From dishwasher to chef, Prince prepares meals fit for a king
If you’re under 30, you’ll probably find it hard to believe that Desker Road in Little India was once known for transactions of a more seedy nature.
One of the oldest red light districts in Singapore, it has undergone a facelift of sorts. The shophouses in the area now play host to a variety of Indian restaurants. And if you’re sharp enough, you might also notice a cosy little French eatery called Allo.
Located on the ground floor of a shophouse built in 1903 (the year is proudly emblazoned on the building’s facade), Allo, with its modern chic interior design, is curiously out of place amid the sights and sounds of Little India.
The sous chef in question is Prince Koshinder, a migrant worker from Uttarakhand, who, in a glorious twist of fate, started out as a dishwasher before stepping up to helm the stove.
“My previous head chef from Malaysia quit, and (Prince) showed a lot of interest in wanting to cook. He had the passion for it, and so I trained him and now he can do all the dishes,” says head chef Andrew Seah, who manages the front-of-house.
The offbeat location appealed to owner Seah, who opened the restaurant in 2021.
Prince, 23, started out at Allo shortly after it opened, and was a dishwasher for just five months before making the leap.
He had no previous experience in the F&B sector, having worked in the automotive sector back in India.
“I always wanted to learn how to cook, so I volunteered to learn. Chef trained me for about a month,” he says.
“At first it was tough. I made a few mistakes like overcooking the tenderloin, but after a while, I knew how to check for doneness and do everything right.”
Either Prince is a natural or Chef Andrew was a hell of a teacher.
The Lamb Rack with Pomme Puree ($42) was as good as any lamb dish you’ll savour at high-end establishments. What sets it apart are the delicious trimmings that accompany the three chops – lamb fat that they trim from the meat after grilling instead of before.
The menu also includes other classic French-inspired mains such as Duck Confit with Pomme Puree and Orange Balsamic Glaze ($30) and Beef Tenderloin with Potato Dauphinoise ($38).
For the wallet-conscious, Allo also offers a three-course weekday set lunch at $15.90+.
“The building played an important part when we (him and his two partners) were searching for a space,” says chef Andrew.
“It coincides with the concept of our restaurant. And the outside seating space also helped.”
“But business here has been alright. Singaporeans will travel to eat, so the location isn’t really the most important thing; you just have to have good food.
He adds: “It’s hard work, but it pays off when customers enjoy the food. That’s the best part about F&B,” he said.
“The goal for us is to perhaps move to a bigger place someday. Ideally, I would like to open in Ang Mo Kio or Punggol – because we want to bring this cuisine to the heartlands.
“You can see from our menu that the prices are relatively low. We just want more people to know about this cuisine and we want to make it affordable for them.”
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