Celebrity chef Alvin claims prime locale

Restauranteur Alvin Koh, a celebrity chef from Singapore, is opening a new restaurant in Sydney at a venue which reminds him of his home town.

Alvin, who is internationally famous as a former Mr Asia bodybuilding champion, has chosen as his venue the Toggle building in the vertical village of St Margarets in Surry Hills.

He says the new complex of 216 high-rise apartments, shops and offices reminds him a little of the island city of Singapore and the Toggle building reminds him of a temple there.

Alvin is the founder of the Singapore Heritage Restaurant in Singapore and his new restaurant in Sydney will have the same name, with the Toggle building being renamed the Singapore Heritage Restaurant building.

Toggle is a separate, two-storey building surrounded by the residential, retail and commercial buildings which make up the rest of the St Margarets development at 417-445 Bourke Street near Oxford Street and Taylor Square.

Alvin has leased the building and has designed the restaurant with the help of one of his business partners, Henry Seet, and architects Haughton Design.

They are fitting out and decorating the restaurant and aim to open it in December.

Singapore Heritage Restaurant will seat up to 150 diners inside and many more outside on the concourse of St Margarets.

In the basement of the complex, 70 car spaces will be available to patrons of the restaurant.

The former site of St Margarets Hospital has been developed by Rommark Developments Pty Ltd.

A director of Rommark, Boris Markovsky, says, “The Toggle building was designed to be the signature restaurant space at St Margarets and we are delighted that the Singapore Heritage Restaurant has leased the premises.

“We believe Sydney needs a new destination restaurant and are confident that Alvin and his team will create a spectacular environment with fine Asian cuisine,” he says.

“The addition of the Singapore Heritage Restaurant helps complete the urban village at St Margarets and reinforces Surry Hills as a restaurant and entertainment precinct.”

Alvin says, “We anticipate good patronage from residents and customers of St Margarets and neighbouring areas, and from other Sydney people and interstate and overseas tourists who come to Taylor Square and Oxford Street to enjoy the nightlife and entertainment.”

The restaurant will serve Asian meals and will be licensed to serve liquor.

Alvin says, "Food is a reflection of ones heritage and culture. Singapore Heritage Restaurant in Sydney will promote the cuisines and cultural heritage of Singapore in a deliciously eclectic manner.

“We will offer a menu of tasty, traditional and innovative meals featuring many of our own unique recipes; incorporating what is essentially the essence of Singaporean cooking. I call it neo Asian fusion cuisines.

“Our restaurant will be richly decorated with cultural ornaments and heritage artifacts. We will provide excellent service and sensual dining at reasonable prices,” he says.

“It will be sensually Asian and a wonderful exchange of culture and goodwill between Australia and Singapore.”

As a chef, Alvin has been endorsed more than 100 times over the last five years by Asian newspapers and magazines and radio and television stations and by the Singapore Heritage Board.

He started the Porridge King Restaurant in Singapore in 2000 and became known as the bodybuilder chef.

He set up an international franchise of the Porridge King Restaurant in Jakata, Indonesia, in 2003.

The first restaurant became the Singapore Heritage Restaurant in 2004.

Alvin, who is 1.5 metres (4 foot 9 inches) tall, is the shortest man ever to win the Asian bodybuilding championship.

He has been internationally famous as a bodybuilder since he won the Mr Asia title twice, in 1992 at the age of 20 and again in 1993.

He is residing in Sydney while he sets up the new restaurant.

Other businesses in St Margarets include a Woolworths supermarket, two more restaurants, two cafes, a flower shop, health food shop, an alternative therapy clinic and an art gallery.

Photo captions:

Bodybuilder chef Alvin Koh

Venue for the new Singapore Heritage Restaurant in Sydney, the Toggle building at the St Margarets complex

Singapore Heritage Restaurant in Singapore

Bodybuilder chef Alvin Koh modestly poses nude at Lady Bay Beach in Sydney

Media contacts in Sydney: Alvin Koh himself or publicist Wallace Baker – phone 02 9331 8196 or 0424542727 or 02 9416 7111; email chefalvin@heritage-restaurant.com or childoftheway@yahoo.com or wal@wb-pr.com .

Download photos at www.wbpublicity.com.au/shr/shr.htm .

Alvin Koh, Founder, The Singapore Heritage Restaurant, No 46 Pagoda Street, The Chinatown Heritage Centre, Singapore 059205; phone 6562254024; restaurant’s

The Singapore Heritage Restaurant

Toggle Building

St Margarets, 417-445 Bourke Street, Surry Hills, NSW, 2069