MasterChef Singapore S4 winner opening restaurant in January, will serve modern Southeast Asian street food

The last time 8days.sg caught up with MasterChef Singapore Season 4 winner Inderpal Singh, 34, he was co-hosting local brunch pop-up A Uniquely Singaporean Brunch.

Since then, the chef has dipped his toes in a bunch of other foodie adventures – he worked at one-Michelin-starred wood-fired restaurant Burnt Ends as chef de partie, then embarked on month-long trips to various parts of India, where he hosted pop-ups serving mod Asian street food at partner restaurants.

He also dabbled in the private dining scene, where he served six-course meals to clients. Now, the champ is finally settling down at a permanent spot – his very own restaurant Meh’r (pronounced meh-err, named after his two-year-old daughter), set to open next January.

Meh’r will serve modern Southeast Asian street food inspired by Singh’s travels. The chef will be stationed at the restaurant daily, cooking alongside a team of chefs. 

The South Bridge Road restaurant will have a 30-seat dining room on the ground floor and a 25-seat bar on the second level. Singh tells 8days.sg it will sport a “funky interior”, with street signs and vibey landscape pictures from around Southeast Asia.

Singh has come a long way since his days as a home-based F&B business owner selling butter chicken and roti. Before winning MasterChef in 2023, the chef previously worked as an accountant, before quitting his job in 2020. 

He shared: “My life has changed very much for the better since MasterChef. I’m finally doing what I love and it’s something I know not many people are blessed to do, so I’m very thankful for the opportunity.” 

His new restaurant is a “dream come true” for him, though he admits he’s a tad worried.

“If I can succeed during this point where the F&B scene is a bit slow, then it paints a good picture for the future. However, yes, I’m very nervous – it’s a dream come true, but there’s also the big reality of whether or not it will work. But I have a good team and great investors who want the restaurant to do well, so please give me a shot and try our food,” he said.

Singh said it was his private dining clients who encouraged him to open a restaurant. A few of them, who declined to be named, ended up becoming investors in the chef's restaurant. 

“I've always wanted a restaurant of my own, but my investors were the ones who gave me the push to do it with confidence. I was surprised that they enjoyed my food so much that they wanted to share it with the rest of the country,” he laughed.

The menu at Meh’r will consist of some dishes he served his private dining clients before, plus new ones inspired by his travels.

“In India, I learned how to really utilise spices. I also love travelling to Thailand, so there’s a very heavy Thai influence on the menu as well. And in Indonesia, I learned a lot about using sambals – so all of that will be on display at my restaurant,” he said.

Some must-try dishes include his Bak Bak Wing (a rendition of the one he made on MasterChef), which features a roasted chicken wing stuffed with Hainanese chicken rice and glazed with banana chilli sauce and his Ramly Duck Sliders, a spin on the popular Ramly burger. Instead of a beef patty, Singh coats duck patties with duck fat and a fried egg, topped with barbecue sauce and lime aioli. 

He’ll also serve Murtabak And Pandi Curry: Pluma pork (a cut of pork from the neck of the Iberico loin) masala murtabak, served alongside pork curry.

Meanwhile, Inderpal Singh’s personal favourite is the Tom Kha Ceviche, a scallop ceviche served with chilled tom kha (Thai coconut soup), Thai mangoes, basil and ikura.

Though Meh’r specialises in modern street food, Singh notes that there are still some fine dining influences on his menu.

“The plating of course will be a lot more elegant, and the portion sizes will be in accordance with the cost of the ingredients. So duck, for example, is a lot more expensive, and it’s also very rich, so we will not be giving you a [full-sized] burger but a slider instead,” he explained. 

While the menu hasn’t been finalised, dishes are estimated to range from S$16 (US$11.90) for a starter to S$48 for a pricier main. 

Those who can’t decide what to eat can also opt for a “chef’s selection”, which will get them a curated six-course meal starting from S$140. 

Meh’r opens in January 2025 at 42 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058676.

This story was originally published in 8Days.