Cooking well is one thing, but whipping up a meal at a MasterChef level is something else entirely. I know I can’t be the only one who’s stopped at those super-cool culinary show trailers while browsing some or the other OTT platform. Even you must have wondered—how do people cook like that?
But, it turns out there’s a lot of options if you want to learn exactly that. There are top-tier culinary schools here and there’s one for every kind of budding chef. If you need any more inspiration to join one, did you know that Singapore now boasts three 3-star, five 2-star, and forty-one 1-star Michelin restaurants as of 2021?
If you’re ready to handle the heat, let’s get into the kitchen*!
*This is a non-exhaustive list. Are you from a culinary school we should absolutely mention? Do get in touch with us; we’d love to add yours in!
1) At-Sunrice Globalchef academy
One of the best-loved professional culinary schools in Singapore, At-Sunrice caters to a variety of student groups. You can go for their Diploma programs, the Higher Certificate or Advanced Certificate programs, among others. If you want to have more fun while honing your cooking skills, go for the EasyChef Lab courses. These include the Private Chef course if you like cooking for yourself and family/friends. Again, you have the Travel Chef program if you want to learn the art of local cuisine!
2) Palate Sensations culinary school
Are you a beginner just looking to learn a few different cuisines and kinds of food? Then Palate Sensations is the place for you. Affordably priced at $160 for a 4-hour class, Palate offers well-trained, highly attentive instructors to guide you through the cooking process. You can also opt for their Chef in Training course if you’re passionate about being a certified chef/baker.
3) Asian Culinary Institute Singapore
Not all of us want to commit to a full culinary program experience. Some of us want the choice to try a wide variety of cooking. That’s where the Asian Culinary Institute comes in. You can pick from their multiple cooking workshops that teach anything and everything from baking English bread to dim sum. You can go for their professional WSQ (Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications) or non-WSQ courses too.
4) Brettschneider’s Baking & Cooking School
Brettschneider’s is known for the well-paced classes and friendly classroom environment. The school offers speciality cuisine courses as well as classes on baking. Apart from cooking different delicious goodies from scratch, you get to take all of these treats home too!
The school also thinks out of the box, offering cool courses like barista and latte art as well. You might be interested to know that celeb-status world-chef Dean Brettschneider actually heads the school. He’s also the founder of popular bakeries, Baker & Cook and Plank Sourdough Pizza!
5) Commune Kitchen
Commune Kitchen is a great choice for those looking for cooking classes that are easy on the pocket. Based in downtown Singapore, this school offers classes on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian, Middle-Eastern, Thai, and Indian cuisines, among others. This is a great cooking class to take if you want to have a community-centric experience meeting other budding chefs. Commune is especially loved for the classes on cooking the best dumplings and lip-smacking Xiao Long Bao!
6) Food Playground
This is the place to take cooking classes if you want to cook authentic Singaporean dishes. And there is some bonus too! You also get to know about the history and culture of Singapore and its delicious cuisine. Food Playground draws its unique selling point from its authentic location—an original shop house right in the middle of Chinatown, and the traditional but nuanced cooking methods that are taught therein.
Plus, this school is super conscious of its responsibility to Singaporean society. It provides work to homemakers and senior citizens, so if that’s a cause you’re passionate about alongside learning Singaporean cuisine, Food Playground is absolutely for you.
7) D’Open Kitchen
Probably known best for their corporate team-building cooking classes and activities, D’Open Kitchen also offers great cooking and baking classes for people of all ages. From pizza to a 130+ dessert menu to choose from, D’Open offers onsite and virtual cooking classes, as well as speciality classes teaching bento, mooncake, and other Singaporean delicacies. They also have the option of a Market Tour, where you get to roam the local markets and get a feel of real, unfiltered Singaporean marketplaces!
Considering that Singapore’s food and beverage space is growing exponentially, valued at slightly above S$ 8 billion—wow—doesn’t a career as a chef seems all the more appealing? And even if not professionally, taking a culinary course would sure be a fun experience. So which school will you be going to?