Hospitals Work With Big Names To Jazz Up Food Menu For Patients

One collaborates with award-winning chef, another with well-known F&B chains

- Chin Soo Fang

When Mr Leong Zheng Hao was hospitalised at Alexandra Hospital with an infected ankle in June, he did not expect to be won over by the food.

"All the dishes in the Chinese menu looked very appetising and visually enticing, especially the colourful steamed vegetable rice. After tasting, I found all the dishes tasty and complemented each other," he said.

The 30-year-old, who is a chef himself, added: "The sea bass with ginger and mandarin was very tender and fresh, and the dessert of steamed pear with rock sugar and goji berries tasted light with just the right amount of mild sweetness — a great way to end the meal."

The menu is the creation of award-winning chef Emmanuel Stroobant of Saint Pierre restaurant, who has been working on it with the public hospital's culinary team of about 20 people.

It focuses on quality ingredients and refined cooking methods, but also adheres to the hospital's nutritional guidelines. For example, many dishes are steamed or boiled, and use less salt.

After testing the menu on a few patients, including Mr Leong, the "Featured Chef Menu" was launched at all of the hospital's wards on July 1.

As more time and effort is needed to prepare these meals, the menu is available only once a week for patients on regular texture diets, at no extra cost. It is one of several menus that hospital patients can choose from.

The 12-month collaboration, spearheaded by the hospital's food services team, will see quarterly refreshes using seasonal produce. It will also rotate between Asian, Chinese and Western cuisines.

Mr Stroobant, 57, said he hopes to push back against the perception that hospital food is bland.