Best Things Under S$10: Class 95FM’s Jeremy Ratnam

SINGAPORE — Jeremy Ratnam literally loves to spice things up.

“I am a sucker for chilli. Sometimes I take so much that I end up drinking more water than eating!” said Ratnam, who has recently taken to washing down his chilli-filled meals by slurping up some curry — especially the authentic fish curry his wife, Jamie Julian, whips up.

“Before I met my wife, me and food ... we were just tight,” he joked. Thankfully for the foodie, who used to “dive into plates of prata, chicken rice and fast food” after late-night shifts, Julian “can cook extremely well and loves food too”.

“One particular event that sealed our relationship was a dinner date at the Kopi-House just outside the old National Library at Stamford Road. The mee soto and the teh tarik were just incredible. My wife and I still talk about that dinner date,” recalled the DJ personality.

> BREAKFAST: Kaya toast set with butter (less than S$6) from Ya Kun Kaya Toast. It has to be my number one meal of the day, with the oozing butter, kaya and two soft-boiled eggs. The coffee can actually be dessert, but the magic has to be the two soft-boiled eggs — the overall perfection of the meal will depend on the amount of pepper and dark-light sauce you put.

> LUNCH: Nasi padang (S$8) from the nasi padang stall under Blk 203, Toa Payoh North. The exquisite beef rendang or chicken rendang will melt you away. Coupled with very good service from a husband-wife-team, the sayur lodeh and chilli pastes are a must have. I always make sure to have some begedil and an egg omelette, too.

> DINNER: Penang fried kway teow (S$5.50) from Penang Lim Brothers Char Kway Teow, Malaysian Food Street, Resorts World Sentosa. The texture of this kway teow is unlike any other I have tried, possibly because it’s authentically from across the Causeway. With a dash of chilli (sometimes I’ll ask for extra chilli), the kway teow comes to life, and you have to have it there and then.

> SUPPER: Beef hor fun (S$8 - S$9) from 237 Geylang Lor 9. Simply put, the oyster sauce does the trick! In the old days, if you had it for takeaway, you’d be served your beef kway teow in opeh leaves. The beef is tender. The kway teow mixed with the special gravy makes it an A for me! CHRISTIE YEO