As Mother’s Day and Father’s Day approaches, the GastroSense team shares our favourite memories of cooking and dining with our parents, and where we’d go for a celebratory meal.
Psst! Is it funny that Mama and Papa gave us life, just as food does? Maybe that’s why one of the favourite ways of celebrating these two days is with a celebratory meal!
BING BLOKBERGEN-LEOW
Bing shared a deeply personal, heartfelt reflection of her mum in her Ask Bing! column here.
MICHELLE LIM
One of my favourite memories – and continuing tradition – is making zongzi or bak zhang (rice dumplings) with my mum. We do it the traditional way, wrapping and cooking them in a big pot over charcoal. There's something really special about keeping that ritual alive together. It's one of those traditions where the whole family gets involved with prepping and keeping the fire going.
Image Credit Michelle Lim
Because everything is made from scratch, I get to fill each one with exactly what I like. And then being able to share them with friends makes it even more meaningful. There's a lot of love that goes into every piece.
This year, to celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, we're keeping it simple and celebrating at home over a meal together — which honestly feels just right. Sometimes the most meaningful celebrations don't need to be grand: just the family enjoying good food and each other's company.
GLADYS NG
My late father loved his pork dishes. One of the most memorable food experiences with him, my mum and my siblings was having traditional Hokkien-style bak kut teh (with dark herbal soup) at one of his favourite hawker stalls in the west. Sadly, I can't remember where it was anymore.
We visited the stall occasionally on weekend mornings (note: my family were not early risers!). My father knew the stall owner and we would have several dishes ranging from pork ribs, organs, lean meat etc. The stall owner would keep refilling our bowls with piping hot soup. At the end of the meal, a small charcoal urn and a Chinese tea set was set up next to our table; on the urn would simmer a small kettle of water. The owner would then take some time to sit with us, serving tea while chatting with my father.
Image Credit Gladys Ng
I grew up in a financially challenging environment and my parents sought to feed us well, no matter the occasion. While we didn't have much, the memory of this occasional weekend treat stuck with me for many years: the abundance of food, familiar hospitality and the quiet morning indulgence with my family.
Keeping this in mind, a place that I would bring my parents to celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is the authentic Hokkien restaurant – Beng Hiang; or the old-school fish head charcoal steamboat (Star Kitchen) located at UBI industrial area!
NICKMATUL HUANG
Actually, I have very few memories of special family dinners with my parents. We were a practical family, and low-key; seldom having big celebrations. Though I must admit that my sisters are LOUD people.
My strongest food memories are of weekly zichar dinners – nowhere special, just a hawker centre near the home – with everyone asking for their favourite foods and all of us just eating together. Sometimes, we were rowdy; sometimes, not. Nothing dramatic happened. And nothing special was eaten. But, somehow, these images have stayed long after many others have faded.
Image Credit Michelin Guide Singapore
I think these memories are not my favourite, exactly, but definitely my most vivid. After so many years, a filter named nostalgia has added a tint of rose to them.
Nowadays, my family all stay long-term in different countries – literally. For instance, my sisters live in Australia and Germany; my dad, in Indonesia! So, if we were to come together, I’d bring everyone for a celebratory dinner in my husband’s restaurant. It’s not zichar, but they enjoy his food very much and my sisters, nieces and nephews can be loud without fear. It’d be a proper reunion!
JOSEPHINE THOMAS
One of my most indelible food memories with my family is having hotpot at home during CNY! There are only 4 people in my family, but our hotpot spread is always abundant. One could say it’s even too much for a small family!
My family aren't super big eaters, but CNY hotpot is one of the rare occasions we would pig out and prepare all the works. Plus, we'll also have plenty of leftovers to eat the next day!
Image Credit Freepik
My parents are quite picky when it comes to food they like (like all Asian parents), but Chinese food is always a safe bet. So, if I were to bring them out for a dinner, I'd probably bring them to PUTIEN — we love the variety of dishes there and we especially love the chilli sauce!
CLAIR ONG
My favourite food memory with my parents is making chilli sauce together on Sunday.
It's my favourite memory because, even when I was young, finding time together as a family was quite hard and rare. This homemade chilli sauce is quite strong. I remember that at some point, we were choking because of the chilli spices in the air; and crying, because they were stinging our eyes.
Image Credit Oh My Food Recipes
If I were to have a celebratory meal with my parents, I would likely order from a Zi Char place like KEK Seafood so my parents can enjoy the meal in the comfort of our home. Since our family doesn’t enjoy crowds, this works perfectly for us — and we also get to pair the dishes with our homemade chilli sauce!
BELLIS LOO
My favourite food memory with my family is buying them a meal after I got my first paycheck from my part time job after my O levels. It was just a simple meal at a zichar stall near home, but I look back on it fondly. It was nice because I was able to do something for them after all they've provided me!
Image Credit Eatbook SG
This year, for a celebratory meal, I'm bringing them to Red House Seafood for their Parents’ Day Menu this year!
BRENDA POH
I think my favourite memory of dining with my parents would probably be when I brought them to Haidilao for the first time.
I got to introduce them to one of the hotpot places I usually visit with my friends while treating them to a nice meal with my own "adult money". After all the years of them feeding me yummy food (and paying for my meals), it was finally my turn to return the favour. They enjoyed it!
Image Credit Trip Advisor
Prior to that visit, they've never been because they always felt that it was quite pricey and "not worth it" to dine there. Knowing them, they probably would never go to Haidilao again on their own, so it's all the more reason to bring them back one day.
My parents will be enjoying their time overseas (without me, sadly!) in May and June this year. But when they get back, I'll probably bring them back to Haidilao, or to a Chinese restaurant or even a zichar place so that we can order multiple dishes and share as a family. They're not people who will usually spend much on food or go to fancy restaurants, so I would love to treat them to a meal with familiar flavours they appreciate!
YU JIA HUI
My favourite food memory with my parents is having breakfast with them on the weekends at the hawker centre. My parents like to eat local food and we always explore new hawker centres in different parts of Singapore. We enjoy the wide variety of affordable food and lively atmospheres, and – after dining – will walk around the neighbourhood to explore and to digest!
Image Credit Yu Jia Hui
If I were to bring them for a dinner, I would bring them to Ga-Hock Seafood Zi Char at Upper Bukit Timah. This place is not new to us, but it’s an important place: we’ll have dinner there whenever there's something great to celebrate!
KAVIYA MAHESH
My favourite food memory is when my mom makes prawn biryani for lunch and mutton stew with idiyappam for breakfast on weekends, and when my dad makes his pepper crab — it’s something I always look forward to.
It’s usually on weekends when both my parents are home, and those meals bring everyone together. We often invite friends and family, and the food is always loved by everyone. It feels warm and comforting every time; their cooking is what makes those moments so special.
L-R: Prawn Briyani image credit Malabar Tea Room; Pepper Crab image credit Kaviya Mahesh
In Singapore, I would take them to The Banana Leaf Apolo, an Indian restaurant on Race Course Road that we all really enjoy and always look forward to. If we were in Chennai, India, I would definitely take them to Kappa Chakka Kandhari, a place known for its Kerala cuisine that feels both comforting and special.
