Everyone needs to eat, even politicians, celebrities and community leaders. Check out these 5 interesting people on Burpple and see what they like to eat! You know the saying, “You are what you eat”…

Lee Lilian

Worker’s Party represent? Well, according to Ms Lee, this is “Possibly the best hokkien mee in Hougang SMC!” Now we just gotta try this ;) Thanks for supporting Burpple since the start Ms Lee!!

Psst.. there’s a PAP minister on Burpple too, 50 points and a high five to anyone who can guess who ;)

Ara Mina

Hazel Reyes is better known by her screen name- Ara Mina. This awesome Burppler is an award-winning Filipina actress, model and singer.  On Burpple, Ara Mina’s “hazelberry” box shows off her baking skills, with photo after photo of cakes, brownies, cupcakes and cookies. 

Sir Antonio the Tiramisu Hero

What a pleasure to see on our feed some amazing customized tiramisus and of course the adorable Sir Antonio adorning their great packaging. Follow him to see the range of tiramisus available for order athttp://thetiramisuhero.com/stores. One of our personal favourites shown here- the CamoHero.

Sidney Mohede

Born in Jakarta and raised in Los Angeles, this inspirational Indonesian worship leader and Christian songwriter shares the dishes he loves on Burpple. 

Hian Goh

Co-founder of the Asian Food Channel (AFC), Hian is an entrepreneur and foodie, just the kind we like ;) Check out what he likes to eat! 

Get the free app at www.burpple.com/getapp andwww.burpple.com/android today ;)

Get the free app at www.burpple.com/getapp or www.burpple.com/android today :)

On a Wednesday afternoon, over a cup of coffee and some really great desserts from Patisserie G, we had the privilege of chatting with Tan Hsueh Yun, Food Editor of The Straits Times/ Sunday Times.  We got to know her a little better, and gained some insight on what it takes to be a food writer.

So how did your journey as a Food Editor begin?

When I was away at university I cooked a lot, I was in a very foodie town near UC Berkeley, and I had always loved food since I was a kid. I started out as a reporter in the general news pool in The Straits Times and they want us to try a lot of different things at first. I did arts reporting and then I covered housing properties. Then in 2003, somebody suggested that I do something on food, and I guess finally I was able to find my niche in the organization.

What do you think it takes to be a good food writer?

All the other things that I’ve done have helped to hone the skills of getting information, reading between the lines, the nuances, all the stuff that you need to write well. There are some people, who can take beautiful pictures and have a very fine palate, but they can’t communicate that to the reader and that’s a big tragedy. And there are some who can write really well but can’t to save their life describe a dish. It’s a special kind of skill I think, you kinda need to mesh both together and come up with a lucid account. I also try not to be vague about my reviews. I try to be specific.

I’m sure your job can get pretty tough, what are some challenges?

I know it sounds stupid but there are days when I’m like ‘I just can’t eat anymore’. I’m out every single night, so it’s really like an 18-hour day job. Don’t think for a moment during dinner that I’m not working. When I go to a restaurant, I have to take pictures of the menu and the food, and I take notes on the food. Some nights I even go to 2 places. If you don’t love the whole restaurant industry and want it to grow and prosper- you can’t do this job.

You’re not going to be liked by everyone, but you just have to stay true to yourself. Just make sure your standards are high and that you are above board. Whatever it is, write the truth, write exactly what you think and don’t try to second guess what the reader might like or respond to. I want to be in this for a long time and I don’t want to have funny things associated with my name. I don’t want to have free food or known as a diva and stuff like that. I’m in this for the long haul, so it doesn’t make sense for me to lower the standards.

Do you usually keep your reviews positive?

Oh no, the whole idea of a review is to tell your opinion. A lot people expect that just because ‘A’ person likes this place, that ‘B’ will like it too. But we don’t all like the same music, movies, or books, so how can it be that we all like the same food? I insist on paying for the food, so I can absolutely say what I want about it, and am under no obligation. Unless I really like something, then I will write about it. My credibility is at stake.

What do you look out for when you are reviewing a place? Does ambience and service affect your opinion?

For me the food takes precedence. If the food is crap, I will not go back. No matter how good the ambience or décor is- it’s incidental. Some of your best meals are in coffee shops with a ‘C’ hygiene rating! But if you’re going to a high end place that charges a lot, I’m going to expect that your food, service and ambience be top notch, if not why am I paying this much?

Can you tell us more about your rating system in your column?

For my Zi Char column, it’s a 5-star rating. I have not given 5 stars yet because I always think there’s room for improvement. The highest I’ve given is a 4.5, which is when all the dishes are good, but a few are exceptional. Generally when all dishes are good, it’s 4 stars. The 3 and 3.5 category is when only a couple of dishes don’t work. If it’s a 3.5, then 1 or 2 were fabulous but some were not so good. 3 stars would be mostly good dishes with 1 or 2 not so good. 2 or 2.5 are ones that are a little iffy. Usually it’s because 1 or 2 things are really good but the rest are just not up to mark.

Tell us about your use of social media to reach out to readers?

In 2011 the company decided that some of the reporters should have a Facebook page linked to the ST website.  I focus exclusively on food. People want to know about food, and by heavens they will when they look at my page.  In many cases, Facebook is more liberating than print. On print I can only use 2 pictures per story, and on Facebook I can dissect each dish and say what I liked or did not like about it. I also get to have an immediate connection to my readers. Some of my readers follow me on print, some of them don’t. We started these pages to reach those who don’t read or subscribe to print. We want to reach out to you every which way.

I’ve noticed that on social media, you want to have a sunny disposition. If you’re a downer, people will be turned off. You have to be enthusiastic, and what is even more critical is that the enthusiasm has to be real. If you fake it, people can tell and they can respond to the emotional part of it. They will respond to your enthusiasm so I think that’s what you have to do.

I welcome all opinions; I don’t delete anything on my Facebook page. If you want to offer any criticism, I like that people would take the time to read what you have written and say I don’t agree with you on this because of that. It’s fine! Its ridiculous if everyone agreed with me. This sort of thing is drummed into you from Day 1- you do not let your editorial standards slip, and you don’t write about something you don’t believe in. So for me I’d never accept freebies, unless my boss compels me to, and I can work out a story that is objective enough to talk about the product. Certainly no one is going to be able to give me a weekend stay in a hotel, its just not going to happen.

What do you think the difference is between yourself and food bloggers? 

The difference is that I’m answerable to a whole bunch of people higher up than me. Also, it’s going out to 1.4 million readers, so you’re not going to put nonsense or anything that’s not true in there. There’s an added kind of responsibility that I have. But ultimately, there is no difference. We’re just eating food and saying if it’s good or not. For the readers, it depends on who you believe, and our palates are all different. At the end of the day people need to know that everything is subjective.

Who’s your favourite food critic?

Me. Haha! (We really like this answer).

I really admire my colleague Ah Yoke, because he’s so dedicated to his job. There’s this  writer called Ligaya Mishan, who writes for the Hungry City column of the New York Times. She has beautiful ways of describing food, things that I have not read before. She’s a fresh voice to food criticism, so I make it a point to read what she writes.

The food scene in Singapore is getting pretty exciting right now, how do you feel about this growth?

It’s an exciting time for the food world and I hope I have the stamina to keep up with it. These days people don’t just want to know where to eat, but why they should eat there. Is it because the recipes are from his mother or his unique philosophy? There are so many choices, where do you park your money when you go out? 

Check our Hsueh Yun’s Facebook page athttp://www.facebook.com/TanHsuehYun as well as her columns on The Straits Times and the Sunday Times for amazing food reviews!

For quick and visual reviews, get the free Burpple app at www.burpple.com/getapp or www.burpple.com/android today to see what our food community loves!   

Ever wanted to let other Burpplers know what they should or should not order at a certain restaurant, or simply remember how much you loved a cafe overseas? Now you can, in a much more detail.  

With our latest update, you can include a title for your food moment as well as a detailed description of your experience.

Descriptions from your Instagram-connected posts will also be imported in a smart way, giving your post a title and a description. 

Get the free app at www.burpple.com/getapp today ;)

The most popular features: 

✔ See what your friends love

✔ Auto-magically suggest the time, place & meal even for past moments.

✔ Recall your favorites in one place

✔ Discover trusted favorites through food lovers

✔ Explore them in a glance from 140 countries and 4000 cities! 

Get it now at www.burpple.com/android!  

Hey everyone! We would like you all to meet Jeremy Cheok, chef and owner of OKB. This warm and cheerful chef is completely focused on the quality of his products, and his take is, “you should stay true to what you know and love”. Once you’ve tasted his food, you won’t believe that this 27 year old has never spent a day in cooking school.

Burpple’s Top 5 Must Trys at OKB

Hot wings with belachan butter marinade

Shepherd’s pie

Roast beef with gula melaka glaze

Seared chicken with laksa leaf beurre blanc(so tender you won’t believe it)

Lemon curd tart

 Check out what Burpplers have enjoyed at OKB here! 

Starting at just $6 a glass, don’t miss out on the wine that OKB’s wine man, Brendon, has specially paired with each dish on the menu. So go on Burpplers, grab a couple of friends and head to OKB to taste Jeremy’s incredible menu! You can view the complete menu here.

 Now let’s get to know Jeremy a little better.

Hi Jeremy, do you have any weird/strange eating habits?

Unless the food is spoilt, I always finish everything on my plate. Even if I don’t like it. Just something my mum taught me about not wasting food and it’s stuck with me till now.

How did you start cooking?

It began in my JC days when I used to bake for Valentine’s day. Then in the army I met a few friends and we started doing barbeques for our rugby team, and it just snowballed from there.

If you had to choose one superpower, which would it be?

A super discerning palate. It really bugs me when I try something really awesome and I cannot pick out the key elements that are contributing to the flavour profile.

Describe a significant food memory.

I had convinced my internship group that making it to the top of Mount Fansipan would be ‘a walk in a park’. Turned out not to be and in our rickety 1800m base camp bamboo hut, we were huddled in autumn clothing at -4 degrees C. Dinner that night was unlimited half burned rice, boiled vegetables, unknown meat, copious amounts of garlic and fish sauce and moonshine fire water (rice wine). Best. Meal. Ever. I think I had 7 bowls of rice haha.

What is your absolute most favourite thing to eat?

I know this is gonna be disappointing, but it’s definitely my grandma’s fried chicken and stir fried tung hoon.

If you could give a piece of advice, what would it be? 

You can’t please everyone with your cooking so at the very least, make sure you’re pleasing yourself. 

How would you describe OKB?

I would say OKB really emphasizes on the quality and value of the food, where everything is made in-house and prices are affordable. It’s a comfortable place where the people are really passionate about the food. 

Thanks Jeremy, we absolutely love the menu and we will definitely be back again and again and again! Head over to One Kampong Bahru, open 6pm-11.30pm (Mondays) and 11am- 11.30pm (Tues-Sat), now, before it starts to overflow ;) 

The Burpple team has been brewing an exciting update for Apple iOS devices. Today, we are pleased to announce that Burpple - Social Food Journal 1.2.4 is available for free to everyone. Download Burpple for the iPhone and iPod Touch at www.burpple.com/getapp

We’ve clocked miles on our travels over the holiday season, and we can safely guess a good half of your pictures are of your favorite food moments on your travels. Unfortunately, many of these memories will stay in the cold circuitry of your phone forever. So today, we’re offering a new way to revive your travel memories and turn your phones useful for all your future travels- even without network coverage. 

Introducing Burpple offline mode- a seamless way for you to journal your favourite food moments on the go, even without network coverage. Now, simply share your photo, description, date, location, choice of box and select your sharing settings as you usually would. All of this information will be saved in an offline draft mode, which can easily be shared once you have network coverage, even to Facebook, Twitter or Weibo. It’s that easy.

 For those who have many food moments abandoned in your phone, you can use Burpple to revive them. Simply post your old photo and Burpple auto-magically remembers the place, date and even the type of meal you had. You will never lose these travel food memories ever again. 

 Journaling Without Network Coverage 

Watch the video here!

Notifications Settings for iPhone and Email 

We are also introducing notifications settings for iPhone and email. You can now choose the type of notifications you would like to receive on your iPhone and email, ranging from followings, likes, comments, reburps, mentions or a Facebook friend joining Burpple. You can now select your notification settings for iPhone and email straight from the Burpple iOS app, under ‘Settings’. 

Get the free Burpple app at www.burpple.com/getapp

Hi Alex! Tell us a little more about yourself.

Hmmm… I am a Studio Manager in a small design studio, but my passion is still with photography.

I am also a moderator at ClubSNAP and an active mobile photographer. 

My choice of food photography came from not having enough time to shoot other stuff.

So since I have to eat, why not shoot the dishes too. 

That’s a pretty interesting take on food photography- we definitely appreciate that! Do you have any strange/ unusual eating habits? 

lol… because of the need to shoot the food that I eat, I only eat stuff that looks good and at places that have good light.

Haha that’s awesome! Please describe for us a significant food memory from your childhood.

I love bread, all kinds of bread, chinese, indian, french … … steamed, baked, fried  …..

it just goes with everything, ice cream, fish, meat, vegetables, honey …  From my childhood? Bread with condensed milk.

What do you like about Burpple?

Burpple is a community of foodies where it is easy to discover new food and places to eat.

What are some of your favourite places to eat in Singapore? The kind of places that you just keep returning to.

I am a hawker centre food junkie, my idea of a good meal is going to the hawker centre and order lots of dishes to sample. Add the informal atmosphere, cheap prices and good food. It is a place where friends can enjoy eating in good company without having to worry about behaving properly.

Thanks Alex for letting us get to know you better! It’s always a joy to see your amazing photos of simple local food. Follow Alex @Alex Ortega on Burpple to witness gloriously lit hawker food moments that promise to leave you drooling..

 Get the free app today at www.burpple.com/getapp ;)

Hi Lydia! Tell us a little more about yourself. 

I’m a 100% coffee addict, 80% glutton, 50% food photography enthusiast and 30% chef cum baker. My interest in food and beverage developed when I started to read up on nutrition and healthy recipes while trying to lose some weight in my college days. 

Do you have any strange eating habits? 

Not exactly strange, but I need to end each meal with sweets. I always leave space for coffee and desserts, and oh yes, I love coriander, parsley and all the green condiments that most people pick out.

Describe a significant food memory from your childhood.

 I used to live at my Gramps, in a shophouse along Little India. There was a wonton mee stall just beside us and I have fond memories of accompanying my Gran to buy the mee with our big porcelain rooster bowl. The uncle always gave us a huge bowl of soup, which I will help carry back. I could finish the entire bowl of mee by myself! 

Tell us what you like about Burpple!

Besides the fact that it is a food-loving, photo-sharing community, the people at Burpple listen to feedback and constantly improves on their features, much to the delight of us users.

What are some of your favourite places to eat in Singapore? The kind of places that you just keep returning to.

Hawker centres - Tiong Bahru market for its huge variety of breakfast eats and ample seating.

Cafes - Hole in the wall kind of places like Strangers Reunion, Artistry, Loysels Toy.

Restaurants - none in particular but I love Tapas, Italian and Korean BBQs.

Thanks Lydia for being an Awesome Burppler, it’s been great getting to know you a little better! Follow @Lydia Goh on Burpple to see all her wonderful food experiences.

Get the free app at www.burpple.com/getapp today!

Dear Friends,

The Burpple team has been brewing an exciting update for Apple iOS devices. Today, we are pleased to announce that Burpple - Social Food Journal 1.2.3 is available for free to everyone. Download Burpple for the iPhone and iPod Touch at www.burpple.com/getapp

Introducing the all new Burpple Camera - a really easy way for you to share richer and more beautiful food experiences. You can now select from 6 tasteful filters specially engineered for food, and add a tilt-shift blur effect to bring brilliance to your food experiences. Many of you have told us that visuals play a huge part in sharing and discovering food experiences and we’re excited that you can now enhance them on Burpple!

We are also introducing enhanced sharing capabilities. For Facebook page administrators, you can now share your Burpple posts to the Facebook page of your choice. They will appear as big, beautiful visual posts. For our friends with multiple twitter accounts, you can now share your Burpple posts to the twitter account of your choice.

The All New Burpple Camera

Add brilliance to your photos right from the Burpple app with 6 tasteful filters- Tapas, Loco Moco, Tiramisu, Teriyaki, Masala and Latte. You can add a tilt-shift blur and switch your camera flash on or off from the very same screen. 

Enhanced Facebook Sharing

Choose your Facebook sharing destination, be it to a page or yourpersonal timeline. For Facebook page administrators, you can now share your Burpple posts to the Facebook page of your choice. They will appear as big, beautiful visual posts we all love. You can access this feature under ‘Sharing Settings’ found in your Burpple ‘Settings’. 

 

Enhanced Twitter Sharing

 

If you have multiple twitter accounts, you can now share your Burpple posts to the twitter account of your choice. You can access this feature under ‘Sharing Settings’ found in your Burpple ‘Settings’. 

With these updates, we sincerely hope that you’ll have a jolly good time with your family, friends and food this festive season! The Burpple team would like to thank you for your support- what a great year it has been. We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and an amazing 2013 ahead! 

Get the latest Burpple iPhone app here for free today!