Foodie Friday: What The Stars Ate This Week (Oct 29 - Nov 5)

This week, the entrepreneurial Zed Lee got busy baking trays of devilicious cookies to sell on mama Fann Wong's online bakery, chef Darren Lim kept Chen Xiuhuan well-fed on board his yacht, Zoe Tay surprised Xiang Yun with cake and yummy nosh, and Mark Lee, who’s in Taipei, received a delish care package from Taiwanese comedian Nono. Read on for more.

What they: Halloween cookies

Yummy factor: Instead of going trick-or-treating, Fann Wong and her son Zed spent the Halloween weekend baking and decorating Halloween-themed cookies with colourful icing and googly eyes 'cos the entrepreneurial Zed wanted to have them sold on mama's online bakery, Fanntasy Bakes. Never mind that he wanted to sell them for free, at least he had fun bringing his baking ideas to life.

What he ate: Afternoon tea

Yummy factor: For JJ, nothing beats tea with mummy dearest, especially when it’s afternoon tea with macarons, cakes and dainty pastries at Dior Café, the fashion house’s pop-up restaurant at The Clifford Pier.

What she ate: Birthday treats

Yummy factor: To celebrate Xiang Yun’s birthday (Oct 27) earlier in the week, Zoe Tay surprised her with Teochew food from Clan 7, as well as a cake with a 3D caricature of Xiang Yun's character from Mediacorp nurse-themed drama You Can Be An Angel, for which they are currently filming the fourth season. Talk about a meaningful and personal touch.

What she ate: Nasi Tumpeng from House of Nasi Tumpeng

Yummy factor: Felicia too received a belated birthday surprise (she turned 37 on Oct 24). The ever thoughtful Chen Xiuhuan sent over an elaborate Indonesian rice platter, featuring 10 dishes including gado gado, beef rendang, sambal prawns, and nasi kuning (yellow rice), which Feli shared with boyfriend Jeffrey Xu and his mum who's visiting from China. Feli's favourite? The crispy, umami fried tempeh.

What she ate: Cai png and home-cooked dinner

Yummy factor: Thanks to an upcoming Mediacorp programme, Xiuhuan got the chance to enjoy a day out at sea on Darren Lim's yacht, and she was all praise for his hospitality. Not only did the host with the mostest prepare cai png for her, chef Darren also whipped up homely nosh like sweet sour chicken and stir-fried broccoli and cauliflower for dinner.

What she ate: Teppanyaki

Yummy factor: Joanne is on a seacation with hubby Qi Yuwu and their kiddos, and the family seem to have thoroughly enjoyed their teppanyaki dinner during their cruise. Delectable food and desserts aside, the fun-loving theatrics were what stole their hearts — no one really needs a singing chef or a flower drawn with egg white on a hot plate, but it sure made their meal a lot more entertaining.

What she ate: Pear tart

Yummy factor: Just before things get busier, Jeanette decided to treat herself to one of her patisserie's latest creations — a fruit tart featuring jumbo pears flown in from Takasaki, Japan. She’s all for highlighting the natural sweetness and texture of the pears; and judging by her happy grin, it seems like she’s achieved that.

What he ate: Birthday treats

Yummy factor: While he doesn’t look it one bit, Pierre turned 48 on Oct 29 and slurped up birthday mee sua with a hard-boiled egg (as well as picked out 4D numbers) as part of tradition. There were plenty of sweet treats too. Think tiers full of pastries and cupcakes from his sister-in-law, as well as a tropical-themed birthday cake from Bob the Baker Boy complete with 3D caricatures of a tipsy flamingo (a nod to his restaurant) and Pierre sharing a hug.

What she ate: Squid Game-inspired food

Yummy factor: Yvonne, who only managed to catch hit Netflix series Squid Game recently during her quarantine, is so into the drama that she dressed her family up as players and even recreated family-friendly versions of the Dalgona candy and and Korean-style bento sets from the drama, as well as themed cupcakes and fluffy buns. Too cute!

What he ate: Ham and cheese sandwiches

Yummy factor: Mark, who’s in Taipei for the Golden Horse Film Festival, received a care package from Taiwanese comedian Nono in the form of Hung Rui Chen sandwiches. A hit with locals, Mark loved these pillowy cheese and ham sandwiches so much that he had three at a go for breakfast.

What they ate: Unusual birthday cakes

Yummy factor: Don’t have a sweet tooth? Then you’ll have to check out this week’s episode of #JustSwipeLah, where Jernelle and Gini try out alternative birthday “cakes” for those who prefer savoury options. There’s a sushi cake with sashimi and ikura, a mee goreng cake that’s just begging to be slurped up, as well as a steamed yam cake decorated with chopped spring onions and a chilli crab cake with an actual whole crab on it.

What he ate: Black-as-carbon tart

Yummy factor: Former Mediacorp artiste Ong Ai Leng sent over the Carbon X tart from KL-based bakery Baker Next Door to Ben, and we can’t help notice just how black it is. And in case you were wondering, its Halloween-worthy appearance can be attributed to the generous dusting of charcoal powder atop black Kyoho grapes, mascarpone and black sesame filling, and even more black sesame in its oreo crust.

What he ate: Omakase

Yummy factor: Shaun and his wife Celine Chin celebrated his 43rd birthday (Nov 3) in advance at Japanese restaurant Yoyogi, where their omakase meal — featuring fresh sashimi and sushi, oysters, scallops and more — looked nothing short of oishii.

What she ate: Fish and chips

Yummy factor: Kym was so focused on getting dinner with her hubby, she didn’t realise it was Halloween until she stepped out for generously-sized fish and chips and a pint of beer. Well, food’s clearly a priority for Kym.

What he ate: Pork knuckle

Yummy factor: If there’s one dish Pornsak has to have while in Germany (he's there for online social commerce platform Mdada's travelogue live stream series), it’s probably the country’s signature crisp pork knuckle dish. Served with gravy-laden rice, juicy sausages, potatoes and more, it must have been really shiok to tuck into.

What she ate: Hairy crabs from zi char resto Keng Eng Kee

Yummy factor: ‘Tis the season for hairy crabs, and Constance is making sure she has her fill of its sweet flesh and creamy roe — perfect with ginger tea on the side. Digressing a little, Constance is probably one of the rare few who’d put a steamed crab on her shoulder.

What he ate: Grain bowl

Yummy factor: From a grain bowl with tender beef, quinoa and cubed pumpkin to the hearty open-faced toasts and croissants, Nat certainly ate his fill alongside Kimberly Wang at Coexist Coffee’s second and latest outlet in the Keong Saik neighbourhood.

What she ate: Ramen

Yummy factor: Now that Carla has finally reunited with husband and sportscaster Boom Gonzalez after nine months, the couple has been dining out lots. One of their meals that left us drooling is the hearty Japanese ramen at Ikkousha. He went for the meaty Tonkotsu Special, while the Kin actress had what looks like the lighter Bonito Ramen. Either way, both go well with the complimentary eggs.

What they ate: Hotpot

Yummy factor: You Yi and former Mediacorp actress Seraph Sun met up for a comforting and hearty meal at Beauty In A Pot, where they reminisced about old times while they munched on meat balls and swished sliced beef and greens. Life is good.

​​​​​​​What he ate: Banana leaf rice

Yummy factor: Nick celebrated Deepavali in his own way — by having a sumptuous banana leaf rice meal at Subam’s Kalyana Virundu Indian Restaurant. The Big Set Meal comprised seven dishes including mutton, chicken and fish, as well as unlimited servings of rice and curry gravy - perfect for ravenous customers. Yum.

What he ate: Cake pops

Yummy factor: A most expressive Alaric couldn’t help but emote his contentment upon munching on what looks like homemade banana chocolate cake pops. Never mind that they didn’t come with fancy icing nor decorative lollipop sticks, these morsels of goodness hit all the right notes for Alaric.

What she ate: Very sinful shakes

Yummy factor: Are you team chocolate or cotton candy? Either way, Ferlyn is probably going to have her fries and both OTT shakes — decadent toppings and all — anyway with her Live Your Dreams co-star Glenn Yong at American diner Black Tap.