Media Invite: Launch of Cultlinary

Thanks Firdaus for this lovely invite to the launch of Cultlinary, which is the brainchild of Chef Alvin Lee. It was my first private dining experience, made special in the company of other food enthusiasts and home cooks. This event was held at a nice, cozy space in the eastern part of Singapore. 

This launch event showcased live cooking demonstrations from home-chefs and food aficionados. It's really nice to taste the various interesting dishes prepared by home-chefs and food aficionados and to be able to meet and chat with fellow food-lovers. Three home-cooks and aspiring chefs presented dishes from various cuisines: Thai Pork Neck Curry, Three Cups of Wine Chicken and Mussels with Spicy Tomato Broth & Coconut Flakes.

Guests were treated to a sneak preview of Cultlinary’s first and second episodes which premiered on Cultlinary’s YouTube channel on Thursday, 12th November 2015. For the first two episodes, Chef Alvin Lee partnered with local female band; Cha Ban Seng consisting of former contestants from Project Superstar II, Mediacorp's nation-wide singing talent search competition, Chen Diya and Carrie Yeo who emerged as the top two winners of the female category. The second episode featured Chen’s recipe of Mak & Cheese that was prepared shortly after the episode preview during Lee’s live cooking demonstration.

Chef Alvin Lee and Home Cook Yan Ping busy at work during the live cooking event

Home Educator, Yan Ping, at the live demo cooking session preparing "Three Cups of Wine Chicken". I had a quick chat with her and learnt that she developed her interest in cooking at an early age in her teens and has been trying out different recipes since but her specialty is in Chinese cuisine. Someone asked her the reason why she poured wine onto the lid of the wok and she explained that the wine would have evaporated during the cooking process and pouring wine on the lid would help in the flavouring when the lid is lifted and the aroma would enter the nose.

Vasellia, who's a writer, at her live cooking demo session preparing Fusion cuisine dish of Mussels with Spicy Tomato Broth & Coconut Flakes.

Yan Ping also prepared some chocolate and soya tarts as shown in the photo. I tried the soya tarts, which are a healthier yet tasty alternative to the usual egg tarts

Table situation: a quick look at some of the other dishes that the other home cooks prepared for the tasting session

Yummy small bites

Glad that I had the chance to taste this super yummy dish cooked by Chef Alvin Lee. Learnt that this dish "Coq Au Vin" is one of his specialty dishes. Thumbs up for this flavorful dish!

I feel that it's really nice for Chef Alvin to set up this support network for home-cooks, some of whom may feel that they are on a lonely route? Love the slogan that he used: " Never Wok Alone"! Thanks for having me at the historical moment of Cultlinary. I certainly had fun watching the live cooking demos of the home cooks as well as chatting with the other food lovers.

Chef Alvin Lee’s Vision:

Spearheaded by Lee in early 2015, Cultlinary focuses on building a network for aspiring chefs and home-cooks to promote and share the joys of cooking. Cultlinary envisions itself as an advocator of home-cooking and recognises it as a culinary art form. Heading a strong belief, Lee aspires to grow the interest of home-cooking, and shape-shift the future of home-cooks in Singapore.

Do check out Cultlinary Online Channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CULTLINARY
Instagram: @cultlinary
Website: www.cultlinary.sg
YouTube: http://youtube.com/c/CULTLINARY

About Cultlinary:

Fusing culture and culinary, Cultlinary is an online channel that aims to build a community of aspiring chefs and home-cooks, providing a social avenue for like-minded people to connect, discuss and inspire. Showcasing live cooking programmes, Culitnary aspires to make each cooking experience fun and easy, and serves as a platform to discover, read and share content, from recipes to cooking tips. Other programmes include hosting food gatherings, charity events or even workshops for aspiring cooks who would like to be a step ahead towards achieving their culinary goals.

About The Founder, Alvin Lee:

Alvin draws inspiration from his experience as a cabin crew when he was exposed to many different countries and cultures. Through an array of taste and flavours, Lee recognised how food can be shaped by culture, and discovered a distinct line of thread amongst people from all walks of life; their love of food. Together, and through food, strangers can learn more about each other’s culture than any given notion. Following his passion for food, Lee shares his happiness through cooking for friends and family, experimenting on new recipes and cuisines during many weekend gatherings, abbreviated as ‘ACS’ (Alvin Cooks Saturday) amongst his peers. As a home-cook with almost no professional experience, Lee’s sheer dedication for cooking translates in his food. Lee’s inquisitive nature and love for cooking has sparked the initial concept of Cultlinary.

(Source: Press Release)