My Selection: Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

Alexander Peh: I recently graduated from Les Roches Global Hospitality Education, Switzerland. Currently I hold the position of a Food and Beverage Manager In Training in an International Luxury Hotel Group. Before and during my school term, I had some sommelier practice. I achieved First Runner Up position in the 6th South East Asia + Taiwan Best Sommelier Competition 2017 held in Jakarta. I have a sommelier background, and hope to use it as an advantage in my Food & Beverage / Hotel career.

MS: What does your job entail exactly?

AP: My job entails me rotating around all the different departments of the hotel at the moment, particularly in the Food & Beverage Division. I have just finished my rotation with the Coffeehouse and Bar, and am heading to the Cantonese Fine Dining and Banquet for my training, development and exposure in the Food & Beverage Operations sector.

MS: How long have you been living in Singapore and what brought you here?

AP: I am a born and raised proud Singaporean.

MS: With work done, how do you like spending your free time in the Lion City (Do you have any favorites areas or places where you spend your free time)?

AP: Apart from trying to pick up golf and catching up with my friends lately. Being an introvert, I like to spend time alone. I have been reading a bit about Singapore history, Singapore Politics, Religion and Theology in the past few months.
Most of the time, I find myself in cafes that possess excellent selection of coffee doing my readings. This means I can kill two birds with one stone: I get to catch up on my reading, plus, opportunity to learn about another beverage: coffee, which is always fascinating, like wine!

MS: Singapore is famously a melting pot of cultures and, as a
result, also of multiple cuisines. What are your favorites?

AP: My favourite has to be our sinful Char Kuay Teow and Fried Hokkien Mee.

MS: Where do you like to have dinner in Singapore? Could you name your Top 3 picks among restaurants, bars & cafes in Singapore?

AP: I can’t say that I’ve been to many places myself, if I were to pick:
Dinner:
Praelum Wine Bistro (the most “unpretentious” restaurant there is out there)
Jiang Nan Chun
JB Ah Meng
Bar:
Manhattan
One-Ninety Bar (Joseph has an extraordinary mind that can concoct amazingly delicious and complex cocktails)
Horse’s Mouth
Cafes:
VXX Co-Operative
Nylon Coffee Roasters
Carvers & Co (Nick has such a personality and opinion about his kopi)

Styled and shot by Manhattan

MS: Selecting wine depends very much on the occasion. When do you like to drink wine? On its own / with a meal / alone / with company?

AP: Wine to me symbolizes celebration. I almost only always have it with friends. The occasions range from the monthly wine dinners to midnight blind tastings with the other sommeliers in town.

MS: Are there any wines that you particularly like and would recommend to our readers? Or maybe you have your favorite pairings with the food you mentioned before?

AP: Hahaha… This is a tough, the more people buy, the more I have to pay for the wine in the future!
Jokes aside, I love Assrytikos from Greece. When you grab your hands on an excellent bottle, you’ll find that tension, energy, and vivacity that cuts through this very flavourful grape that’s grown on very difficult volcanic soil.
People will laugh at me, but somehow I find joy in having a semi-sweet red Lambrusco to go with my Char Kuay Teow. It’s like an ‘atas’ version of a beer you know? Before you head to the kopitiam, make sure you cool the bottle. When you’re there, ask the drink stall uncle for a bucket of ice, chuck the bottle in, make sure the wine gets in right away as you wait for your char kuay teow to be done. Be a little snobby and bring your glasses, doesn’t have to have a stem unless you don’t think you’ve already attracted enough attention. By the time your CKT should be done, pour the wine, BOOM. You’ll thank me.