By: Rachel Wee (19J10) and Myat Thazin (19J18)
Food Connoisseurs in RV?
We've all seen waves of canteen stalls come and go, from the old Prata House stall, a hidden gem which has since been closed, to the well-loved Bon Appetit stall, which has now been revamped.
While there have been ups and downs in this gastronomic journey, it seems that no one has documented this experience that accompanies every RVian throughout their time in school.
Nevertheless, we all have moments when we are so spoilt for choice that we can't decide what to eat. Trust me, I've had my moments too. Well, I guess not everyone is a foodie, but recently, as we found out, there is one in our very midst that might have rather successfully evaded the spotlight thus far. The constant whispers around school led us to someone hidden in plain sight. Gordon Rag-say? No, it's the one and only, Gordon Regsay.
Gordon Regsay
Meet Reg Sim (19J06). He is not just your average J2 RVian, but also our very own resident food enthusiast! The young food connoisseur (by no means is he a certified professional) is the mastermind behind the budding food review account which has amassed a steady growing number of followers on Instagram. His posts range from reviewing the school canteen and cafeteria meals to outside foods that most RVians frequent.
In just two to three months, Reg had gained access to the hidden menu of the Good News Cafe. Kickstarting a series called “Gordon Regsay ✕ GNC Secret Menu”, Reg embarks on a journey where he tries out some of the off-the-menu items from the cafe.
Envious? Don’t worry! All you have to do is to approach the cafe manager and request (politely, of course) for that Chocolate Double Trouble goodness. Though we might have to warn you, as we quote Resgay, “Do not consume in front of Mrs Teo!” Other than that, do spoil yourself with this scandalously fabulous treat!
Order the Chocolate Double Trouble goodness now! Available @GNC, RVHS
Are you craving ice cream already? Because we are! And while you grab your treat, scroll down for our very own exclusive interview with Gordon Regsay.
Get to know our resident food connoisseur
Through our first interaction with Reg over WhatsApp, he appeared to be an easygoing person, replying promptly to our texts and acceding to our requests. As chance would have it, we agreed to meet at the place where it all started, our very own Good News Cafe.
On the day of the interview, Reg arrived with a friend of his, and was surprisingly discreet for someone of his tall stature. Naturally, we started off the interview by asking him about his inspirations. He revealed that renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, as well as his friends like Eaindra Phyo (19J06) who started food accounts, had inspired him to do something similar.
When asked why he decided to hop on this trend and not something like the hugely popular TikTok, he openly revealed that he is better able to convey humour with his reviews, while TikTok is simply cringe-worthy. (Yikes!) His brutal honesty definitely shines through in his posts with his witty commentary, and his reviews are reminiscent of Chef Ramsay’s. “I sometimes watch his shows, and tend to use his quotes to comment on the food.”
Having steadily gained a loyal following, we couldn’t help but wonder about the brains behind each post. We were pleased to find out that this account was by no means a one-man show, with a couple of Reg’s friends accompanying him in the process of trying food and commenting on them. Reviews are then given based on the opinions of everyone involved. So far, the types of cuisine that have been reviewed are diverse, ranging from Japanese to Western, from sweet to savoury.
But how is the food curated?
Well, it turns out this is a matter of the reviewers’ palates, where food that Reg eats frequently, and food that his friends recommend, tend to be featured on the account.
At this point in the interview, we were starting to understand more about how Reg runs this account, and were glad that he was patient with our many questions. But we felt like we needed a little more details to complete the story. Going on to ask him about his friends’ feedback about his account, it appears that feedback from his peers have been fairly positive, though we did find out that the manager of Good News Cafe was slightly displeased with his review.
As Reg candidly revealed to us, “The manager of Good News Cafe talked to me because he was unhappy with my review. My friends told him that I had reviewed the food, forgetting that my critique wasn’t the most ideal.”
Here’s a sneak peek of some of his posts.
Curious about what else he had to say? Go check out his account now @gordonregsay!
Discover the Other Side of You
When we sat Reg down for this interview, we were not really expecting a shy and soft-spoken boy because this is the same person who is not afraid to run his mouth when it comes to food.
This jarring contrast between our online personas and who we actually are in real-life is rather fascinating. Something about being anonymous virtually just liberates a side of us that we do not normally show on the outside.
Many of us can be self-contained in real life but this becomes a different story on the internet. We become bolder and braver. We become more willing to step out of our comfort zones. And like Reg, we might end up discovering another side of us. And all of it just takes a click.
So, don’t be scared. Go and discover the other side of you because who knows, you might become your very own Gordon Regsay.
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