Apple's Tim Cook is in Singapore, tours Tiong Bahru with local photographers
Cook tried chwee kueh, carrot cake and steamed layer cake for breakfast after getting a quick history of the buildings in the area.
Apple CEO Tim Cook with Singaporean photographer Darren Soh at Tiong Bahru. (Photo: Facebook/Darren Soh | Photographer)
Apple CEO Tim Cook is in Singapore and he found the time to sample some of our local cuisine in Tiong Bahru – and get a crash course on the architecture of the area.
Hosting him were two local photographers, Darren Soh and Aik Beng Chia, who are known for their work using the iPhone.Â
Cook tweeted about his experience on Wednesday (Dec 11) morning: “Hello Singapore! Thanks to iPhone photographers Darren Soh (IG: darrensohphoto) and Aik Beng Chia (IG: aikbengchia) for sharing their love of Tiong Bahru’s rich heritage—and amazing food!”
Hello Singapore! Thanks to iPhone photographers Darren Soh (IG: darrensohphoto) and Aik Beng Chia (IG: aikbengchia) for sharing their love of Tiong Bahru’s rich heritage—and amazing food! ���� pic.twitter.com/XVibmLad8w
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 11, 2019
Both Soh and Chia are known for their ability to capture a slice of Singapore life with their iPhones.
Soh is one of 10 global winners of Apple’s Shot On iPhone Challenge in February – the only one from Asia. His winning shot captured the slanted roofs of residential blocks at Potong Pasir as reflected in a puddle of water. Â
Chia started out as a graphic designer before gaining popularity as a street photographer who is adept at capturing snapshots of everyday life on his iPhone. He has a large following on Instagram.
Soh told CNA Lifestyle that both himself and Chia were given "the amazing opportunity" to host Cook to a breakfast on Wednesday morning at Tiong Bahru market.Â
He said: "I brought him on a short guided tour of the wet market downstairs as well as gave him a rundown on the pre-war and post-war architecture of Tiong Bahru as well as showed him some of the HDB public housing blocks in the vicinity – something which I hold dearly."
They then went upstairs for breakfast where Cook tried some Tiong Bahru Chwee Kueh, "which he enjoyed", as well as soya bean milk, white carrot cake and nyonya gao teng kueh (steamed layer cake).
Soh explained that he and Chia had been asked by Apple if they would like to host Cook, and "of course we agreed."
They decided on Tiong Bahru market because "it is authentic and also the architecture around the market is historic and interesting."
Soh added that both he and Chia spoke to Cook about their work on the iPhone over the years then presented him with a copy of their individual photo books.Â
