I (Richard Seah) met David and Margareta around 1987. I studied macrobiotics from discussions with David, from Margareta's cooking classes as well as from reading books and attending lectures by macrobiotic teachers.

I started giving macrobiotic classes and workshops in 1990. In 1993, I attended the Macrobiotic Summer Conference and, in 1994, did Level One macrobiotics at the Kushi Institute.

I also helped revive the Macrobiotics Society and brought in teachers including Michio Kushi, Herman and Cornelia Aihara, Ed Esko, Adelbert Nelissen, John Kozinski, David Briscoe, Masato Nimura and Mariko.

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Macrobiotic businesses

David started Singapore's first macrobiotic foods store in the early 1980s, called Macrobiotics and Nutrition Centre.

It later changed owners and evolved into Nature's Best which had ambitious plans in the early 90s and opened several stores (4 or 6, I cannot remember) across Singapore. The business did not take off and quickly folded. One of the persons who started that business, Peter Lim, now runs Nature's Glory which does wholesale of some macrobiotic foods.

Also in the early 90s, Simon Fenley started Essential Living at the basement of Orchard Point. That, too, folded up and Simon now runs Essential Living also as a wholesale business.

Simon had also started a macrobiotic restaurant at Boat Quay. Because I was helping him set up, I let him use the name of my newsletter, The Good Life. The restaurant closed within a year.

I, together with Kheng and John, started Brown Rice Paradise in 1994. After David's store, ours was the first to be run totally by macrobiotic friends. BRP started off in an industrial building at Pemimpin, and moved to Tanglin Mall around 1977. Unfortunately, because neither of us wanted to run the business, we sold it in 1999. The store continues to stock some macrobiotic foods.

Shortly after BRP started, the Orchard Point premises was taken over by The Organics Paradise. The store is run by Buddhist vegetarians but it does stock marcrobiotic products.

The main importer, distributor and retailer of macrobiotic food ingredients today is Nature's Glory at Tan Boon Liat Building in Outram. Some macrobiotic food items are also available from Essential Living.

The many natural and organic food stores around Singapore today do carry the more common macrobiotic ingredients like whole grains, shoyu / tamari, miso, etc. However, few actually have a wide range of products.

Organics Paradise used to sell ready-to-eat food and similar style food is served at many vegetarian restaurants. Do not be mistaken, however, that the food served at these places is "macrobiotic".

Although they feature brown rice, vegetables, etc the cooking principles - and the taste - are not the same. One small but vital difference is that they often use Braggs' Amino Liquid (a soy sauce substitute made without salt) instead of real soy sauce - because of the mistaken belief that salt is "bad".

Click here to read more about the benefits and proper use of sea salt.

Right now, about the only place to taste real macrobiotic food in Singapore is in the homes of macrobiotic friends.

Doreen sometimes conduct macrobiotic cooking classes, and she can be at 6466-9376. She is also planning to publish a cookbook of her recipes.

Unfortunately, the rest of the macrobiotic community - myself included - is not very active at the moment.

For other macrobiotic contacts, email me.