If you love to cook but have a schedule that doesn’t allow you more than 30 minutes to prepare dinner each evening, a good way to indulge in your culinary hobby is through the Do-It-Yourself food kits that restaurants in Singapore have started putting out this year. Featuring sets of pre-measured ingredients accompanied by detailed directions, the trend was first born in response to pandemic-related nationwide restaurant closures. At-home kits have allowed upscale food businesses to get their offerings to their customers while bypassing the perils of having their cooked dishes sit around and travel—after all, pasta is always better hot from the pan, and no one wants a soggy burrito.
Now, even as dining out reopens, the DIY movement has lost hardly any traction—thanks to its interactive nature, customisability and the allure of recreating restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of your own home. Vogue narrows the list down to these must-try options, ranging from handmade sushi rolls to personalised tacos.
At-home Packs by Pasta Bar
You no longer have to settle for the pre-packaged supermarket variety to get your pasta fix at home—Pasta Bar’s DIY packs offer you a choice between neatly portioned bundles of their fresh tagliatelle, tagliolini and rigatoni. With ready-made sauce options like San Marzano tomato and basil, pesto Genovese and 24-hour beef ragu, all you need to do is cook your pasta al dente. Their lasagna, which comes layered in a tray, is also fuss-free—the only effort needed on your end is popping it into the oven. The recipe can be made vegetarian with spinach, mushroom and bechamel in place of beef, or carb-free, with zucchini substituting sheets of lasagne.
Pasta Bar, 55 Keong Saik Road, #01-05, Singapore 089158
Contact: +65 6222 0627 / [email protected]
DIY Popiah Platters from Po
While popiah ranks high on our list of local comfort foods, the tedious preparation involved in making it from scratch intimidates many home cooks. Shredding the vegetables for the filling can take up an entire evening, and getting the dough just right to make the thin, delicate skin is notoriously difficult. If you’re longing for the nostalgic flavour of the spring rolls but don’t have hours to burn, the ready-to-assemble Popiah platters from Po are just what you need. Known for elevating Singaporean classics, Po sends to your doorstep carefully packed handmade wheat skins and delicious fillings, with a choice between traditional toppings like tiger prawns and unconventional ones like a sweet mixture of pineapple, taro and peanut gelato.
Po, The Warehouse Hotel, 320 Havelock Road, Robertson Quay, Singapore 169628
Contact: +65 6828 0007 / [email protected]
Handroll Sets by Noka
Singapore’s first farm-to-table Japanese restaurant Noka is making every sushi-lover’s wildest dream come true by allowing them to recreate restaurant-grade sushi at home. Their easy-to-execute hand roll set features slices of premium fish like Japanese bluefin tuna and salmon, alongside sheets of nori, sushi rice, and fresh vegetables, allowing diners to effortlessly assemble custom hand rolls at home. Also available for home delivery are vacuum-sealed packages of their luxurious take on Oden, an authentic one-pot Japanese stew made with tamago, konjac, radish, fish cake and dashi soup—easier to prepare than the hand rolls, but still hearty and satisfying.
Noka, 109 North Bridge Road, #07-38, Singapore 179097
Contact: +65 6877 4878
Build-a-Bao Kits from Butcher Boy
Enjoy the fluffy white buns and Asian fusion flavours trademark of a Butcher Boy bao with their customisable home kits. To order, choose between their buttermilk fried chicken, pork katsu, and vegetarian mushroom and soya patties (or mix and match if you like) which can be baked or air-fried till crisp and golden, ready to be slotted into the soft baos and garnished to taste with their homemade sauces and pickles. Consider making an evening of it with their home bartending kits: they come with ingredients ranging from premium whisky to vermouth, essential equipment like jiggers and bar spoons, and shaking and stirring instructions to help you make cocktails like a professional.
Butcher Boy, 31 Keong Saik Rd, Singapore 089138
Contact: +65 6221 6833 / +65 8752 9578 / [email protected]
Steak Kits To-Go from Morton’s the Steakhouse
The kits from Morton’s are perfect for date nights in—opt for individually packaged premium cuts of meat like filet mignon and prime ribeye if you have your own sides planned, or splash out with their curated meal sets which include a house salad, classic steak accompaniments like jumbo asparagus and creamed spinach, as well as delectable slices of New York-style cheesecake. You can also indulge in some surf and turf action with their seafood specialties like lobster tail and jumbo shrimp, or if you’re in the mood for a cook-out, their 10-ounce beef patties packed alongside brioche buns, a plethora of burger toppings, and Morton’s signature sauce. With comprehensive instructions and fully prepped ingredients, all you need to do is fire up your grill.
Morton’s the Steakhouse, 5 Raffles Ave, Fourth Storey Mandarin Oriental, Singapore 039797
Contact: +65 6339 3740 / [email protected]
DIY Tacos from Papi’s Tacos
Elevate Tuesday Taco Nights with a DIY kit from Papi’s Tacos, a joint popular for its authentic, homestyle Mexican fare and lip-smacking margaritas. Suitable for groups of four to 12, the package comes with tortillas, a variety of toppings ranging from pulled pork to grilled fish, and all your favourite sides like guacamole, fresh salsa, and pickled jalapeno—ready for you to build personalized shells full of explosive flavour. To dial it up a notch, add Papi’s premium tequila to their pre-mixed margaritas in lime, strawberry, spicy mango, or grapefruit.
Papi’s Tacos, 39 Seah Street, Singapore 188395
Contact: +65 6258 0701 / [email protected]
DIY Baking Sets from Janice Wong
Janice Wong’s range of at-home products covers all bases for baking enthusiasts—she sells everything from premixes and baking equipment to recipe-specific ingredient sets. Her DIY green tea cake kit, for example, includes a cake premix, pantry staples, portioned-out speciality ingredients like white chocolate, chocolate pearls, and candied oranges, and even a piping bag and a cake board. If that isn’t foolproof enough, Wong pairs each DIY kit with a recipe video demonstrating each step, as well as assembly tutorials to teach home-bakers how to make their creations look patisserie-worthy.
Janice Wong, 290 Orchard Road, #B1-K28, Singapore 238859
Contact: +65 9233 7547 / [email protected]
