CNA938 Rewind - The Phantom of the Opera vs Raoul – a cna938 chat!
CNA938 Rewind
In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with key cast members of the long running West End and Broadway musical 'The Phantom of the Opera' by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Ben Forster talks about how he plays the disfigured, romantically tortured soul The Phantom – a role he considers one of the biggest honours of his life. Matt Leisy talks about his onstage character Raoul who's battling The Phantom for the heart of Christine Daaé, a talented soprano. The Phantom of the Opera is now staging at MBS' Sands Theatre until 22 June 2025.
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CNA
33 minutes ago
- CNA
More Singapore restaurants are launching new breakfast and brunch options, and diners are eating it up
Foodies know Michelin-starred Ma Cuisine on Craig Road as a place for a fine French evening out, replete with elevated classics like escargots in garlic butter, roast pigeon and veal sweetbread, perfectly paired with select wines. But, at the start of the year, the restaurant quietly started serving breakfast and brunch under a new, casual brand known as Bonjour Ma Cuisine. With shifting dining and spending habits across Singapore's F&B scene, chefs and restaurateurs have started rethinking strategies and ways in which to entice diners through their doors. Breakfast, usually the purview of casual cafes, offers an inroad into a new market. Like Clark Kent and Superman, Ma Cuisine and Bonjour Ma Cuisine utilise the same dining room (although they have separate entrances). But, to build Bonjour Ma Cuisine, chef-owner Mathieu Escoffier hired and trained a whole new, dedicated kitchen team; doubled the storage and kitchen space; brought in a barista; and acquired a new collection of designated plates and cutlery – not to mention designing an extensive new menu. 'We basically did a restaurant in the restaurant,' he explained. So, in the mornings and over lunch time, you'll now find a Croque Madame with truffle (S$28.80) according to Escoffier's mum's recipe, topped with a golden sunny-side-up egg; knife-chopped tenderloin beef tartare (S$27.50); and French toast served with kaya and creme anglaise (S$14.50). That's not all; the extensive menu features a hearty mix of morning staples like fresh salads and eggs done all ways, alongside lesser-known French classics like a fish quenelle in crustacean sauce, a specialty of Lyon; a ham terrine with parsley, a specialty of Burgundy; creme caramel according to Escoffier's grandfather's handwritten recipe; and the Ma Cuisine specialty of crispy veal head. Bonjour Ma Cuisine is on to something good. The restaurant is packed and popular. On the morning we visited, there weren't even any croissants left at 10am, because someone had swooped in and bought them all. 'People at 8am, 10am – they will eat a veal head or pasta,' Escoffier observed. One reason is clearly the 'very affordable range of prices'. 'We love to have people discover French food, and understand that you can eat very good French food for reasonable prices,' he said. 'Ma Cuisine's pricing has always been on the higher side, because we select high-end ingredients, and you have to order wine. But, it's not because we make more money. It's just because the range of ingredients are of much higher value. But, we can have very good French food at this price point, as well.' A whole roasted French spring chicken for S$19.90? Who's going to argue with that? There's also the draw of washing down your breakfast with a kir royal or a mimosa in a French bistro setting. This 'doesn't exist (anywhere else) in Singapore. It's a unique proposal,' Escoffier said. 'Maybe you can have it in a hotel, but it's a bit impersonal. Here, you have the charm of the shophouse and the terrace outside – it's so lovely in the morning.' So far, 'we only have good feedback. The only bad feedback we have is about us not being open on weekends,' he said. Bonjour Ma Cuisine operates from 8am to 2.30pm on weekdays only. The concept is doing so well that it is even expanding to Jakarta. Bonjour Ma Cuisine is slated to open in the Indonesian capital in early 2026 in the Menteng neighbourhood with dine-in as well as takeaway options. Ma Cuisine isn't the only Michelin-starred restaurant to roll out a new brunch offering. Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro, specialising in Japanese-Chinese 'chuka Szechwan ryori' cuisine, recently launched their weekend brunch in April. Priced at S$88 per guest with a minimum two guests, diners get appetisers and a soup, followed by unlimited orders of select dishes including dim sum, barbecued items, main dishes such as chef Chen Kentaro's famed Mapo Tofu with Hokkaido Rice and handcrafted desserts. There's also a seven-course vegetarian set menu at S$68 per guest. The brunch menu, available on weekends and public holidays from 11.30am to 3.15pm, has allowed the restaurant to reach out to a demographic different from its usual, thanks to its more 'casual, communal' nature, Chen said. He described it as 'an opportunity for Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro to showcase a different side of our culinary experience. We wanted to reach out to a wider audience as it will attract a different group of diners from those who visit on weekdays,' he said. 'It has been well received, and we've attracted more of the leisure segment of our target audience – guests who visit with friends and family for personal meals, rather than for business luncheons. The Weekend Brunch also brings a different energy and vibe compared to weekdays – it's more laid-back, social and high-spirited, and guests have responded positively to that shift in tone. We observe that weekends are more bustling at the restaurant.' It is not just high-end dining establishments that are rolling out brunch and breakfast. Restaurants like Bedrock Origin at Oasia Resort Sentosa have realised the emotional aspect of a meal that isn't lunch or dinner. There is a discernibly growing preference for leisurely meals that feel 'indulgent and unhurried', said Bedrock Origin's spokesperson Brian Stampe, chief operating officer, Commonwealth Concepts. Bedrock Origin introduced their Harvest Table Sunday Brunch (S$78 per person) nearly two months ago 'in response to a growing demand for indulgent and experiential dining, especially over weekends', Stampe said. 'Brunch today goes far beyond the traditional fare like waffles and Eggs Benedict. It has evolved into more than just a mid-morning meal; it's become a social ritual, where friends and family gather to catch up and enjoy a nice meal together that lasts a few hours.' Bedrock Origin's brunch format is a bottomless a la carte style, where guests can order meats, dry-aged in-house and grilled over applewood, such as the guest favourite of Kombu Cured Tomahawk steak; premium seafood like the popular Pan-fried Barramundi Fillet; signature sides; and desserts from a roving trolley. 'Our brunch has met with a good reception since its launch in mid-April,' Stampe shared. 'On special occasions like Easter and Mother's Day, we also saw larger reservations.' He added: 'Launching The Harvest Table Sunday Brunch was to meet the evolving lifestyles and preferences of today's diners. More guests are seeking dining experiences that are flexible, social and memorable, and brunch has become a popular mealtime that fulfils all those requirements.' Casual French-inspired restaurant The Masses, which moved to a new location at The Capitol a year ago, is now serving Sunday brunch again after a long hiatus, in response to 'multiple requests from our regulars asking when we would bring brunch back', said chef-owner Dylan Ong. The new Sunday brunch experience, priced at S$68.80 per person with a minimum of two diners, is shaped around a communal, farm-style concept. 'What sets us apart is also our emphasis on local farm produce, with menu changes guided by seasonality,' Ong said. Plates include scrambled eggs with black truffle, sea bass a la Meuniere, crispy chicken leg with Sauce Supreme, caviar and tartare. There's even an oyster cart. In addition, 'every last Sunday of the month, we spotlight a local or regional farmer by using their produce in our brunch menu," Ong said. Examples include mushrooms from Golden Cap Farm, chicken from Kee Song, soya sauce from Kwong Cheong Thye and frog legs from Jurong Frog Farm. "We also offer their products for sale at a discounted rate that day. This initiative is about more than food – it's about supporting and showcasing the work of local farmers, and encouraging guests to engage with and support the people behind the produce. We're making a conscious effort to work with more local farmers, and we believe this initiative of showcasing their produce as part of our brunch menu is among the first of its kind in Singapore.' One unseen aspect of it, though, is the energy it takes to run. 'As chefs, we have a love-hate relationship with brunch due to the early mornings, endless eggs, last-minute crowds and the rush of it,' Ong said. In addition, 'The kitchen must be effectively reset between brunch and dinner service. We take extra care to minimise wastage and ensure a seamless shift. For example, we slightly shorten our dinner menu to ease the pressure, and any remaining ingredients are creatively repurposed by our chefs to prepare special dishes.'
AsiaOne
14 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Daily roundup: Malaysia to begin VEP enforcement for Singapore vehicles from July 1 — and other top stories today, World News
Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. Malaysia to begin VEP enforcement for Singapore vehicles from July 1 Malaysia will begin enforcement action on Singapore-registered vehicles entering the country without a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) from July 1, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on June 4. The announcement comes eight years after the plan was first mooted in 2017 and implementation of the system was shelved twice, in 2019 and again in 2020... » READ MORE 2. 'The Labubu I need!' Pop Mart hints at new food-inspired collection, exciting fans At this point, we're all no strangers to the collectible toy character, Labubu. It's caused waves across the globe, including Singapore — with fans willing to fork out hundreds of dollars for the doll and F&B businesses coming up with Labubu-inspired treats. In the coming days, Labubu might just start another storm as Pop Mart has just released a teaser for their new The Monsters Wacky Mart series on Instagram yesterday (June 3)... » READ MORE 3. Him Law explains the 'enjoyment' of playing villainous characters While playing a hero can boost an actor's popularity and image on screen, Hong Kong TVB star Him Law likes playing villains. Speaking to AsiaOne last Saturday (May 31) at the newly opened StarHub flagship store in Paragon, the 40-year-old shared that it was actually "very enjoyable" to play these characters... » READ MORE 4. 'I don't think the situation has been handled very fairly': Parents frustrated as ECDA probes Little Paddington Preschool's closure Parents have expressed their frustration at the sudden closure of Little Paddington Preschool in Bishan last week. Speaking to AsiaOne on the condition of anonymity, an affected parent said that that he is currently weighing his options... » READ MORE editor@
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
Back in business: Actor Zhang Yaodong spotted manning steamed seafood stall in Tampines
In a Xiaohongshu post, the user said the stall belongs to Zhang Yaodong and he was working that day because his employee had resigned. PHOTOS: XIAOHONGSHU SINGAPORE – Singapore-based Malaysian actor Zhang Yaodong was spotted manning a steamed seafood stall at coffee shop 9007 Kopitiam in the Tampines industrial area on June 4. Clad in a plain white tee, the 47-year-old was standing in front of the cash register and appeared to be taking orders from customers. The Xiaohongshu user who posted about the sighting on June 4 said the stall belongs to Zhang and he was working that day because his employee had resigned. Amid the hustle and bustle, the user noted that the former Mediacorp artiste was polite, and affirmed Zhang in her post by saying that there is nothing better than correcting one's behaviour after making a mistake. The bachelor's image took a hit in July 2024 when rumours surfaced about him fathering children out of wedlock with women of different nationalities. The allegations resulted in him filing a police report, with his manager adding that he will not be addressing the issue again. But in November 2024, Zhang took to Instagram to commemorate his holiday to South Korea with his two daughters, confirming his father status for the first time. In February, Mediacorp's talent management agency The Celebrity Agency stated it was no longer representing him and that he has not participated in the filming of any new shows. Zhang, whose parents used to be hawkers, reportedly used to run a catering business and opened a roast meat stall in a foodcourt. He also ventured into Taiwanese cuisine, selling beef noodles in his home town of Kuala Lumpur. In 2017, he opened an Asian fusion restaurant, Maru, in Tanjong Pagar, but it has since closed. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
