About Commune Kitchen - Cooking School - COMMUNE KITCHEN SINGAPORE

Commune Kitchen: Your Culinary Compass

Dive into a world of flavors with our seasoned chefs, each bringing global culinary expertise right to Singapore.
Here, you’ll find:

🌿Wholesome & Local: We champion fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, ensuring every dish is a feast for both palate and soul.
👨‍🍳 Guided Mastery: With our skilled chefs, you’re in the best hands, whether you’re a budding cook or a seasoned gastronome.
💼 Diverse Offerings: Beyond cooking classes, explore team-building sessions, private classes, and kitchen rental at our state-of-the-art facility.
🤝Inclusive Approach: Our unique, fully hands-on cooking classes are designed to cater to everyone - from domestic helpers seeking to enhance their cooking skills, to couples looking for a fun and engaging activity, work mates looking to bond over team-building, as well as children and teens eager to embark on a culinary adventure.

Easily accessible in Frasers Tower, near Tanjong Pagar MRT, we invite you to craft culinary memories with our stellar team. Ready to embark? Join us at Commune Kitchen.

Our Team

Meet Cecilia Lau
CEO | Co-Founder|Holistic Wellness Pioneer | Educator | Culinary Health Advocate

Cecilia Lau is a visionary in holistic wellness, with over 30 years of experience in health consultancy, therapeutic nutrition, education, and community empowerment. Her core belief is simple yet powerful: food is more than nourishment—it is a catalyst for awakening, healing, and transformation.

Cecilia began her journey in broadcasting with Rediffusion in 1987, using voice and story to connect with audiences. Between 1986 and 2010, she worked as a professional holistic therapist, earning prestigious certifications, including the UK Cidesco Professional Physiotherapist Certification and a Diploma in Health Consultancy (UK ITEC).

In 2015, she founded Will Be Culture, a life-learning centre dedicated to integrative wellness. In 2022, she launched Chubby Chubby, a clean-eating restaurant concept focused on allergen-aware, joyful, and accessible meals.
Today, Cecilia is a highly sought-after speaker and educator in nutrition and detoxification. She’s best known for her signature philosophy, “Awakening on the Dining Table”—a transformative approach that reconnects individuals with food as a source of clarity, vitality, and conscious living.

Through her expertise in wellness education, therapeutic menu design, and public speaking, Cecilia continues to make a meaningful impact across Singapore and beyond. With heartfelt purpose and deep commitment, she is reshaping how we eat, think, and live—one plate at a time.

Cecilia Lau

For collaborations, speaking engagements, or holistic wellness inquiries, reach Cecilia at 📩 [email protected]

Payal Thakurani

Payal is always happy to connect over ideas, collaborations, or just a good food chat. 📩 Reach Payal at [email protected]

Meet Payal Thakurani
Founder |Culinary Director | Educator

Payal Thakurani, the driving force behind Commune Kitchen Singapore, is a culinary artist on a mission. A passionate culinary educator and entrepreneur, Payal founded Commune Kitchen in Shanghai in 2012 with a vision to make cooking more accessible, hands-on, and joyful for everyone. In 2017, she brought that same spirit to Singapore, where Commune Kitchen quickly became a beloved name in the city’s vibrant food scene.

Payal’s food philosophy blends flavour with intention. She believes in using fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create dishes that are simple, wholesome, and full of heart—often drawing on both Asian and Western influences. Her focus has always been on making real food approachable, teaching home cooks and professionals alike to cook confidently from scratch by simplifying recipes and helping them understand the "why" through technique — not just by following instructions.

As the Founder and Culinary Director, Payal continues to lead Commune Kitchen with integrity and purpose. Her mission goes beyond food—she is deeply committed to empowering women, especially single mothers and seniors over 60, by creating inclusive opportunities within the kitchen and beyond. Her belief is simple: talent knows no age, no gender, and no boundaries.

Today, Payal remains actively involved in every aspect of Commune Kitchen—from teaching and recipe development to team building and mentoring—shaping a space where food, community, and purpose come together.

Meet Nicke Wong
Co-Founder | Chef | Culinary Educator | F&B Consultant | Plant-Forward Visionary

With over 35 years in the culinary world, Nicke Wong is a highly respected chef, educator, and consultant whose career has spanned professional kitchens, culinary institutions, private dining rooms, and food businesses across Asia and Australia.

Nicke’s culinary foundation is rooted in classical training, but her true craft lies in her ability to blend tradition with innovation. She spent the early part of her career as a regional corporate chef, managing cross-border operations and training across Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. Over time, her focus shifted toward culinary education and mentorship—a role she has embraced for the past decade through her teaching at schools, wellness centres, cooking studios, and private platforms. Her approach is warm, intuitive, and deeply grounded in both technique and culture.

She is also the founder of Aftertaste by Nicke, a boutique food brand launched in 2017, best known for its handcrafted tom yum paste that reflects her belief in food that is honest, bold, and rooted in heritage.

As a private dining chef, Nicke is known for creating immersive, heartfelt experiences that go beyond the plate. As an F&B consultant, she has guided restaurant concepts and kitchen setups in Singapore and Australia, offering practical expertise in menu development, operational flow, and culinary team training.

Nicke holds the ACLP certification and is an accomplished culinary competition judge, having been invited to assess talent in Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei, and Bangkok. Her judging is respected for being fair, constructive, and insight-driven—reflecting her dedication to nurturing excellence in the next generation of culinary professionals.

As Co-Founder of Commune Kitchen, Nicke is currently co-developing a plant-forward culinary programme, continuing to inspire with her integrity, precision, and unwavering love for food that speaks to both body and soul.

Nicke Wong

Nicke is always happy to connect—whether it’s to talk culinary concepts, education, or flavourful ideas. 📩 Reach Nicke at [email protected]

Sarah Lim

Meet Sarah Lim
Botanical Artist | Floral Storyteller | Mindful Educator

Known for her airy, abundant, and vibrant use of colour in floral design, Sarah is drawn to often-overlooked blooms tucked in the corners—consistently pushing the boundaries of what can be used in her creations.

Her latest passion lies in weaving herbs, fruits, and dried branches into floral arrangements and botanical paintings, blending nature’s textures with artistic expression. Beyond her visual artistry, Sarah curates immersive floral mindfulness workshops and meditative painting sessions, guiding participants to slow down, reconnect with nature, and explore creativity as a form of mindful practice.

Her work has been celebrated in Prestige, L’Officiel, Once Wed, Magnolia Rouge, Style Wedding, The Wedding Scoop, Her World Brides, and Female Brides, and featured across numerous wedding platforms, newspapers, and editorial shoots. She has also collaborated with global luxury brands including Chanel, Jo Malone, La Mer, Estée Lauder, and Kate Spade, bringing her organic, free-spirited aesthetic to their campaigns and events.

At Commune Kitchen, Sarah teaches hands-on floral and art workshops focused on intuitive creativity and mindful artistry—from Ikebana-inspired florals to fruit and vegetable arrangements, “Bubbles & Blume”, and “Sip & Paint”sessions.

All workshops conclude with a beautiful botanical meal thoughtfully prepared by our creative chefs, Kai and Hong.

👩‍🍳 Meet Our Kitchen Ninja - Senah Nyaru! 🍽️

Senah Nyaru is the heart and soul of Commune Kitchen. With boundless energy and an ever-present smile, she ensures our kitchen runs seamlessly. From expertly handling kitchen duties to maintaining impeccable cleanliness, Senah’s passion and dedication are the secret ingredients that make every dish extraordinary. Next time you visit us, be sure to say hello to our culinary superstar, Senah Nyaru, the driving force behind the magic at Commune Kitchen. 🌟