On 19 March 2022, over 30 alumni and their spouses met at the Lion City Restaurant in Mississauga, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. With pandemic-related restrictions slowly easing, the Toronto Chapter made a decision to gather on the weekend which coincided with the Spring Equinox. Lion City Restaurant is a unique place in the Greater Toronto Area as it serves amazing Singaporean food. The restaurant also held wonderful memories for the Chapter pre-pandemic, as they held their last major event – the Chinese New Year lunch in early 2020 – in the same location.
Attendees of the dinner were treated to mouth-watering delights such as ngoh hiang, fish tofu cabbage soup, deep fried Fish with chinchalok, nonya chicken curry, okra and eggplant belachan, sambal prawns petai, steamed jasmine rice, and bubur cha cha. As the scrumptious dishes filled the tables, attendees engaged in hearty conversations. Some amusingly wondered if it was possible to finish all the food before the restaurant closed – needless to say, the challenge was dealt with decisively.
Alumni who attended the dinner were ecstatic to meet again after the Chapter’s last gathering in November 2021. As the situation turned for the better, the Chapter hoped to bring back at least three events per year, with a potluck picnic in the pipeline for 2022. The Chapter would also try to organise a networking event, echoing the goodwill of alumni who expressed interest in mentoring and networking. All in all, the dinner was a wonderful evening filled with good food and good company.
Submitted by Mr Tejas Aivalli (Public Policy ’11).