suggestions from some top ministers that Canada would fast-track refusals for some refugee claims. If the bill passes, asylum-seekers who have been in Canada more than one year would not be eligible for refugee hearings. Instead, they would have access to a pre-removal risk assessment, meant to determine whether they would be in danger in their country of origin. According to data published by Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Department, 30% of pre-removal risk assessments in 2019 for people deemed ineligible for refugee hearings were approved; by contrast, according to Immigration and Refugee Board data, that year 60% of finalized refugee hearings were approved. Asylum-seekers who wait two weeks to file claims after crossing from the U.S. to avoid being turned back under a bilateral agreement would also not get hearings. The bill, which needs to go through multiple readings before the House of Commons votes on it and sends it to the Senate, would also allow the government to "cancel, suspend or vary" immigration documents if deemed in the public interest. Migrant and refugee advocates worry the changes could leave vulnerable people deported to dangerous situations in their home countries without adequate due process. A spokesperson for Canada's Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said on Wednesday that the government recognizes the conditions in people's home countries may change, but the pre-removal risk assessment will prevent them from being returned to persecution or torture. "The asylum ineligibilities introduced yesterday seek to maintain protection for those fleeing danger while discouraging misuse that bypasses the asylum system's function – which is to protect the vulnerable," the spokesperson wrote in an email. "Canada is reneging on its basic human rights obligations to do individual arbitration," said Migrant Rights Network spokesperson Syed Hussan. "This is teeing up a deportation machine." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Dollar falls after data disappoints; Trump calls for rate cut
Dollar falls after data disappoints; Trump calls for rate cut

CNA

timean hour ago

  • CNA

Dollar falls after data disappoints; Trump calls for rate cut

NEW YORK :The dollar fell across the board on Wednesday after weaker-than-expected U.S. private payrolls numbers highlighted continued easing in the labor market and data showed the U.S. services sector contracted for the first time in about a year in May. U.S. private payrolls rose by only 37,000 jobs in May, far less than expected, after a downwardly revised 60,000 rise in April, the ADP National Employment Report showed on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private employment increasing 110,000 following a previously reported gain of 62,000 in April. U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his calls for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates following the data. "It's a major gap between expectation and actual," Juan Perez, director of trading at Monex USA in Washington. "This idea that labor has not been hurt and that the post-pandemic recovery was good enough that people are enjoying good opportunities ... that narrative is changing and that's absolutely very negative for the U.S. dollar," he said. Separately, data showed the U.S. services sector contracted for the first time in nearly a year in May while businesses paid higher prices for inputs, a reminder that the economy remained in danger of a period of very slow growth and high inflation. "The Fed will take notice of slower job growth, but this won't be enough to convince them to cut interest rates near term," Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank, said in a note. The dollar fell 0.7 per cent to 142.89 Japanese yen. The euro rose 0.4 per cent to $1.1414, ahead of the European Central Bank's decision on interest rates expected on Thursday. Investors are awaiting Friday's monthly payrolls figures to gauge the state of the labor market, and remain focused on trade negotiations. The Trump administration has given a Wednesday deadline for countries to submit their best offers on trade, the same day duties on imported steel and aluminium doubled. Trump is also tipped by the White House to have a call this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping, after the two sides accused each other of violating the terms of an agreement last month to roll back some tariffs. Trump posted on his social media platform on Wednesday that Xi was "tough" and "hard to make a deal with." The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major currencies, was 0.3 per cent lower on the day at 98.838, not far from its late-April low of 97.923. The Hong Kong dollar was at 7.847 per U.S. dollar, the closest it has been to 7.85 - the weak end of its trading band against the U.S. dollar - since August 2023, according to LSEG data. Sterling was 0.2 per cent higher at $1.35515. The UK and its metal exports are exempt from the increased U.S. duties, given Britain has a trade deal in place. Traders were also monitoring developments in Japanese markets after sources told Reuters the Bank of Japan is considering slowing down the tapering in its bond purchases from next fiscal year onward. The Canadian dollar was about 0.4 per cent higher versus its U.S. peer after the Bank of Canada on Wednesday held its key benchmark rate at 2.75 per cent, citing the need to probe the effects of U.S. trade policy. Canada is prepared to strike back if talks with Washington to remove Trump's tariffs did not succeed, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday.

Gold Falls from 4-Week High as Dollar Strengthens and Tariff Fears Grow
Gold Falls from 4-Week High as Dollar Strengthens and Tariff Fears Grow

International Business Times

time3 hours ago

  • International Business Times

Gold Falls from 4-Week High as Dollar Strengthens and Tariff Fears Grow

Gold prices jumped to nearly a four-week peak in the previous session, providing a glimmer of hope for investors seeking shelter from market turbulence. But that optimism lasted only until Tuesday, when a stronger United States dollar and renewed global trade worries pushed the precious metal back down. Investor sentiment turned cautious again, particularly with important data and geopolitical updates. Spot gold fell by 1.1 percent to $3,340.79 an ounce by 10:21 a.m. ET, dropping from its previous peak — the highest since May 8. U.S. gold futures fell 0.9% to $3,365.90. The drop came as the dollar index (.DXY) was up 0.5%, rebounding from a one-month low. A strengthening dollar tends to make gold more expensive for buyers who do not use the currency and typically acts to depress demand. Even with Tuesday's slip, gold is still up almost 28 percent for the year. The metal remains a trusted haven amid inflationary pressures and geopolitical tension. Silver fell 1.2% to $34.37 an ounce but still remained near a seven-month peak hit recently. Platinum slipped 0.4 percent, to $1,059.32, while palladium gained 1.4 percent, to $1,003.10. Gold has shown huge sensitivity to changes in politics and central-bank expectations. Traders are on edge this week awaiting a possible phone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump shocked the world with his latest accusations aginst China for reneging on a past pledge to roll back tariffs, fueling fears that trade tensions could return to the fore. Further clouding the outlook was an announcement by the European Commission, which said it planned to challenge Washington's most recent tariff plans. Meanwhile, Trump suggested doubling tariffs on steel and aluminum, which could heighten trade friction with trade partners. "Market conditions are going through the summer slow period," said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures. "That, extending as well with trade jitters, could mean gold continues to trade sideways unless we see a big catalyst." Investors are also awaiting important U.S. economic updates this week. All eyes are on Friday's nonfarm payrolls report and on remarks from several Federal Reserve officials. Analysts say September could be an inflection point for rate cuts, which would normally be supportive for gold.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store