MasterChef S’pore S4 Winner To Cook At Kopitiam-Inspired Brunch Pop-Up, Chilli Crab Roti John On Menu

MasterChef Singapore Season 4 has crowned its winner: Inderpal Singh, 33, emerged victorious after a gruelling nine-week competition. He tells 8days.sg that “it’s just super surreal”, and he’s “so thankful for the incredible support from everyone”. His first post-MasterChef venture? A “Uniquely Singaporean Brunch” pop-up in partnership with fellow contestant Reuben Wong, 30, who placed fifth on the show. The collaboration was in the works even before Inderpal took the trophy.

The pop-up is titled “A Uniquely Singaporean Brunch” and takes place at Drunk Skunk, a bar and bistro at Boat Quay, on 28-29 October and 4-5 November. The pair teamed up with the bistro after a relative introduced them to its owner.

When asked whether reservations are flooding in post-win, Inderpal happily says “they are”, and that he’s “just trying to manage them all”. He also shares that “some [potential restaurant investors have called after his win], but we are focusing on getting the brunch pop-up done first and then looking to set up a more permanent space [later]”. 

The pop-up will feature Inderpal and Reuben’s take on brunch food with a Singaporean twist, serving up dishes like loaded Roti John, fusion biryani bowls and mod Sin desserts. Those who followed the reality cooking show would know that Inderpal favours punchy flavour profiles (he told CNA Lifestyle he hopes to make Punjabi food popular in Singapore and fuse it with local and regional flourishes). Reuben specialises in vegetable dishes, and it’ll also be incorporated into this brunch menu. 

Inderpal tells 8days.sg that the duo decided to collaborate after “developing a strong friendship” on MasterChef. “The chemistry we had when talking about dishes we’d like to create was electric,” he adds. 

But why brunch? Inderpal and Reuben say they felt that “brunch in Singapore was often too westernised”, and set out to create a localised brunch menu that’s unlike the typical western brunch dishes we’re familiar with. 

The pair also “love brunch” and want to “show that local flavours and everything [they] love about kopitiams can sit well in a brunch setting”.

Quirky kopitiam-inspired brunch menu, like loaded roti John

The a la carte menu is split into three main segments: loaded Roti John-inspired sandwiches, fusion rice and pastas, and desserts. While prices haven’t been finalised yet, the dishes are set to range between $12 to $25. 

Pimped up Roti John is the pop-up’s signature dish. There are three playfully-named sandwiches - the John Wick (apparently wick stands for “well it’s chilli krab”), features baguette topped with basil omelette, marinated crab and chilli crab sauce. The Abang John features omelette with chicken, ikan billis and cucumber, and finally the Jon-No-Tan, is an egg-free creation with king oyster mushroom, mozzarella cheese and baingan bharta (a spicy Indian dish made with a grilled mashed eggplant).

Inderpal also highlights the biryani bowls, which he says “merges [his] knowledge of Punjabi food with Reuben’s vegetable-focused expertise”. The basmati rice is served with either seabass or pulled mushrooms, plus sides of cauliflower and wing bean masala with burnt cucumber raita (an Indian dip typically made with yoghurt, cucumbers and mint leaves).

Meanwhile, those who opt for pasta can choose between fusion carbs ike the Sambal Udang (Prawn) Pasta or vegan Hijau (Green Chilli) Pesto Pasta.

To end your meal, try their Chwee Kueh and Racial Harmony Toast desserts. The ‘chwee kueh’ is actually coconut-lime panna cotta topped with strawberry chilli jam, gula melaka and almond crumbs. Meanwhile, the Racial Harmony Toast stars masala-infused toast topped with goreng pisang, goji berries and drizzled with gula melaka. 

Plans for a permanent outlet

Inderpal says they’re “running the pop-up as a trial to see if Singaporeans will respond and appreciate the flavours”, adding that “if this brunch pop-up is a massive success, [they] would make this a permanent thing” and open a standalone eatery. 

Besides the MasterChef Singapore trophy, Singh also won prizes like S$10,000 cash and a three-month internship at one of RWS’ specialty restaurants. He plans to use some of the prize money for R&D to set up a restaurant.

So far, sales for this brunch pop-up have been pretty good (Nov 4 seats are sold out at press time) — so if you’re planning to head down, act soon.

UPDATE: The brunch pop-up is now fully booked, but there are limited seats available for walk-ins.

A Uniquely Singaporean Brunch will be held on 28 - 29 Oct & 4 - 5 Nov at Drunk Skunk, #01-01 79 Circular Rd, S049433. 10am - 2.30pm. Direct message Inderpal or Reuben on Instagram for reservations. 

Catch the complete MasterChef Singapore S4 on mewatch and Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube Channel.

Photos: MasterChef Singapore, Inderpal Singh

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