Former MasterChef Singapore contestant opens Indonesian food stall at Nanyang Polytechnic: ‘I didn’t eat for 5 days’

Eka Mairina, a singer-actress and former MasterChef Singapore contestant, has opened her first permanent Indonesian food stall at Nanyang Polytechnic. The lunchtime rush was far more demanding than she expected: during the chaotic first weeks, she says she lost her appetite and did not eat for five days.

Called My Indo Cook, the Muslim-owned stall opened on 1 August in NYP’s North Canteen, after Mairina had just 10 days to prepare the business. She invested a five-figure sum from her savings and serves dishes including nasi uduk, bakso and soto ayam. The stall sold about 100 meals per lunchtime in its first two weeks, before trade slowed during the polytechnic’s examination period.