Sarah Teh
The first nasi lemak picture I ever loved was a failure. It was past midnight, under the harsh fluorescent stall light buzzing overhead, and I had shot the plate straight down the way everyone tells you to. When I looked at it later, everything had melted into one flat surface. The rice, the sambal, the…
Photographing Japanese Soup Curry in the City It was past nine, and the rain had just stopped. I had been walking with a fogged lens and an empty stomach, looking for nothing in particular, when the warm light of a small soup curry counter pulled me in. I sat down before I even thought to…
I’ll be honest, the first bowl that landed in front of me looked a bit sad. Pale noodles, not much going on, and I nearly worried I’d made a wrong call. Then I tossed it, and the whole thing transformed. That’s the trick with Orchard Bak Chor Mee. The sauce hides at the bottom, so…
My lens fogged the moment I stepped out of the cab near Lau Pa Sat. The night air pressed in, thick and warm, and for a few seconds I could see nothing through the viewfinder but a soft white blur. I almost wiped it away in a hurry. Then I noticed how the neon from…
The first time I tried to photograph a bowl of ramen at Cuppage Plaza, I nearly gave up. My broth had a shiny white blob on it, the egg looked grey, and the whole shot felt like a hospital cafeteria food photo. I sat there frustrated, soup going cold, wondering why my food photography never…
I remember the exact moment I stopped chasing the perfect plate. It was close to midnight along Geylang Road, and the air still held the day’s heat like a slow exhale. A woman ladled laksa at a corner stall, her face half-lit by a single bulb, and I realized the steam rising from her pot…
I’ve spent many nights exploring Orchard Plaza’s vibrant late-night food scene, capturing the warm, honest atmosphere that emerges after most of the city sleeps. Over the years, I’ve sampled nearly every supper spot in this slightly worn but charming building. Some places came and went, but three have remained my go-to late-night haunts, plus one…
The city at night has always drawn me in. The hum of neon signs, the glint of streetlights on slick pavements, and the comforting glow of hawker stalls create a canvas that feels alive with stories. As someone who has spent countless evenings wandering Singapore’s streets with a camera in hand, nighttime food photography has…
I almost didn’t see the entrance the first time. Tucked along Robertson Quay at 30 Robertson Quay, #01-15 Riverside View, Shunjuu Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant in Singapore serving an exciting menu of Japanese cuisine. It hides behind a curtain of charcoal smoke and warm lantern light. Then I caught the smell of grilling pork…
Capturing the People Who Bring Midnight Eats to Life The metallic snip of heavy scissors echoes down Jalan Besar long after the rest of the city has gone to sleep. Standing on the pavement at two in the morning, I adjust my camera settings to capture the harsh, fluorescent glow spilling out from Beach Road…