Singapore — Politician and restauranteur Dr Chee Soon Juan wrote in a Sept 16 Facebook post that while he accepted the comments regarding the food served at his café, Orange & Teal, he was not too happy about the comments given about “the make-up of our guests.”
The longtime opposition leader and secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party, who launched the café together with his wife, Huang Chih-Mei, just this June, has made it a point to host cardboard collectors and the poor elderly at Orange & Teal, located at Rochester Mall.
Dr Chee wrote in his post that the reviewer, “wandered into commenting on the make-up of our guests.” He called this “not quite as kosher” as her comments on the food.
“The whole idea of us starting the cafe was to bring people together, no matter your station in life or the path you take.”
As he wrote in a Facebook post on June 21 when he announced the launch of Orange & Teal, “It’s been a long-term dream of ours to have a place where Singaporeans come together to not just have a great meal or have that heart warming cuppa, but a place where we get together with our loved ones and friends.”
And almost three months on, the SDP leader wrote that they have had varied guests at the café.
“It is so good to see the young man bring his retired parents for lunch or the dad taking his daughter on a date to spend quality time with her or the trendy group of millennials coming in for our Wed wine night or the young couple indulging in our afternoon tea set or the lady getting lost in the pages of her book with a pot of tea.”
He underlined the point that everyone is welcome.
“Orange & Teal serves the millionaire who orders our finest wine and dines in style as well as the cardboard collector who comes in from the toil for a simple meal.
I’ve had all of you come through and I thank you for making this place the rich tapestry of life that we want it to be.”
He even added that every single person “is the reason for my starting this cafe. Here we celebrate each other’s company – whether you’re literate or not and regardless of the school you come from,” a not-so-subtle dig at a hot mic comment in Parliament this week.
Dr Chee ended his post by writing, “At times like these, let’s bring people together, not further divide them. And we can do this only when we speak from the heart, not just the mouth.” / TISG
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Chee Soon Juan opens his café to cardboard collectors and poor elderly