Chilli on the Side, Please is one of the first works in my 50 Shades of Grub series, which grew out of my love of cooking, discovering new foods and exploring different flavours.

For me, food has always been about more than just eating. It is about the places we visit, the people we share a meal with, and the conversations and memories that linger long after the plates have been cleared.

This ongoing series of 50 paintings celebrates the joys of food and the many ways it brings colour and richness to our lives. Through painting the familiar and the unexpected, I invite myself — and hopefully others — to look at food a little differently, and savour the stories, experiences and connections that come with it.

I am particularly fond of this painting because it reminds me of sambal sotong, a spicy squid dish beloved in Singapore.

Chilli on the Side, Please is also a distinctly Singaporean expression. It is a familiar request when ordering at a hawker centre or local eatery, asking for the chilli or sambal to be served separately so you can add as much — or as little — as you like. From fiery sambal to freshly cut bird’s eye chillies in soy sauce, chilli is an essential companion to many local dishes, though everyone has their own preferred level of heat.

Casual, practical and understood without much explanation, the phrase captures a little of our food culture — and the small, personal preferences that make every meal our own.