In the sprawling mosaic of Singapore’s culinary landscape, Meh’r opened its doors in Clarke Quay, offering a distinctly personal take of Southeast Asian street food.
Named after chef Inderpal Singh’s two-year-old daughter, Meh’r is more than just a restaurant. It is a living tribute to heritage, personal journey and the evolution of identity.
The 36-year-old’s journey to this moment defies the usual arc of culinary celebrity. Before winning MasterChef Singapore in 2023 and before his name appeared in glossy reviews, he was a boy working alongside his father in the kitchens of their local gurdwara, Sri Guru Singh Sabha.
These communal spaces, where food is both sustenance and spiritual offering, taught Inderpal lessons that no culinary school could – the value of collective effort, the importance of cooking for others and working in harmony to serve a larger purpose.
“The kitchen was a place where people came together,” he reflected. “It wasn’t about perfect recipes, it was about feeding a community.”
It was during the global upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic that Inderpal’s solitary cooking journey began. As Singapore locked down, he found himself isolated in his own kitchen, with a few days of leave to clear from his day job where he was managing a resource centre for foreign domestic workers. During that brief window, he began what would become a home-based business called Mr Singh Eats.
Starting with just two staples, butter chicken and chapati, Inderpal gradually expanded his offerings, eventually handling every aspect of the operation himself – prepping, cooking, and delivery. At one point, his home-based menu boasted 46 dishes. “I remember I was cooking 14 kilos of butter chicken, eight kilos of daal, half a kilo of bhindi (okra) in one day,” he said.
Through this chaotic period, it was not just Inderpal who bore the weight of his labour of love. His wife, Sandhya Deep Kaur, 34, stood steadfastly by his side.
“I contributed to the marketing efforts, streamlined orders into an excel sheet and helped pack and deliver the food with Inderpal,” she said.
It was chaotic but also very exciting, so I was very vested in Mr Singh Eats. Focusing on pushing out authentic food in a timely fashion truly allowed me to keep grounded.” Their shared resolve was the backbone of those early days.
After a year of working on his home-based business, Inderpal went on to work at acclaimed restaurants like Thevar and Michelin-starred Burnt Ends, where he refined his skills under some of the industry’s top mentors.
“Those kitchens changed everything for me,” Inderpal said. “The discipline, the technique, the pressure – I soaked it all in.” Then came the opportunity of a lifetime – MasterChef Singapore. The timing, though, was hardly ideal.
Raising a child during Inderpal’s intense run on MasterChef Singapore posed its own challenges. “My daughter was in her infancy stage when Inderpal was shooting for MasterChef,” said Sandhya.
“It was a very trying time to not have him around as much as I wanted to, simply because I had to juggle breastfeeding, watching the baby and healing from the C-section,” she recalled.
Yet the couple’s guiding principle was clear.
“Our mantra since we started dating was that we will never stand in each other’s way when it comes to pursuing our careers and dreams, but instead, always providing whatever support is required,” said Sandhya.
That unwavering familial support, coupled with Inderpal’s relentless passion, propelled him through the competition, culminating in his victory in Season 4. Now, with Meh’r, his story comes full circle.
Behind every dish lies a deeper story – of family, resilience, and the simple but profound act of cooking with heart. Some standout items from Meh’r’s menu include the mouth-watering Bak Bak Wings, Chilli Lobster Roti John, Tom Kha Ceviche and Sandhya’s Rojak, which Inderpal named after his wife.
To aspiring chefs, Inderpal offered a powerful word of advice: “The industry offers some high highs and low lows. If you love the craft, start wherever you are and never forget who’s been in your corner from day one.”
