‘Pure joy’: Singaporean serves free food in heartland every month to bring people together

SINGAPORE – On a quiet Saturday afternoon at a Yishun HDB void deck, small talk bounced among a handful of youth lounging around picnic mats and mahjong tables. Most were strangers who hoped to connect, but the ice was taking time to break.

Then a bubbling cheese pizza was whisked from an oven in a makeshift kitchen at their gathering spot, and the awkwardness melted away. People rose with smiles and chatter, converging over the one thing they now had in common: good food.

Behind the kitchen counter was 31-year-old Ngoh Shian Bang, who had organised this pizza party on Sept 19 with The Chop Community, a space for youth at Chong Pang Zone 7 Residents’ Network at 287 Yishun Avenue 6.

The event was the sixth community gathering that Ngoh had organised since May, under a project known as Kampung Soup Kitchen. The concept is simple: Cook and serve free food, so people can gather over a meal, recreating the kampung spirit of old.

Most of the food and preparation costs are borne by Ngoh, who is also a full-time Lianhe Zaobao photojournalist. He has spent about $2,800 of his savings on the cause.

The young man sports a bandana beneath a head of curls and a spunky attitude. He told The Straits Times: “I like seeing people happy, and maybe I can make the world a little less lonely.”

He never expected his first event on May 30 to go viral online. He whipped up clear chicken broth and spiced pumpkin and carrot soup, and served them for free to about 50 strangers at the void deck underneath his Tampines flat.

What started as one man’s idea has since grown into a monthly community project, with various Residents’ Networks in Tampines and Yishun providing him with free venues, and volunteers helping with cooking and service. The menu has also evolved beyond soup to include ice cream, pizza, barbecued meat and satay.

Ngoh reckoned that people resonated with the events because “it speaks to something deeper for them – the sense of yearning for neighbourhood”.

Modern society is more interconnected with social media and technology, but ironically, people feel lonelier, said Ngoh. He described feeling detached in Singapore as communal events seemed to dwindle over time.

He was drawn to how food can bridge social divides, pointing out that even people who routinely disagree can still concur on the quality of a chicken rice stall.

So, he chose this way of pushing against the tide.

Cooking chops

Food at his events is no amateur fare. Ngoh graduated from hospitality school Shatec in 2015, before pursuing his other passion in photography.

In his own words, he is “no stranger to strangers”. He has hosted couch-surfers from far-flung lands and creative professionals alike around the dining table of his five-room flat, where he lives with his parents.

The idea of cooking for the wider community came in 2025 after he joined a Telegram group for people to socialise in Singapore. He sought private spaces that could fit about 50 people, but found that they cost about $800 for four hours.

Then he heard that someone had hosted a potluck at a Housing Board void deck. “That was a eureka moment for me,” he said. “We use it for funerals. We use it for weddings. So, why not beyond (these purposes)?”

Ngoh wrote to his town council and got approval to rent the space for $50. It came with electrical and water points. He brought chairs and foldable tables from his flat to create a living room of sorts. The total cost, including ingredients, came to $89.

He recalled the amazement of seeing people from all walks of life organically strike up conversations while cradling bowls of soup.

Initially, he was worried about neighbours’ complaints. But the response was overwhelmingly positive, with the only concerns being about food hygiene. He has since acquired a food-safety certificate to allay those fears.

What does he get out of doing this?

“Happiness, lah. Pure joy in seeing people being well-fed,” he said without missing a beat.

Position of privilege

Preparing food for these events usually takes several days. Ngoh creates the menu, buys the ingredients and cooks from scratch. For the Sept 19 pizza party, he split the food costs with The Chop Community.

On that day, Ngoh and a group of volunteers laboured over pizza dough and bowls of chopped toppings. They fed about 90 people that day with seven kinds of Neapolitan pizza, including cheese and hot honey; truffle cream, mushroom and crispy kale; and sweet pistachio, brie and honey.

Among those at the event was Kong Shihui, 35, a product designer at a start-up, who enjoyed how people started spontaneous conversations as the food and drinks flowed.

“That kind of curiosity and openness is quite refreshing. I haven’t experienced that in a while,” she said.

The initiative has drawn the attention of grassroots leaders. Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo, who is also an MP for Tampines GRC, mingled with residents at Ngoh’s barbecue party at Sun Plaza Park on Aug 30.

Government agencies have told Ngoh he can apply for funding. Though he is open to the idea, he is hesitant about tying his project to grant proposals and key performance indicators.

Besides, he believes taxpayers should not pay for his personal “hobby” while he still has the means to fund it. “I’m in a privileged position to do this,” he said.

His goal is to bring Kampung Soup Kitchen to every Residents’ Network in Singapore. People have also asked him if they can replicate the idea in their neighbourhoods, and he readily shares tips with them.

“I’d like to think that I still am a nobody,” said Ngoh. “Anyone can do this if they want to.”