Regenerative Baking #28: Jenny Dorsey on State-Run Restaurants
From Regenerative Baking by Dressler Parsons
March 17, 2026 · 50 min · Episode 28
About this episode
Jenny Dorsey discusses her research on state-run restaurants and the impact of government policies on hawker centres in Singapore.
Jenny Dorsey is a professional chef, author, speaker, and researcher on food politics and social justice. She’s currently based in Singapore as a Fulbright-National Geographic Research Scholar studying the impact of government policies on hawker centres, and recently earned her Master’s in Education from Harvard’s Graduate School. I was introduced to her work years ago when her nonprofit, Studio ATAO, announced they were making a Food Systems 101 curriculum. She also makes really great, informative short-form videos on social media about everything from why sodas are fizzy and always served cold, to what vegetables can tell us about national security, to Heated Rivalry and the gendered politics of pleasure. In this episode we get into some of her research on Singapore’s hawker markets, the argument for state-run restaurants, why Starbucks isn’t a true third space, how the design of a professional kitchen can actively work against you, using VR to enhance a dinner experience, letting people fulfill job roles based on their strengths and capabilities and not necessarily their experience, and so, so much more.
People in this episode
Host: Dressler Parsons
Guest: Jenny Dorsey
Topics covered
- food politics
- social justice
- state-run restaurants
- hawker centres
- professional kitchens
- VR in dining
Keywords
- Jenny Dorsey
- hawker centres
- state-run restaurants
- food politics
- social justice
- professional kitchens
- VR dining
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Studio ATAO, Harvard’s Graduate School, Starbucks
Places: Singapore
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