Soul Food with Natasha Chiam

Delonix Tan’s story is one of transformation. In Singapore’s high-pressure academic landscape, grades are often a primary measure of self-worth. When school failed to provide Delon with that sense of value, he looked for belonging elsewhere: in gangs.For a time, Delon felt "really lost" and didn’t know who he was anymore, drifting between gang life, startup business attempts, and unfulfilling sales jobs. It wasn't until he stepped into the world of his family’s fishball business that he finally found himself.The life of wet market vendors and hawkers in Southeast Asia is notoriously tough; they often start work at 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning, doing physical work in tropical heat. Yet it was in this challenging environment that Delon found his purpose.“When I first joined [the business] I thought I want to make money,” says Delon. He soon realised that it wasn’t the cash, but the great personal growth he experienced that gave him the desire to continue in this tough industry. “It’s not about the money, it’s about the person you’re becoming.”Today, Delon’s life is defined by discipline - a far cry from his early years, where he struggled to even wake up on time. He views his health (maintained through meditation, exercise, and diet) as an investment in the business' longevity. One of his goals is to preserve our fast-declining wet market culture, so he documents his daily life as a modern-day hawker, sharing routines and traditional ways of working unique to his trade. Through his work, he also advocates for Singapore’s hawker industry, and believes that craftsmanship deserves more respect.His other goal? To ensure Sandai Fishball reaches its 100-year milestone. “If I work till I retire I can do it,” he smiles.If you’ve ever felt directionless or unsure about your own future, this episode is a meaningful example of finding purpose in the most unlikely places. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit soulfoodpodcast.substack.com

What do private equity, content creation and vegan cooking have in common?Our guest, Divya Butani, has done them all. Her unconventional journey took her from corporate finance to culinary queen. And in the process, she became a mother and built a community of over 100,000 veggie-forward foodies.At the start of her journey, Divya joked that she was “an Indian wife who couldn’t cook”, trying to feed a family with diverse dietary needs, so she created a food blog to teach herself the basics.Over the years she transformed from a kitchen newbie to chef, and founder of her very own vegan cooking school.Along the way, Divya shared more than recipes. She wrote honestly about veganism, motherhood, and her struggle with post-partum depression. What started as a food blog turned into a community, space for connection and place to learn.In this episode, we dive into Divya’s unconventional path, how she’s reimagining Asian dishes through a vegan lens and hear how she turned her interest into her livelihood. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn your mission into a purpose-driven livelihood, this one’s for you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit soulfoodpodcast.substack.com

Like many of us, Simone Heng has experienced periods of extreme loneliness.Unlike many of us, she’s turned those experiences into a successful career, driven by a mission to help people build real human connection in a lonely world.We talk about her upbringing, and her personal journey from her high profile career in media and entertainment, to becoming a young carer for her mother who suffered a stroke, and how that experienced pushed her to figure out how to build the fulfilling life she has today, and a career that is so aligned with her mission as a person.She shares her laser focussed vision and grit when it came to building her business and career. With strong visualisation “I visualised speaking at Harvard, Google, all the places I’ve now spoken at, down to the outfit” paired with “boring, hard and labourious work” in pursuit with worthy long term goals, she shares how she brought her plans to fruition.Simone also shares how we can find real human connection in a world that is as much digital as it is “real”, and how parents can set their children up for better communication skills and connection through synchronous activities like music and sport.Simone’s is a living example of how human connection, and human traits like charm, can be the foundation of a successful, meaningful (and financially viable) life. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit soulfoodpodcast.substack.com

From a childhood filled with explorations of his family’s kitchen cabinets, to a career in F&B that spans over 2 decades, multiple awards and a stint as a Masterchef Singapore judge, Bjorn has built his career on unexpected, creative (sometimes “stupid”) choices and the courage to see them through.I chat with Bjorn about how he has managed to run one of Singapore’s longest standing and much-loved modern restaurants, Artichoke, for 15 years - in a country where most restaurants close within their first lease term. We talk about failure, questionable decisions, what it takes to succeed in F&B in Singapore and his new direction for Artichoke: pizza!If you’re thinking about starting something new, or in the thick of running a food business yourself, this one’s for you.Bjorn, your impact on the Singapore food scene is undeniable. Thank you for sharing your story and inspiring us to be bold, unapologetic and unafraid. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit soulfoodpodcast.substack.com